�Nickolas�
I sat in the back of the church and waited for this whole rehearsal thing to be over. I hated it. I had to watch Evangelique stand up front with the wrong guy. I didn�t want to be here, but Brian talked me into coming. I should�nt have listened. I should have just stayed at home on my comfortable sofa with my video games. Then again it would just have been another day without seeing Evangelique. I could not continue that, but I should get use to it. After Evangelique marries this creep, and if he has his way, I�ll never see her. This guy was driving me nuts. He just wanted her money and that was all. He didn�t want her because she is a sweet, caring, fun-loving, beautiful, sexy person. He just wanted the connections she had. That pissed me off.
Cameron and I looked at each other and he just got this smug smile on his face. I glared at him, but he just continued grinning like the idiot that he is. What was Evangelique doing marrying this guy? Was she just trying to prove a point? Did she actually love this guy? Was she just seeing what I would do? Did she want to make me jealous? I had no clue what she was actually doing with this guy. This was a total mistake on her part. I just wanted to stop her, but I was afraid I would ruin our friendship. I wouldn�t be able to deal with that. It would just be too impossible. I stretched myself out, as someone sat next to me. I looked and saw a beautiful blonde on my right smiling.
�Hi; I�m Terrilynn.� She extended her hand.
�Nick.� We shook hands.
�Bride or groom?�
�Evan; she�s my best friend.�
�Oh.�
�How about you?�
�Both I guess.�
�Not me. To be honest I don�t want Evvie to marry that guy.�
�Why not?�
�I think he�s a jerk. I met him a month ago and disliked him from the start. He was being controlling and bossy and everything else.�
�That�s CJ all the way.�
�How do you know Ev and Cameron?�
�Well, um, I�m actually his baby sister.� I looked at her. �Ev never said anything?�
�No.�
�Oh.� She looked a little disappointed.
�We haven�t really talked that much since I got back from touring. She was working and then she got sick. We then got into an argument the other day and haven�t spoken.� She looked at me. �I actually didn�t find out she was engaged until I came back a month ago.�
�Really?�
�Yeah; I surprised her at the office and he was there. He introduced himself at the �ever loving devoted fianc�.��
�Totally not my brother.� I looked at her interested. �Nothing to be worried about though. I hope not anyway.�
�Will you excuse me?�
�Sure.� I got up and walked away.
�I walked towards Evangelique and Cameron, as Evangelique said, �I don�t care, CJ. I ain�t wearing it.�
�But it�s tradition in our family,� Cameron said.
�I don�t care. I told ya in the beginning I wasn�t wearing your mothers wedding dress. I got my own and isn�t it a little late to bring it up now? The wedding�s tomorrow.�
�I still think ya should wear it. My mom�s a seamstress and can have it ready by tomorrow.�
�Hey, Sugar Bear,� I said interrupting and she looked at me. �Can I talk to ya for a minute?�
�Uh�yeah,� Evangelique said. �Excuse us, Cameron.� He just looked at us and Evangelique and I walked away. We walked out into the hall and went to the farther end where no one was. She looked at me a moment and then hugged me.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�Evangelique�
�God I missed you,� I said hugging Nickolas.
�It was only a day,� Nickolas said.
�It was long enough to miss you.�
�What�s wrong?� He always knew when something was wrong. No matter how hard I tried to hide it. Like right now I was trying my best to hide it, but he knew something was wrong. �Let�s sit down.� He led me over to the bench and we sat down. �So tell Nicky what�s wrong.� He smiled and I looked at him grinning. He was always a joker. I just looked at him. �Are you still upset over what I said?�
�Not really.�
�Then what�s wrong?� I continued looking at him.
�I think I�m in love with you.� He looked at me in shock a moment then smiled. �I know it comes as a surprise, but I can�t help the way I feel.�
�It�s all right, Sugar Bear. I�m in love with you also.� I smiled.
�Really?�
�Yeah; I love you, Evvie.� He kissed me.
