The Design(79)

“In the beginning, I was worried that Jason would break my sister’s heart. All signs pointed to him being a musician with a big following and an even bigger ego, but Jason took me by surprise. He loved my sister fiercely, despite their rocky start. And in the end, he showed her just how loyal, passionate, and long-lasting his love for her was.”

Grayson cut in, “And she was smart enough to give him a second chance when she knew he deserved it.”

I shot him a glance while trying to keep my cool. A few guests laughed, but most of them were too confused to do anything but stare at us. I will not let Grayson ruin my speech.

“Pardon the interruption. Anyway, I brought a little something to read for you all. It’s a letter Jason gave to me on the day I graduated from college. He’d shown up at the ceremony to surprise my sister and at that point, I was still doing my best to protect her from him. This letter was his way of letting me know I could trust him. So, here goes:

“‘Dear Cammie,

I propose an alliance.

You care for your sister, you stick up for her through thick and thin, and you always want what’s best for her, but now you aren’t alone. I’m going to love Brooklyn every second of every day. Every time you think she needs someone in her corner, I’ll be there, standing by her side and putting her needs before my own.

I plan on asking your sister to marry me soon, but by asking for her hand in marriage, I’m also asking for your approval. I’ve never had a little sister and I’m sure it’ll take some time for me to get it right, but I’m prepared to put in the work. The Heart sisters are more than worth it.

Let me know if you accept my proposal. We’d make a pretty great team. We could even have nicknames. How about C-Stacks and J-Money?

PS. Don’t tell your sister. I want the proposal to be a surprise.’”

I folded the note back up and glanced at Jason. He had tears in the corner of his eyes and a giant smile on his lips. I knew I’d made the right decision in reading the letter.

“Obviously, I accept your alliance,” I told him. The room erupted in laughter and I held up my glass of champagne. “Jason, welcome to the family. I’m so happy you found my sister. Cheers!”

All the guests clinked their champagne flutes together and took little sips. My nerves were shot and I’d kept in my tears as best as I could. The worst part was over… and then Grayson stepped forward and I realized that I wasn't out of the clear just yet.

“The thing that I admire about Brooklyn and Jason is that they both fought for their love,” he began, his deep voice commanding the room. “Some of you may not know, but the two of them faced quite a few obstacles in the beginning of their relationship. They had more than enough opportunities to walk away when the going got tough, but they stayed and fought for their relationship. Not everyone chooses to do that,” he said, his gaze cutting over to me. I get it, Grayson. I hear you loud and clear.

“Yes. But luckily, Jason and Brooklyn didn't have any truly divisive problems,” I clarified, smiling out toward the crowd. Had I really just said that out loud?

There was a moment of silence and then he spoke up again.

“No,” Grayson argued. “When you love someone you don’t flee the country. You stay and you fight.”

By this point, the crowd was starting to get confused.

“Is this still part of the toast?” an elderly woman whispered to her friend beside me. A few other guests cleared their throats or coughed, proving that we were straying a little too far off topic.

“Yes, but Jason didn’t just let her go. He flew all the way to LA to get Brooklyn back,” I retorted with a giant fake smile. The crowd sighed at the sweet gesture.

“Yes and what a way to show his devotion to her,” Grayson agreed, before veering off topic again. “But maybe if Brooklyn had flown halfway across the world without so much as a courtesy call to let Jason know she’d arrived safely, he would have thought twice about following her.”

“Jason loved Brooklyn enough to follow her anywhere,” I argued, turning to face him so he could see my built up fury.

“Yes, but I doubt Brooklyn told Jason that their love was just a game,” he answered, taking a step toward me so that his fiery blue eyes were only a few inches away from mine.

“Well, I bet Jason would have been smart enough not to bring a date with him. I mean, seriously Grayson, what the hell—

“Alright, well,” Summer yelled over me, panic written across her face. “Wow! I don’t know about you guys, but I have never heard such sweet toasts before. I mean, wow, so much love. So let’s just, everyone, raise your glasses to the bride and groom!”

Half of the room raised their glasses to Summer’s toast, and the other half continued to gape at Grayson and me, confused about what the hell had just happened.

I felt my cheeks redden with the embarrassment of ruining Brooklyn and Jason’s night. I should have kept my mouth shut, but Grayson had a way of bringing out my passionate side. Without a word, I moved toward the door of Brooklyn’s condo and dropped my champagne glass on a table on the way out. I needed to leave. Brooklyn would understand. She’d probably even feel better once I was gone.

The night should have been completely about her and I’d just nearly ruined the whole thing. What had I been thinking? Did I honestly think Grayson was going to waltz into the party and beg to get back together with me? Had I thought he’d welcome me back to the states with open arms? I’d left him at the airport and he had every right to hate me for it.