Page 13 of False Promises

I closed my eyes and drifted far away from here. Someplace where I could feel the breeze on my face and the sand between my toes. Where my heart hadn’t died a thousand times and all my dreams and hopes hadn’t been crushed yet.

And happiness still existed.

An elbow nudged my ribs, and I forced my eyes open, bringing me back to the present.

My brother gave me a pointed look. “Cart, you need to walk Addi back down the aisle.”

Oh yeah. Right. My head was still swimming in gallons of whiskey. I might have forgotten what my role as the best man comprised of. Or I might have chosen to.

* * *

“Now, time for the best man’s speech,” some guy—I had no clue who he was—announced into a mike. I cleared my throat and got up. I unfolded the piece of paper found in my trouser pocket. Damn it, I wrote nothing. I had only scribbled words and doodled some stick figures in black ink. I raked my fingers through my hair.

Jeff clamped my forearm so tight I wasn’t even sure blood could reach my fingertips anymore. “You sure you want to do this?”

I stared at him, the information processing center in my brain debating.

“Sure. Why not?” I offered him a dismissive shrug.

My brother blinked.

I swallowed hard. My eyes found Dahlia’s. She gazed at me with a glint in her eyes and a soft smile curling her lips. She looked so beautiful. I loosened the bowtie around my neck. The temperature felt twenty degrees warmer. The walls of the ballroom closed in on me. This was a fucking joke. Why did I agree to give a speech at the wedding of my brother and my best friend, whom I’d loved with every little piece of my stupid heart for as long as I could remember?

Dahlia’s stare burned my skin.

She nodded in my direction. I didn’t need her to say a single word to understand all that she was telling me. You can do this, Cart. Please don’t make a scene. You can be mad later.

I pinched my lips together and bowed my head. Even if I tried, I could never hurt her.

I shut my eyes, fighting my emotions down. When I opened them, I inhaled through my mouth. I could do this.

“Today, my big brother has married the most beautiful and selfless girl I’ve ever known. From our early childhood days, Dahlia has always been my best friend. My other half. My soulmate. Everything I’ve done so far, it’s been with her by my side. She’s the most important person in my life. But here’s the thing. There’s another person I love as much as I love Dah, and it’s my brother, Jeff. In all our Hills brothers’ schemes, Jeff has always been the smart one. And from the day my parents brought me home, he made it his mission in life to watch over me. And he’s been my biggest fan from the day I held my first guitar. I tried to teach him, but wow, this guy has absolutely no musical talent whatsoever.” A soft laugh resonated through the room. “But Jeff is one hell of a person. He’s resourceful, generous, and he’s always there for those he loves. He always puts his heart into everything he does.”

My finger slid between my neck and bowtie, trying to massage the lump lodged in my throat. I breathed in. And out. C’mon, Cart.

“Today, my two best friends got married, And I couldn’t be more—” My voice cracked. I tried to regain my composure but couldn’t finish my speech. Even though I tried, I couldn’t say those words out loud.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and blinked my tears away, a storm of emotions raging inside me. All I wanted to do was to steal the bride and run away with her. Hell. I was a mess. My tongue darted out and swept my lips. My heart banged in my chest. I exhaled.

Fishing the last thread of my self-control, I added, “Congrats, you’ve got the girl, brother. And Dahlia, I hope Jeff makes you as happy as you deserve to be.” I raised my glass. “And also, the baby... I hope he or she will be the perfect mix between you two.” Acid filled my throat, and I pushed it down.

I chugged my glass of wine and slammed it on the white-clothed table before slouching back into my seat. With my elbows propped on the table, I buried my face in my hands. This was a nightmare. The back of my eyes burned with unshed tears. I sniffled, unable to face the two people sitting next to me.

People congratulated them, but I remained there, frozen in time.

Dinner. Toasts. Kisses. Smiles. More toasts. Pictures. Kisses. Wedding cake. More kisses. Another toast. Music playing. Bride and groom’s dance. And people filling the dance floor.

A tap on my shoulder snapped me out of my state.

“Hey Cart, wanna dance?” Dahlia looked at me with expectant eyes as she sat in the chair next to mine. The sparks were gone. Instead, they were filled with something resembling pain. Or sadness. Or whatever shit she felt when she looked at me. Loose strands of her copper hair now fell freely around her face.

I shook my head. “Nah. I’ll just sit by the bar.” Her small hand squeezed my forearm.

“Thanks for what you said earlier. It means the world to me. And Jeff too. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry I can’t love you like you love me. You deserve to be happy, Cart.” Dahlia wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks with her fingertips. “When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be there, okay?”

I nodded, avoiding her heavy stare.

“If you get wasted, please don’t get too wasted. I’m worried about you.”