Declare (Declan Reede: The Untold Story #4) (22 page)

“No matter what happens from this day forward, I will always be your daddy, and I will always hold you high in my heart. You mean the world to me. I promise you that I will always love and honour your mummy, and I will always be there for both of you. I am proud to be your daddy.” I grabbed her hand gently, wrapping the little gold bracelet around her wrist. “I love you, my baby girl.”

She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek before skipping off to show Aunt Ruby her new jewellery.

I stood back up, seeing tears flowing down Alyssa’s cheek unchecked. With a smile on my lips, I wiped them away softly. She leaned against my hand and the moment was fucking perfect.

The next words of the celebrant were without doubt the best words I had ever heard.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

I eagerly grabbed the corner of Alyssa’s veil and lifted it off her face, resting it onto her back. I placed one hand on her nape, snaking the other around her waist. I pulled her in to me, twisting at the last second to dip her as my lips hit hers. I moaned against her as I realised this was the most important kiss of my life—our first kiss as a married couple.

I lifted her back up and set her on her feet, softly kissing her plumped-up lips once more.

Ruby and Flynn each took one of Phoebe’s hands and led her back down the aisle. Alyssa and I followed close behind, accompanied by a chorus of cheers.

“Are you happy?” I asked Alyssa quietly. It was a ridiculous question considering the smile plastered widely across her features, but I had to be sure.

“Deliriously.” She turned to me and her eyes were flooded with tears. “I never dreamed . . .” She trailed off but she didn’t need to finish. I understood.

I refused to let go of Alyssa’s hand as we met the photographer at the entrance. She shut the doors behind my wife so we could get some photos on the grand staircase and beneath the chandelier. Finally, we went through the doors to the waiting limo. It was only a short distance to the Botanical Gardens, but I didn’t want anyone to get sweaty between the wedding and the reception.

Once we reached the gardens, the photographer arranged a series of photos. We spent almost two hours in various poses, smiling and laughing together. It was actually kind of fun, but I hated the fact that Morgan couldn’t be there and that Flynn would be smiling out from our wedding photos instead. Because Eden had stayed back to look after Morgan, it felt as if our lives in Sydney had no representation at all.

As the sun started to set and the city lit up, we walked to the Goodwill Bridge and had a few more photos there against the backdrop of the river and Southbank.

After the photographer was satisfied that we had captured enough memories, we headed back to the limo and drove to the Suncrest Hotel. The photographer got a few more photos in front of the entrance before we all headed back upstairs to the ballroom. The room was closed off—all of our guests were already inside.

We waited as the photographer went ahead, closing the door behind her. Before I knew what was happening, I heard the MC announcing Ruby and Flynn. They walked in together to a round of polite applause.

Then the MC started our chosen song for our introduction. “And now,” he said. “It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you, Declan and Alyssa Reede.”

My stomach twisted and my heart leapt hearing her name alongside mine in such a fashion.

I tugged Alyssa forward into the room filled with our family and friends.

Without warning her what I was going to do, I dragged Alyssa into the centre of the room and spun her around gently. It was all I could do not to spin her right back out of the door and to our suite in the hotel.

After one more kiss in front of everyone, I led Alyssa over to the bridal table and pulled out her chair for her.

The MC took over proceedings, instructing the room that any time anyone clinked their glass with a spoon, Alyssa and I were supposed to kiss. This of course led to immediate glass clinking, especially from the boys in my pit crew team. I leaned over and kissed Alyssa’s cheek. There was a general cry that I could do better than that, so I guided Alyssa’s lips to mine and kissed her with every ounce of passion I could muster.

The MC then went on to explain the order of events before announcing the food was due to be served.

“Thank God,” Alyssa murmured beside me.

It was barely a minute later that our meals were laid in front of us. Alyssa dug into her food almost the instant it was set in front of her.

“I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” she explained to me between mouthfuls that were neither ladylike nor matched her picture-perfect appearance. It only reaffirmed my desire for her. “I’m famished,” she finished.

