CHAPTER
THIRTY-EIGHT
SANTINO
In the end, Bellamy managed to convince Noelnotto hold their wedding at that hideous mansion we went to on the first day of shooting. Instead, they charter a massive yacht. The thing is like a fucking cruise ship, with a pool on board and everything. It’s so big, I’ve already gotten lost on it a few times.
We boarded the ship yesterday afternoon and spent the evening lounging in the sun on one of the half dozen outdoor decks. Dinner was served in a formal dining room and then we had a movie night in the salon.
Hayden and I were assigned to a VIP guest room that is by far the nicest bedroom I’ve ever set foot in. Like, I’m kind of afraid to touch anything in case I break it.
The wedding this morning is on the bow of the yacht. It’s a wide, open area with the Atlantic Ocean surrounding us on all sides and the sun shining down on us from above.
Rhys, Angel, Christian, and Hayden are already out there with the yacht’s captain, who will officiate, while Bellamy, Noel, Sebastian, and I are waiting in a couple state rooms. The cameras have all been set up, and since we’re all supposed tobe in the wedding, Sebastian hired a couple of his filmmaker friends to be the camera crew.
I’m actually kind of nervous. I’ve never been in a wedding before, never mind a wedding on a fancy yacht where we might get hit by a wave and tossed into the ocean.
But I’m also kind of nervous that Hayden’s out there and I’m in here. I know it’s not my wedding. I’m not the one getting married, but he’ll still be standing there watching me walk down the aisle, so to speak.
“You guys ready?” Sebastian asks, poking his head into the room where Bellamy and I are waiting.
Bellamy takes a deep breath, rubs his hands together, then lets his breath out in one fast exhale. “Uh, yeah, I think so?”
I clap a hand on his shoulder. “You totally got this, bro.”
He gives me a slightly wild look and for a second, I wonder if he’s going to jump off the side of the boat. But then he blinks and he’s back to the cool, calm Bellamy I know.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. It’s fine. It’s just Noel. I know Noel. He’s an asshole.”
Oookay. That’s a weird way to reassure himself, but then I’ve never really understood their dynamic, so what the hell do I know?
“Alright, the order is Santino, then me, then Bellamy, then Noel,” Sebastian reminds us. “Santino, you’re with me now. Bellamy, you wait for my friend Connor with the camera to come get you, okay?”
Bellamy nods, then turns to me. “Hey man, thanks so much for everything.” He pulls me into a tight hug that I return.
“Dude, I should be thanking you. You’ve basically changed my life.”
We step back from each other and Bellamy gives me one of his signature smiles that catapulted him to the top of the industry. “You deserve it, man.”
With one last check in the mirror, I follow Sebastian out to the lounge at the front of the yacht. The sliding glass doors have been pulled open so it feels like one giant indoor-outdoor area. We wait in the shadows for the Connor guy to cue the music, then roll cameras, then call out action.
Sebastian gives me the signal to go.
I can’t really feel my feet as I walk. Actually, I’m not sure I can feel any part of my body except for the frantic beating of my heart.
My eyes are drawn immediately to Hayden, dressed in a perfectly form-fitting earthy green suit that shows off the broadness of his shoulders and the narrowness of his waist. His blond curls blow in the wind, looking golden under the bright summer sun.
He had his hands clasped in front of him as he waited with the rest of the guys. But then he turned and saw me. His hands fell to his sides, his lips parted with a silent gasp, and I swear to god, he almost took a step toward me before remembering he needed to stay where he was.
I take my time walking past the lounging area on the bow, my eyes locked on Hayden the entire time. It feels like there’s no one else in the world but the two of us, drawn together by forces way beyond our control.
I didn’t know it was possible to love someone as much as I love Hayden. Like the entire fucking planet revolves around him. Like I would die if I didn’t have him in my life. I didn’t know I’d want to spend every waking moment with this one other person, fall asleep next to him at night, then wake up the next morning and want to do it all again.
With Hayden, I do. Every single day for the rest of my life.
I stop before I actually reach Hayden and my heart lurches at not being able to go to him. But I’ve been assigned to the opposite leg of the V-shape we’re arranged in.
I don’t really remember the other guys walking out to the bow or any of the words the captain says to officiate the wedding. All of my attention is focused on Hayden, how much I love him, how much I want to drag him back to our state room and slowly peel off every piece of clothing he’s wearing. I only snap out of my Hayden-trance when Bellamy nudges me on the arm.
