A Disaster of a Wedding
Alright, so I was a little miffed that I couldn't pick someone else after leaving Skylar at the altar. Also, the scene where a future governor does a strip tease for a bachelorette party is pretty insane. So, I just went ahead and made an alternate happy ending that doesn't involve entirely ruining Damon's political career.
Damon sat quietly in the audience with the rest of the cast. He saw Ariel fussing over Alex.
“She looks beautiful, doesn’t she?” Romina whispered to him.
“Yeah.” Damon paused, his heart shattering into more pieces each minute. “She does.”
Despite all the grandeur, he could tell Alex looked nervous. He tried to look away from her, but he couldn't. Why wasn’t it him up there? Why didn’t she want him instead? He thought back to their meeting in Central Park.
“Honestly, I know it’s only been one night back in the city, but… I don’t think things are working out with Frankie.”
Alex almost smiled for a second, but quickly frowned. “I’m sorry I took your time last night. I know you’re still trying to… fix things.”
“No!” Damon shook his head. “I’m glad we did that. It’s just that… even when I’m with them… I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Alex gasped, “Damon, I—”
Damon held up a hand. “Please, let me finish. Alex, I think we might be meant to be together. Honestly, I think I might be in love with you. Ever since our night in Mexico.” He shook his head with a smile. “Ever since I met you if I’m being honest, I haven’t stopped thinking about you. I love you, Alex, I really do.”
Alex stared in shock. She stood frozen in place for several minutes. Damon fidgeted slightly. Maybe this was a bad idea. Finally, Alex spoke, looking at the ground.
“I’m glad you’re telling me this… because I love you too.”
Damon tenderly lifted her face. “You do?”
Alex looked at his baby blue eyes full of wonder and excitement, but soon the twinkle in her eyes faded into melancholy.
“But it’s too late for our love story.”
Damon took her hands in his own. “Maybe it’s not.”
“How? We’re engaged to other people.”
Damon sighed. “Maybe we can talk about this a little more. There’s a really nice coffee place down the street.”
Alex smiled and nodded, “Yeah, I’d like—”
But she was interrupted by her phone. She pulled it out of her pocket and grimaced.
“It’s Skylar.” She sighed.
Damon frowned. Alex typed something on her phone and then looked back at him sadly. “It’s for the show. I have to go see his apartment. Can I take a raincheck on that coffee?”
Damon nodded dejectedly, “Yeah, of course.”
“STOP THE WEDDING!” Chris’s voice rang through the crowd, interrupting Damon’s thoughts.
“What’s going on?” He whispered to Wes.
“They can’t find Skylar.”
“What?!” Damon exclaimed, perhaps a little too loudly. Alex looked at him from the altar. His heart fluttered at her gaze. She smiled softly. What was she doing to him?
“So, how’s the whole governor thing going?” The sailor asked.
“Oh, you know, I’ve been reading the news so I can plan better. It’s been a little hectic with the move.” He continued, without breaking his eye contact with Alex.
Wes traced his gaze back to the altar. “Do you even want to go?”
Alex was pacing angrily around the altar now; still, Damon couldn’t stop looking at her. “Of course I do.”
Wes smirked, “Why do I feel like there’s more to the story?”
Skylar finally showed up looking disheveled and tired. Damon could see Alex seething with rage. Wes waved his hand over Damon’s face, and Damon shook his head, dazed.
“Earth to Damon. What’s going on with you?” Wes asked.
Damon sighed, slowly turning to Wes. “Sorry, I’m just distracted, I guess.”
“Yeah, I can see that. Who is it?”
Damon turned bright pink. “What?!”
Wes gave him a laugh. “Oh, come on, it’s clear as day you’re into someone. You keep looking at the altar, you’re all distracted. Someone’s definitely on your mind. Are you thinking of getting back together with Frankie?”
Damon shook his head. “No, we’re not right for each other.”
“Ooh, did you meet someone new?”
Damon looked around, but everyone’s attention was on the argument exploding up front. He lowered his voice. “No, not new per se.” He whispered.
Wes grinned and lowered his voice, too. “So, who is it?”
