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Anthony and Daphne Upton would cordially like to invite you to the wedding of their son Eliot Upton to Samantha Reynolds.
Hailey stares at the invitation that sits in her lap, as though it’s the first time she’s reading it over. When, in reality, the invitation had been delivered nearly three months ago and today is the actual day of the wedding. A wedding she took no part in helping planning, and is attending like she’s any other guest and not the older sister of the groom. She wonders, as her thumb brushes along the gold trimming of the invitation, if she has a right to feel like a stranger to this occasion. Had she wanted to help out with the wedding, if her busy schedule had allowed her for it?
She’s not sure. In reality, she knows she wouldn’t have had the time, not with how anxiety-inducing and rough these last few months had been. First with Roy and the FBI, and then that case that began with her jumping into the Chicago River in the middle of January. Hailey has felt as though she has been pulled into a hundred different directions, and now that she’s finally finding some semblance of normalcy, it’s time for a wedding.
And as happy as she is for her youngest brother, it doesn’t diminish the dull anxiety that swims through her at the notion of seeing her parents. Her father . Fractured family ties have left Hailey with sporadic contact with her mom and brothers, but none with her dad. Which, at this point in her life, she is completely fine with. But Eliot’s wedding will be the first time she’s seeing her dad in a while—not counting catching sight of him through a window in a hospital before turning her back on a man who’s turned a hand on her too many times—and despite all of the progress Hailey knows she has made, her stomach is constantly churning with nerves.
The truck comes to a stop, and Jay’s voice cuts through her thoughts. “We’re here.”
Hailey looks up and out of the window, realizing they’re in the parking lot of the Greek Orthodox church she used to attend as a child with her family. Other cars are pulling into vacant spots, people in dresses and suits piling out and making their way inside.
Her heart thumps, and Hailey lets out a slow breath in the quiet of the truck. This is a happy occasion—she shouldn’t be feeling so many nerves. But she knows it’s not that simple, and Hailey’s had a lifelong struggle with the feelings her family invokes in her. This isn’t any different.
“Hey,” Jay speaks up again following her silence, and Hailey turns her head to look at him. Concern swims in the green of his eyes as he gazes at her, and despite her shaky nerves, she admires him for a moment. He’s in a black suit, white button down under it, and not for the first time, Hailey wonders how she got so lucky to have him as her husband. His hand envelopes hers, his thumb brushing along the band of her black silicone wedding ring. “I know it’s your brother’s wedding, but the second you feel like you want out, I’m with you, okay?”
Hailey nods, the corners of her lips curling upwards at his words. He’s on her side, always, and it’s more than a relief to know she’s not walking into this by herself. “Okay,” she says before exhaling quietly. “Let’s go.”
He’s already out of the truck as she’s unbuckling her seatbelt and grabbing her silver clutch, turning towards the door as Jay opens it for her. He offers her his hand, gentlemanly as ever, and helps her out of the high cab of the truck. She appreciates it, not entirely confident that her heels mixed with her nerves won’t make her topple over. Jay’s hand is warm and strong in hers, calluses familiar and comforting.
He doesn’t let go of her hand as he shuts the door and locks the truck, pocketing his keys before the two of them start following the staggering flow of people up the steps of the church. Hailey keeps an impassive mask on despite the familiar faces she’s already spotting: aunts and uncles and cousins and other distant relatives she only ever sees on Facebook. Other faces she isn’t familiar with, likely friends of Eliot’s or on the bride’s side.
Heart thumping, Hailey rubs her free hand down the skirt of her satin dress; it’s a pretty green number, the color reminding her of Jay’s eyes, with a V-neckline and spaghetti straps and a tasteful slit up the left leg. “I feel like we just stepped into a family reunion,” she mutters as they make their way down the aisle.
The church is full of the hum of guests chattering, and Hailey’s gaze keeps darting around in search of her parents. Maybe talk to her mom. Definitely stay away from her dad. It’d be difficult to do either or if they’re together. And the likelihood of that is greater than Hailey cares for it to be.
