Stardust & Smiles ✅

Chapter 3: Champagne Confessions

"You wear your broken pieces beautifully."

~The wedding~

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We finally reach the end of the path where giant sign, indicating that this is indeed the place of the wedding, is displayed on an easel. The path continues slightly before giving way to a pretty clearing framed with pink cherry blossoms and leafy green trees.

Chairs are lined up on either side, rows of white wood topped with a big white frame, a bundle of leaves and flowers hung to outline the ceremony area. Another chalk sign points to our right, to a field of lush grass where people in fancy pastel dresses are chatting and laughing, pre-emptive champagne glasses in hand.

"Perfect, there's already alcohol." Now it's my turn to drag Liam to the table set up in the middle of the field and grab two sweating champagne glasses from the filled glasses.

I hand him a glass and start quickly sipping my champagne expertly, managing not to chug it, but the pale yellow liquid disappears quickly nonetheless. Liam is still holding his glass, not touching it and looking around.

"Aren't you gonna have any? Might as well be nice and drunk in time for the reception." Liam shakes his head and raises an eyebrow at me.

"I'm not 21 yet, remember?"

"Ah, shit. I keep forgetting." I shrug, taking the glass back from him. "Well, more for me." I start sipping again, the bubbles burning the back of my throat, the alcohol relaxing into my bloodstream. Liam just watches me, an amused smile tickling his lips and I give him a dark look.

"Don't make fun of me, I deserve this for showing up in the first place."

"I didn't say anything!"

I put my empty glasses on the table with a nodded "thank you" to the serving man and turn back to Liam.

"Ready to mingle?"

"Now I am."

"Wow, the alcohol really does make a difference with you, doesn't it?" I punch him to get him to shut up and he chuckles, unbothered.

"Oh, look, there's Weston and Leilani!" I point to a freakishly tall guy walking in next to a shorter, brown haired girl. "I haven't seen them in forever!"

"Me neither." Liam frowns.

"What?"

"Um."

"Liam, c'mon, what?"

"Well, we, um, never really told anyone."

"Told anyone what?" I'm getting kind of impatient but I cut him some slack. The poor boy looks awkward and uncomfortable, and I don't think I've ever seen him like this before.

"Well, you can't tell Elaine or Archer. I'm not joking, Lil."

"Okay, okay, I won't."

"Lily, I know you tell Elaine everything but you really can't." There's a dark fear that dims his eyes and I turn back around to face him, gripping his shoulder.

"Liam, I'm not gonna tell. I swear on my life. I swear on my Alex Morgan jersey." That pulls a small smile and an eye roll from him and I mentally congratulate myself for being the cause of that particular smile.

"Well, that reassures me."

"So?"

"Right, um, well everyone knows that Leilani and I "dated" in middle school..." He uses air quotes to exaggerate his point.