�I love you��
�Sugar Bear, are you all right?� I came out of my daze and looked at Nickolas. �You left me. Where�d ya go?�
�I�m sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.� A lot which does not include all the talk about me being in love with my best friend. I can�t believe they would think such a thing. Yes we did sleep together, which they don�t know, and share kisses occasionally, but that doesn�t mean we�re in love. I do love him, but I love him as my best friend and nothing more. I wouldn�t be anything without Nickolas. Without Nickolas I would probably be a broken down mess. I�d be like a star without the light and the day without night�my goodness I�m beginning to sound like a song. I looked at Nickolas again and looked into his sexy baby blues.
�Sugar Bear, what�s bothering you?� I just looked at him and shook my head. �Why must you always try to lie to me?� I shrugged and grinned. �You know you can�t do it so why try?�
�It doesn�t hurt to try, Nick.�
�I guess not, but what�s got ya so stressed?�
�Everything involving this wedding. CJ wants me to wear his mothers wedding dress.�
�Why?�
�It�s tradition he says. Every bride in his mom�s family wore it, including the ones marrying into the family. He�s angry with me, because I�m �breaking� tradition, but his mom�s cool with it. His sisters and sister-in-laws wore it and he�s just stressing me out over the whole thing.� That was just one of the many things on my mind.
�I see.�
�I�ve always wanted my own wedding dress. Something no one�s ever worn.�
�A fairy tale dress.� He smiled.
�Yeah, but this one is just a simple one like Kristin had. No Leighanne or Amanda dress.�
�One I haven�t seen by the way.�
�Gab, Kira, Trish and Terri are the only one�s who have seen it. Ya�ll will see it tomorrow I guess.�
�You guess? Are you having those jitters?� I shrugged and sighed. �Is it more than jitters?�
�What else would it be?�
�Second thoughts.� I didn�t say anything, because he was practically right. I wasn�t even sure if I wanted to marry Cameron anymore. Now that the wedding was only a few hours away I wasn�t sure if this was the right decision. I guess we�ll find out tomorrow though if not tonight. I had to change this subject. �So I saw ya talking to Terrilynn.�
�CJ�s sister?� I nodded. �Yeah.�
�What do you think of her?�
�She seems nice.�
�A total sweetheart.�
�Unlike her brother.� I gave him a little grin.
�She�s also my employee. She works in the chem. lab.�
�Oh, I don�t go down there.�
�Now ya can.�
�What for?�
�To see Terrilynn and I�m going to spend more time there.�
�I ain�t interested.�
�Why not?�
�Ya know I don�t care for blondes. They�re all ditzy and think they�re hot shit.�
�Terrilynn�s a brunette, your preference. She just dyed her hair blonde to see what she�d look like.� He just looked at me. �Do ya think she�s pretty?�
�She�s attractive, but I ain�t interested.�
�Good.�
�Why?�
�I forgot one minor detail.�
�And what�s that?� I pointed and he looked. �Who�s the guy who can�t see pass his pecs?�
�Terri�s boyfriend, Riley. He�s a bodybuilding drill sergeant, but a total sweetheart under those muscles just like D is.�
�Right.�
�Ya jealous?�
�Pfft, no.�
�CJ don�t like him.�
�Does he like anyone?�
�His brother-in-law, Bo. They�re basically the same anyway.�
�An arrogant controlling prick.�
�If ya must put it that way.�
�Yeah.� I nodded and laid my head on his shoulder. He put his arm around me and kissed my forehead. �What else is bothering you?� I didn�t say anything and just sighed. �You can tell me.� I looked at him. �You afraid you won�t be able to satisfy him like he�ll want you to?�
�I really don�t care about that. The thing is��
�Sugar�� You say �Bear� and I hope Nickolas let�s you have it. �Father Sena�s ready.� You�re lucky pal.
�I�ll be right in,� I said grinning. �Go on ahead.� He nodded and began walking away. �Can we finish later, Nick?�
�I guess so,� Nickolas said. �Go on. Ya don�t want to keep �Prince Charming� waiting.� I got up shaking my head and looked at him. �I�ll be in then. I�m just going to use the lav.�
�Alright.� I smiled at him then walked away.
CHAPTER 20
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