“We kind of did,” Jay responds to her statement, his quiet voice easygoing. But he squeezes her hand, letting her know he’s right here with her.
When they near the front of the church, Hailey’s eyes catch sight of a face she doesn’t mind seeing. Her lips tip up when her blue eyes lock onto a matching pair. “You’re here,” her middle brother, Christian, greets with a smile that brings forth dimples.
Hailey lets go of Jay’s hand to step into her brother’s embrace, the hug bringing her the sense of comfort she had as a child, when it was her, Christian, and Eliot trying to survive the screaming matches from downstairs. Tending to each other’s bruises and bleeding, trying to be there for their mom and growing up way too quickly than kids should have to. But although he’s still her younger brother, he’s not as small as he once one. Christian’s all grown up, filling out the navy blue suit he’s wearing, a man who can now fight back.
And how sad, how devastating, is it that that’s Hailey’s first thought?
Her smile wavers, but she brings it back as they pull away. “You look great,” Christian grins at her before his gaze slides to her left. “Jay—good to see you again,” he adds, sticking his left hand out that Jay shakes.
“You too, man,” her husband returns with a smile.
Ever since her own courthouse wedding, Hailey and Jay have had lunch with her mom and brothers, and it had been a relief to have them all accept him with a warm welcome. Not that she particularly needs anyone else’s opinions on her relationship, but her relationship with her family is a delicate one and any good moments she will accept.
Christian’s wife, Emilia, steps up and Hailey and Jay greet her, as well as their children that launch themselves at their Auntie Hailey in a hug that has her nearly teetering on her heels, but Jay’s strong hand on her lower back keeps her upright as she laughs and returns the hugs. At that moment, she feels her nerves slip away in the face of her nephews’ giddiness, wishing she could hug her niece as well but as a flower girl, she’s with the rest of the bridal party. There’s also a semblance of relief when she learns that her parents are with Eliot and not currently in the church proper.
She and Jay talk to her brother and sister-in-law for a little while, and Hailey feels herself relax, only if slightly, as they do. Being immersed in a conversation keeps other people from approaching her, family members she doesn’t really talk to that often because most of them have moved out of Chicago and are only in town for the wedding.
Eventually, though, Christian has to head upstairs to check on Eliot, and before he goes, her brother leans towards her and says, “Mom and Dad are gonna be sitting in the first row, on the left. In case you wanna keep your distance.”
Hailey’s throat locks at his words, heart making an unexpected leap at the knowing look in Christian’s eyes. Like her, her brothers also keep a distance from their dad, but while her contact with him is slim to none, theirs is a little bit more often since they’re constantly checking in on their mom—something that Hailey doesn’t do as much. She feels guilty for it, but mixed in with that guilt is the acidic taste of resentment that she hasn’t yet let go of.
Soon enough, it’s time for everyone to take their seats, and Hailey and Jay slide into a pew two rows back from the first one. As the guests settle, Hailey’s gaze immediately lands on an older couple making their way to the front row, and her hand blindly finds Jay’s as she takes in the sight of her parents.
Jay’s fingers instantly thread with hers and she can feel his gaze on her, but hers is locked on her parents as they smile at guests on the way to their seats. Her mom looks the same as she had last month when she and Hailey met up for brunch Hailey had agreed to at the last minute—one that had ended abruptly because of the conversation taking a sour turn. And just as she once did when she was younger, Hailey’s eyes scan her mom, trying to pick out any discoloration under the mask of makeup her mom is wearing, breath locked in her lungs as she braces herself for the worst. Way before she had become a teenager, Hailey had become an expert in spotting the bruises on her mom’s skin that she had tried to cover up.
But now, no matter how much she strains her gaze, Hailey doesn’t find any.
