The Boy Who Has No Redemption (Soulless 8)

“I know. I just know that they’re genuinely sorry about what happened, and they miss you…even all these years later.”

I felt nothing. Like a metal plate was over my chest, those words bounced right off.

When she saw my lack of reaction, she let it go. “I’m really happy you’re here, Derek. You can punch all my guests in the face, and we’d still want you here.”

I gave a slight smile. “Well, I promise I won’t do that.”

She smiled.

I reached into my pocket and withdrew a card. “I wanted to give this to you in person to make sure it doesn’t get lost.”

She took it, ripped it open, and then opened the card. “Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, have fun on your honeymoon…” Her eyebrows scrunched together before she unfolded the check and saw the amount written. Then her eyes popped open wide, and she dropped the card. “Derek!”

“I know you guys have always wanted to go to Italy—”

“This is too fucking much!” She hugged the check to her chest.

“It’s never too much for you guys. Have fun.”

“Oh my god, Derek.” She moved into me and hugged me hard. “You shouldn’t have…”

I rubbed her bare back. “You can always consider it as an apology for last night.”

“You don’t need to apologize.” She pulled away. “But I’ll take the check anyway. We didn’t even think we were going to have a honeymoon.”

“Everyone should have one. You can go in the summer. It’s beautiful.”

“I’m so excited to tell Ryan.”

“I don’t think he’s going to care until tomorrow morning…” I looked down at her dress.

Her cheeks blushed. “Yeah…probably not.”

We had the ceremony, and I handed Ryan his ring to present to Camille. The rest of the guys were lined up behind me, Kevin at the very edge, which was a different position than he’d been in last night.

Maybe now he took my beef seriously.

Both of my previous warnings had fallen on deaf ears.

Now, he had a purple face.

The ceremony ended, and dinner was served. Kevin and Tabitha were at different tables, and I sat with some of the guys, watching Ryan and Camille have their first dance together, cut their cake, and get lost in each other and forget about the rest of us sitting there.

I kept looking at my watch, wanting this shit to end, wanting this nightmare to be over for good.

Then came the speeches.

I didn’t prepare anything because the idea of talking about two people spending their lives together seemed asinine to me now. I was a writer, so people probably expected me to speak some amazing prose, but I really had nothing to say at all.

I stood up, grabbed the mic, and surveyed the people staring at me.

Kevin sat with his fiancée, and he looked at me with one eye.

Tabitha had her eyes glued to my face.

The speech I’d made at my rehearsal dinner was disastrous, and I didn’t want to repeat that. I wanted to at least get this right. “Loving someone is the most painful and vulnerable experience you’ll ever have. It’s about trust, about finding the right person to keep your heart safe. Most of us don’t have success with that, and those that do are the luckiest people in the world. You guys are two of those people.” I raised my glass. “To Ryan and Camille.” Then I sat down and released the air from my lungs, relieved the final part of the night was over and I could finally duck out and leave and never have to worry about seeing Kevin and Tabitha again.

At the first opportunity, I made my exit.

I walked up to Ryan and said goodbye first. “Congrats, man. You married up.”

“Hell yeah, I did.” He smiled. “I’m having a great time, but I’m excited to go home and really make her my wife.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“Good plan. I’ll talk to you later.” I turned away.

“Whoa, you’re leaving?”

I came back to him, wearing an apologetic look.

His disappointment slowly faded when he understood my feelings. “Drive safe, alright? And thanks for what you said in your speech. But…I think you’re going to be one of those lucky people too. Where is Emerson, by the way?”

I didn’t want to tell him the truth and start a whole conversation about that. “She had an emergency with her daughter, but she sends her regards.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, her daughter just has an ear infection, and they had to go to the ER.” I made up a lie, remembering when I’d had to go to the ER because that had happened to me one time. “And I gave my wedding present to Camille. Ask her about it.”

“Oh, I will.” He pulled me in for a hug. “I love you, man.”

I clapped him on the back. “I love you too.”

I left through the house then made it to the road. My car was parked far away so I had a bit of a walk to get there, and the cold air was the perfect touch against my warm skin, in my heavy lungs. My hands slid into my pockets.