When He Got Married

2 - Realization

LUKE:

It was a beautiful day. The sky was cloudy, gentle breeze, and the smell of earth everywhere. But this time, I was neither happy nor excited. Instead, I was terrified. This time, it was my wedding.

It had been three years since Daniel got married, and a lot had happened since. After his marriage, I moved my business to Dallas. It was easier to manage the chain of stores I had across Texas, from there. Soon after I shifted, I met Veronica. She was a doctor and an amazing woman. We started dating. In no time, I fell in love with her. It was great, she understood me on so many levels, and the sex, oh my god, was epic.

But, there was always something missing, and I knew what it was. Daniel. I didn't understand why, but ever since he got married, I had had this longing, longing for him. Nothing had changed in our relationship, we were still best friends and everything, but every time I saw him, I just wanted to kiss him. Don't get me wrong, I loved Veronica, I wanted to be with her, but Daniel confused me. It was not his fault. He was still the same. I was his best friend, and he treated me that way. It was me who was losing it.

Daniel's life was haywire as well. A year after he got married, he received an offer from TLC to host a show. Alex was opposed to it at first, but it was Daniel's dream to do something like that, so he agreed. For a year, Daniel traveled around the world, discovering new cuisines, famous restaurants, strange foods, and whatnot. The show was a big hit, but he was hardly ever in the states.

At the end of that year, when it was time for him to come back home, the show got extended for six months. Daniel loved that show, and he was having the time of his life, so he accepted the offer without a second thought.

In the beginning, everything was fine, but soon Alex and Daniel started drifting apart. Alex was devastated when Daniel accepted the extended offer. He wanted Daniel to come back home and resume his job at The Enchantress, but he couldn't do that to him. Alex didn't want to be the selfish one, even though the loneliness was killing him. He didn't want to come between Daniel and his dreams. Alex was a good man, but his desires got the best of him. He eventually ended up having an affair.

Four months before my wedding, when Daniel finally came back, he found out about the affair. He was devastated. His exact words were, 'I traveled around the world, Luke. Do you have any idea how many hot guys I met? I had the chance. I could have fooled around with so many men, no strings attached, but I didn't. Not even once, not even a kiss. I loved him so fucking much that even the thought of being with someone else turned my stomach.' His heart was completely shattered. He cried on my shoulder for hours. It broke my heart to see him in that state. Somewhere, I understood how he felt.

I took him home with me to San Angelo. He spent two weeks there with his parents, I stayed too. Charles, Ronald, and Angelica visited us as well. It did help, but he was still pretty depressed. All the weight he had gained from eating all that food around the world was gone. It really did a number on him.

I finally took him to a therapist, and it did improve his health. He finally decided to move on. He found out about a job opening in Vegas. La Mirage, a 5-star hotel with a casino, needed a head chef and someone to manage the food quality across the chain. It was the same as his previous job but paid more. He applied for it and got the job.

I was in my room, getting ready when he walked in. He was happy and excited. Why wouldn't he? Okay, yes, he was still not back to his usual self, but his best friend was getting married, and he was the best man. It made him happy. Even though it was temporary, it felt good to see him in a good mood. I, on the other hand, was not. I had had a few drinks to calm my nerves down.

"So, all ready?" he asked me.

"I can't do this, Danny. I-I..." I stuttered.

"Yes, you can, Luke. You love her, don't you? Besides, everyone has cold feet before they get married. It's normal. You'll get over it. Trust me," he said.

"You didn't," I said. It was true. Daniel didn't have cold feet at all.

"Well, not everyone is as brave as me," he teased me.

"Asshole!"

He cupped my face in his hands and looked directly into my eyes. "Say whatever you want. I can always see through your snarky comments. Now, pull yourself together. I know you can do this. You are a great man, and she's a great woman. You both love each other. This is just bullshit, okay? The moment you see her at the altar, it will all go away, and everything will be all right. Believe me, sh-"

Daniel was standing way too close. The sheer proximity was heating up my body. His pale skin seemed smoother than ever, and his brown eyes were like endless pits of dark chocolate that captivated me. His lips were so full and plump, irresistible. I don't know what got over me, but I lost all control over myself. I leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Sparks ran through my body as my knees went weak. My heart almost broke my ribs. Even though it was just a small peck, it was enough to send me into complete overdrive, and also to shut him up. When I pulled back, he was looking at me with a huge grin plastered on his face. Well, that was not an expression I expected.

"Was that just to shut me up, or was it a poor excuse to bail the wedding," he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because no one is gonna believe that you are gay," he added.

I just stood there. No expressions, nothing. I couldn't form a single word. It was like there was a lump in my throat of the size of Texas. My whole body was fidgeting as tears welled up in my eyes. "I can't do this," I finally muttered.

Suddenly, there was a loud smack. Blood rushed into my face as it warmed up. Turned out, he slapped me right across my face, and that too, quite hard. "Snap out of it, Luke!" he yelled. "You are getting married today, one way or the other. I won't let you bail on her. She doesn't deserve it," he said.

He was right. Veronica doesn't deserve it. None of this is her fault, and besides, I do love her. "Okay. Okay," I said.

"Now, sit quietly for a few minutes so that my handprint can fade away," he said. We sat there in silence for ten minutes. Once his handprint was gone, we made our way out.

I stood at the altar and waited for the bride. Finally, the music started, and Veronica walked in. She looked absolutely breathtaking in the white gown that she was wearing. It was exactly like the one Rachel Green owned.

Her parents walked her down the aisle, and now she was standing in front of me. Daniel was right. Looking at her did calm me down. We read our vows, and then the minister pronounced us husband and wife. But, this time, when I kissed her, I felt nothing, nothing at all.

We were exiting the ceremony when the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I was in love, but not with Veronica. I was in love with Daniel. It had always been him. With everyone else, it was just infatuation.

What the fuck have I done?

*****

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