“Lisa is going to hate you.”

Nicki’s head shot up to look at Tyler. “What?”

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him.

“You look incredible. I thought the bridesmaids were supposed to look bad?”

She blushed and gave him a peck on the lips. “Thanks, Ty. Lucky for me Lisa isn’t like that. She could have easily made me wear a table cloth.”

Tyler looked her up and down. It had been two months since they’d gotten back from Florida. She’d gotten burnt to a crisp. Tyler had to put aloe on her skin every day for two weeks. Once the sunburn settled, she had become a gorgeous shade of tan, deepened by the week they spent in California and the two they had spent in Greece.

He briefly reminisced of their time in Santorini. Tyler had promised to take her there back when they made their bucket list, but never expected it would have happened so soon. After their week in San Diego, he was by no means ready to return home. He asked her if she wanted to spend the month there, and she proposed that they went somewhere else. The next morning, Tyler had packed all of their bags and told her they were going to Greece. He would never forget the expression on her face.

Not a single night went by during those two weeks that they didn’t sit on the cliffs and watch the sunset. So, maybe it was a little sappy for Tyler’s tastes. Watching Nicki swoon every time had been worth it. He was pretty sure that a part of her had died and gone to heaven.

“Whatcha thinking about Ty?” she asked, breaking him out of his day dream.

A warm hand found its way to his cheek, making him sigh. They’d been together for eight months and he still turned to putty at her touch. Tyler was beginning to think it would never change. And that was perfectly fine with him.

“Greece, actually.”

He had no problem telling her what was on his mind. There was only one thing he lied about. And in two short months, he would finally be able to stop keeping things from her.

“It still feels like a dream,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I went on three vacations this summer. Did you know I hadn’t even been outside the country before I met you?”

Tyler leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. “No, but I kind of figured. The way you kept freaking out over random stuff gave you away,” he responded, chuckling. There hadn’t been a single thing that didn’t excite her. She’d been so fun to watch.

“Babe, I wish I could tell you how much all of that meant to me. I really never thought I’d be able to do something like that. Never mind do it with someone like you.”

“Aw, stop it. You’re gonna make me blush,” he teased.

Nicki wrapped her arms around his waist. He hugged her back gently, trying not to mess up her hair.

“Really, Ty. I’m being serious. I think you know what it feels like to have something you’ve dreamt of since you were a little kid come true.”

“I’m glad I could make it happen,” he said, resting his chin on her head. “I promise I’ll take you somewhere every summer until we – “

He stopped mid-sentence. There was no way he was about to say that. Fucking idiot. Nicki pulled away and stared at him.

“Until we what, Ty?”

Tyler looked at her, trying to figure out how he could possibly save himself.

“Until we… can’t.”

Smooth.

“K… whatever you say. Are you alright?”

He could read the concern on her face. Over the last couple of months, he’d slowly been unraveling at the seams. Tyler was sure he’d been acting like he completely lost his mind. Nicki was beginning to notice it more and more.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Trying to take her mind off of it he asked, “Do I look okay?”

Her face softened and her lips curled up into a smile. Her priceless, precious smile.

“You look absolutely dashing,” she mocked in a British accent. “No, really though. Tyler, you’d look good in a potato sack. The suit is just a bonus.”

Nicki reached for his tie and pulled him towards her, biting down on her lip. Tyler knew the signals.

“We so do not have time for this right now.”

She pouted and let his tie fall. “Fine, but you know what happens when you make me wait.”

Tyler was well aware of what happened when he made her wait. He would wake up sore and defeated the next morning. A part of him looked forward to it.

Freddy and Evaline raced into the room.

“Sorry we took so long! You guys ready to go?”

Nicki and Tyler exchanged amused glances. Somewhere along the line, the four of them had developed a sort of roommate communication system. There were no secrets. Each of them always knew what was going on with the other.

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re real sorry,” Nicki teased. “Good for you guys. I got denied.”

Freddy chuckled and shook his head. “Damn, Ty. You need to get your priorities straight.”

