Chapter 2: Technically Married

Micah remembered what happened after the kiss as clearly as he remembered his stag night.

So somewhere between the rather substantial range of "a little bit" and "not at all."

He did vaguely recall hearing aggressive clapping, a dramatic sigh, and a loud thud.

He would later learn that the geriatric daughter of a count was responsible for the thud. The (very much imagined) romance of the wedding was too much for her spinster heart.

Perhaps it's indeed true that singlehood, especially decades of singlehood, was detrimental to one's health.

Future Micah would sneer when told the story. But for now, he's still Present Micah and Present Micah was in shock.

Standing before him was Avery, the bride.

The fake bride.

The fake bride who was the older twin brother of the real bride.

Avery, still in that ill-fitting wedding dress, was gesticulating wildly before the frozen form of the man who had, until very recently, been his prospective brother-in-law.

"Look, look. I know you're freaked out, but I need you to calm down. I can explain what happened."

Micah used what little strength he had left to open his mouth. "Then explain."

"Well, you know what Adeline is like. She's the younger kid so she's spoiled and rash and impulsive and more than a tad irresponsible. And you know her gay best friend, Rhys. Yes, Rhys. Ring a bell? Rhys is the one with that impeccable hairline. The one that has legs that go on for days and washboard abs. The one that—"

"Just. Get. To. The. Fucking. Point."

Avery looked at Micah and sighed. "Well," he said, slower this time, "if you insist."

"I do."

"RhysisntgaysoheandAdelineelopedrightbeforethewedding."

Avery pursed his lips right after shooting out the explanation. He glanced nervously at Micah, who seemed even paler than before.

A long and uncomfortable silence ensued, hanging thickly between the two men. It was a while before Micah spoke again, and this time he only managed to force out one word.

"W-what?"

"Rhys isn't really gay. He and Adeline eloped right before the wedd—"

"I heard you the first time!"

"You are the one who asked what!" Avery was incredulous.

Micah ignored Avery's expression of disbelief and shut his eyes. He took a deep breath to calm the growing anger in him.

Then he took another breath. And another. And another, because the realization that he had been cucked and was currently being cucked finally hit him.

"Where," he hissed, his voice shaking, "are they now?"

"They are probably already on their way to Natonia for a tropical celebration. Ah, Natonia! Mama and Papa used to bri—"

Micah had no time for Avery's nostalgia. "Why did no one think to inform me of this?"

Avery did not seem to mind the interruption. Oh no, not at all. What he minded was the stupidity of the question. He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Because we knew you would act like this."

"Like this? LIKE THIS? What do you mean like this? How else am I supposed to act?" Micah felt his outrage and blood pressure spike.

"Act," Avery replied smoothly, "like nothing is wrong."

"Like nothing's wrong?" It's Micah's turn to be incredulous.

"Like nothing is wrong," Avery repeated. "The media was watching. So were friends and family. There was little else we could have done."

"We could've postponed the wedding!"

"Postpone the wedding?!" A woman's voice rang out. "Postpone the wedding? This is the best I have looked in years!"

Micah turned towards the formidable Duchess, only to see that she was marching up to him. He stood up instinctively to greet her.

"Pardon me, Your Grace, bu—"

Duchess Welland was already in front of him. She grabbed his shoulders in what was possibly an attempt at comfort. The strength of her grip caught him off guard and left him wordless.

"You, my dear boy, have never lacked handsomeness. But you have always been in want of some brains."

Micah was too surprised to be offended. He was also distracted by how the Duchess's bosom heaved with each word.

The Duchess was a tall woman. When she wore heels, her ample assets were at eye level.

Micah's eye level.

He had nowhere else to look. He *could* look at nowhere else. He was mesmerized. Addicted. Bewitched, body and soul, but mostly body.

Mercifully, the Duchess did not seem to mind how his unblinking stare was not letting even one subtle movement of her chest go unappreciated. Perhaps she thought he was too embarrassed to face her. Or perhaps she thought he was admiring how the large blue gems in her necklace complemented her eyes.

He was admiring the necklace, yes. Admiring how nicely it framed the Duchess's massive treasure chest.

"Postpone the wedding," she continued, "and tip everyone off that something is wrong? Let the guests gossip among themselves? Let the media go wild and cook up crazy theories? Do you want me to read in the news tomorrow about how my bratty daughter refused to attend her own wedding because her earrings were slate blue instead of celestial blue?"

"No, of course not. I never want to worry Your Grace."

"Good!"

"I just don't know how long we can hide from the reporters that I'm still legally unmarried after such a grand wedding... They're known to be invasive."

The Duchess looked at him like he was the most idiotic man to ever breathe. "What do you mean? You are already married to Avery! Can it be that you have forgotten that men are allowed to marry other men in this great country of ours?"

At that, Micah finally tore his eyes from those snowy peaks to see that Avery was gently shaking his hand at him.

On the pinky finger of that hand was a thick diamond-encrusted ring, because the Wellands had never been known for their frugality.

That hand then closed to form a thumbs-up. As if worried that's not clear enough a message, Avery flashed him a brilliant smile.

Micah did not feel the least bit more assured.

If Duchess Welland noticed his uncertainty, she did an excellent job of pretending she didn't. "You, my dear boy, will proceed as planned. You will go to the airport with Avery, as if for your honeymoon. But you are no longer heading to the Maldives. Mr Reed has gotten you tickets to Natonia instead. Find Adeline and that gold digger Rhys. Bring them home. You hear me?"

"Yes..." Micah answered meekly.

Satisfied, the Duchess patted his shoulders (which jiggled her blessings in a particularly appealing way), turned and left.

Micah enjoyed watching her go.

It was Avery who first broke the silence. "You know," he began, looking down flatly at his new ring, "you should have known that Mama would never let such a photo opportunity go to waste."

comment 1 comment

Vote

SEND GIFT

Load failed, please RETRY