It makes her gaze slide to the man next to her mom, and Hailey’s teeth press together tightly, jaw clenching as she looks at her dad. Older, grayer, but still an image of the man who used to terrify her as a child. A man that should have protected her and held her, instead of uttering half assed apologies after hurting her more than anyone else ever has.
He looks like he did at the hospital—the night she hadn’t visited him—but obviously healthier. He fills out the suit he’s wearing, tall like her brothers, the kind of height that he had used to intimidate her as a child. He’s healthy , and it makes Hailey squeeze Jay’s hand. Is she relieved? Proud? Bitter? Angry? Her emotions are a mess, unable to make sense even to her, complicated just like her family. He’s stopped drinking, according to her mom, and Hailey is resentful of the fact that he decided to get sober now . When all of his kids are grown up and have moved out. When the damage is done and she and her brothers had to repair it themselves.
Before he sits down, her dad’s eyes catch hers, and Hailey’s stomach lurches harshly, dry throat tightening as she meets his gaze head on, forcing her own eyes to be blank of any emotion. She won’t give him anything. She refuses to, even if her heart has significantly picked up its pace, and she tells herself to calm down, that he can’t hurt her. Not now. Not anymore. Not ever again.
She sees his lips press together, something akin to surprise and possibly regret flashing across his face, but it’s gone faster than she can register it. And she refuses to register the idea of him being regretful. He should be, and she’s not going to fucking applaud him for it.
“I’m here.” Her locked shoulders instantly relax at the sound of Jay’s whispered voice, his arm pressed against hers as he sits close, his warmth seeping into her. She may be in the same room as her dad, but she’s also in the same room as her husband. And anywhere she’s with Jay, Hailey knows she’s safe.
*****
The only reason Hailey agreed to attend the reception was so she could actually see and talk to Eliot, and welcome her new sister-in-law. The hall that has been rented out for the reception is beautifully decorated, purple and pink lights bathing the walls, a four tiered cake off on the side, round tables scattered around surrounding a dancefloor as the DJ filled the room with music. Hailey didn’t think, for one second, that time spent at the reception would pass by without her being approached by family members, and so she put on a brave face when greeting and chatting with each one.
The only people she didn’t have to try with were her mom’s parents. They had come in from Aurora, and as soon as they spotted Hailey, they made her way over. “Oh, I’ve missed you so much, my love. I’m so happy to see you,” Hailey’s grandmother—her γιαγιά—coos as she cups Hailey’s face and smiles at her.
Hailey gently holds her γιαγιά’s wrists, smiling at her lovely face, softened with wrinkles yet those blue eyes that Hailey’s mom, her brothers, and Hailey herself inherited are bright as ever. “I missed you, too, γιαγιά,” Hailey whispers before stepping back. She looks at her and her grandfather—her pappoús—and smiles that little grin that comes so easily around Jay before wrapping her left arm around his right. “I want to introduce you to my husband, Jay Halstead. Jay, these are my grandparents.”
Her grandparents’ eyes nearly glimmer as they take in the tall, broad shouldered man smiling next to Hailey. Jay extends a hand to her grandfather and says, “So nice to finally meet you, Mr. and Mrs.—”
“Oh, none of that,” pappoús scoffs, grinning as he shakes Jay’s hand firmly.
Γιαγιά smiles widely, shaking his hand next as she says, “Call us γιαγιά and pappoús—or grandma and grandpa, if that’s what you’re more comfortable with.” To Hailey, she winks, and Hailey’s cheeks flush as γιαγιά not so subtly whispers in a proud tone, “He’s even more handsome in person!”
Hailey lets out a laugh, face warm, and as her left arm remains wrapped around his right, she reaches over with her right hand to hold his as well. Much to Hailey’s relief, her grandparents hadn’t been disappointed in her lack of wedding. Γιαγιά had said on the phone that as long as Hailey is happy, and as long as Jay treats her well, then she’s more than happy for her. The phone call was followed by a check being delivered to them a few days later, a generous wedding gift from her grandparents.
