Chapter 12: The Wedding
2928 Words
Thirty days.
Thirty whole days passed.
Too fast.
Nate didn't know when it happened.
One minute he was sitting in Daniel's apartment trying not to think about the wedding.
The next minute he was standing in front of mirrors while strangers adjusted a suit he didn't want to wear.
Everything became a blur after that.
Suit fittings.
Measurements.
Guest lists.
Phone calls.
Venue visits.
Flowers.
Schedules.
Endless schedules.
People constantly telling him where to stand and what to do.
The wedding was getting closer every day.
And no matter how hard Nate tried...
He couldn't stop it.
The morning finally arrived.
The wedding day.
Nate woke up before his alarm.
For a few seconds he just stared at the ceiling.
Still.
Quiet.
Not moving.
Because if he got out of bed...
It would become real.
A knock sounded on the door.
He didn't answer immediately.
Another knock followed.
Gentler this time.
"Nate?"
Lily.
Of course.
When Nate opened the door, Lily immediately froze.
The words she had prepared seemed to disappear.
Nate looked exhausted.
Not because he hadn't slept.
Because he had.
Because no amount of sleep could fix this.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Lily lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
Nate looked away.
Silence filled the room.
"I really am."
Her voice sounded small.
Smaller than he had ever heard it before.
"I didn't know my dad would take things this far."
Nate laughed softly.
Not because it was funny.
Because he didn't know what else to do.
"Neither did I."
The words hurt more than he expected.
Lily's eyes immediately became red.
Nate couldn't look at her.
Not today.
Today hurt enough already.
Soon someone came to get him.
The ceremony was starting.
And suddenly...
There was nowhere left to run.
The wedding hall was huge.
Bigger than any place Nate had ever been.
Flowers covered almost every surface.
People filled every seat.
Important people.
Rich people.
Powerful people.
People Nate had never seen before.
Yet every single one of them was looking at him.
The feeling made his stomach twist.
At the front stood Derrick.
Waiting.
Already dressed.
Already composed.
Already looking like none of this affected him.
His suit was perfect.
His posture was perfect.
Everything about him was perfect.
Nate hated that.
The music started.
Soft.
Beautiful.
The kind of music people played at happy weddings.
The irony almost made him laugh.
Richard appeared beside him.
Neither spoke.
Neither needed to.
After a moment his uncle placed a hand on his shoulder.
Nate didn't look at him.
He couldn't.
Not right now.
Then they started walking.
Step by step.
Down the aisle.
Toward the altar.
Toward Derrick.
Toward the future waiting for him.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
The guests became a blur.
The flowers became a blur.
Everything became a blur.
Except the person waiting at the end.
Derrick.
Eventually they reached the altar.
Richard stepped away.
And suddenly Nate was standing there.
Alone.
Beside the man he was about to marry.
The realization made his chest tighten.
The ceremony began.
Words were spoken.
Promises were read.
People listened.
People smiled.
Nate barely heard any of it.
His mind was somewhere else.
Far away.
Anywhere but here.
Then it happened.
The question.
The one he had been dreading for thirty days.
The officiant turned toward Derrick.
"Derrick Blackwood, do you accept Nate Carter as your lawful spouse?"
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No pause.
No uncertainty.
Just one simple answer.
The officiant nodded.
Then turned toward Nate.
The entire room seemed to grow quieter.
"Nate Carter."
His heart started beating faster.
"Do you accept Derrick Blackwood as your lawful spouse?"
Silence.
For a moment Nate forgot how to breathe.
The words echoed inside his head.
Do you accept?
Do you accept?
Do you accept?
Slowly he looked up.
His eyes drifting toward the crowd.
So many faces.
Most of them strangers.
People he would probably never know.
People who didn't know him.
People who had no idea what this felt like.
Then he spotted familiar faces.
His uncle.
His aunt.
Lily.
Lucas.
And finally...
Daniel.
The sight almost broke him.
Daniel was trying to smile.
Trying.
But failing.
His eyes were red.
Like he had been crying.
Maybe he had.
Nate wouldn't be surprised.
A memory suddenly appeared.
Years ago.
Him and Daniel sitting outside after school.
Talking nonsense.
Talking about the future.
Talking about what kind of people they would marry someday.
Laughing.
Making stupid promises.
Dreaming.
For one second...
Nate thought about leaving.
Just turning around.
Walking away.
Leaving everything behind.