I cast my eyes around the room at our family and friends. I watched, smiling, as Ruth and Mum doted over Phoebe down one end of the table closest to the bridal table. I was dumbfounded to see my father sitting at the table farthest away from us. I didn’t know who had invited him, but I was shocked as shit to see he had actually turned up. Although I didn’t really want him there, I was thankful that at least his skank Hayley wasn’t with him.

Overall, the dinner was great and the service was impeccable. The night was passing as fast as the wine was flowing. Before I knew it, it was time for the speeches. I glanced anxiously at Curtis, knowing he was first up to the plate. I also knew that there was no one to give a speech on my behalf.

Fuck. My. Life.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: PROS AND CONS

AS THE MC introduced Curtis, Alyssa placed her hand over mine in a soothing gesture. She must have noticed the tension in my body, because she gave me a small knowing smile when I looked at her. She was a vision in white, and the reminder that she’d agreed to be mine forever just a few hours earlier helped to relieve a little of my anxiety. Nothing Curtis could say would take that away from me

Even that thought wasn’t enough to force me to relax enough to keep from gritting my teeth as I watched Curtis take the wireless microphone though. He staggered a little as he reached for it.

“I can’t believe my little girl got married today,” Curtis started. It almost sounded like he was choking on his emotions or that he was drunk; I couldn’t work out which. “But then, this is what she wanted. She has always been stubborn when it comes to getting what she wants. When she was little, she would dig her heels in about almost anything and once she’d chosen a path, it was all but impossible to stop her.

“The first day she saw Declan, her first day at Browns Plains Primary, she came home and told us about her hero. When we’d asked her what her hero had done, she responded that he picked her first for a sport. From that day on, Declan became a near-permanent inclusion in our family. If he wasn’t at our place, she was at his. Back then, I always thought this day was a foregone conclusion. Everyone thought so. It was easy to see their devotion for one another. I thought nothing could ruin it.

“But then he left her.”

His statement hung in the air like a bad smell, and he allowed it to fester. Ruth reached over to him, grabbing his jacket and whispering something, but he just dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

He took a sip of his drink and people were starting to wriggle in their seats uncomfortably by the time he started again. “I remember everything about the night he left. I can still see it all as clear as day. It was a Wednesday night. They’d fought the weekend before. Alyssa had called him regularly to try to talk it out. Everyone assumed it was only a matter of time before they were back together again. Like always. Every night that week, I heard her sobbing herself to sleep. I remember so clearly wishing I could comfort her but knowing
I
would never be able to.”

He stopped, taking another swig of whatever he was drinking. Drunk was starting to beat out choked up with emotion in my mind. Why had anyone thought it was a good idea to let him give a speech?

“She went out that night, to meet Declan, and when she came back, she was different. She was hollow. The daughter I’d raised was gone, leaving a mere shadow in her place.”

I could see the mortification on Alyssa’s face, and I wanted to stand up to stop him from saying anything more, but I wasn’t sure that it wouldn’t make it worse.

“This isn’t the speech Mum wrote for him,” Alyssa muttered. “He promised he’d read that one.”

Even as she spoke, Curtis continued, “The look on her face when she came home that night.” He shivered. “I
never
want to see that look on anyone’s face again for as long as I live. For weeks after that, she would barely even move. The first time she showed us any real emotion, anything solid to demonstrate that she was still alive, was when she told us about the baby.
Babies
 . . .” he trailed off. Ruth tried once more to grab the microphone off him, but he pulled it away and continued talking. Because of the shifting microphone, his voice blared louder than ever as he said, “I blame Declan for everything she went through after that night. Everything she lost, he owes to her. I never want to see my baby girl shattered like that again. Now, I propose a toast: may Declan never again break her heart so utterly and completely again.”

Utter silence followed his toast, but the emcee picked it up quickly.

“Join me in a toast to the bride and groom,” he said as cheerfully as he could manage under the circumstances. “May their joys be as bright as the morning, and their sorrows but shadows that fade in the sunlight of love.”

At his words, everyone stood and toasted.

