"In a parallel universe.
there, we are always in love.
within touching distance of here,
within touching distance"
____
Claire had informed them about the party on Monday, and when Aaron and Emily came to give her the flower Emily had promised, she provided them with more details, including the location and specific date.
Now it was Thursday, and they were supposed to leave in ten minutes if they wanted to arrive on time. Aaron waited outside the bedroom to give Emily some privacy while she got ready. He knew that if she hadn't picked her outfit ahead of time, Emily would be late. However, it seemed she did because he didn't have to wait too long for her.
Aaron seemed unaware of her presence and the sound of her high heels, so she took the opportunity to observe him from the edge of the living room. He paced back and forth, occasionally glancing at his watch. She smiled; he was always impatient.
According to Claire, the party was expected to be somewhere between casual and formal, which meant they had to find the right balance. Judging by Aaron's attire, Emily could confidently say they had succeeded. Unlike his usual choice of clothing, Aaron wore black tailored pants and a long-sleeve dress shirt. He looked stylish yet casual and elegant. The fitted outfit accentuated his body and muscular arms, and Emily couldn't help but stare.
Aaron checked his watch; it was already 6:30 PM. He was about to call her, but she beat him to it. "I'm ready to go" she said, her voice catching his attention. He looked up and scanned her quickly, just as she had done to him.
Emily wore a sleek black dress that fell just above her knees, hugging her curves. Her hair styled down in its usual curly-ends form. She wore black heels that he knew wouldn't make her taller than him, and delicate gold earrings dangled slightly as she spoke with a matching gold necklace adorned her neck, drawing attention to the cleavage of her dress.
"You look beautiful" he said without hesitation, surprising both of them. She smiled at him graciously. "You don't look bad yourself" she replied, not moving from her spot.
Emily was a confident woman, which was one of the many reasons he loved her. Aaron rarely saw her feeling insecure, and he knew she was aware of her attractiveness. Not only because he and others frequently told her that, but because she just was like the she carried herself with that knowledge but the surprise on her face, though not uncommon, left him speechless.
She knew she was beautiful—yes, he was aware of that—but he was certain she didn't fully grasp just how much she truly was. He felt like there was a need for new words to describe her unique, captivating, and addictive beauty.
"We should probably get going" he said with a faint smile, seemingly surprised by his own thoughts.
____
They arrived about twenty minutes later, stepping out of the car and gazing at the grand, bright mansion. Emily hoped it was an indoor party since her dress didn't have sleeves, and the cold wind was killing her.
As they entered the house, they couldn't help but be impressed by the design, it was the perfect mix of modern and vintage elements. Chandelier hung from the ceiling, glasses of champagne were being passed around, and there was a lot of food, drinks, and people engaging in lively conversations. It reminded Emily of the galas her mother was hosting, this party of course was in much smaller scale but the atmosphere was very familiar. Despite the chilly breeze wafting in from the open yard, Emily suddenly felt warm in the welcoming atmosphere.
Locating the engaged couple wasn't difficult. The woman, a brunette, wore a sleeveless white dress with thin straps that fell just above her feet. Her white sparkling high heels completed the look. By her side stood her soon-to-be husband, also a brunette, who matched her radiant smile and held her hand. It seemed that the woman had noticed Emily and Aaron and drew her fiance's attention to them. She waved at them, and the couple politely excused themselves from their guests and made their way over.
"Hey!" Daphne called out cheerfully, slightly raising her voice to be heard before they reached Emily and Aaron. "You must be Emma and Ben" she said, finally reaching them while still holding Ryan's hand.
"We are" Emily replied, accepting Daphne's extended hand and then shaking hands with the male brunette, whose name they were yet to learn. Aaron did the same, exchanging handshakes with the couple. "I'm Daphne and this is Ryan" she introduced themselves, gesturing to the man beside her while clinging to his arm.
Aaron sensed that Emily felt the same way as he did—standing in front of an affectionate couple as a 'married couple' themselves, they looked like they never touched each other. They didn't resemble a typical married couple, and Aaron felt the need to bridge that gap. He glanced at Emily, and she discreetly nodded. With her unspoken permission, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, mirroring the closeness of the couple in front of them.
Neither of them questioned how effortlessly they understood and read each other's thoughts without uttering a word. They were accustomed to it and didn't think much of it.
"It's nice to meet you" Daphne said with a smile.
"You too. Congratulations to you both" Aaron replied.
"Thank you" Ryan responded on behalf of both of them. "Welcome to the neighborhood."
"You made it!" Claire appeared in a hurry when she spotted the two couples. "I see you've already met Daphne and Ryan" she said, smiling.
Like Emily, Claire was dressed in a black dress, although hers was longer and looser from the waist down and she looked stunning.
Her attention was diverted when she noticed a man they didn't know. "Oh, Noah!" she called out, catching his attention by waving her hand and standing on her tiptoes. "Come here, please!"
"By the way, you two look amazing!" she said to Emily and Aaron while waiting for Noah to approach.
With every interaction they had with Claire, they were amazed and learned something new. Unlike them, the other brunette couple seemed accustomed to Claire's energy and how her focus shifted rapidly, she was a sweetheart and hard not to love.