“It’s Alex.”
Wes stared at him in shock. “Wait, Alex? The Alex that is getting married to Skylar right now?”
Damon nodded. The broken pieces of his heart now felt like lead in his chest.
“Holy shit. So, the swap went that well, huh?” Wes whispered with excitement.
“Not well enough, clearly.” Damon looked sadly in front. Skylar was waiting at the altar. He had changed into a new suit and was beaming at Alex, who was ambling her way up to him.
Wes placed an arm on him comfortingly. “You don’t know that. Maybe she’s going to say no.”
Damon sighed. Skylar was now reciting his vows. Each word felt like a knife to the chest. Alex still looked very nervous and a little upset. But that didn’t make him feel better. People are expected to be anxious on their wedding day. It’s one of the most important days of their lives.
“Wes, I spoke to her after breaking up with Frankie. I know she wants this wedding.”
Wes leaned closer, “What do you mean?”
“I met Alex the day after I broke off my engagement.”
“So let me get this straight, Vaani confessed to being the mastermind of the whole thing?”
Alex took a big gulp of coffee then sniffed “Bunch of bullshit if you ask me.”
Damon smiled to himself. “So, what happened then?”
“I yelled at them and got wasted at the bachelorette party. I’m so done with Skylar. I can’t believe he keeps trying to blame Vaani for his problems. What kind of adult gets persuaded to come on a game show for singles to find love? Plus, he had planned a trip with her to Dubai after the show! He’s so horrible! I actually can’t stand him at all. Every day with him has only been a worse experience than the last.”
Damon sipped his coffee, hiding his grin behind the mug. “So, it’s over then, I assume.”
A dark shadow passed over Alex’s face. “The wedding’s in Italy.”
Damon almost dropped his mug, but quickly steadied himself. “You’re going through with it?”
Alex looked down at the ring on her finger and sighed, “I think I’m required to go through with it to stay on the show.”
Damon frowned, confused. “Then leave the show. Come on, you can’t seriously be considering marrying him after spending the last” he paused to look at his watch “twenty minutes complaining about how much you hate him.”
Damon slowly grabbed her hand from across the table. “What about us?”
Alex sighed; her eyes looked into his periwinkle gaze with anguish. “It’s difficult to think about us right now.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I wish it were us under the altar in Italy instead.”
“Alex…”
“The flight for the wedding leaves in three hours. I really need to go.”
Damon stared at her in shock. “So, that’s it? We give up?”
He felt Alex’s tears fall onto his hand.
“I hope I’ll see you in Italy.”
Damon wanted to move his hand, but he felt paralyzed. “You want me to see you get married to another guy?”
“It’s too late for us to swap fiancés, Damon. We should have done it in Mexico.”
Finally, feeling returned to his body. The feeling, though, was mostly pain. Damon withdrew his hand. “This is probably for the best, then.”
Alex looked at him, tears still streaming down her face. “What do you mean?”
“I’ll be moving to Minnesota in a couple of months. I’ve been elected Governor.”
“You’re… leaving New York?”
Damon got up and made his way to the café door.
“Goodbye, Alex. I’ll see you in Italy.”
Alex suddenly looked panicked. She quickly got up and walked towards him.
“No, Damon. Wait—”
“So, you just left?”
“Well, I wanted to keep some of my dignity.”
Wes frowned. “I’m sorry, man. That’s rough.”
“In a way, I suppose it's for the best. I’ll be able to dedicate most of my time to the governorship instead of having to juggle a marriage along with it.”
Nick Lachey’s voice interrupted their conversation. “Wow, Skylar, that was really touching to hear about what has led you here in your own words.”
Skylar was holding Alex’s hand tenderly. Damon could feel the bile in his mouth. This was not how he wanted the show to end.
“Now, Alex, if you could please share a few words”
Alex let out a slow breath. Her face was the perfect representation of nerves.
“Skylar, when I first heard your voice, I thought, ‘Oh boy, am I in trouble.’” she started.
The crowd laughed. The sourness in his mouth got worse. He was going to be sick.
“But as time passed, you showed me who you were. You’re a liar, Skylar.”