The emcee looked almost afraid as he said, “And now we’ll hear a few words from the groom.”

I swallowed deeply and stood. The words I’d prepared were useless in the face of Curtis’s speech, so I decided to speak directly from the heart. I took Alyssa’s hand as I raised the microphone to my lips.

“Alyssa, I’ve made stupid choices over the years, but I’m not an idiot. I know I hurt you, and you know I will never forget how deeply.

“I will forever regret the pain I caused you, and I will always mourn with you what we both have lost.

“But through our separation, I have come to better understand the depth of my love for you. I understand what it is like to live apart from you, so I will
never
take you for granted. What I said in my wedding vows was 100 percent true. If I ever forget a single word of them, please remind me.

“You and Phoebe mean the world to me, and I will never hurt you. You are the keeper of my dreams and the guardian of my soul. You hold me safe from all the troubles which threaten to overtake my mind. I can never thank you enough for what you have done for me with the simple act of agreeing to be by my side for the rest of my life. I love you. I know my toast was supposed to be directed at my new family, but I can’t toast to that.” I pointed in Curtis’s direction. “So instead, I propose a toast to
you,
Alyssa. You and Phoebe. You are my life, my love, and my family.”

There were murmurs around the room after the toast.

I passed the mic down to Ruby who was being introduced by the emcee. I wasn’t sure which way her speech was going to go. I just hoped the Declan bashing didn’t continue. I didn’t know how much more I could stand before I just shouted, “Fuck the lot of you,” and whisked Alyssa off to our suite.

“I’ve known Declan and Alyssa since they were both around fifteen. I have seen them in their highs, and their lows.” Ruby looked pointedly at Curtis. “When Declan arrived in Brisbane last November, I would never have expected to be on his side.

“But when I warned him not to break her heart, he did something to me that no one ever does. He answered back. I told him to back away from Alyssa so she wouldn’t get hurt, and he fought for her. I knew right then that I’d encountered a changed man.

“Since that day, I have borne witness to his utter devotion to his girls. I know the path hasn’t always been easy for either Alyssa or Declan, and I know that mistakes have been made by both of them along the way, but I can unequivocally say no one will ever love Alyssa the way Declan does.

“He has been unwavering in his course to get his life back on track with Alyssa, and I think he should be praised for the bravery and commitment he has shown along the way. Especially considering the bumps in the road, like magazine articles which anyone with half a brain could instantly see was nothing more than fabrication and lies.” She glared at Danny, and I groaned into my hands. “I toast to the happy couple. May the best of your yesterdays be the worst of your tomorrows.”

Most of the guests were stunned into silence and the rest were laughing raucously—not that I could see anything fucking funny about it. The speeches were supposed to be an opportunity to share insights and, to be honest, I’d been hoping for a bit of a love-in from them. Ruby’s should have been filled with fun anecdotes about Alyssa. Little moments of insight into the times I’d missed. I may have been expecting a little too much, but I really had wanted something more than what we had: a pro- versus anti-Declan debate.

“It’ll all be over soon,” Alyssa whispered into my ear. “We’ll be in our hotel room, and I’ll show you how happy
I
am about all this then.”

Swallowing down my surprise at her words, I grinned. She always knew the perfect fucking things to say.

I expected Ruby’s toast to be the last, since it wasn’t like Flynn knew enough about me to have much to say. But once Ruby was finished, the screen that had been set up to show photos of Alyssa and me at various stages of our lives on a constant slideshow suddenly went blank for a second before Morgan’s ugly mug filled the screen.

“Squirt,” he said, moving a little and wincing in pain before he spoke. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you in person. You know if the docs had given me clearance, I would have been there in a heartbeat.”

I nodded stupidly, not knowing whether it was a two-way feed or not.