Pappoús fixes Jay with a stern glare, but Hailey can see the lack of heat behind it. The man is too kind to have any real heat. “You’re taking care of my granddaughter, Jay?”
Although Jay smiles, Hailey sees the seriousness in his eyes, hears it in his tone as he gives a nod and says, “With my life.”
One look at her grandparents and Hailey knows they believe him. And not just because they know he’s her partner at work, too. They believe him wholeheartedly as her husband, and the softened look in their gazes makes Hailey wonder if they’re relieved that she found someone to be with who would never hurt her the way Hailey’s dad has hurt their daughter. Because even though γιαγιά and pappoús know about what once went on behind closed doors, there had only been so much they could do when it came to helping Hailey’s mom.
You can’t help someone who doesn’t want it.
Pappoús nods, and Hailey knows she’s not imagining the glassy sheen that has appeared across his eyes. “That’s a good man,” he says, voice gruff, and Hailey’s heart lurches in her throat. Her hand squeezes Jay’s. He squeezes back. She breathes slightly easier.
After talking to her grandparents, Hailey and Jay head over to the bar, and as soon as she reaches for her drink, she hears her name being uttered behind her, and Jay’s gaze snaps right over to her as she freezes once recognizing her mother’s voice.
She unfreezes quickly enough to turn around, bringing forward a smile as she looks at her mom. “Hi, Mom,” she returns, exhaling quietly as her mom pulls her in for a hug, with Hailey being careful not to spill her drink. When they pull away, she gives her mom another once over before saying, “You look good.”
Her mom smiles, her eyes as kind as Hailey knows them to be. “Thank you—you do, too.” Her gaze shifts over to Hailey’s husband. “Hello, Jay. How are you?”
“I’m good,” Jay returns politely, offering a smile. He gestures to the room with his glass. “Hailey told me you helped pull all this together. Congratulations. Everything looks amazing.”
“Thank you,” her mom returns, and Hailey instantly catches the slow roll of her throat as her gaze slides back over to Hailey. “It was stressful—but fun. I think you and I would’ve enjoyed it if you decided to go the traditional route.”
Hailey’s teeth press together just as she feels Jay tense up slightly next to her. This is exactly the conversation she had with her mom at brunch last month that had pissed Hailey off. Her mom had been bemoaning the fact that she couldn’t have a wedding for her only daughter, and while Hailey understood her mom’s sentiment of missing her wedding, no matter what kind it was, Hailey is still annoyed that her mom doesn’t understand that Hailey’s wedding is just for her and Jay—no one else. It’s hers. It’s the one thing that’s just hers, and as rude as it may sound, she didn’t want anyone else potentially tainting that.
“My life’s already stressful enough, Mom,” Hailey says, keeping her tone neutral and pleasant so the annoyance doesn’t bleed through. “Planning a wedding would’ve been too much. I’m glad we did it the way we did.”
Her mom’s lips purse, back straightening as she tries, “Yes, but—”
“Drop it, Mom,” Hailey cuts in, letting some edge creep into her tone, sharp gaze locking with her mom’s. She doesn’t want to rehash this. She doesn’t, not for one second, regret her and Jay’s courthouse wedding. She didn’t care for all of the ceremony and reception extravaganza. She didn’t want to explain to people why her father wouldn’t be walking her down the aisle. All she wants is a marriage to Jay, and she has it.
Jay’s hand is at the small of her back, her silent support, and she practically melts into his touch just as the DJ’s voice cuts through the hall. “Ladies and gentleman, may I have your attention.” Everyone turns to face him, and Hailey watches as her mom walks off, her gaze following her until her mom reaches where her dad is standing, and Hailey instantly looks away before her gaze lands on him. The DJ continues, “Introducing, for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Eliot and Samantha Upton!”
