Back To You

Chapter 5 || Like It Was Yesterday

"Please tell me we're not talking about putting a fist through my face?" Elijah appears, wrapping his arm around Savannah. "I still have to get married."

"We weren't on about you, silly. Speaking of silly, where is your best friend? Dinner is ready," Savannah asks. "He's your best man, and I wanted to introduce him to Sophia, since she will see our bridesmaids and groomsmen a lot."

Elijah sighs. "He's on his way. He got stuck in a meeting with his investors. The downsides of being a CEO."

"Why am I not surprised? Every guy in New York seems to have some big shot job," Tori scoffs. "I should know. I've more than likely slept with half of them," Tori admits, making us all laugh.

"I'd be more surprised if he didn't, considering high power corporate guys practically take over half of Manhattan." I chuckle. "They all look the same to you after a while."

"Well, he should be here soon and said we should start getting everything out," Elijah tells Savannah. Soon enough, we're all grabbing the dishes before heading outside, placing them in the center of the table between the candles. I take my seat next to Tori, laughing as Jackson attempts to take the wine off her as she almost falls over getting over the picnic bench.

She's not drunk. Just clumsy.

"I know, I know I'm late. Don't kill me, Sav," a masculine voice says as I place my napkin down on my lap.

"I guess I forgive you, since I know you hate those meetings and that is punishment enough." Savannah laughs. "Now that you're here, we can eat," Savannah says before I look up.

I part my lips part in shock as Elijah's best friend and best man takes a seat in front of me. Looking into his familiar warm brown eyes, he doesn't even try to hide the surprise in them when he sees me sitting in front of him.

Although it's been four years since I last saw him, I know it's him.

"Sophia, this is Elijah's best man, Carter. Carter, this is our wedding planner, Sophia," Savannah introduces, oblivious to the fact that we already know each other. Victoria chokes on her drink, but I pay her no attention.

We don't look away from each other.

Carter's facial features have defined more over the years and he still looks as handsome as he always did. No surprise there. His sharp jawline that is covered in stubble looks like it would cut my finger if I even tried to touch it, and his charming smile still gets to me. The white button-up shirt he wears that has the sleeves rolled up shows off his sculpted chest and arms. 

All the memories of our relationship hit me all at once, but sitting across from each other in a setting like this makes me remember our first date like it was yesterday.

"Where are you taking me?" I giggled as a blindfold covered my eyes. Carter's hands squeezed my waist while he directed me somewhere and made sure I didn't walk into anything. My nerves had calmed down, which had been through the roof when Carter picked me up for our first date, but one look at his smile made my nerves disappear.

First dates were the cornerstone of a relationship, and they set the tone, which was why I was nervous.

"You've been asking me that since I picked you up." Carter chuckled, that sent a shiver down my body. "I'm not telling you. We're almost there, anyway."

"You know if this is where you plan to kill me, I should warn you Tori will send the FBI for me."

"I know she will," Carter agreed, considering the lecture she had given him when he went to pick me up for our date. Most people get overprotective parents that threaten their dates, but instead, my best friend threatened him. "She scares me."