** * * * *

“Nicki!” Lisa screamed when she saw her walk into the room through the mirror. Lisa was seated at a vanity in one of the bedrooms of the bed and breakfast they’d rented out for the wedding. One woman that Nicki didn’t recognize was pulling at her short hair, and another was touching up her makeup.

“Lisa, you look beautiful. Wow.”

She grinned. “Thanks girl! Come on, sit with me.”

Nicki sat down in a chair next to Lisa and turned her body to face her. She could already feel the tears making their way to the corners of her eyes.

“I can’t believe you’re getting married. This is unreal. What the hell is going through your head right now?”

“To be honest, I’m totally calm. I’m excited as fuck, but I’m calm. All the nerves died down last night. I had this moment where I asked myself, ‘why am I nervous? I’m about to marry the love of my life’.”

Nicki squeezed her eyes shut, letting the tears fall freely.

“Hey!” Lisa shouted. “You can’t cry on me! I’m the one who’s supposed to be crying!”

“Sorry Lis,” she said, laughing as she wiped underneath her eyes, trying not to smudge her makeup. “I don’t even know what to say. I am so happy for you.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure I’ll be bawling when you and Tyler finally tie the knot.”

“Yeah, and so will your grandchildren.”

Lisa looked at her out of the corner of her eye. Her head was currently in a sleeper hold by the hair stylist.

“Trouble in paradise?”

Nicki crossed her legs and fidgeted with her hands in her lap.

“No, nothing like that. I… Remember when I told you he was acting all weird? Well, I kind of thought that maybe that was why. It was stupid, I know. It’s just, I know he’s the only person I want to be with. And he tells me the same thing all of the time. I keep having to remind myself we haven’t even been together for a year yet. It feels like I’ve been with him my entire life. Is it wrong that I’m getting impatient?”

“It’s not wrong. Want me to talk to him?”

Nicki sat back in her chair and uncrossed her legs.

“No! God, no. Please never bring it up. Like, ever. I can’t imagine how freaked out he would get.”

Lisa didn’t say anything back. She began to regret mentioning it.

“So have you seen everything?” she asked, trying to ease the tension that had surfaced.

“Ugh, yes. Nicki, everything is flawless. You did an amazing job. I owe you my life.”

She smiled at her friend. She’d spent the entire summer going over every detail of the wedding with a fine tooth comb. Tyler suggested she try out a wedding planner business. It was a thought to keep in the back of her mind; Lisa was right. Everything had come out exactly the way she wanted it.

“I’m so glad. Oh, I almost forgot!” Nicki got up and ran across the room to the clutch she’d left on a table. “You need something borrowed.”

She pulled out the hair clip that belonged to her grandmother. It was a silver butterfly, adorned with large and small crystals.

“I guess it qualifies as something old, too.”

Nicki handed it to the hairdresser, who arranged it perfectly on the side of Lisa’s head.

“It’s beautiful! Nana is such a sweetie.”

She nodded. Her grandmother was indeed a very sweet woman. And she adored Lisa.

“I should probably go downstairs and check on everything. Are you gonna be okay up here?”

“Yup, tell the boys I say hi. I’ll have someone get you when I’m ready.”

Nicki turned to walk out of the room, glancing at Lisa one last time. She couldn’t believe they were there, that it was finally happening. She looked so elegant in her puffy white gown.

“Zach!” Nicki called across the lobby when she spotted him. He was standing in the corner with his father, Freddy, Evaline and Tyler. It warmed her heart to see what close friends they’d become. Zach didn’t always have an easy time making friends.

When he saw her, a smile lit up his face. He wrapped her up in a hug so tight that she almost couldn’t breathe.

“I’m so happy for you. It’s been a long time coming,” she said when he let her go.

“I know, thanks Nicki. I can’t believe you did all of this. It’s exactly what she wanted.”

She nodded. It had been a lot of work, but the result had been worth her time and effort.

“How does she look?” he asked, eager to see his blushing bride.

“Oh, Zach, she’s gorgeous. And she’s so happy.”

He let out a breath. “Phew, good. I was afraid she might get cold feet.”