The double doors swing open, and there arrives Hailey’s brother and his new bride, hand in hand, with megawatt grins on their faces reflective of the happiest day of their lives. Despite the conversation with her mom, Hailey feels her own smile coming forward at the sight of Eliot’s, and everyone watches as he and Samantha reach the dancefloor to take part in their first dance. Black and White by Niall Horan fills the reception hall as everyone quietens, only the soft appreciative murmurs coming through as everyone watches the newlywed couple slow dance.
Hailey stands close to Jay as they watch, occasionally sipping their drinks, and her chest swells at the smile that never leaves Eliot’s face. A subtle heaviness settles on Hailey’s heart, and as she leans into Jay, she finds herself whispering, “I’m so glad we made it out.”
His arm winds around her shoulders, holding her close, and she feels him press a kiss to the top of her head as he murmurs back, “I am, too.”
Once the first dance is over, everyone wants their turn to talk to the bride and groom before they cut the cake, but Eliot spots Hailey immediately, she feels a smile slip onto her face when he takes Samantha’s hand and bypasses everyone else, making his way over. Tall and handsome and so grown up, not even looking like her baby brother anymore because he’s almost as tall as Jay.
Eliot lets go of Samantha’s hand, and Hailey can vaguely hear her and Jay greeting each other as Eliot pulls her in for a tight hug, one that Hailey returns. “I’m so fuckin’ glad you’re here, Hails,” Eliot whispers strongly. “I know it’s probably hard to be here, but—”
“Hey, no,” Hailey argues with a shake of her head as they pull away. She meets his gaze and smiles. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”
And maybe she hadn’t entirely believed that prior to attending the wedding, anxiety and hurt holding her back, but after seeing how happy Eliot is, after getting to witness his untainted, genuine joy, Hailey knows she didn’t want to miss this. She’s not letting her dad take anything else away from her.
Eliot squeezes her forearm before his voice drops to a whisper and he asks, “Have you talked to him?”
Hailey’s smile falters a little as she shakes her head. “No. I don’t know if I will.”
Her baby brother gives her a pointed look. “You do what’s best for you, Hails.” Then, he smiles, and just like that, any conversation regarding their dad is pushed aside as he introduces his wife, even though Hailey has met Samantha a few times before.
The four of them chat, and Hailey once again feels at ease, and a few minutes later, she hears Christian’s voice as he says, “Can you believe we’re all married? When did we become adults?”
Eliot and Hailey exchange a look as Eliot tells their brother, “You’re the one who got married first, dude. Way before Hailey did.”
At that, Hailey scoffs, raising her eyebrows at him as she laughs, “Why’d you say it like that ? I got married when I was ready, thank you very much.” She accentuates her statement by wrapping her arm around Jay’s waist, keeping him close as he grins down at her.
Christian smiles. “At least you’re not the last one to get married. Would’ve been embarrassing, big sis ,” he teases, nothing but lightheartedness dancing in his eyes.
Hailey presses her lips together to keep her grin from growing, not all insulted at his words. She shakes her head, shooting him a faux glare. “Oh, you little. . .”
“Technically, she’s been practically married longer than you’re thinking,” Christian’s wife, Emila, speaks up with a teasing grin of her own. She looks between Hailey and Jay, her grin wide. “Haven’t you two been partners for, like, five years now?”
Hailey nods, her smile dancing as Jay confirms, “Yeah, around that.”
Emilia gestures to them, looking at the rest. “That’s a kind of marriage all on its own. So you two—” she points to Christian and Eliot. “—shut up.”
That pulls laughter out of everyone, Jay’s arm draping around Hailey’s shoulders as she laughs. She’s always liked Emilia.
Their little group is interrupted by one of the photographers, who approaches them and asks, “Can we get a picture of the bride and groom with his brother, sister, and their partners?”
Everyone’s quick to assent, coming to stand together, and Hailey stands between Jay and Samantha, feeling her husband’s arm around her waist, the touch of his palm against her hip searing through the thin material of her dress as she smiles at the camera with everyone else. The photographer snaps a few shots before thanking them and moving on, and soon Eliot and Samantha have to move on as well to talk to other guests.
