Loving My Cousin

Chapter 2: The Wedding

Gabe turned to his pretty, younger cousin, Sky.

"Nice to meet you," Gabe said, smiling at Sky as he reached out to shake her hand.

"You too," Sky said nervously as she shook his hand. It felt warm to her and the touch of his hand made Sky blush more. He then hugged her three younger siblings. She thought it was weird that he shook her hand. She would have preferred the hug.

After everyone had been introduced, they made their way inside the venue. All the kids went to the grassy hills. The adults all drifted off and started conversing with one another on the patio, beside the hills, where Sky's Aunt Tammy was to be married. That left Sky alone with her siblings and all her cousins. Everyone started to break off into groups.

Sky's brothers, Ian and Daniel, were younger than all the others, so they just went off and started playing make-believe games. Michael and Tyler went off to discuss some young teenage boy thing, and Addison started reading a book that she had brought along with her. Brayden went off to go find his soon-to-be step-siblings, who were closer to his age than the rest of us. That left Sky alone with Gabriel.

Sky and Gabriel sat down on a bench side by side. Sky wasn't sure what to say. She didn't want to embarrass herself.

"I am a little nervous," Sky admitted, "I don't really know anyone here except my own family."

"You are telling me. I haven't even seen Aunty Tammy, Brayden, and Tristan in like 5 years. Everybody is a stranger to me," Gabriel replied.

"Ya, I didn't even know I had more cousins besides Brayden and Tristan, to be honest," Sky said.

"Me neither!" Gabriel exclaimed with a look of giddy relief on his face.

They started to get to know each other. He seemed so amazing to Sky. He was 15 years old, which was 3 years older than Sky. He was into photography and had brought his camera with him. Sky shared her interest in dance and spoke about her life with her family. Listening to Gabriel talk about himself was enchanting. It made her feel extra self-conscious while talking to him. She never wore heels or tight dresses and she wondered if it made her look stupid. She hoped not. She was also wearing make-up, which she wasn't even allowed to wear except for dance recitals. She had also gotten a hair cut a few days before and it was too short for her liking. It was sitting on the top of her shoulders, but she wished it was longer.

While Gabriel and Sky were getting to know each other, the other kids kept popping in to interrupt the conversation. Sky was getting annoyed. She didn't really want them around right now. She was enjoying her talk with her attractive older cousin. She caught herself thinking about holding his hand and thought to herself, I have had lots of crushes, but never on someone older. I can’t like him anyway. He is my cousin.Then she decided it was a good thing they were being interrupted. She needed to stop thinking this way.

Sky then worked hard to try and not like him. It wouldn't do her any good. She had always been boy crazy and didn't need to get attached to her cousin that she would likely not see again for years, if ever. The younger kids drifted off again, leaving them alone. She decided she didn't care. Then he ruined it.

"Can I tell you something?" Gabriel asked.

"Sure." Sky replied, feeling nervous.

"Uh..I... I think you are really pretty." Gabriel stuttered, while looking down at the ground, his face turning slightly pink.

"Oh... Thank you..." Sky replied, blushing hard. She realized it was too late for her. She had a crush on her cousin, badly.

Right then, all the kids were ushered to take their seats on the patio for the wedding. Her aunt came out looking very pretty in her dress, but Sky kept sneaking glances at Gabriel. Every time she looked at him, they would make eye contact for a quick second and then he would quickly turn away from her gaze. Sky couldn't stop grinning. She actually had to try and not smile as much so people wouldn't question her about why she was smiling so hard.

After the wedding ceremony, there was dinner, speeches, and cake in the dining hall. It was a large beautiful room. Everyone had their name printed on a piece of paper inside a tiny picture frame to indicate where they were supposed to sit. Of course, Gabriel was at another table with his dad and brother and a few other people. Sky's family was so big they filled a table all on their own. Through dinner, Sky and Gabriel kept exchanging glances at one another. After a while, they would start smiling every time they noticed the other looking. It became a cute, flirtatious game of who would look away first. Sky could tell he was having as much fun stealing glances at her as she was.

After dinner, everyone was allowed to mingle more freely and music was put on for dancing. Sky saw Michael and Gabriel walk outside with Tristan. Sky asked her parents if she could go hang out with her cousins and pointed in their direction. They said yes. She was so excited she almost tripped standing up on her heels. She went over to the boys and started to listen to their conversation. Every so often she would contribute to the conversation. After a while, Gabriel said he needed to get new batteries for his camera and asked if anyone wanted to go with him. Sky waited to see if anyone else would say anything. When they didn't, she said she would go with him.