"You never had the chance to meet, so I'll do the introductions. This is my husband, Noah" she said, resting her hand on the blonde man's chest, providing Emily and Aaron with a face to associate with her own mentions and stories about her husband. Noah seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
"This is Emma, the florist I told you about, and this is Ben, her husband and a real estate agent" Claire said, smiling as Noah placed his hand around her shoulder. "It's nice to finally meet you in person" Noah said, shaking their hands with his free hand, which they seemed to be doing a lot lately. "Thank you for the flower, Emma. I promise we'll keep this one alive" he joked, making Claire roll her eyes playfully.
"Oh, a real estate agent, huh?" Ryan exclaimed quietly, exchanging a glance with Daphne "and a florist..." she winked before Ryan continued."If you don't mind, I'd like to introduce you to someone we know. They've been searching for a new place for ages." The group fell silent, waiting for Aaron's response. Even Emily was curious about his answer. By that time, Noah had managed to steal a kiss on Claire's temple and moved to the other side of the room to greet another man.
"Not at all" Aaron said, forming a smile. "We'll be back in a minute" Ryan said, planting a kiss on Daphne's head.
Unwillingly, Aaron removed his arm from Emily's waist, giving her a smile, and walked away. Emily tried to act as if it didn't feel wrong and simply watched him go, secretly wishing his hand was right where it had been.
____
Daphne and Claire followed her gaze and glanced at the two men. They together turned their attention back to Emily who was still staring intently. "He'll be back" Daphne said softly joking and Emily chuckled, snapping out of her own thoughts. "I know."
"Daphne, didn't you mention that you were looking for a florist for your wedding flowers?" Claire asked, crossing her arms and shifting her gaze from Emily to her friend.
"Yes, I did" Daphne replied with a smile, looking at Claire, who took her fiancé's place next to her.
"Emma, I think you might be the one I've been searching for" Daphne remarked, her eyes filled with excitement. Emily felt a tinge of concern. "Believe me, you don't mean that" she nervously laughed, aware of what Daphne was about to ask.
"Claire said you were a florist, right?" Daphne asked, crossing her arms as if ready to argue if Emily said no. "Yes, I am" Emily confirmed.
"Well, I know it's short notice, but would you like to arrange the flowers for my wedding?" Daphne asked enthusiastically. Claire watched with a smile that only got bigger when Emily sent her a murderous look
"I don't think..." Emily began, shaking her head, but Daphne interrupted her by taking her hands in hers. "I promise I'll keep it simple and easy" Daphne pleaded, making it impossible for Emily to refuse. "I can't find any available florists, and here you are right in front of me." Emily found herself with her mouth slightly open, unable to do anything but stutter, "I don't... I don't think it's a good idea." But Daphne was persistent. "Please, you'll really save me" she said, emphasizing her plea by widening her brown eyes.
"You can't really say no to Daphne, Emma the girl is getting married!" Claire laughed, shrugging. Emily's hopeless expression changed when she heard Claire. She shot her a look that would make anyone else back down, but Claire seemed to have developed an immunity in the short time they had known each other.
Emily's eyes returned to Daphne when she felt her squeezing her hands again. She sighed in defeat and closed her eyes. "Alright, I'll do it."
"But we'll have to meet. You need to tell me your plans, your theme ideas, colors everything." Emily informed, interrupting her celebration with Claire. "Of course" Daphne smiled. "Thank you. I have to tell Ryan. I'll see you later" she said excitedly, squeezing Emily's shoulder and kissing Claire's cheek before running as fast as her high heels allowed.
"What were you thinking?" Emily playfully hit Claire's arm. "What?" Claire exclaimed innocently, shrugging her shoulders. "Daphne really needs help, and this is a good idea Emma. Imagine how many customers it can bring you" she defended herself, motioning for Emily to follow her as she walked toward the food table. "It's too much responsibility. What if she doesn't like my work? I don't want to be the reason her wedding looks bad" Emily said quietly. There were other reasons too, of course. She wasn't technically a florist. Yes, she had trained and learned the job, but completing her training hadn't given her the confidence to handle something this big. It felt like too much responsibility.
"That's crap" Claire said, grabbing a plate and a mini cheesecake, taking a quick bite with the small plate under her chin. "I've seen what you can do..." she said with a full mouth. "You work like that damn flower goddess... I can't remember her name..." she trailed off.
Emily frowned at her with affection. "Flora?" she suggested the answer.
"Yeah, exactly!" Claire smiled and swallowed the remaining bite. "My point is, the flowers love you! You're so talented, and besides, you're not planning the wedding. You're just arranging the flowers" Claire reminded her, putting down the half-eaten cheesecake that she seemed to dislike and picking up some green grapes. "Just trust Daphne. She'll make sure you have everything you need and feel comfortable doing it" she added, picking grape after grape with her hands and eating them.
"You're right" Emily sighed, picking a grape herself. "Of course, I am" Claire remarked, bringing her hands together in a clapping motion to get rid of the remaining food crumbs.