“Fair warning,” Christian says, looking at Hailey and Jay. “People have been asking Mom about your wedding, so she might try to guilt trip you about it. Again.”
Hailey exhales sharply, glancing up at Jay, who instantly meets her gaze. Their silent exchange calms her, because she knows he’s just as tired as her about this topic. Unfortunately, her brother’s warning came a little too late. “I appreciate it, Chris, but Mom’s already tried talking to me about it,” Hailey tells him with a roll of her eyes.
Christian purses his lips, sighing through his nose as Emilia gives them a sympathetic look. “It shouldn’t be such a big deal,” Emilia says with a shake of her head, looking disappointed for Jay and Hailey.
“They’re all a bunch of busy-bodies,” Hailey says with a roll of her eyes, sharp gaze taking stock of all the familiar and unfamiliar faces around. “And I’m not gonna let Mom make me feel guilty over something I’m glad we did.”
Jay squeezes her shoulder, always warm and encouraging. “She’ll move on,” he says, not unkindly.
Hailey scoffs lightly, humorlessly, as her gaze lands on her parents in the distance. They’re talking to people unfamiliar to Hailey, and she watches her dad. An easygoing smile on his otherwise stern face, like he’s a charming man who never once housed an evil monster inside. Through a tight throat, Hailey forces herself to ask Christian, “How’s he doing?”
Her brother follows her gaze and when Hailey looks at him, she sees the muscle in Christian’s jaw tic. “Better,” he answers with a rough sigh. His own arm goes around Emilia’s shoulders, pulling her close, like he needs her to anchor him away from any bad memories that come up when it comes to their dad. Hailey understands. She feels like a big sister again, wanting to protect him. But he’s got Emilia. And she’s got Jay. “He hasn’t had a drink in a long time. He goes to A.A. He’s been. . . Good.”
Hailey suppresses another scoff. Good isn’t a word she’d choose to describe her father. Sure, they had good moments when they were younger and when he wasn’t drunk, but that good doesn’t outweigh all of the bad. It can’t. There’s too much of it that tips the scale to that end. She can’t completely reconcile the man her father is now to the one she’s known him to be.
She asks, “And Mom?”
Christian meets her gaze, a bitter smile on his lips, far from the young boy he once was. “She doesn’t wear makeup all the time anymore,” he tells her, and the truth of his words lodge a rock in Hailey’s throat.
Jay’s hold on her is as tight as her arm around his waist. Christian’s statement presents a reality Hailey hasn’t believed, too Goddamn hard to accept that her dad has changed. Maybe his behavior has, but Hailey knows one thing to be true—he won’t ever apologize for what he’s done. He’s never said as much to her mom or her brothers, who have more contact with him than she does—her brothers, not as much, but more than Hailey who has none—and she knows he damn well won’t say it to her, either.
Not that she’d forgive him for it, anyway.
You don’t always have to forgive and forget to move on. Sometimes, moving on can happen without either of those things happening, and Hailey is fine with that. In this instance, she’s more than fine with it.
Christian speaks up again. “He—” he glances away and straightens. “Aw, shit. He’s coming this way.”
Hailey’s spine instantly locks, and she sees the way Christian’s does, too. She knows her brother doesn’t want to talk to their dad, probably because he already does more so than he wants to, and Hailey doesn’t want Christian to have to do it now. Not when she’s here. So she looks at him and Emilia and says, “Go.”
Christian looks at her. “Are you sure?”
Hailey smiles, feeling some kind of bittersweet nostalgia hit her. She hasn’t done it in a long time, but protecting her brother is like second nature. “I’m sure.” She tips her head towards Jay. “I’m good.” With him, she damn sure is.
Her brother nods, and after saying he’ll talk to her and Jay later, he and Emilia walk off, losing themselves in the crowd of guests. As he goes, Hailey realizes her stomach is in knots, the idea of being seconds away from talking to her dad after a long stretch of silence making her liable to throw up the drink she’d consumed.
