Page 99 of Only Lovers in the Building

Lily joined the cousins. They introduced her to their spouses and significant others. Only Logan was single because, according to Sandra, he was an unrepentant fuckboy.

The officiant stood waiting at the end of the aisle. In an emerald-green gown that revealed a colorful tattoo sleeve, she was cooler than Lily expected. Then she noted the chestnut hair and creamy complexion and recalled that Bella was Roxanna’s best friend’s sister. Though Bella wasn’t present, she was everywhere. When the woman she supposed was Bella’s sister waved from the altar and blew kisses to the cousins, Lily gained a greater understanding at how tightly knit the friend group truly was. For all her love of romance, she valued friendship more. While she could live to the ripe age of one hundred and gladly never see her exes again, losing a friend was a terrible blow.

The time for chitchat ended as the lights dimmed. The string quartet then launched into Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus.” Lily’s heart rate raced when she caught sight of Ben, the bride as regal as a swan at his arm. He’d seemingly brushed his hair and added an orchid to his lapel. He’d never looked more handsome. With a sure stride, he escorted Roxanna down the aisle. It was as if the person he cared for most in the world wasn’t about to promise to love, honor, and cherish a man he only had contempt for. No one would ever suspect that he’d opposed the union or entertained any misgivings whatsoever. Roxanna, however, was another story. She glided down the aisle with a smile pasted to her face, gaze fixed on her groom. Why were her eyes, always so vivacious, so dull with worry? Was it garden-variety wedding jitters or something more complicated?

Ben led her to Ricky and joined Tia Ada in the front row. The officiant swept away tears and started things off with a few pre-scripted anecdotes. After a reading or two, it was time for the vows. The couple had written them, and Roxanna would read hers first. She produced a sheet of paper folded down to a square. When she was ready, she cleared her throat. Her eyes skimmed over the handwritten words. “Ricky,” she began. Again, that shaky voice. “I have loved you from the start.” A pause. “Today, I marry my best friend.” A longer pause. “You make me so proud to—Sorry! I can’t do this!”

Lily gasped, but no louder than Sandra and Anita or even Jose. They watched Ricardo swoon as though sucker punched. For all his bulk, he couldn’t take a blow. Lily was light-headed herself. Earlier, Roxanna had seemed so sure of her decision. What happened to taking a leap of faith and all of that?

“What do you mean you can’t do this?” the groom stammered. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling all right?”

“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Roxanna replied. “I’ve been doing the right thing all along. You’re in the wrong!”

“Roxy . . . We talked. We worked it out.”

“Did we? Everyone thinks we’re making a mistake.”

“No one thinks that!” Ricardo swept his gaze around the room, trying to rally support.

“Benito does,” Roxanna said stubbornly. “He’s the smartest person I know!”

From her seat several rows back, Lily watched Ben lower his head and pinch the bridge of his nose.

“I spoke with him earlier,” Ricardo said. “He’s on board. He welcomed me to the family.”

“I’m not on board!” Roxanna cried. “Here I am, cosplaying as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, looking like a fool! I love you and forgive you, but our baby boy won’t be so understanding. I know firsthand how devastating it is when a father neglects their son. If we get married today, so help me God, you better swear that you’re ready to be a husband and a father.”

Following Roxanna’s outburst, the fifty or so guests held their breaths, and silence prevailed. Lily’s gaze drilled into the back of Ben’s head. His neck was rigid and his shoulders straight, despite the weight that had been dropped on him. He was the neglected son. The confident Ben Romero of today had once been a brokenhearted boy, devastated by a narcissist of a father.

Ricky stunned the room by grabbing Roxanna’s shoulders and kissing her full on the mouth. “I do!” he said fervently. “I love you, and more than anything, I want us to be a family.”

“You swear?”

“With all my heart,” he said.

Roxanna brightened. “Okay. That’s all I needed to hear.”

“Sounds good!” Bella’s sister cried. Before they changed their minds, she pronounced Roxanna and Ricardo husband and wife. Everyone hopped to their feet and cheered, giddy with joy but mostly relief. The newlyweds were oblivious to all this. Ricky was as pumped as any gym bro could be on such a momentous occasion. Roxanna beamed: all signs of worry were gone. They were ready to fling into their future.

“What does Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy have to do with any of this?” Logan asked the others.

“Never mind, buddy,” Anita said. “Never mind.”

“That was intense! How are you feeling?” Lily asked Ben the moment she got him alone. Everyone had migrated to a lower-level dining room for cocktails and dinner. They sat together in the deserted front row. A crew was dismantling the arch.

“I should have tailgated with the others,” he said. “They might’ve warned me a storm was brewing. I wasn’t prepared.”

“They were just as surprised as anyone, trust me,” Lily said. “Jose came close to having a heart attack.”

He laughed a weary little laugh. “Was I wrong for inviting you today, knowing what I know about my family?”

She slapped his arm. “Never! I read books for this type of drama, and nothing ever comes close.”

“No, seriously,” he said. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Ben. It’s you I’m worried about. For a minute there, I thought you might jump in and intervene.”

He shook his head. “This is Roxanna’s fight.”