Chapter 11

APOV

Today is the big day! My best friend is getting married. We sleep in a little bit because we stayed up too late last night. But, we had a good time so it was worth it. We get up and Kate's mom has coffee and breakfast waiting for us. After a leisurely breakfast, Kate and I make our way to the family room where it's set up as an in-house salon. There are even pedicure chairs and massage tables. In this room we can get our nails done, a massage, our hair done, and our makeup done. Both of us get a wonderful and relaxing massage followed by pedicures and manicures. Before we know it, it's time to get Kate dressed in her wedding gown. I'm excited to see the dress her mom designed. They are the only people who have seen the dress.

Mrs. Kavanagh and I take out the dress. It's beautiful. It's strapless with a sweetheart neckline and has a fitted bodice top with gold beading and embroidery that laces up the back. The 'skirt' is a full ball gown shape with white tulle and netting. In the layers of netting is gold embroidery with sequins and pearls. We get Kate in the dress and she turns around to look at me. She is a princess. I start to tear up. "Kate, you are so beautiful. Elliot is very lucky."

"Anastasia Rose Steele, don't you dare start crying and make me cry. I don't want to ruin our makeup." We both laugh and I primp her gown make sure it's perfect.

"Girls, let me take a picture of you both in your dresses." Kate's mom holds her camera up. They have a team of photographers and videographers but Kate's mom still wanted to take some of her own pictures. We stand next to each other and give her mom cheesy smiles, Kate in her gown, and me in my rose gold Sophia dress and my rose gold high heeled sandals. Christian is quite tall so to avoid looking awkward together I picked heels higher than I would normally wear.

I help Kate put on her wedding jewelry. Her Schlumberger Lynn pendant and earrings from Tiffany match the wedding band she will be wearing in a few short hours. "It's beautiful, Kate."

"Wait, I have something for you." Kate hands me a box with a bow. I untie it and see it's a rose gold Alex and Ani bracelet with a friendship charm.

"Kate, I love it. Thank you!" I immediately put the bracelet on. "It's perfect."

"No, I should thank you for being my best friend and the best maid of honor ever. I have something else." She hands me a box smaller than the one that held my bracelet. When I open it, there are the most beautiful rose gold and morganite earrings.

I quickly put them in. "Kate, these are stunning. You really shouldn't have, though."

She gives me a devilish smile, "I didn't. They are from Christian."

"Christian? Christian Grey?"

"The one and the same."

"But why?"

"He gave them to me last night to give to you. He said he saw them and thought they were perfect for you."

"Really? I thought he hated me."

Kate raises her eyebrow at me, "I think it's more like when a little boy likes a girl so he pushes her off the swings on the playground."

"I doubt that Kate. He's gorgeous and a billionaire. He can get way better than me. He can get someone with a much better pedigree."

"Pedigree? Ana, when are you going to realize you are a better catch than someone with even the highest pedigree?"

"Why didn't he just give them to me himself?"

"He said he was afraid if he gave them to you, you wouldn't accept them. I have to agree with him on that. You are pretty stubborn about things."

A little while later, we get in the limo with Ethan and head to the St. Anne Chapel at the Villa Academy where the ceremony will take place. Kate's parents have already gone over there to make sure everything is going smoothly.

CPOV

Elliot and I are hanging out in one of the rooms they are using as a dressing room. I look at my brother and he is pacing the room nervously. "Are you ready for this, Elliot?"

"Yeah, I am. I can't believe I am getting married." Elliot's nerves are betraying him because his voice is not strong as usual. Just then the doors open and Kate's brother, Ethan joins us. I shake his hand in greeting although, I would deny this if asked, I dislike him because of how comfortable he was with Ana in California.

"So, brother, how is she?" Elliot asks his soon-to-be brother-in-law.

"She's doing well, excited. She looks beautiful. Your sister, Mia, has just joined them for some pictures." A few moments later our dad joins us.

"Guys, it's time. Let's head upstairs." We follow my dad up to the chapel which is decorated with flowers for the ceremony. We line up at the altar with Elliot front, then me, and then Ethan. We're only standing there for a little bit before the song "Home" by Phillip Phillips starts to play. The doors open and there is Mia, my little sister. She gives a little wave and has a huge smile on her face. You can't but help to smile back at her.

Then, I see Ana. She is striking. The dress she is wearing compliments her perfectly, her shimmering mocha brown hair is loosely pinned up and I see she is wearing the earrings I gave her. She looks at me and smiles so I slyly wink at her so no one else can see. The song changes to "Yellow" by Coldplay and Kate and her dad appear. She looks like Cinderella in her gown and is holding a huge bouquet of pink and white hydrangea, blush white roses, blush pink and peach garden roses, rose gold gems, gold babies breath, and soft gray lambs' ear wrapped in white silk ribbon. I look over at Elliot and his eyes are glassy and starting to fill with tears. I feel emotional. You can physically see how much he loves Kate. In a way, I am a little sad that I will never have that. I will never have a wedding, never have a wife or children. I will never have a family. I always thought my life of eliminating love in my relationships was perfect. I had my autonomy as well as sexual satisfaction without all the messy strings attached. Seeing Elliot so happy right now, looking at Kate as if she is the most beautiful woman in the universe, makes me wonder if I had been wrong all these years. Either way, I'm 28 years old and it's too late to change how I've been for most of my life.

The pastor goes through the ceremony and a few minutes later Elliot gives her a kiss and we are introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Elliot Grey. They depart the church to a shower of well wishes and flower petals.