Nick stood at the back of the church, dressed in his black tuxedo he almost felt as if he were at a funeral rather than a wedding. There was no happiness for him today, and he would have rather been…well, anywhere, at that moment. He glanced around and nodded to a few people who acknowledged him, then turned as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "You ready?" Nick frowned slightly, then nodded and walked to the front of the church, taking his place. As the music started he found himself watching the girls as they walked down the aisle, each with a smile plastered across her face as they each took their own spots at the front. And then everything and everyone seemed to fade away, the music and the people all disappeared as his eyes locked with Jess's. He watched her walk slowly down the aisle, a smile covering her face as she stared into his eyes. Her dark red hair piled on top of her head with cascades of soft curls framing her face. Her green eyes bright with the happiness of the day as she slowly paced herself walking forward. Nick felt his chest constrict as she stepped forward, and took her place across from him. Their eyes never leaving one another's. Nick startled slightly at the sound of the wedding march, and turned his head slightly to watch as the crowded church stood to watch the bride walk down the aisle.
Nick stood off to the side of the reception hall, watching Jess as she walked throughout the room, her smile fading only slightly as she caught sight of him watching her. He grabbed another drink from the bar and headed outside, needing to get away from the confines of the room…from watching her. Squinting some at the bright sunlite that bombarded his eyes as he stepped outside he shrugged his tux jacket off and leaned up against the wall. Then slowly let himself slide down until he was sitting on the sidewalk. He took some gulps of the beer in his hand then angrily threw the bottle into the street, his face expressionless as the glass shattered against the pavement. "You know, someone is going to be really pissed when they get a flat tire because of the broken glass." Nick jumped at the sound of Jess's voice beside him and looked up. He bit his lip as he looked at her, the sunlite reflected off her hair, causing the red to shimmer as she moved slightly. She held her shoes in her hand and smiled softly at him as she crouched down beside him, resisting the urge to reach out and brush the hair out of his eyes. "Hey you." Nick's voice barely came out in a whisper and he cleared his throat as Jess pulled her dress up slightly, allowing herself to kneel beside him. They sat quietly for a while, just looking at one another, neither really sure what the other was thinking, until suddenly Jess leaned forward. Nick's breath caught in his throat as he felt her lips brush against his. Her fingers caressed his cheek and he reached up, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss until finally out of breath, she pulled back from him.
"I…oh wow, I don't know why I just did that…" Jess scrambled to her feet, grabbing her shoes and backed away slowly, watching as Nick just sat, his eyes wide with confusion. "Nick…I…oh god, I'm sorry…" he watched as her eyes filled with tears and she turned to go back inside. Nick reached up and grabbed her hand, his long fingers closing gently over her slender ones. Then watched as her fingers slid slowly away, and she walked back into the building, leaving him alone with his thoughts once again.
"I still love you too Jess…" Nick whispered to himself, then stood and walked back inside as well.