“Not a bit. Oh, she says hi to everyone, by the way,” addressing Freddy, Evaline, and Tyler.

She chatted with Zach for a while before Lisa’s hair dresser came down to get her.

“Go stand at the altar, Zach. I’ll bring her down in ten minutes,” she said, exchanging a smile with Tyler before she walked away.

** * * * *

“Zach, man, you looked like you were going to shit yourself!” Freddy teased, now on his third glass of white wine.

Zach blushed and laughed with everybody else, tightening his grip around Lisa who sat in his lap.

“Really, though, your vows were beautiful,” Evaline said, bringing a hand up to her chest.

“Aw, thanks Evy! It took me forever to get them right. And even longer to memorize them.”

Tyler grabbed Nicki’s hand under the table, watching her as a smile crept onto her face. She’d spent most of the day running around, making sure everything was going smoothly. He made sure the moments he got to spend with her were full of affection.

Being at a wedding with her was giving him a funny feeling in his stomach. Someday, it could be them sitting at the head of the table, surrounded by friends and family. Talking about how long it took them to write their vows. He subconsciously rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb while he day dreamed.

He had no idea how long he had spaced out for. Nicki gently removed her hand from his and stood up, champagne glass in hand. She picked up a fork and tapped it lightly against her glass, letting the dings echo through the room. The clatter eventually spread silence throughout the guests.

“Well, I guess it’s time to start the speeches,” she said, voice loud, addressing everybody in the large function hall. She patiently waited to gain everyone's attention. She flashed a smile at Lisa and Zach before she began. Tyler couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

“First and foremost, I want to congratulate this beautiful couple to my left.” She paused as everyone clapped. “As most of you know, Zach, Lisa, and I have been inseparable since the day we met in Ms. Alexander’s fifth grade class. We endured awkward new encounters, acne covered faces, growth spurts, braces, math tests, painful school dances. You name it, we went through it together. All of those experiences made for a really special kind of bond. I’ll never forget the day when Lisa told me that she had a crush on Zach. We were sitting in our sixth grade English class, passing notes while the teacher yapped on about Anne Frank’s diary. I thought it was so important that I kept the note,” she said, holding up a yellowed piece of notebook paper. Tyler glanced around the room. It looked like every person was on the edge of their seat, wondering what was on the note. “This class is sooo boring. I know, right? Do you see what Abby Denton’s wearing today? Ugh, she doesn’t match at all. Who leaves the house looking like that? Not sure. You look cute today, though. So do you! Thanks. So, if I tell you something, can you promise you won’t tell anyone? Cross my heart, Lis. Who would I tell anyways? Mark? Lol okay. I like someone. Who? Promise you won’t tell? Yes, just say who it is! Zach. Zach… as in our Zach? Zach McNamara? Yeah. OMG.”

Nicki read the note in a way that made everyone in the room laugh after everything she said. Tyler had never noticed before how confident she was in front of an audience. She seemed to be impressing everyone at their table.

“That was seven long years ago. Seven years of the most confusing time in a person’s life. Through all of that, their feelings for each other have never ceased, never dwindled. If they could make it through the ups and downs of high school, I’m certain that they can survive anything life throws at them. These two are the role models for anyone in a relationship. Whenever something goes wrong, instead of blaming each other, they feed off of the strength they provide for one another. Anyone would be lucky to find the kind of love they have. I’m so happy for you two, and can’t wait to watch you grow old together.”

Tyler watched as Lisa sprang off of Zach’s lap and hugged her. He heard “aws” from the crowd. Nicki raised her glass again and brought it down to meet Lisa’s and Zach’s. The cling of glass hitting glass ricocheted off of the walls as the rest of the room joined. When everyone had toasted, Nicki finally sat back in her seat. Tyler scooted his chair towards her and wrapped his arms around her stomach.

“The was a really nice speech,” he whispered in her ear. “You almost made me cry a little.”