"I'm going to look for a friend, so make yourself comfortable" Claire said, fixing her perfect dress. "Have a drink or something. You look beautiful tonight, but you need to let go of your seriousness" Claire continued, fixing Emily's hair and bringing it over her shoulder. "You'll scare the neighbors" she whispered with a wink, making Emily laugh.
"Okay" Emily replied with a smile.
____
She was getting bored standing still where Claire had left her. She had met and introduced herself to people, but it was exhausting doing it alone, especially when she didn't know how to respond when they asked about her husband.
She walked in the direction she had last seen him walking, accompanied by Ryan. She spotted him speaking with a couple, presumably the ones Ryan had wanted him to meet. She found a spot next to one of the tall cocktail tables and he noticed her almost instantly, walking toward her quickly.
"They were the Williams. They're looking for a new house" he explained the reason for his absence. "I know" she said with a forced smile that had become all too familiar.
His touch caught her off guard, causing her to flinch slightly when he tucked her hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek. She gave him a subtle quizzical look, "What are you doing?" She watched his eyes, feeling like she had been transported back to the past when he used to look at her with that same expression. "They're watching us" he whispered, and then she understood. Aaron continued running his thumb against her cheek, partly aware of the people observing them pointing and whispering and more focused on how nice it was to touch her like this.
"Oh" Emily sighed disappointingly. She was already growing tired of all this. She shouldn't have been surprised, and she shouldn't have let herself lean into his touch like that. Why did he keep doing this to her?
"Are they still watching?" she asked him. Aaron gazed at the group behind her, seeing that they had already scattered around the room.
Aaron wanted to lie, to say that they were still being watched, but he knew it wouldn't be fair to her. He couldn't take advantage of her obliviousness and trust. "No" he replied slowly, removing his hand from her face. With his touch still lingering on her cheek, Emily wished their neighbors were still looking at them or that he would lie, just so she wouldn't have to feel him like this again.
They both stood there, silently observing as the once-empty space became crowded, filled with couples slow dancing to a romantic music.
"Do you want to dance?" After half a song, Aaron mustered the courage to ask her. She seemed hesitant at first, but his outstretched hand made the offer too tempting to resist. "Sure" she said, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor.
His hand found her waist again, and she placed her hand on his shoulder. They fit perfectly together, as if nothing had ever changed, as if their bodies were designed with the specific intent to touch, hold, and be pressed against each other.
The intro of the next song made her tense up. She knew it affected him too, as his hold on her body loosened. This song reminded them of their reality.
She was always better at hiding her emotions, but he was always better at controlling them. But now, she was the only one failing at what she was best at. As tears started to well up in her eyes, his remained dry. The only indication that he was feeling the same way was that he wouldn't look at her.
They kept moving, trapped in a loop, a trance unable to break free.
Emily looked down, ashamed of her reaction. She gave herself a moment to gather her composure before looking up. She promised herself that when she looked up, her eyes would match his – dry, as if nothing was wrong.
I wanna hold the hand inside you
I wanna take the breath that's true
She used to love this song. It was associated with so many fond memories she shared with him – coming back home from a long case and falling asleep in the car to the sound of the familiar instrument, his hand stroking her palm; the times he forced her to dance with him after a date night in his apartment, after they had one or more glasses of wine. It was their song, their love song.
They loved it so much that they had planned to use it at their wedding. But since things didn't work out, the song no longer held the same meaning. The melody now felt like someone was scratching at their insides.
The first time she listened to the song after their breakup, it messed her up so badly that she felt insane. She had once considered it a love song, as it sounded like one. But it wasn't. It was depressing and hopeless. Emily blamed the sweet voice and dreamy instrumental for making her believe otherwise.
I look to you and I see nothing
I look to you to see the truth
Aaron experienced the same thing with the song. He looked around the crowd, seeing the engaged couple happily dancing to the sound. Daphne rested her head on Ryan's chest, and Aaron almost laughed. They seemed like another version of him and Emily – one that made it. They didn't have to redefine the song's meaning because they were content with what they had created. Just like him and Emily were, before it all fell apart— blissfully blind.
It was a sad song, and he only realized that when she was no longer with him. Wasn't it ironic that they chose this song as their song? Wasn't it just crazy it was the same song played during this slow, torturous dance that he wished he didn't have to endure.
Fade into you
Strange you never knew
Emily envied how everyone else could dance to it without shedding a tear. The dance felt endless, as if the person in charge of the music was mocking them by playing it on a loop. She couldn't bear it anymore. She needed to get away from there and from him.
"I'm going to get a drink" she said weakly, breaking away from him and walking off without looking back.
"Ben!" Noah patted his shoulder, calling Aaron and interrupting his chance to go after her. But maybe it was for the best.
"I wanted to introduce you to some people. Do you have a moment?" the blonde asked with a smile. Aaron now noticed that, along with his blue eyes, he shared his smile with his daughter Shay.
"Um, yeah... yeah, of course" he agreed, giving Emily one last glance before being led away.
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Gonna read this chapter again tomorrow I probably missed some errors or messed up with the names I have no idea why but I keep mixing Claire and Daphne's names :3