Chapter 3
By the time the wedding procession arrived at the hotel, it was almost noon.
David personally opened the car door for me.
He bent down and offered me his hand.
"Easy now. and watch your hand," David said softly.
The sunlight fell on his shoulders, and his gaze was still gentle as he looked at me.
The guests burst out laughing and started joking around. "Looks like the groom's really doting on his bride!"
David smiled. "She's the boss today."
I slipped my hand into his.
His hand was warm.
When he took my hand, his fingertips made sure not to touch the bandage.
If anyone had seen us right then, they never would have guessed that the night before, I had called him seventeen times from the police station, and he had simply told me not to make a fuss.
Before we walked down the aisle, the emcee came over to confirm the schedule.
"Mr. Foster, the bridesmaids want to add a new segment. Miss Harrison has prepared a video message for the bride," he said.
David glanced at me. "Rachel's been working on it for a long time."
I didn't say anything.
He spoke up for me. "Yeah, let's do it."
Rachel stood nearby, giving me a smile.
Her eyes were still puffy and red, like she'd been up all night.
It was just like my birthday three years ago.
David rented out a riverside restaurant and personally baked me a cake.
Then, at the last minute, Rachel called, saying her ex was downstairs and wouldn't let her leave.
David squeezed my hand and said, "Claire, it's your birthday. I'll stay and cut the cake with you first, then I'll head out."
I said, "Go ahead."
He stared at me for a long moment.
"Are you sure you don't mind?" he asked.
I shook my head.
Then he kissed the back of my hand and hurried off.
Half an hour later, Rachel posted on her social media. [Good thing there's always someone who'll come pick me up.]
In the photo, David was holding her close, with the bag from my birthday cake in his hand.
By the time he finally came back, the cake had already fallen apart.
He pulled a ring out of the bag.
He looked at me and said softly, "Claire, don't be upset."
Then, after a pause, he added, "I'm saving the most important thing for you."
I slipped the ring onto my finger and, just like that, forgave him.
Back then, I thought Rachel got his presence, but I got his promise.
What I didn't understand back then was that if a promise was always just an excuse for not being there, it eventually stopped meaning anything at all.
"Claire?" David's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
He looked down at me.
"Not feeling well?" he asked.
I shook my head.
He slipped a peppermint candy into my palm.
He said softly, "You always bite your lip when you're nervous.
"Here, just keep this in your mouth."
I stared at the candy in my hand, wrapped in that familiar green packaging.
Rachel loved this brand.
I never liked peppermint cand. It always felt too chilly for me.
I couldn't even remember when David started keeping these stocked in his car.
He said it was just in case Rachel's blood sugar dropped and she needed something sweet.
After a while, he started handing them to me too.
It felt like I was just getting whatever was left from Rachel's habits.
In the lounge, Rachel's video message started playing.
The first half was a bunch of pictures of us together.
There were shots of us hanging out in our college dorm.
Then came photos from our graduation trip.
And me helping her move to a new place.
I even gave her half of my closet.
People whispered in admiration. "The bride and her bridesmaid are so close."
I just watched quietly.
Then, halfway through, the video suddenly shifted. Now it was all about David and Rachel.
David was there, holding an umbrella over Rachel as they walked together.
He opened the car door for her, making sure she got in safely.
In the hospital hallway, he gently wrapped his coat around her shoulders.
Rachel stood there holding the mic, her voice thick with emotion. "Claire, thanks for letting me meet someone as amazing as David.
"Once you two are married, I promise I'll give you guys some space."
The crowd burst into warm, friendly laughter.
David frowned, feeling something was off, but he kept quiet.
Rachel turned to him. "David, thank you for always looking out for me like a big brother all these years."
David said softly, "Don't cry."
He handed her a tissue.
Right at that moment, the photographer's lens zoomed in for a close-up.
On the big screen, David gently wiped Rachel's tears away.
And there I was, standing off to the side in my wedding dress, like I was just some carefully placed decoration.
A sharp pain suddenly shot through my arm.
I felt a wet warmth slowly seeping from beneath the bandage.
When I glanced down, I saw a red stain bleeding through the white sleeve of my dress.
David saw it too.
He quickly reached for my wrist.
"Why is it bleeding?" he asked.
Before I could say anything.
Rachel suddenly stumbled on stage.
"David, I'm feeling so dizzy," she said.
David instinctively let go of me and reached out to steady her.
It was like his body moved on instinct.
He glanced back at me. "Let the makeup artist handle your arm for now.
"Rachel's blood sugar just dropped. I'm taking her to the lounge."
I just stood there, frozen.
I could hear people whispering behind me.
"Wow, the bridesmaid's really fragile, huh?"
"But Mr. Foster sure knows how to take care of people."
I clenched the peppermint candy in my palm.
The sharp edge of the wrapper bit into my skin, making my palm sting.