She turned to look at him. Her face was beaming. Tyler dropped his chin onto her shoulder, getting a whiff of her sweet perfume. He decided to stay there a while. Only when Zach and Lisa got up to cut the wedding cake did he raise his head, stopping halfway to leave a drawn out kiss on the back of her neck. Nicki scrunched up her shoulders and shivered.

** * * * *

“Awwwww! Ty, look at them!” Nicki swooned, watching the first dance.

Since Tyler had never attended a wedding before, he had no idea how drawn out they could be. It had been three hours since the actual ceremony, and they had just started the dance.

“I never thought I’d see Zach dance like that,” she said, shaking her head. “The things he does for her.”

Tyler tightened his grip around her waist. “Hey, I learned how to dance for you.”

“No, you learned how to dance for Shawn,” she corrected him. “He didn’t give you guys a choice.”

She was right. Shawn had made the entire team, along with their dates, take ballroom dance lessons. He told them that it was going to be an elegant, high-class night, and dancing like a bunch of fools simply wouldn’t do. Tyler ended up being pretty smooth on his feet, to everyone’s surprise, including his own. The biggest surprise of all was Nicki. She was constantly tripping over her own two feet. But when you put her in heels and gave her a dance floor, she was breathtaking. There were a few times in the beginning when Tyler had actually let her lead. Her movements were astonishingly fluid and graceful. It had kept him up some nights just thinking about it.

The song ended, and another one began to play right after it. Lisa called to Nicki for her to join, and she grabbed Tyler’s hand, pulling him onto the dance floor. Others began to fill in around them.

“I love you guys,” Nicki said to Zach and Lisa.

“Aww, girl! We love you, too! Now go on, dance with your man. We’ll find you later. Save a dance for me, hot stuff,” she said, winking at Tyler. Nicki laughed and nodded as Lisa and Zach went to find their parents.

“How does Zach not get pissed when she says that stuff to me?”

Nicki looked at him and smiled. “It’s just the way she is, hon. He knows it, and he loves her for it. Plus, you’re technically a celebrity. And it’s okay to have crushes on celebrities.”

“So she has a crush on me?” he asked, placing his hand on her hip.

He held the other one up for her to grab. If someone had told him that at twenty-one years old he would be planning to propose and learn how to ballroom dance, he never would have believe them. Nicki let her hand rest on his shoulder, but he knew that in a moment’s time it would find its way to his neck. She’d been constantly reprimanded by the instructor for it, but never stopped doing it.

“I guess you could say that,” she said as Tyler stepped back, leading her into the dance. “As much of a crush you can have on your best friend’s boyfriend.”

Tyler just smiled at her. She looked so happy. He knew that this day meant a lot more to her than her high school friends getting married. It symbolized all of the things she’d dreamed of as a girl that she never thought were possible. He was going to make sure that someday, she’d have everything she wanted. A beautiful house, a stable family, a good life. She deserved nothing less.

“Is this what weddings are normally like?”

“Yeah, for the most part. When my cousin got married, the music was different. They played club music; it was mostly younger people there, anyways. But Lisa wanted a traditional wedding. Which entails slow music and this kind of dancing.”

He nodded, trying to picture someone in a wedding dress grinding all over her new husband. It didn’t seem normal.

“Which do you like better?”

Half of her mouth curled into a smile. “Why?”

“Just wondering,” he said shyly, breaking eye contact to look around the room. He looked back to her when she answered him.

“This is much better. It’s romantic, isn’t it?”

Tyler shrugged, and her hand inched up towards his neck. He’d called it. He couldn’t deny it; he loved dancing with her. He could do it all night. Tyler actually preferred this to the way they danced at clubs. He grinned at her and stepped back, spinning her in a circle. She’d made him do it countless times once they’d learned how, he’d never forget how much she liked it.

When she came back to face him, she was giggling.

“What?”

“Nothing.” She stared straight into his eyes. It felt like he was being violated, like she could read his mind just by looking at him. “Actually, not nothing. You’re just… perfect.”

He grinned and spun her again. Her grace struck him every time. Her dress picked up a little bit when she twirled, showing off more of her tanned legs. He loved watching her.

“I thought we agreed not to use that word?”

