How To Play the Player (COMPLETED)

Epilogue

Green and yellow surrounded us in every direction; allowing Brianna to plan my wedding had been a mistake. She had taken our nicknames for one another and brought the entire thing to life. All the way down to dressing our little terrier mix in a little costume. The commotion sounding outside my bedroom was giving me so much anxiety that I could feel my daughter kicking up a storm inside me. She had no idea of the horror show she was about to be thrust into that she would have to call family.

Unfortunately for her, she'd been graced with one female in our family; Bryan and Shay's oldest, then they'd had two boys back to back. Brianna just gave birth to her twin boys a little under six months ago, and Liam and I had been blessed with Preston five years ago, just before I graduated college. Then Lincoln came a little under two years after. Our poor Madelyn, she'd definitely have a fun little life once she entered her teenage years trying to explain to the poor boys trying to date her.

"Mom. Mom. Mom." Preston pounded on the door repeatedly from the other side, a very bored tone in his voice. "Mommy. Mama. Mom."

I sighed, pushing away from the vanity and opened the door to find him with Bryan's oldest son, Austin, both a mess of chocolate and cheese; probably from the fondue fountains Shay had insisted we rented.

"What happened?" I groaned, slapping a hand against my forehead. "Austin, where is your father?"

"He's helping Uncle Liam." Austin grinned, big brown eyes glistening. "Mommy told me to go find Uncle Andy, but I dunno where he is."

I ran a hand down my face and retreated back into the room for a rag. Finding one, I quickly dampened it and walked back over to the boys. I wiped Preston down as best as possible first, though the white undershirt to his little tux was stained beyond help. I was running the rag through Austin's ringlets when Andy passed by, scratched at his beard as he tried to figure out why I was in front of the two boys instead of heading for the door to walk down the isle.

"What happened?" he asked, but I could see how amused he was when he tore his eyes from the boys and met my own. "Did they get into the fondue again?"

I was positive that Liam, Andy, Jay, and Bryan had thrown a celebratory party behind us girls backs when they were gifted all boys. Though they'd been surprised when we found out Maddy's gender, they had all taken a bit to come around to the idea of having a girl around. Though Cece was a girl, she might as well of been one of the boys with how often she was wearing her brothers clothes. I had a feeling Madelyn might not be too different.

"What the hell is taking. . . good God, Austin! What happened?" Shay dropped into a low crouch as she touched her hands to her son's dark cheeks, a contrast to her pale hands. Both boys had taken after Bryan. The only thing they had inherited from their mother was her eyes and lips. Cecelia, however, was nearly a spitting image of the childhood photos I'd seen of Shay with my best friend's coloring. All three kids were absolutely beautiful.

"Reese, you need to hurry up. Mr. Waters is waiting for you."

I opened my mouth with a gesture to my son, but Andy plucked Preston from the ground and through him over his shoulders with a grin. "Hurry up and get out there, Re. It's your big day."

I flashed them both a thankful look before brushing passed Shay and heading for the sliding glass door that led out on to the large backyard that seated over a hundred people. I immediately spotted Bryan with his elbow resting on Liam's should, a playful smirk on his lips.

"Reese, sweetheart, are you ready?" I lifted my head and met Mr. Waters kind eyes. Nodding, I took his hand, catching Andy and Shay sneaking our kids outside before I was able to walk out. Cece skipped into view in front of me and nodded, twirling back and forth in her adorable little royal blue dress. I winked as a violin started playing somewhere in the yard.

Mr. Waters squeezed my forearm as he led me down the isle, a reassuring smile on his face. Andy had managed to throw himself on to the grass beside Bryan sometime in the last few minutes. Shay, too, stood beside Brianna in a lace white dress with blue accents. She winked when she caught me staring, dancing back and forth on her feet giddily.

"Mm, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Dorothy." Liam whispered as soon as I approached. Despite the fact that I repeatedly told him that we should stop with the Wizard of Oz jokes, they remained. He said it was our little thing and if we let that go, we'd be letting go of everything that led us to this moment.

"You hear that, Maddy?" Liam touched a hand to my stomach with a laugh. "No, me either. Mommy's giving me the silent treatment. I don't even know what I did."

I rolled my eyes but laughed at his immaturity. It was honestly a bit of a surprise that paparazzi and reporters weren't waiting outside the venue for Liam to step outside. He'd been drafted into the NFL, the Patriots to be specific, just after he graduated. It had uprooted us from home for a while, but eventually we found our way back and he tried to be home as much as possible, though it was a strain on the relationship, I had my friends and my mom to help with it all.

Tearing my eyes from my fiancé, I looked out into the crowd. Most were friendly, familiar faces that I didn't know too well. But Nicola sat in the second row with Jay beside her, both in the midst of whispering with big grins. In front of them was my mother, tears still staining her cheeks as her boyfriend, Henry, held my little brother, Riley, on his lap and waved up at me enthusiastically. My father had promised to be here, but I had known it was a longshot. I hadn't seen him for longer than a few minutes in years, and I knew the thought of having Liam and Bryan as well as the rest of our friends in one place knowing what he'd done years ago, that it'd intimidate him.

"Reese, baby, look at me." Liam touched a finger to my chin and turned my head in his direction. He must have been able to read my expression. "He'll be here. It'll be okay."

I nodded, catching Bryan's eyes over his shoulder when I tried to look away. He quirked a brow, a silent question of my well-being. I nodded, forcing a smile. He grew tenser, shaking his head. Twenty seven years of friendship and he still knew me better than I knew myself. It was safe to say, as I stared into his eyes over my soon-to-be husband's shoulder that I don't know where I'd be in this life without him.

**

By the end of the ceremony about half of the guests had departed, but that still left us with a full reception of over fifty people. I ended up changing into sneakers to prevent blisters and danced with Andy, Bryan, and Jay before the girls and my Mom, brother, and Henry. It wasn't until the night drew to a close and I was leaning into Liam that he finally broke my train of thought and spoke.

"Reese, babe, he isn't worth the pain. He isn't worth the tears." He breathed softly.

I shook my head against his chest. "It's not him, Liam. I just. . . I just always imagined Raya would be here. That she'd be at my wedding, that she'd get to meet my kids."

His eyes closed for a second and I finally saw just how worn out and exhausted he looked. "Baby, I know. I was thinking about it all day. About how my parents should be here. How they should have been able to meet their grandsons and granddaughter."

I blinked tears from my eyes. "I'm so sorry, Liam. I didn't even think—"

"It's okay, Reese. They may not be here," he grasped my shoulder and turned me toward where our boys were chasing Austin and Cece. "but they are. Our little munchkins. Our kids. Our family. You gave me a family again, baby."

I kissed him softly. "I love you, Liam Scott."

He cocked his head a fraction before leaning down to return the kiss. "I love you too, my love, I loved you too."