The wedding.
The guests.
The Blackwoods.
All of it.
For one second it felt possible.
Then he remembered the house.
And the feeling disappeared.
Just like that.
The officiant asked again.
"Nate Carter."
His voice was softer now.
"Do you accept?"
The room waited.
Everyone waited.
The future waited.
Nate closed his eyes.
Just for a second.
Then opened them again.
And answered.
"...Yes."
The applause started immediately.
People smiled.
People stood.
People congratulated them.
Someone was even crying.
Nate couldn't tell who.
Maybe he didn't want to know.
He stood there.
Smiling because everyone expected him to.
Smiling because that was what people did at weddings.
Yet all he could think about was one thing.
It was over.
No more six months.
No more waiting.
No more pretending this wasn't happening.
He was Nate Carter.
And now...
He was Nate Blackwood.
The thought made his chest hurt.
And no amount of applause could drown that feeling out.
The reception came and went.
At least, Nate assumed it did.
People talked to him.
People congratulated him.
People shook his hand.
Some even hugged him.
He smiled when expected.
Nodded when necessary.
Answered questions he barely heard.
The entire thing felt like a dream.
A strange dream he couldn't wake up from.
Before long, the guests began leaving.
The hall slowly emptied.
The noise faded.
The celebration ended.
And reality finally settled in.
Heavy.
Cold.
Permanent.
Nate stood near the entrance when a black SUV pulled up.
The familiar Blackwood vehicle.
Waiting.
Just for him.
The sight made his stomach twist.
Again.
Derrick was already standing beside the vehicle.
Waiting.
As usual.
His expression gave away nothing.
Not happiness.
Not excitement.
Nothing.
Just that same calm face Nate had grown to hate.
A servant opened the car door.
Nate looked back once.
Just once.
Toward the wedding hall.
Toward the life he was leaving behind.
Toward Daniel.
Who was standing near the steps.
Watching.
For a moment neither of them moved.
Neither of them spoke.
The distance between them suddenly felt too large.
Daniel tried to smile.
Nate tried too.
Neither succeeded.
Then Daniel lifted a hand.
A small wave.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing emotional.
Just a wave.
The kind friends gave each other every day.
Yet somehow it hurt more than anything else.
Nate raised his own hand.
Then got into the vehicle.
The door closed.
And the wedding hall disappeared behind tinted glass.
The drive was quiet.
Very quiet.
Derrick sat beside him.
Looking out his own window.
Not speaking.
Not forcing conversation.
Not pretending everything was normal.
For once Nate appreciated that.
The city slowly disappeared.
Buildings became larger.
Roads became quieter.
Security gates became more common.
And eventually...
The Blackwood Estate appeared.
Nate had seen photographs before.
None of them prepared him.
The gates alone were larger than some houses.
The mansion behind them looked less like a home and more like something pulled from a movie.
Tall.
Massive.
Perfect.
The kind of place people pointed at and called impressive.
Nate just felt tired.
The SUV stopped.
A servant immediately opened the door.
Nate stepped out.
And froze.
Rows of servants stood outside.
Perfectly lined up.
Waiting.
Watching.
The moment he stepped forward, they bowed.
In perfect unison.
"Welcome home, Young Master."
The words hit him strangely.
Home.
This wasn't home.
Not even close.
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
Uncomfortable.
Unfamiliar.
Wrong.
Nate glanced toward Derrick.
Derrick seemed completely unaffected.
Like this happened every day.
Which, to be fair, it probably did.
Inside, the mansion was even larger.
Everything looked expensive.
Every painting.
Every chair.
Every staircase.
Even the air somehow felt expensive.
---
A servant guided him upstairs.
"This will be your room, Young Master."
Your room.
Not our room.
Your room.
That surprised him.
The servant opened the door.
And Nate stopped again.
Boxes.
Dozens of boxes.
His books.
His blankets.
His photographs.
His desk lamp.
His clothes.
Even the old coffee mug he'd forgotten in his room.
Everything.
For several seconds he simply stared.
Unable to move.
Unable to speak.
Someone had packed up his entire life.
And brought it here.
His eyes landed on a family photograph.
His parents.
Smiling.
Frozen in time.
A painful ache settled inside his chest.
Maybe Aunt Martha wasn't completely heartless after all.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Young Master?"
A servant stood outside.
"Dinner is ready."
Nate looked down at his suit.
