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Link's stomach was in knots. But it wasn't the good kind, not the kind that was mixed with equal parts anxiety and excitement. This wasn't the knots he should have on his wedding day. He expected cold feet, what he didn't expect was the overwhelming feeling that he was making the biggest mistake of his short 21 year life.
He'd told his mom over and over again, she'd been the only one willing to give him a second to speak about his fears. Though, it didn't last long.
"Link, you and Anna belong together. You two are perfect for each other. A mother knows these things, trust me." she'd said, unwilling to listen to the reason he didn't want to go through with this marriage that had been arranged since Sue and Anna's mom, Beth, became the best of friends.
Now, his hands were sweating, standing up at the alter dressed in his black suit. Looking out over the congregation of people who came to witness the disaster.
The worst part was that there would be an empty spot beside him where he stood on the dated carpet - the place where Rhett was supposed to be standing.
Rhett hadn't talked to him in weeks, ever since finding out he was going through with the wedding, he'd done everything in his power to avoid Link.
He hoped that the tall boy would show up, in some kind of grand gesture from his best friend. A way of saying 'I don't agree but I'm here for you.' But when he made eye contact with Momma Di in her baby blue church dress and matching handbag, his head tilted, eyes hopeful.
All he got was a sad smile and minute head shake. His chin dipped to his chest in disappointment, lips drawn into a thin line.
He really thought Rhett would show up.
"Link, you're gonna regret this. It may be next week or twenty years from now but one day you're going to look back and wish you had chosen differently. I know you, Bo." Rhett had said, all the while making valid points but Link still couldn't bring himself to concede.
This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation, it had become a regular thing with the wedding drawing closer.
"Rhett, they'll never speak to us again. If we go through..." he started but Rhett cut him off.
"And? If they can't accept that we love each other and want to be together, that's their issue, not ours." Rhett said, an edge to his voice that made Link wince and turn his back to Rhett.
Rhett sighed, his body slotting up behind Link and wrapping his arms around the boy's waist. "We could leave, you know. Pack up and move to California or New York. Somewhere we can be ourselves. I want to be with you more than anything, baby." His nose ghosted over Link's neck then his lips placed gentle kisses there, goosebumps prickled Link's skin from the contact.
"Rhett - " Link said in warning to himself as much as to Rhett as his hands interlocked the ones around his waist.
Rhett trailed kisses up his neck, landing on the shell of his ear whispering, "I wanna be the one to marry you."
Link pulled himself from Rhett's embrace but kept his hold on his hands, bringing his fingers to his lips and placing feather light kisses there. "I can't just leave her, Rhett. I'm all she's got." he said, hoping to convey just how much he wanted everything Rhett did but he just couldn't make himself leave.
Rhett's hands dropped Link's then. His eyes went distant as he turned away from Link.
"Rhett - "
"Link..." he rubbed his face, pinching the bridge of his nose and finally looking at Link again, eyes glossy with tears about to fall. "I can't do it anymore. I'm sorry." Link watched as Rhett walked out of the room.
He still kicked himself for not running after him - for not trying to fix it.
Even though he wanted everything that Rhett promised, he was scared shitless. He stupidly believed that they would be satisfied to live out the rest of their lives as best friends. If they couldn't have each other in the way they both dreamed, maybe that would be enough.
It never would be - Link realized that now.
But, it was too late.
The church was filled with friends and family. A sea of pastel colors contrasting the stark white walls of the building, pink roses littered the aisle as their friends made their way down to where Link stood.
The almost mournful music stopped and he saw Pastor John give the 'all rise' signal to the congregation. He watched as everyone stood and Mrs. Jenkins began playing the wedding march on her grand piano from the corner of the stage.
Link looked to the doors at the back of the church, Anna standing there with her arm hooked through her father's arm. She was beautiful, dressed all in white and her blonde hair cascading over her shoulder in soft waves. He'd always thought she was beautiful, inside and out. He loved her - just not in the way a man should love his wife.
His heart would always belong to Rhett.
On some level he wondered if Anna already knew. They had all been so close since elementary school, she knew them about as well as they knew themselves. If she did suspect though, she never spoke of it.
There was that nauseous feeling again, creeping up from his stomach and wrapping its hands around his throat, making it hard to breath. He reached up to loosen his collar, everything was moving so fast. Anna was already standing in front of him, he instinctively reached his hand out to help her up the stairs.
She smiled that loving smile at him, letting him know he wasn't alone in this. He tried pushing the feeling down as the preacher began talking about love and marriage and God.
It wasn't working as well as it normally did. It just got worse, he could feel himself shaking as he held on to Anna's hands. He couldn't comprehend a single thing Pastor John was saying. It wasn't until he heard his name that he pulled his eyes away from their hands clasped together between them.
A voice that would always calm his anxious soul.
Link turned to see Rhett standing at the end of the aisle, dressed in his matching black suit that Anna had picked out for the groomsmen. His tie was loosened around his neck and his jacket was missing.
Link's eyes made contact with Rhett's and all he wanted to do was run to him.
He ignored the murmur of the crowd, instead focusing on Rhett's voice. "Link, don't do this. Please."
He opened his mouth but nothing came out. His eyes danced around the room, catching Momma Di's horrified reaction to what Rhett was doing and Sue's look of confusion.
He felt a gentle squeeze of his hands, pulling his attention back to Anna.
"Do you love him?" she asked, almost inaudible among the whispers of everyone else.
Link gave her a nod, his eyes dipping to the floor as his face flushed crimson. "Then what are you doing here?" she said, humor in her voice as Link looked back up to brown eyes and a smiling face. "Go." she said as she dropped his hands, her smile never wavering.
He stared at her then looked back to Rhett, his eyes hopeful and tear filled. He grabbed Anna's face and kissed her on the cheek, whispering a 'thank you' into her ear and raced down the steps of the church. The gasps that filled the church only fueled his run to Rhett.
He almost tackled the taller boy when they met in the middle of the church, the taller boy stepping back from the impact and wrapping his arms around Link, lifting him off the ground for a moment.
When Rhett set him back down on the floor, he looked up to those green eyes. "I'm so sorry, Rhett. I should have never let you leave."
"Shhh, it's okay."
"I love you," Link said before stepping up on his tiptoes and pressing his lips to Rhett's.
"Lincoln Neal!" his mother shrieked, "What are you doing?"
Rhett's father and mother joined in on the shouting when the guests gasped as their shared kiss.
He drowned out the noise, he'd spent too much time listening to the people in this room and it almost cost him the most important relationship of his life. He wasn't gonna let that happen again.
He smiled up to Rhett, "Let's get outta here."
Rhett grabbed his hand and they both took off running from the church building, leaving the entire guest list questioning what happened and a smiling Anna up on the alter. Link wiped the joyful tears from his eyes as he made it to Rhett's car, loading himself in the passenger seat.
"You sure about this?" Rhett asked after closing the door on the driver's side.
Link wrapped his hand around Rhett's neck and pulled him into a heated kiss, his tongue licking into Rhett's mouth. When they parted, Link rested his forehead on Rhett's, silently confirming that this was what he wanted.
Rhett started the car and they left the church in their rear view mirror along with the lives everyone expected them to live.