Breathe In (Just Breathe, #1)(173)

Laughs erupt.

“She’s the perfect sister . . . who I almost might not have ever known. But, seeing her with you . . . she is even more perfect than I had ever imagined she could be. Seeing Maggie light up when she’s with you . . . I now know that she can only burn brighter with each passing day. I haven’t lost Maggie. I have gained a brother. Thank you,” I pause, barely able to continue. “May you both shine bright together, forever. To my sister and to my new brother. I love you both.”

I try to sit down since it took all my energy to stand without falling. Just as my butt hits the seat, Maggie and Henry come over, hugging and kissing me. Maggie is a mess crying, causing a few tears to drop from my eyes as well. Jared wraps his arm around my shoulders commending me on my efforts when we sit back down. I hope I didn’t sound like a bumbling idiot.

Maggie and Henry immediately go right into their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wú, which doesn’t give me more than five seconds of freedom from attention. Joe tugs at my hand, reminding me that we’re supposed to join them along with the rest of the bridal party.

“You did a wonderful job, beautiful,” Joe sweetly praises.

“Yours was better,” I claim.

“I think we both did great,” he assures.

“You did better, but thank you,” I graciously accept.

Joe helps to continue to distract me from worrying about tripping and falling on the dance floor by talking about incidentals. We mostly talk about who we caught gasping when Jared and Jimmy came down the stairs after us and then again when Nathan and Allen did. He’s able to get me to relax for a few minutes, forgetting where we are and what we’re supposed to be doing.

“You look devastatingly sexy in that dress,” he professes in his sexy voice — my favorite of his voices.

My face heats up, but thankfully my feet don’t falter. “Stop distracting me,” I playful chide.

“How is the truth distracting you?” he teases back.

“The sexy voice,” I remind.

Joe laughs. “I was just whispering.”

“No, you weren’t. You knew what you were doing when you said it.”

“I’ll do my best not to distract you then, not at least while we’re dancing.”

“Too late,” I claim.

“Really? How is that?”

I offer a wicked grin, but say nothing.

“Now you’re distracting me,” he delivers seductively. Joe’s hand tightens on my waist, forcing my body into his a little more.

“Careful. You’re going to make Lee and Richard jealous,” I goad.

“Hopefully I’m making every man in this room jealous,” he devilishly admits.

I bite my lip trying to prevent too much of a smile on my face.

“You definitely have all the single women jealous,” he informs me.

“And, probably most of the married ones too,” I add sinfully.

“I don’t mind if you don’t,” he suggestively infers.

The next song comes on and Jared is suddenly whisking me away from Joe. “I’m stealing Jimmy’s turn to dance with you,” Jared confesses.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re supposed to dance with all of the groomsmen.”

“Since when?”

“It’s a tradition and Amelia mentioned it yesterday. I’m supposed to dance with all of them too, but I knew Jimmy wouldn’t mind and you’d be willing to dance with him later.”


From one song to the next, I dance with Allen, then Lee and Richard. The DJ starts to play music for everyone to dance to which is my cue to get off the dance floor. Jared, Nathan and the rest of my friends yank me back onto the floor. I willingly dance for a few songs and end up dancing with Jade and Rey a little too. I make a break for the bathroom and make it without any distractions.

Back in the ballroom, Jimmy takes me for the next slow song to dance followed by Henry, Nathan and Pop-Pop. The DJ feels frisky enough to play another slow song which gets three good looking men, whom I don’t know, asking me to dance.

“Thank you, but I have to decline. I don’t dance with anyone I don’t know,” I graciously decline.

“What about with an old man such as myself?”

I turn to find Mr. Covelli behind me.

“Mr. . . . I mean John. I was wondering if I’d get a chance to say hello to you and Mrs., I mean Elaine,” I greet, happy for the excuse to not talk to the men whose names I have already forgotten.

Mr. Covelli leads me out to the dance floor with regal grace. Our conversation is light because Mr. Covelli informs me that Mrs. Covelli told him not to discuss business with me until after tomorrow. Once we finish, Mr. Covelli hands me off to Jared for safe keeping which I greatly appreciate.

Later in the evening, I’m able to track Mrs. Covelli down when she isn’t busy talking with someone. We exchange pleasantries before Jared yanks me onto the dance floor for the tossing of the bouquet.

“Front and center, Emma,” Maggie announces over the microphone.

My heart stops for a minute at her words.

“Come on all you single ladies. Get over here. It’s time to toss the bouquet,” Maggie says a second time.

I try to hide behind Nǎinai, but she doesn’t let me. Maggie counts down from three and before the flowers go flying into the air, I grab Jade and hoist her up in my arms. Seeing the flowers dropping, I instruct, “Catch it, Jade!”