“I can’t help myself, Ty. You are.”

“How come all of the times I say it to you, it’s the end of the world?”

She looked up at him. Was that guilt on her face?

“I dunno.”

Tyler stopped his feet and dipped his arm, lowering her towards the ground. She responded with more giggles. He tried to keep his face serious, despite her quirkiness. When he had her parallel to the floor, he bent over to kiss her.

“You’re perfect.”

As he straightened her out, he watched her expression grow warm.

“I’ve always wanted someone to kiss me like that,” she said, in a daze. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

He didn’t say anything, but he knew exactly what he would be doing a lot of the night of the ball. He led her back into the dance, keeping time with the music and the people around them. Eyes on the back of his head told him there had been people watching them. Good.

“I love you, Tyler. I wish you knew how much.”

Tyler squeezed the hand that was on her hip. “I think I do.”

The song finally came to an end, and a less elegant one began to play. The people around them shifted to a regular slow dance. Nicki wrapped one arm around Tyler’s neck, and kept her other hand in his. He pulled her closer to him, and felt her rest her head on his shoulder. Wedding guests who didn’t know how to ballroom dance began to flood onto the floor.

Tyler would have been perfectly content staying that way the rest of the evening. But, as all good things must come to an end, so did their dancing.

“Can I steal him from you now?” Lisa asked.

Nicki picked up her head to look at her. “Of course you can, Mrs. McNamara.” Before stepping away, she leaned in to give Tyler a long, sweet kiss. He watched her walk away from him.

“Lisa, congrats,” Tyler said as he placed a hand on her hip. At first he felt a little strange about dancing with someone other than Nicki. But Lisa’s easygoing personality began to make him feel more comfortable.

“Thanks pal. So, has today made you reconsider?”

He shook his head. “The exact opposite. I can’t wait until this is us.”

“Oh, I knew you were a keeper,” she said, grinning. “I’m really glad she has you, Tyler.”

“Yeah, well, I’m really glad I have her.”

“You’re sweet.”

Tyler could feel himself blushing. He really needed to work on that. Something about being with Nicki had turned him back into an awkward fourteen year old.

“She hasn’t said anything to you about it, has she?”

Lisa chuckled. “She did, actually. Earlier, when I was getting ready. She thinks you’re never going to ask her.”

“Why does she think that? Did I do something to make her believe that?”

“Sweetie, you have to understand something about Nicki. She’s been hurt so many times, she won’t believe anything good until it’s right in front of her face. When she sees that ring, she’s never going to doubt anything ever again. Just let her think what she thinks for now.”

He nodded and breathed out a sigh. The wedding had just made him more impatient.

“Why don’t you go find her? I think I saw her go outside.”

Tyler dropped his arms. “Thanks, Lisa. For everything. I hope you had a really great day.”

She smirked at him. “Today was great. But it’s tonight I’m looking forward to.”

“I can see how you and Nicki are best friends.”

** * * * *

Tyler found Nicki sitting outside on the grass, staring up at the stars. She looked so deep in thought, he almost didn’t want to bother her. But he was already starting to miss her. He strode over to her and sat down beside her, hanging an arm around her shoulders. Tyler pressed his lips to her cheek.

“Hey, babe.”

“Hi,” she said, inching closer to him.

“Whatcha doin’ out here?”

“It’s just a really pretty night. And you can’t see stars like this back in Boston. I wanted to enjoy it.”

It was true; the stars were exceptionally bright. It only made sense. The bed and breakfast was in the middle of a country field in southern Maine. There weren’t exactly city lights blocking them out.

“You know what this reminds me of?” he asked.

She nodded against his chest. “That night in your yard.”

“Remember that day? How crazy we felt?”

Nicki nodded again. He could tell she didn’t really feel like talking.

“You know, I never stopped feeling that way.”

She nestled her face into his neck.

“Neither did I.”

Tyler leaned back, bringing Nicki with him. She draped her arm over his stomach, and he kissed her forehead. He couldn’t help himself.

“This will be us, someday,” he whispered under his breath.

He had no idea if she’d heard him.