Carter glances over. “Oh, without a doubt. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him talk to these many people outside the garage in such a short period of time.”
“He’s in his‘I can be a normal human at my own wedding’mode now. By tomorrow, he’ll be asking why people were allowed to look at him for that long.”
That gets a proper laugh out of Carter, then he grows silent for a moment, staring out at the room.
“Can I tell you something, Lance?” he asks.
I look at him and nod, raising my glass. “Of course.”
“I think you need to know that I knew,” he says. “Even before I really understood it myself.”
I pause with my wine halfway to my mouth. The air between us shifts. I realize this kind of conversation would have to be a part of the evening too.
Carter starts, almost a whisper. “We were at the barracks when he got the call about his father’s death. I was right there when he found out. They gave him the day off and he just shut down. Barely ate or spoke. I tried to be there for him, but he was locked up tight.”
He gives me a small, tight smile. “That night though, when the lights were off, George showed a bit of…vulnerability. Grief does that to people. It strips everything back. For a second, he was just a man trying to shut his brain off. He can’t really put it into words, but I was there, and I would’ve taken anything he gave me.”
My stomach twists violently and bile rises sharp in my throat. I keep my face completely still even as nausea hits me hard. My pulse hammers loud in my ears. I really don’t know if I want to hear this on my fucking wedding night.
“But then his phone went off with your name on it,” he says, tips his glass then sets it down.
I remember making this call right after my shift, when I heard the sad news.
“I watched his whole face change before he even answered,” Carter shares. “It wasn’t like he decided anything. But everything he’d been carrying all day just…let go the moment it was you.”
I look at him, finally understanding what he’s trying to tell me. My chest twists and loosens up all at once, relief hitting hard enough to leave a bitter taste behind it.
“After that, I couldn’t unsee it. The way he kept up with you without meaning to. How he breathed easier around you or how he smiled more. He probably didn’t know this about himself at that time. He noticed things, showed curiosity, but he never really let it go anywhere. Don’t think he’s ever acted on that side of himself with anyone else.”
“Carter—”
“What I’m trying to say here is that…there was never anything between us, Lance. Nothing happened, even that night. What I felt stayed mine.”
His mouth lifts, not quite a smile. It looks more like he’s finally putting down something he was never meant to carry this long. “He didn’t have anything to give me. You already have all of it. I’m genuinely happy for him that you do.”
I let out a slow breath. The truth settles over me strangely, bringing both relief and guilt. Because underneath all of it is this pain for Carter, and he never once made it anyone else’s problem.
“That’s a lot to hold on your own,” I sincerely say. I don’t want to draw this out any longer than necessary for him. I respect his feelings enough to know this isn’t easy. “Thanks for trusting me with it.”
He nods once, like that’s all he needed. We fall into an easy silence, watching the dance floor, the band pushing the night forward.
George finds me by the courtyard doors sometime later. He doesn’t say anything at first. He just hooks his fingers lightly around my wrist and tips his head toward the outside.
I go with him.
The music drops behind us as we step into the cool night air, the stone walls holding the sound at a distance.
He pulls me in without hesitation, and I fold into him just as easily, forehead brushing his shoulder. His arms settle around me the way they always do.
“You disappeared on me,” he says, voice close to my ear.
“You got passed around your family like a community project,” I tease.
He exhales softly against my temple. His hand slides along my back, thumb pressing once like he’s checking I’m actually here.
“I’ve got a wedding gift for you,” he murmurs after a moment.
I pull back enough to look at him, already grinning. “You already married me. That’s pretty high-effort.”
