The Engagement Embargo (Meet Me at the Altar #1) - Samantha Chase Page 0,3
“We’ve been over this before. I’m sure.”
“You were sure three other times…”
“Those were nothing like this.”
“Okay, fine. This is the first time you’re walking down the aisle. It’s just that…”
“Is this really the conversation we should be having right now? The wedding is about to start,” he said with a huff. Running a hand through his hair, he cursed the fact that no matter how hard he tried, it never looked completely neat.
Maybe I should have gotten it cut yesterday instead of last week…
Stepping in front of him and blocking his reflection, Tyler’s smile was more than a little forced. “How long have we known each other?”
“I don’t know. Pre-school or something,” Elliott replied as he took a step back to try to put some space between them. He loved Tyler like a brother, but close-talking was definitely not something he enjoyed.
“Exactly. Since forever. I know you and I know what you’re doing.”
“Um…trying not to be late for my own wedding? Yeah.” But when he went to move, Tyler stopped him.
“Tracy’s a nice girl. She’s sweet and funny and…a good friend.”
“But…?”
“But…I don’t see this as the great love for either of you. Are you sure you’re getting married because you’re in love with her or just because you want to get married?”
Now he’d had enough. “Why is everyone so down on marriage?” Elliott snapped, storming across the small room. “I mean, maybe it’s not right for everyone, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t right for someone! For me! I don’t understand why everyone is on my case about this!”
“Elliott…”
“No! You need to understand where I’m coming from. I want to be married and I want to be married to Tracy! I believe in falling in love and starting a family and going through all the highs and lows that go along with that! I want to live with someone who loves me and gets me and who completes me! Is it wrong to want to sleep beside the perfect person for the rest of your life? Is it wrong to want to enjoy inane conversations at two in the morning over…over…I don’t know…whether or not there’s a sale on lawn mowers?”
“Elliott, you’re spiraling.”
“Can you blame me? We’re standing here, ten minutes before my wedding, arguing over whether or not I should be doing this! If this is how you felt, why would you wait until today to bring it up?”
He was about to say more when Skylar seemed to crash through the door. “Oh, my God! I’m sorry!” she said. “I…I…was doing final check and lost my balance at the door and…and…”
Her eyes went wide when they landed on him, and Elliott’s immediate thought was how adorable she looked when she was flustered. She was dressed in a very nondescript navy blue dress with her honey-blonde hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. Very professional looking. And yet he still saw traces of the girl he grew up with. It was an odd observation, but…there it was. He was about to ask if she needed anything, but she seemed to realize she had interrupted something and took a step back.
Clearing her throat, she muttered another apology before leaving the room. It took all of three seconds for Tyler to start talking.
“Believe me, I wanted to say something sooner, but…I don’t know…there never seemed to be the right time!”
“And you suddenly thought this was it?”
“Okay, I get it. The timing sucks,” Tyler conceded. “It wasn’t intentional, I swear!” He paused and seemed to collect his thoughts. “No one’s saying anything bad about marriage, Elliott. This is about marrying the right person for the right reasons! Honestly, I think you love the idea of marriage so much that you’re a little blind to who you’re marrying!”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded, more than a little offended.
“It means,” he paused and let out a long breath. “I don’t think Tracy loves you. Not the way you love her.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he argued.
“El, I’ve been around you enough to know that you guys act more like people hanging out together than a real couple. She’s like a friend or…”
“Marrying someone you’re friends with is a good thing, Ty. At the end of the day, you should genuinely like the person you’re married to.”
“Oh, I agree, but there should be more. There should be...you know...all the other stuff. The romantic crap.”
“I am not taking relationship advice from someone who says romantic crap.” And before Tyler could object, he raked