Everyone gasped. Damon gulped, the bile taste slowly receding.
“You lied to me about having a brother, about dating Vaani, and God knows what else.”
Skylar dropped her hand hastily and stared on in shock.
“No relationship is perfect, and I stayed because I thought we could fix it with a lot of work and dedication. But now I realize, marriage doesn’t solve all problems.”
Alex glowered at Skylar. The fire in her eyes was one Damon had never seen before. She was getting ready to unleash her wrath.
Nick Lachey looked at Alex in shock. “Um, thank you, Alex.” He looked at the audience, a little frazzled, but slowly regained his composure. “Now the moment we’ve all been waiting for.”
Alex crossed her arms across her chest, her face contorted with rage. Damon's palms were starting to sweat. He felt his heart quiver with anxiety. Was she actually leaving Skylar?
“Alex,” Nick continued, “Do you take Skylar to be your lawfully wedded husband, through good times and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health?”
Alex continued in rage. She held her head up high and looked Skylar in the eyes. “Do you even need to ask? I don’t.”
Skylar took a step back, his hand clutching at his heart.
“Whoa,” Romina whispered.
“I absolutely do not. You lied to me over and over again. I don’t trust you, Skylar.”
Skylar stumbled further backwards. “Wow… well, this is humiliating.”
Alex smirked, a look of victory washing over her face. “Is it? Good. Now you know how I felt when Vaani told me the truth in Mexico.”
Damon's mouth was fully open now. He didn’t know what to think or say. All he could do was stare in awe at the cold, cruel performance before him.
Nick Lachey shook his head sadly. “Unfortunately for the two of you, Love is not Blind.”
Skylar frowned, walking off the stage. He threw the boutonnière pinned to his shirt on the ground.
“Any of you guys want to get out of here?”
Wes stirred next to Damon. “I think I’ll go with him. Do you want to come, Damon?”
Damon was looking at the altar. Ariel and the other girls were comforting Alex. She looked exhausted.
“I think I’ll stay back.”
Wes gave him a knowing smile. “Good luck.”
-x-
Alex sat by the side of Lake Como listening to the ambient noise of nature. She slowly pulled the veil off her hair and sighed.
“Is this a bad time?” said a voice behind her.
Despite herself, a small smile bloomed on Alex’s lips. “No, Damon. Please, sit.”
Damon sat beside Alex, looking out at the serene water before them.
“How’s the move going?” Alex asked, willing her voice to be steady.
“Good, it’s been really busy. But I am excited. It’s been a dream of mine to look after my people, you know? Make some real changes.”
“That’s nice. I hope you have a productive time in office.”
“Thanks.” Damon nodded. He looked at Alex’s face with adoration. Alex, however, pointedly looked out at the lake.
“Was this your plan all along?” Damon asked, “Was this what you wanted to do in Italy?”
Alex sighed. She slowly hugged her knees and buried her face in them. “I just wanted to end the show on my own terms. Tell Skylar.” Her voice quivered slightly. “Tell the world what he did wasn’t ok.”
“So, what’s next for you?”
“I guess I'll go back to my regular life.” She looked up at the lake again. “Probably need to update my dating apps.” She quipped, but her voice sounded hollow.
“Maybe don’t hop on those dating apps just yet.” Damon smiled.
Alex looked at him a little confused. “What? You don’t think anyone will want me?”
“Alex, we’ve had a really crazy ride on this show.”
Alex sighed, a tear slowly slipping out of her eye. Damon tenderly wiped it away.
Damon continued, looking at Alex with hope, “I guess what I’m asking is… do you want to try again? Us… outside the pods?”
Alex turned towards him quizzically. “But what about your move?”
“The move will still have to happen, unfortunately. But I want to reiterate that I do care for you. Everything I said at Central Park is still true, Alex. I think we’re meant to be together.”
Alex smiled. She looked up into the beautiful blue eyes. The eyes that had shared so much passion, happiness, and love with her. Then, slowly and tenderly, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply.
Damon slowly pulled away. “So, I’ll take that as a yes?”
Alex rolled her eyes. “Shut up and kiss me again.”