At the unfamiliar room.
At the boxes.
At his life.
Then nodded.
"Okay."
The dining room was enormous.
Big enough to fit half the café.
Marcus Blackwood sat at the head of the table.
Eleanor sat beside him.
Derrick sat across from Nate.
Everyone looked exactly where they belonged.
Except Nate.
Dinner was served.
Plate after plate.
Perfectly prepared.
Perfectly arranged.
Perfectly expensive.
Nate barely touched any of it.
He poked at his food.
Moved things around.
Ate enough to avoid questions.
Nothing more.
Unfortunately...
Questions arrived anyway.
Eleanor was the first to notice.
Of course she was.
"Is the food not to your liking, child?"
Nate looked up.
Realizing everyone was suddenly looking at him.
"It's fine."
The answer came automatically.
Eleanor studied him for a second.
Then glanced toward Derrick.
"Derrick."
Derrick looked up.
"Give him some broccoli."
A silence followed.
Nate blinked.
Derrick blinked.
Even Marcus looked mildly confused.
Then Derrick sighed.
The longest sigh Nate had ever heard from him.
And moved some broccoli onto Nate's plate.
Nate immediately looked at him.
"You don't have to do that."
Derrick didn't even look up.
"It's not from me."
A pause.
"Mother gave them to you."
Nate stared.
Then looked at Eleanor.
Then back at the broccoli.
Slowly he nodded.
"...Okay."
After that, nobody spoke much.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
Just strange.
Like everyone was trying very hard not to make things worse.
Eventually Nate pushed his chair back.
"Please may I be excused?"
Marcus immediately looked up.
"I'm not feeling very well."
Marcus opened his mouth.
Probably about to say something.
But Eleanor gently placed a hand on his arm.
Stopping him.
Then she smiled warmly at Nate.
"Of course."
Nate nodded.
"Thank you."
And left.
The dining room door clicked shut behind him.
Silence followed.
Marcus sighed.
Long and tired.
Eleanor looked at him.
"Spare him."
Marcus frowned slightly.
Eleanor's gaze drifted toward the closed door.
"I pity that boy already."
Nobody spoke.
"He was forced into this."
"He lost his parents."
Her voice softened.
"Then he was pushed into a marriage meant for someone else."
Marcus looked away.
Eleanor continued quietly.
"His uncle must have used that house to keep him from doing something reckless.
Across the table, Derrick's eyes narrowed slightly.
The house.
Something about that sounded familiar.
A memory surfaced.
The files.
The reports.
The documents he had been reviewing earlier.
There had been something about a property.
Something incomplete.
Something unverified.
His thoughts lingered there.
Meanwhile Eleanor continued.
"We need to give him space."
Marcus looked at her.
"We need to let him settle."
A pause.
"Let him breathe."
Her eyes softened.
"The boy has already suffered enough."
Derrick looked away.
Typical.
His mother had always been like this.
Always worrying about everyone else.
Always seeing the pain people tried to hide.
Even now.
Especially now.
And somehow...
She was probably right.
The moment Nate stepped out of the dining room, the smile he had forced onto his face disappeared.
Not that anyone had really seen it.
It hadn't been much of a smile anyway.
Just something polite.
Something expected.
The hallway stretched ahead of him.
Long.
Quiet.
Unfamiliar.
Nate exhaled slowly.
Then started walking.
---
He reached the staircase before realizing something.
His phone.
He had left it on the dining table.
Nate closed his eyes briefly.
Of course he had.
His mind had been somewhere else all evening.
Turning around reluctantly, he headed back.
The closer he got to the dining room, the slower his steps became.
Voices drifted through the partially opened door.
He recognized Eleanor's immediately.
"We need to give him space."
Nate stopped.
Not intentionally.
His feet simply refused to move.
"He has lost too much already."
The words made him pause.
Marcus sighed.
"We've already given him space."
"No."
Eleanor's voice remained calm.
"We've given him a room."
Silence followed.
Then she continued.
"Those are not the same thing."
Nate frowned.
For some reason he couldn't look away.
Couldn't leave.
Couldn't move.
"I don't want him feeling like a prisoner in his own home."
Home.
The word again.
That strange uncomfortable word.
Eleanor continued softly.
"The boy is hurting."
Nobody interrupted her.
Nobody disagreed.
"I saw the way he looked during the ceremony."
A pause.
"He looked terrified."
Nate stared at the floor.
