We walk up to the chapel, and it’s definitely cheesy. It’s white with large pink letters on a massive sign.
“Let’s go inside!” Chad shouts, dragging me by my hand toward the entrance. I stumble forward but steady myself quickly. Chad doesn’t need to see how drunk I am or he’ll probably offer to carry me home, and we don’t need that when he’s just as bad as I am.
“Hello, can I help you?” a man asks behind the counter at the front. It feels like we’re at a restaurant. God, I wish we were at a restaurant; that sounds like away better idea. Why are we even here if they don’t have food? I was so nice yesterday getting Chad food, and I’m never that nice. We should have done that again. Maybe after this.
“Hi, yes, it’s so great to meet you,” Chad says to the guy who works here, drawing my attention back to the fact that we’re in a fucking chapel right now. “I’m Chad, and I’ve always dreamed of seeing a Las Vegas wedding. Any chance we can sit in on the next one? I promise we’ll be good.”
No part of me believes that he’ll be good, so I snort a laugh as the man looks between us.
“Actually, we don’t have a wedding happening right now. But the chapel is empty if you’d like to go look at it?”
“Damn. No wedding? But yes, I want to look!” Chad practically shouts, still with a death grip on my palm, as the man comes out from behind the counter and leads us toward the chapel. Chad is still way too loud as he turns to me. “John, this is so exciting.”
“So, are you two already married then, or perhaps looking to get married?” the man asks.
“I wish we were married!” Chad admits before he thumbs in my direction. “Still trying to get this one on board.”
“You really have no filter, huh?” I ask, despite already knowing the answer.
“I can’t help that I’m so into you! You’re my Liam. I just want you to be mine for real. Then we don’t have tobe besties-in-laws, we can be husbands! Doesn’t that sound so much better?”
Does it?
Wait no. Definitely not.
“I’ll, uh, give you two a minute in here to look around and see how it feels. If you want to get married tonight, we have space. Obviously.” The guy gives us a polite nod and disappears into a back office, leaving Chad and me standing alone in a tacky chapel.
“John, this is so magical, we have to get married!” Chad pleads.
Magical? Fuck, what grown man describes a cheesy Vegas chapel as magical? Chad. That’s who. He looks so hopeful, and I can’t help but tease him a little. “Is this why you brought me here? To convince me to marry you?”
“Well, no… Maybe? I don’t know, I did think we’d watch someone else get married and then maybe you’d be inspired seeing other people in love and realize that it could be us, too. Now that I’ve realized just how much I like you, I just thought… I don’t know, John, would being married to me be the worst thing in the world?” He throws his arms out to the sides like I’m exhausting him.
“Chad, you’re drunk,” I remind him.
“I’m not drunk,” he lies. “You’re drunk.”
“Not as drunk as you.”
“Maybe,” he agrees with that giant smile of his on full display, “but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do this.”
God, that look on his stupid perfect face. Why is it so hard to say no to him? I grunt as I look around the chapel.There’s no way I could get married. No way. I promised myself I wouldn’t ever get married.
“John.” Chad comes up to me, wrapping his arms around my neck again. “You said that I’m the happiest person you know, but being around you this weekend has made me happier than I can remember being in such a long time, and well, I think you deserve to be happier too. You’re grumpy, sure, but I’ve also seen you smile more in the last two days than I ever thought possible, and I don’t think it’s cocky to say it’s been because of me. I know you now. You’re secretly soft, you might act annoyed, but you like me, I know you do. You keep holding my hand and you don’t hate it?—”
“I do, though.” I insist, but it even sounds like a lie to me.
“—and you always look out for me,” he finishes, ignoring me entirely. “You make me feel cared for and protected, like I’m someone precious who should be adored exactly as I am. I’ve never felt appreciated in a relationship before, John. Ever. But with you? I know I don’t have to worry about a thing.”
“We’re not even in a relationship,” I attempt to dismiss him.
“We’d be so cute together though. No, not cute. Hot. We’d be hot as fuck, John. Could you imagine us in matching leather jackets that say ‘Just married’? We’re so getting those!”
“No, we aren’t. We’re not getting married, Chad.”
He tugs me closer to him with his arms still wrapped around my neck. I don’t agree with what he’s saying,obviously, but I find myself wrapping my arms around his waist. Holding him there against me feels too nice not to.
But I know it shouldn’t. Chad isn’t… It should feel wrong.
