Two Steps Back (Hunter Hayes fanfic Bk.3)

Hiding

Amanda's wedding was absolutely gorgeous. The flowers were fresh, the cake was exquisitely designed, the staff supplied by the venue were dressed in uniform, the bar was well stocked, and the tables were still clothed in the beauty they had been the night before. Bethany had only seen it briefly before she'd retired upstairs to help Amanda prepare, but the chairs had been set up outside and the gazebo decorated with flower chains and twinkle lights. It was truly resplendent.

The other bridesmaids were already dressed, and were putting last minute touches on their makeup and hair, or helping another bridesmaids to do the same by the time Bethany arrived with the bouquet she had gone to fetch. It was the small, rounded bouquet that would be in Mandy's hands when she walked down the aisle. Bethany laid it on the desk by the door and went over to watch the hairdresser work on the bride's wedding look.

"You already look fantastic, Mandy," Bethany commented, plucking one single curl from her best friend's shoulder and placing it gingerly back on her skin. "I can't believe you're abandoning me for a whole week!"

Amanda smiled. "Well, Aruba awaits. And I can't wait for a whole week alone with Markob..." She bit her lip. Bethany was pleased beyond belief, seeing the starlight in her eyes. Those tall white shoes were not playing host to any cold feet; Amanda was so deeply in love that Bethany could almost feel it radiating from her skin.

She left for a few minutes, visiting the bathroom to slip on her own gown and shoes. It was still as breath-taking as it had been in the store, for which she was grateful. Jordan was going to be shell-shocked when he saw her. That thought made her smile.

Last night had been amazing. After they had made love, he had whispered in her ear that he loved her. She couldn't remember if she had said it back, because she had been too near sleep to keep her eyes open, nonetheless speak coherent sentences. And when they had woken up together, her face had been pressed to his upper arm, and his free arm was flung over his face.

He was so cute when he was sleeping.

The morning had gone extremely well, and the goodbye kiss Jordan had given her before she'd gotten out of his car still made her head spin every time she thought of it.

An hour passed, and then two, then three, and finally everyone was ready to head downstairs and out the door. Bethany gave Amanda one last dewy-eyed hug before she walked out, her own small bouquet in hand.

Roman was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and he gallantly took her hand. None of the other groomsmen were there yet, but Roman insisted that they head out to the gazebo anyway.

When all of the other individuals in the wedding party had joined them in line for the procession, the pastor cued the musicians to begin playing and he and Markob took their place under the awning. The family processed next, save for Amanda's father, who was at the end of the line on Mandy's arm.

It was soon time for Roman and Bethany to take their places, and Bethany straightened her shoulders and thought tall. All eyes were on the two of them as they slowly passed each row of chairs, and the spotlight was unnerving. However, she caught a glimpse of Jordan's reaction to her gown from the corner of her eye, and she nearly burst out laughing at how amazed he looked.

They broke away when they reached the gazebo, and stood still to watch the rest of the party come in. Hunter was part of one of the last couples to enter, and he was painfully avoiding her gaze. He slipped up only once, and the way he looked her up and down was inscrutable. Bethany just let it slide off her shoulder, because the bridal march had begun playing.

From there on out, nothing mattered but the absolutely adorable couple they were all there to honor. They had written their own sappy, beautiful vows, and both of them choked up during the delivery. The pastor said a few words, and then they repeated the traditional vows as well.

Just as the pastor was preparing to declare them man and wife, Bethany's eyes met Hunter's and locked. The pastor said the words and gave Markob permission to "kiss the bride", but both Beth and Hunter missed the big moment.

They didn't break eye contact until the bride and groom walked back down the aisle, cutting through their field of vision. After that, the night passed like a whirlwind. Bethany stood through hundreds of bridal party pictures, and they finished just before the sky darkened completely and were finally let go. The lot of them joined everyone else in the main event room, and she got to see Jordan for the first time that evening.

Not surprisingly, he was chatting with Erin, standing over by the bar with a drink in his hand. She was laughing, but when Beth and Roman came in, the group split into two groups of couples. Jordan told her how amazing she looked in his colorful, playful way, then he whispered something naughty in her ear that made her blush.

She promised him the first dance, but then she absolutely had to find somewhere to wipe the sweat off her skin. It was almost certain that there were stains covering her wonderful gown. She entered the powder room quickly, lifting her dress to pee and using the moment of privacy to wipe down some hard to reach areas.

After reapplying some powder to her face and fixing a few wind-blown hairs, she smeared on a fresh coat of lipstick and headed out the door. She was just passing by a door marked "Housekeeping" when she saw Stephanie on the last few stairs leading up to the second floor. Panicking, Bethany threw herself through the door, landing hard on the carpeted floor. She clamored for the door, and held it closed for a few minutes, half expecting Stephanie to knock and ask her why she had just ducked out of her path. Nothing happened after a few moments, so Bethany stood and smoothed out her gown in the dark.

Backing up until she felt the back wall, Beth sank down to sit on the floor and wait for the sound of a toilet flushing, or for Stephanie's footsteps to go back across the floor. She figured she was bound to hear one or the other, but it was simply too risky to head out there now. If Stephanie was still in the hallway, it would mean major embarrassment for her.

She settled in, pressing her ear to the right wall closest to the ladies' room and listening intently.

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