Something twisted painfully inside his chest.
Because he had expected many things from the Blackwoods.
Judgment.
Pity.
Disapproval.
Coldness.
Not this.
Not understanding.
Not kindness.
Eventually a servant stepped out carrying his phone.
"Young Master?"
Nate looked up immediately.
The servant smiled politely.
"You left this behind."
Nate accepted it.
"...Thank you."
The servant bowed slightly and left.
Nate glanced once toward the dining room.
Then quietly walked away.
He didn't return to his room.
Not immediately.
Instead he found himself wandering.
Past hallways.
Past paintings.
Past rooms he couldn't even guess the purpose of.
Until eventually a glass door appeared.
Leading outside.
The garden.
It was enormous.
Of course it was.
Everything here was enormous.
Flowers lined stone pathways.
Tall hedges stretched into the darkness.
Small lanterns glowed softly along the walkways.
The entire place looked like something from a magazine.
And somehow...
It only made Nate miss home more.
His phone buzzed.
Once.
He ignored it.
A second time.
He sighed.
Pulled it from his pocket.
And froze.
Daniel.
For a second he simply stared at the screen.
Then answered immediately.
"Hello."
The response came almost instantly.
"Nate."
Just hearing Daniel's voice made something inside him relax.
Only slightly.
But enough.
---
For a few moments neither spoke.
Neither seemed to know where to start.
Then Daniel finally broke first.
"How are you?"
The question hit harder than expected.
Because nobody had asked him that today.
Not really.
Not sincerely.
Not like this.
Nate laughed quietly.
A tired sound.
"I don't know."
Daniel was silent for a second.
Then:
"That's probably the most honest answer you've given all month."
That earned a small smile.
Tiny.
But real.
---
They talked.
About nothing important.
And somehow everything important.
The wedding.
University.
The ridiculous amount of flowers.
The expensive guests.
The food.
The giant mansion.
Daniel's terrible attempts at making him laugh.
All of it.
At one point Nate heard Daniel sniff quietly.
Just once.
Very quickly.
Like he thought nobody would notice.
Nate noticed.
Of course he did.
"You cried."
Silence.
Then:
"No."
"Daniel."
"Okay maybe a little."
Nate smiled despite himself.
"A little?"
"It was an emotional event."
"You cried."
"It was very emotional."
"You cried."
"Fine."
Daniel groaned dramatically.
"I cried."
---
For the first time all day, Nate laughed.
Properly laughed.
The sound surprised both of them.
When the call finally ended, Nate remained standing in the garden.
Phone still in hand.
Looking up at the night sky.
The emptiness inside him hadn't disappeared.
Not even close.
But it felt a little smaller now.
A little easier to carry.
High above the garden, another person was watching.
Derrick stood on his balcony.
A cigarette resting between his fingers.
The city lights flickered in the distance.
The night air was cool.
Quiet.
Perfect for thinking.
His phone was still resting in his pocket.
The conversation with his mother replaying in his head.
The house.
The debt.
The arrangement.
Something about it continued to bother him.
Below, movement caught his attention.
Derrick looked down.
And saw Nate.
Standing alone in the garden.
Phone in hand.
Looking strangely small among the endless pathways.
---
Derrick watched him for a moment.
Longer than necessary.
Longer than he should have.
What was so different about him?
He still couldn't answer that question.
Nate was an ordinary beta.
Average grades.
Average background.
No political influence.
No significant standing.
Nothing extraordinary.
And yet...
Derrick found himself watching anyway.
The cigarette burned lower.
Eventually he dropped it into the tray beside him.
Then pulled out his phone.
A single number was dialed immediately.
Damian answered on the first ring.
"Alpha heir."
"I need information."
A pause.
"What kind?"
Derrick's gaze remained fixed on the garden below.
"Nate Carter's family home."
Silence.
Then:
"How much information?"
Derrick answered without hesitation.
"Everything."
Another pause.
Then:
"Understood."
Derrick's voice remained calm.
"I want every document connected to that property."
"Yes, Alpha heir."
"The ownership records."
"Understood."
"The debt history."
"Understood."
Derrick looked toward the dark garden once more.
Then added:
"Even the type of soil beneath the house."
For the first time that evening, Damian hesitated.
Only slightly.
Then:
"Understood."
The call ended.
And below, completely unaware that an investigation had just begun...
Nate Carter continued staring at the stars.
- Writer
