The Groom

Chapter 006

Nicole

I wasn't quite sure when the car I was in would finally stop, but after about forty-five minutes, I saw that the fancy car we had been tailing had come to a halt in front of a massive church. 

"We’re here!" the driver said with a grin, which made me smile a little as I slowly got out of the car, taking in the beautiful surroundings. I was blown away by the clear blue sky that painted the horizon with shades of tangerine. 

"Mom, this place is absolutely gorgeous!" Kendra called out from a little way off. I turned to see the path ahead decorated with hundreds of tiny candles and hydrangea petals in shades of aqua, lavender, and pink. 

Tears filled my eyes as I stood there, hand on my chest, completely mesmerized. This place was something out of a dream! I had always imagined a wedding like this, but with the love of my life, of course! Still, the lavish decorations were a bit much. 

"I think the Monroe family wanted to save face, so they lent Nathan a ton of money to throw this fancy wedding, since there’s no way he could afford such a venue on his own..." I overheard Sylvia say to her daughter, who looked a bit jealous of the stunning setup. "Nicole!" my stepmother's sharp voice pulled me back to reality. "What are you doing just standing there? You need to get up by the altar so the ceremony can start soon! Wait for your groom there! I don’t want to linger here any longer!" 

Wait, what? Why was I the one waiting for the groom? Shouldn't Nathan be the one waiting for me at the altar? 

Sylvia's intense stare pushed me to hurry down the walkway, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw my ex-boyfriend stepping out of one of the cars that had just arrived. He walked over to Kendra, taking her hand with a smile. When he looked up, our eyes locked. I caught a glimpse of longing in his gaze, and his smile remained.

Just as I was about to turn away, I caught Kendra staring at him closely, and she noticed the moment Homer looked my way. With a furious expression, Kendra pulled her hand back from his and crossed her arms defiantly. 

I walked inside, the sound of my heels echoing on the marble and porcelain floor in a steady beat. I admired the beautiful display of twinkling lights on the glass structure. The inside of the church was even more stunning than the outside, with red hydrangeas and pink peonies scattered around, and golden light streaming through the large glass windows, wrapping everything in a warm, honey-like glow. 

As I looked at the faces in front of the glass wall, none of them were familiar. Even though this wedding had been carefully planned, I still hoped my dad would show up to walk me down the aisle, a wish I thought every bride had. But he was nowhere to be seen. When I reached the altar, I paused, taking my place and waiting for the groom to arrive. 

Sylvia and Kendra, along with Homer, took their seats at the front, and I could hear their conversation. 

"Stop staring at her!" Kendra snapped at Homer, clearly annoyed. "If I had known you’d only have eyes for her, we shouldn’t have bothered coming to this awful wedding!" 

"Will you just be quiet for once, Kendra! I’m not even looking at her!" Homer shot back, but I could feel his gaze boring into the side of my head. 

"Stop lying! I can see you, Homer!" Kendra shot back, gritting her teeth before rolling her eyes and checking her watch. "The time has passed, and the groom is still not here. Even a guy like Nathan can’t take Nicole seriously. Now I see why you left her for me."

"Nathan might be taking his sweet time to get ready, trying to look his best." Sylvia chimed in, saying she heard he was pretty short, not exactly handsome, and kind of frail, almost like an old man, which made them both chuckle mockingly. 

I bit my lip, trying to brush off their comments. The idea of our honeymoon right after the wedding made me feel a bit anxious. 

Homer shook his head at their antics and stared at the entrance door. 

A hush fell over them as the glass door swung open, revealing a well-dressed man who walked into the church, though he looked a bit older and stocky. 

“Oh my God! Is that Nathan?” Kendra burst out laughing, catching the attention of several guests who turned to see what was going on. Unbothered, she kept poking fun at the man who had just arrived. “What you heard about Nathan isn’t true, Mom. But he’s still a decent match for Nicole’s delicate frame!” 

“Kendra, come on! You’re stealing the spotlight…” Homer sighed, trying to warn her, but she was set on continuing, especially when she saw the man sit at the back, not wanting to come near me. 

“See? He’s so ugly that he doesn’t want to be seen by everyone!” she laughed again, only to stop when Homer shot her a stern look. “Don’t blame me, alright? I’m just being honest, and I’m glad it’s not me up there waiting for the not-so-great groom to show up. Aren’t you happy for me? I’m relieved Nicole said yes to this, or she’d be the one laughing at me right now,” she said, leaning on Homer's shoulder.

I waited for Kendra to look at me, and when she finally did, I shot her a fierce glare while clenching my fists at my sides. She just smirked back at me and rolled her eyes, which was super annoying. We had this silent showdown of glares, but I was the first to break eye contact when I saw someone else walk into the church. 

A man strolled in, and I almost gasped, thinking he was just another guest. 

But he kept coming toward me, his dark eyes locked on the priest, who was already set up with a Bible. The man was actually pretty good-looking; in his tuxedo, he had these chiseled features and a serious look on his face. 

When he stood right in front of me, I realized my suspicions were spot on. He was definitely the groom. My future husband was a total knockout, not some old dude like they said. 

He gave me a quick nod, more like he recognized me than actually greeted me. That’s when I really started to focus on his face. 

I was hit with shock and fear, and I squeezed my eyes shut, thinking I was just imagining things. Slowly, I opened my eyes again and even pinched myself to make sure this was real. This wasn’t a dream; he was really the guy I had a one-night stand with.