As if he can sense her raging anxiety, overpowering the bubbling anger, Jay gives her a squeeze, rubbing a hand subtly on her upper arm as he says quietly, “You’re good. I’ve got you.”
He’s got her. And she’s got this. She can’t get hurt—not anymore. Not by her dad. Hailey knows this—she knows . Yet, as she risks a glance over and sees him approach, she suddenly, for a moment, feels like that little girl again. The one that would put a pillow over her head to block out the sounds of screaming—screams of anger and screams of pain. The little girl who sometimes had to wear full sleeved shirts to school because of bruises that marred the skin of her arms. The one who couldn’t participate in gym class because of the pain that lanced through her body, originating from the hits that had been dealt to her stomach or sides.
So helpless and small—and Hailey knows she’s neither of those things now. But no amount of therapy can completely ease the weight of the trauma that she carries; some of it will always linger. It doesn’t make her who she is, but it did contribute to shaping her into the person she is today.
She is who she is despite what her father did to her, not because of it.
“Hailey.” His gruff voice is familiar as ever, and Hailey is proud that she doesn’t flinch at the sound of it, lifting her gaze to meet her dad’s as he stands before her, right next to her mom. He doesn’t smile, and neither does Hailey, the mask of impassiveness slipping right back on as she looks at the man who made her childhood a living hell. Her dad’s gaze flicks over to Jay and he lifts his chin, holding his hand out, “Nice to finally meet you, Jay. I’m Anthony.”
Hailey feels herself tense at his attention on her husband, and when she glances up at Jay, the air rushes out of her lungs at the look he’s giving her father. Jay’s jaw is tight, green eyes hardened, and she’s only a little bit surprised he’s not playing the polite card. But Hailey knows if she’s not likely to give her dad a hug in greeting, Jay damn well won’t so much as shake his hand, either. He won’t play nice. Hailey loves him all the more for it.
All Jay does is nod, hand solid at the small of Hailey’s back. He doesn’t even return her dad’s sentiment because all he says in return is, “Sir.”
She sees her dad’s lips purse and when she glances at her mom, she sees the flicker of disappointment that comes across her face in the face of Jay’s response. Hailey suppresses the urge to bristle, especially when her dad looks back at her. His eyes are a different shade of blue than hers and her siblings, darker. He puts one hand in the pocket of his suit jacket as he says, “You’ve disappointed your mom, cheating her out of a wedding to throw.” His gaze drops to the band on Hailey’s finger, and she fights the desire to curl her fingers into a fist. God—this again? He smiles, a small one, but Hailey remembers as a little girl, she’d always been relieved to see it because that meant the likelihood that it was a good day was stronger. Now she only likens it to falsehoods. “I just told her it saved us money. Helped pay the hospital bills.”
He says those last five words like they’re meant to open the flood gates of guilt on Hailey, calling her out for not visiting him when he had collapsed. They won’t. Hailey’s seared those shut way before they threatened to burst open.
“Glad it worked out for everyone,” Hailey says tightly. She wants this conversation to be over. She wants it to have never started in the first place. She looks past his shoulder. “I think they’re about to cut—”
“Even heart surgery couldn’t get you to come see your old man, huh?” her dad interrupts, and Hailey’s muscles instantly lock up when he takes a step forward, her gaze sharpening despite the iron clad fist that wraps around her heart at his approach. Fight or flight kicks in, her head knowing the latter is the safest option, yet her body gearing up for the first. Her dad’s dark eyes are hard, and she is only vaguely aware of her mom’s hand wrapping around his bicep to keep him back.
Her throat is tight, heart pounding in her ears, but she somehow manages to say, “I knew you were fine. Seeing me wouldn’t have changed that either way.”