“I haven’t known Declan for as long as some of the people gathered in that room, but I’ve known him long enough to see that Alyssa was made for him. I’ve seen him do some pretty crazy stuff.” He laughed, no doubt remembering some fucked-up thing we’d done together. I rolled my eyes; as if the anti-Declan people gathered in the room needed more ammunition against me. “But since reuniting with Alyssa, I’ve seen a change come over him. He’s softened in some ways, but he’s so much stronger in others. On the track, he is more focused and determined than I think I have ever seen him—even if he
is
just driving a Mini.”

He chuckled to himself.

“His strength and commitment to his family are second to none. Even though it’s something I never expected to see, it is clear he is devoted to not only Alyssa but also to Phoebe.

“Alyssa, I know we didn’t get off to the best start, and I have to apologise again for what I did. It was stupid, inconsiderate, and I can’t even begin to try to justify it. All I can say is that I did it during a time when I didn’t understand love properly. Before I knew how much hurt the one you love can inflict on you. Love can cut you so deeply that you think there is no way you will ever survive the injury, but it can also heal you. I know this because I have seen you heal Declan in ways that I never thought possible. In ways I hadn’t even known he was broken.

“I’m sure he won’t ever admit how broken he was; perhaps he doesn’t even understand it himself. I never realised until you came back into his life. In fact, if you’d asked me a little over a year ago, before Queensland Raceway last year, I’d have said he was in complete control, unbroken and unbreakable. But in making him stronger, you have demonstrated just how vulnerable he was. I hope we can begin to mend the bridges I have broken, because you are important to the two most important people in my life.

“It says on this piece of paper that Eden gave me that I’m supposed to toast to the bridesmaid, Ruby. I can’t see you, I had to prerecord this, but I’m looking at your picture in
Gossip Weekly,
and I have no doubt you are smoking in your dress. To Ruby, for being there for Alyssa now and always.”

I stood and toasted Ruby, giving her an extra round of applause. The emcee grabbed control of the night again, and everyone else seemed as relieved as I was that the speeches were behind us.

Before long, Alyssa and I were called over to cut the cake. We waited for the photographer to take what felt like 101 photos. Then after the official photographer was finished, we had to pose for all the amateur photographers amongst our family and friends. Finally, it was time to cut the damn thing, but it almost seemed a shame to take a knife to the three-layer masterpiece covered in sugar flowers.

The cake was whisked off as soon as our hands left the knife. We had ordered mud cake so it could be served as dessert. While it was off being sliced, diced, and garnished with cream, we were directed to the dance floor. The night was flying by in a haze.

The emcee gathered the crowd before starting the music, lowering the lights and setting the spotlight on us. “Please welcome to the floor, Mr. and Mrs. Reede for their first dance as a married couple.”

“Mrs. Reede,” I said as I offered Alyssa my hand in invitation. Even though I had known what was coming, I was blown away by the emotions that coursed through me as I guided Alyssa in front of me to dance to “Ocean Wide” by The Afters. I was glad that the music was a decent speed, because it allowed me to lead Alyssa smoothly around the floor with what little rhythm I had. Every few seconds, I had to swallow down the emotions that threatened to burst from me.

Alyssa didn’t know, but I’d listened to the song over and over in the car. I wanted to be able to sing the lyrics to her as she danced. There was a reason I’d selected the song after many hours of deliberation; it was
our
song. It told our story more succinctly than I ever could.

At first, I twisted Alyssa around and gently dipped her as I serenaded her. The song was an extension of my vows. Before long, the rest of the world fell away, and it was just Alyssa and me swaying gently in our own private bubble. I brought her hands to my chest, pressing them gently so her palms rested over my heart. I dipped my head down and infused every word I sang with all the meaning I could muster.

We swayed against each other through the chorus and continued even after the music had faded away.

“I love you so fucking much, Lys,” I whispered to her, causing her to giggle. It broke the moment, but it had to; if the intensity weren’t broken somehow I probably would have taken her right there in front of all of our guests. I figured that wasn’t exactly the sort of “first dance” they wanted to see.

“Wow,” the emcee enthused. “Feel that love! Let’s keep the lovefest happening, with the daddy-daughter dance. And just in case you are wondering, there is a bit of a difference tonight because all the songs were specially requested by the groom.”