"Well, it wasn't like I haven't tried before."
"Maybe you just haven't tried hard enough, love"
No matter how long we had been together, or how amazing our wedding was, I could not get over the fact that Darren Criss was calling me love. And I could not get over the butterflies in my stomach every time I even thought of him. He was mine, and I was his- nothing was going to change that.
"Well, if you think you can do better Mr. Hotshot, then please, be my guest" I said
"Oh, I can, and I will." he responded, "And by the way, I know about the... reception"
My heart stopped. Shit. Cat's out of the the bag now! I smiled. He was referring to Cheryl, my best friend and maid of honor, and Joey Richter, Darren's best friend and best man. Darren and I had our wedding almost two months ago, and Cheryl and Joey were a little, happy and had a moment. I found them in the girls bathroom. Their one night stand was supposed to be a secret, something that I was told to take to my grave. So I could only imagine that Joey had spilled the beans. I wonder why. Well at least I knew where the idea to set the two up came from. I looked at the clock, dammit. Almost time, we need to be leaving soon, we were needed on set.
I still needed to take a shower, I was late for work, and so was Darren. Undressing, my phone buzzed, it was Ryan. Shit!
"Darren, hurry the hell up, its Ryan and he only calls when he is pissed! We are late!" Darren finished his breakfast and we started for the set. The drive was long, and boring, so I daydreamed, mostly about our wedding. And I fell into thoughts.
"Ashli, its your wedding day, and you are STILL sleeping?" My mother yelled through the closed hotel door.
"No mother, I am trying to fix this nightmare that is my hair" I yelled back "I knew I shouldn't have trusted Crystal to do it, she hasn't even graduated beauty school yet!"
I stood, looking in the mirror, in my under garments, and tried, frantically, to fix it the best I could. But it was useless, I had not a fucking clue as to what I was doing, and my hands kept shaking- undoing any good I had accomplished. I was becoming very frustrated and, starting to lose it. I was so scared, and I didn't want to mess anything up.
"Would you like me to help you?" my mom asked again.
I bit my lip, and answered through gritted teeth,
"Sure, its unlocked"
She came in, already dressed and ready to go, two hours early- my bridesmaids weren't even here, Cheryl still wasn't here yet. My mother spent a good thirty minutes messing with my hair, and when she was done, my scalp was throbbing. But she came through, it looked amazing, and the curls had returned to their shiny, bouncy luster. There was a knock on the door.
"Its open" my mother sing-songed.
My maid of honor walked through the door, and she looked beautiful, breath taking.
"Are you trying to steal my thunder today? No one is going to look at me today, their eyes will be glued to your gorgeous ass. You look remarkable." I greeted her, she smiled.
Finally, my bridesmaids were here, Lauren was the last to show up, her babysitter cancelled last minute, so her and Joe had to take her to his mother's house. I was a little bummed, because was supposed to be coming to the wedding, but I brushed it off.
I looked down at my phone,
"SHIT, twenty minutes"
"Ashli Danielle-" my mother started
"Mom, please I am 24 years old, and its my wedding day, I think I have passed the point of the soap in the mouth scolding." I shut her up
"Where is Grady?" My uncle was supposed to have been here ten minutes ago, "He can't give me away if he isn't here"
Here we go, again.. panic. I kept telling myself to breathe and relax, but it was no use.
"I called him, and he is on his way, relax. And breathe, you are turning purple." Cheryl answered. My rock, my best friend. Okay. I can do this, I can do this. Grady came in, five minutes to go. The man who I gave raising me credit to, I couldn't think of anyone else to walk me down that isle. He looked at me and smiled, I could see the tears starting, if he cried, I was done for! I tried so hard to not shed any tears thus far. The music was starting, it was time. And for the first time today, my nerves vanished. I don't know why I was so nervous, Darren, was my life, and nothing could mess this day up. Even in the middle of a thunderstorm, our wedding would be perfect.
Grady held is arm out, and I accepted. Here it comes. We marched to the alter, and I stopped. Darren was standing there, smile from ear to ear, waiting. He took my breath away, all over again, I fell in love. His eyes were sparkling and he didn't take them off me. I started to pick my pace up, Grady had to slow me down. Finally, I reached him and my breath caught, Grady held my hand out, offering it to Darren. Darren grabbed it, a little to aggressively, Grady looked at us and rolled his eyes, smiled and sat down. The pastor started and then we went to our vows, Darren went first.
"Three years ago, I sat in the seat of a crowded theater, I came to watch a StarKid production. I heard of the leading women, and was intrigued. This was the reason I came, to see who she was. Throughout the play, I couldn't take my eyes off of her, I was amazed, and I was hooked. She changed everything I could have ever thought, and I had to met her. Our first date was at a coffee shop in LA, and we talked for hours. And after that date, I made a promise to myself to make this woman my life, and my wife. And three years later, she stands before me, in a white dress, in front of her family and friends, watching me ramble, with that smile on her face, and that look in her eyes. And knowing that I can see that every night I go to bed, and every morning I wake up, makes me the happiest damn man in the world. I love you, and I cannot wait to start our life together"
Yeah, that was it. I was crying, and I completely froze. I could not remember a single fucking word of what I had written. Shit Shit and SHIT. I guess Cheryl had read my look, or just knew me too well, and she slipped me a piece of paper, my vows. Shit, she was great. I started to speak,
"I wasn't the type of person who wanted to settle down, I was on the move, and constantly trying new things. I never wanted to tie myself down, I didn't want to conform to someone else. And then I met you, and everything fell into place. I realized I wasn't conforming to anything, but expanding who I was, its true, I do have my other half, and now I am more me than ever. I was not tying myself down, but allowing myself another person to push me towards my goals and dreams. In you I found everything, and I saw everything I wanted to be. I couldn't stand here, if it wasn't for you. And I will love you until the day I die, and forever more after that"
I looked up from the paper, now stained with tears, and I lost it. Darren was crying, and smiling and it made my heart melt. At this point my heart was pissed at me, all of these damn emotions I was feeding it. The pastor started again, (all I heard was "blah blah blah", I was too focused on Darren's eyes on me, and his hands in mine) finally, the "I do's"
"And you do Ashli take Darren to be your lawfully married husband, in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"
"I do."
"And, do you Darren-"
"You bet your ass I do" he cut in in true Darren fashion, I smiled, and the whole room laughed. The climax was reaching a boiling point, and the whole room was on the edges of their seats.
"You may now kiss the bride."
"Don't have to tell me twice." Darren whispered as he leaned in, he gave me a romantic, PG kiss, for the sake of the room full of people, slightly parting our mouths, and just barely brushing the tip of my tongue. No matter how innocent it was, it sent shivers through my body.
"The real goods are for later" he winked at me. Suddenly, I couldn't wait to get out of here. We walked, hand in hand, down the isle while people were cheering and patting us on the back. I didn't notice. I didn't take my eyes of Darren. We did it. We did it. We were off to the reception.