His nostrils flare, never having been a fan to be talked back to, but before he can open his mouth and spit something out, a tall, firm body angles itself between Hailey and her dad. She watches with nothing short of relief as Jay stands by her, not entirely blocking her from her dad, but standing there to show his defense of her. Glancing up at his face, she sees the way his green eyes are casually, yet sharply, looking around to make sure no one catches a whiff of anything going wrong here.
“If you wanna talk to my wife, you’re gonna keep your distance, otherwise we’re going to have a problem.” Jay’s voice is deceptively casual, but Hailey knows him well enough to pick up on the edge that coats his tone. “And I’m sure neither of us wants to start a scene at your son’s wedding.”
The air stills in Hailey’s lungs, waiting for her dad to say something as he glares up at her husband. Normally, Hailey would bristle at someone—even Jay—coming to fight her battles for her. But right now, in the face of her dad, she’s grateful. He is a mountain she has been struggling to cross over to the other side of for most of her life, and it’s only until after she met Jay, let him know her secrets and scars, that she feels like she can conquer this. With him, especially. If you asked her years ago, she’d ignore the idea, writing it off as being codependent on someone other than herself. But now, she sees it for what it is. She sees it as a husband, a man, coming to support his wife—his partner.
He is a support system she never thought she’d have, and now that she does, she’ll never turn it away.
Hailey watches the stare off between her husband and her dad, teeth pressing together as her dad looks at her. Something swims in his gaze, something raw and undecipherable even to her calculating mind, before it’s gone just as quickly. He exhales sharply and steps back, but Hailey doesn’t allow herself to breathe until he says gruffly, “Make sure you have some cake,” before he’s walking off, taking her mom with him, who looks relieved at the lack of fight.
Hailey blinks after him, not at all expecting him to part with saying something inane like eating cake—not at all expecting this to be so uneventful and relatively mild. But as she watches his retreating figure, she feels the air rush out of her in relief and Hailey knows that while she’d prefer having no conversation with her dad at all, she’d rather something as inconsequential as this than something more severe. Things had the opportunity to turn sour really fast, but that didn’t happen.
“Hailey? Listen—I’m sorry if I overstepped with you and your dad. But I noticed you tense up and I know you didn’t want him close, and I couldn’t—”
Hailey cuts off Jay’s uncharacteristic rambling by using the added height of her heels to lean up and press her mouth to his. He kisses her back instantly, the rest of the wedding guests slipping into the background as his hand on the small of her back presses her close, her front melting into his, as she tastes the whiskey he’d been drinking and the familiar flavor that’s utterly Jay .
Gratitude pours out of her and into the kiss she gives him, hoping she can demonstrate that she’s not at all put off by him literally stepping in. She can understand why he’s worried she would be, because it wouldn’t be the first time she gets defensive of others fighting her battles for her, but she’s becoming better at that. Becoming better at sharing the load with Jay.
Her veins spark with electricity as she kisses him, finding the kind of comfort that she only ever finds in Jay before she pulls away slightly and whispers against his lips, “Thank you.” She pulls away even more, meeting his gaze, so close she can count the freckles on his skin. “You don’t have to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Jay nods as she feels his thumb stroke her back where he holds her, one corner of his mouth tipping up. The noise of the guests and music bleeds back in, but neither of them pay it any mind as Jay asks her, “You wanna stay through dinner?”
Hailey thinks about it for a moment, her quick head making a quick decision before she returns the smile and nods. “I do,” she says, taking a breath. “It’s my brother’s wedding. I’m not going to let anything or anyone ruin it.”
A mindset that opposes the one she had walked into the church with, but one she welcomes even more. Jay’s smile widens, pride gleaming in his green eyes, all for her. He kisses her forehead, his lips brushing against her skin as he murmurs, “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she whispers back.
And these words—they had once been difficult for her to say because of another man in this room. But now, they felt like second nature because of the man who holds her in his arms right now. Not a happy ending, but a happy beginning—and she’s glad her brothers have found ones of their own, too.