They started to walk down the outside corridor towards a set of stairs. They started talking again and Gabriel took her picture while she was looking at the water past the hills.

"Hey, I thought you needed new batteries!" Sky exclaimed.

"I do," Gabriel replied, "But I still have some battery life left. Plus, you looked really pretty in that lighting."

Sky blushed again, "Oh thanks" she said in a sarcastic way and pretended to push his shoulder.

Gabriel moved slightly away from her push and then came back and put his arm around her and pulled her in close. It was very playful.

"You can't get rid of me that easily, cuz," Gabriel said, smiling.

He let go of Sky and then nudged her with his shoulder. It looked like he winked at her, but Sky couldn't be sure. She had only seen that sort of thing on TV.

They got to the stairwell and Gabriel surprised her by sitting down instead of walking up the stairs to the gift shop.

"No rush to get back," he said in response to her confused look.

"Ya, okay," she said, sitting down beside him.

They talked some more and Sky was very away of the fact that her hand was touching the side of Gabriel's hand. She could feel the warmth of his skin and it was all she could think about. She leaned into him a bit until their arms were also touching. The heat was electrifying.

"I should probably get the batteries now," Gabriel said.

"Oh, ya, right," Sky said, feeling a little sad they had to stop touching.

Sky struggled up the stairs in her heels and had to hold the railing so she didn't fall over. Gabriel started laughing at Sky and she smacked him lightly in the arm.

When they reached the gift shop, Sky waited outside while Gabriel bought some new batteries. They were three-quarters of the way down and Gabriel stopped.

"Oh crap! I forgot my batteries!" Gabriel exclaimed.

"Ugh, I hate these stairs," Sky complained as they made their way up the stairs.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Gabriel started laughing hysterically and pulled the batteries he had purchased from his pocket.

"I just wanted to make you walk up the stairs in your heels again," he said between breaths of laughter.

Sky slapped him playfully on his shoulder.

"You are so mean!" she said.

"Here, I will help you back down," Gabriel said, taking Sky's hand in his.

The feeling of Gabriel's hand in hers was amazing. She couldn't contain her smile as they walked back down the stairs.

When they got to the bottom, Gabriel let go of her hand.

"We should probably get back to the others now," Gabriel said in an unhappy tone.

"Ya, you're right," Sky said in reply, also feeling sad about it.

They walked back to the rest of the wedding guests and just in time too. Gabriel's dad was standing beside Michael, asking where Gabriel had gone. Gabriel rushed up beside his dad. Sky mingled a little bit behind them, but close enough that she could listen too.

"We'd better hit the road. Our hotel is about half an hour away and it is getting late," Uncle Ray said to his sons.

"What? But it is so early!" Gabriel and Michael started to complain at the same time.

"Don't argue. Let's say goodbye and get out of here," Ray interrupted their complaining.

They packed up their things and let everyone know they were leaving. Sky's family, along with her cousin Tristan, followed them out to say their goodbyes at the vehicles.

All of Sky's younger siblings hugged Gabriel and then stood by their parents. Tristan gave both Gabriel and Michael the clap that turned into a one-armed bro-hug. Gabriel finally turned to Sky.

"Before I leave, can I get a hug from my little cousin?" he asked with an awkward grin on his face.

Sky didn't like being called his 'little cousin'. It made her feel young and gross, but she still wanted to hug him.

"Uh, okay," she said, aware that her family was watching.

Gabriel was several inches taller than her, even in her heels. She reached her arms up and he reached around her waist. She could tell he was being playful with it in front of their family members. Even with him not hugging her very tightly, she still felt something hard pressing into her lower abdomen. She wasn't sure what it was, but she didn't want to stop hugging him.

Finally, the hug ended and Ray, Gabriel, and Michael all got into the vehicle. As they drove away, Sky's family turned and started walking back to the reception. Sky looked at the vehicle and saw Gabriel wave to her from the front seat. When Sky went back inside, she saw that Gabriel and Michael had left their mini picture frames that had their names in them. Gabriel Hayes and Michael Hayes. Sky decided to take them and keep them with her card in her purse as a memory of tonight. This whole wedding had felt like a dream. Sky didn't know how she should feel, but she felt like she had her own little secret.

One just for her and Gabriel.