Unforgettable Feelings

Chapter 4

Present

Josie stood staring at him, shocked, unbelieving, and waiting for him to disappear.

This couldn't be real. He couldn't be real.
She thought.

Kaiden had been shocked when she had walked down the aisle during the ceremony and his eyes had been glued on her trying to get over seeing her after so long. She looked even more beautiful than he remembered and there was that same aura she had when she was seated at the top seat of the college stadium and there was also something different. She seemed more confident than he remembered and that made him smile.

Now, he stared back at the face that has haunted him every night and everywhere in between. The one thing he hadn't been able to put behind him, the one person that made him regret rebelling just right out of college, the one person that he had truly wanted and hadn't stopped wanting. After he had taken the reigns of Williamson and Son and had settled into the new position, and gotten used to the routine, he hired a P.I. to find her. The news of her being in Seattle made him unbalanced. Every time, he thought he saw someone who looked like her, his heart rate went up. He knew where she worked, where she lived but he couldn't bring himself to go to her but then he wanted to. But with the way they had left things the last time they ever saw each other made him keep away. He was ashamed of the decisions he had made, the things he had done but at the time, they seemed reasonable. Now, the reason behind his rebelling hadn't been achieved and he had ruined the one perfect thing he had all for nothing.

"Jo." His name slipped from his lips without him meaning it to.

Josie blinked a couple of times, pain etched on her face as her heart begged to leave her chest with each beat.
He was here, he was real.

Izzy looked back and forth between the two of them.
"Do you guys know each other?"

They both looked at Izzy, but only Kaiden looked back at Josie while Josie kept her gaze locked on Izzy, not wanting to look at the last person she wanted to see, hear or smell and oh he smelled good, her cheeks burned slightly.

"No." "Yes." She and Kaiden said at the same time and Josie snapped her gaze to meet his.

I don't know you; I know nothing about you, nothing of you.
She wanted to scream in his face but instead, she swallowed back the words and turned her gaze back to Izzy.

"I'm going to prepare for the speech."
She turned back and walked away before Izzy could bring herself to say anything.

"Okay," Izzy called as her friend walked away and she turned to Kaiden to find him staring after her. "Here's a story I want to hear."

Kaiden turned to look at Izzy and smiled.
"You won't be hearing anything, not from me at least." He said. "How do you know her?"

"Josie?" Izzy asked.

Kaiden nodded.

"She's the third."

Kaiden who was still looking at Josie who was now with Andre snapped his gaze to Izzy, his brow raised in curiosity and surprise.

Izzy and Mia had told him the story of getting separated from their friend, their third and he had always wondered what their third friend would be like.

"How do you know her?" Izzy asked.

Kaiden dragged in a deep breath before letting it all out.
"We met at College."

"No way."

Kaiden smiled and looked at Izzy.
"That's all you're getting."

Izzy narrowed her eyes at him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now, we'll have the maid-of-honor and the best man give their speech."

Izzy and Kaiden walked closer, drink in hand as Josie went on the small stage and collected the microphone handed to her. She turned to the guests with a smile, nervous than she thought she would because of a certain guest she hadn't expected.

She cleared her throat, mic raised to her mouth, and drink in her other hand.
"Good evening everyone, I'm Josie, one of the maid-of-honor and the bride and groom's best friend. I remember when Frederick and Mia first met, he was clueless and she was slightly drunk as she'd just used the male washroom." Everyone laughed and Mia covered her face with her hand. "They fell in love, lost their way, found each other again, and here we are. Love is...easy. You fall in love with a puppy you see on the street, with a baby, with a friend or even a stranger. But true love is, according to the bride, 'the best feeling in the world'" Josie said with a hand on her chest mocking Mia. "But really, true love is...hard. And from what I've heard, what I've seen of true love, it's surreal. I wouldn't believe in it if it wasn't right in front of me. Some of us are lucky enough to find true love...with our jobs." Everyone laughed and Josie smiled "With our partner, our best friend, and one true love." She said looking at Mia and Fred. "So, here's to those who love, those we love, and those lucky enough to find true love. To Fred and Mia."

"To Fred and Mia." Everyone raised their glasses before taking a sip of their drinks.

Andre came up to join her and she handed the microphone to him.
"I don't think I can top that."

Josie smiled at him.
"I'm sure you'll try."

"Damn right," Andre said as she walked off the stage and to her seat in one of the tables in the front row. "Hello everyone, I'm Andre, the best man..."

Josie didn't hear anything after that because Izzy approached the table with Kaiden in tow.
Oh shit!

She wanted to get up and leave, go to the washroom, or somewhere that wasn't near him but that wouldn't be mature because she did that a lot in High School when she was avoiding someone. So, even though she hated it, she stayed seated and kept her gaze on Andre, even though she couldn't hear anything he was saying.

She was going to get through this night.
She repeated in her head continuously.

Izzy and Kaiden took a seat at the table and Josie fisted her hand, her nail digging into her palm.

She could totally do this.

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HAPPY 74TH INDEPENDENCE DAY, INDIA!