“This has been the longest day of my life, and it’s not even over,” I grumbled as I threw myself onto Greg’s bed.
He sprawled out on his back next to me and sighed. “Sage is one of those bridezillas, huh?”
I shook my head vigorously. “No! She’s the exact opposite! She refuses to have help from anyone. She wants to take care of everything all by herself just so she can make sure it’s done the way she wants it. And Aden tries to help, but Sage won’t let her. So Aden and I have been running mad around the hotel trying to find some way to make things easier for Sage, but she somehow finds out and follows our tracks and just…ugh. Remind me not to be like that.”
Greg smiled and turned on his side to face me. “Sure, I’ll remind you not to be a control freak when we get married.”
I blushed when I realized what I unknowingly suggested. “But don’t let me be a bridezilla, either.”
He nodded, the smile still bright on his face. “So you see us getting married?”
I turned on my side to face him and took his hand. “Maybe not anytime soon, but in the future, if things keep going like they are, of course.”
“Would you want to wait until after Aden and Harry are married?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I think that maybe…” I drifted off, not sure whether I should break it to him.
He prodded me. “You think what?”
I sighed. “I don’t think that a big white wedding is for me. I’ve seen all the things that have to go into it, and I feel like it defeats the purpose. Why have all the glam when it should be about two people’s love for each other? I think I’d rather be spontaneous and elope.”
He processed what I was saying and nodded slowly. “I’d rather save money for the honeymoon.”
I smiled and leaned forward to kiss him.
He grinned after he pulled away. “I think you’re right. I just want my wedding to be about me and the person I love. Who are we trying to impress?”
I tried my best to remain smiling even as the doubt hit me. I already had Greg and Liam convinced that I wanted to spend forever with Greg. But now I just had to convince myself, and my heart wasn’t having any of that. I felt like a liar, and it weighed heavily on my already fragile heart.
What the hell did I want? Or, rather, who the hell did I want?
I changed the subject quickly. “I think it’s so cool, though, that Sage and Niall are having joint parties after the dinner.”
Greg laughed. “Hell yeah! Bachelorette party on one side of the bar, and the bachelors on the other.”
I grinned. “Are you going to participate in the lovely karaoke?”
His eyes went wide. “I can’t sing for the life of me as you know.”
I giggled. “Oh c’mon! It’s a party! Be a little crazy!”
He shrugged, embarrassed. “I’ll think about it, but only if you sing a song, too!”
I laughed and shook my head. “That’s never going to happen.”
There was a knock on the door, and Aden called from the other side, “Emma! Sage finally gave us stuff to do! You weren’t in your room, so I assumed you were in here. But it will be very embarrassing if you’re not, and I’m talking to no one.”
I giggled at her awkwardness and got off the bed to answer the door. Greg leaned up off the bed and took my hand, pulling me to him quickly.
“I’ll see you later,” I whispered as we knotted our hands.
He laughed. “Why are you whispering?”
I shrugged and went red. “Bye,” I said after giving him a kiss on the cheek.
I hurriedly left the room before I fell for his siren call. “Sorry bout that,” I said to Aden as I closed the door behind me.
She grinned. “You and Greg are certainly making the most of this weekend, aren’t you?”
I blushed. “We just really like spending a lot of time together. It’s easy.”
She winked. “So are you excited for tonight?”
I smiled. “Of course I am! Do you know what we’re doing after karaoke?”
“Actually, that’s what Sage gave us to do. She completely forgot about it, and she said she has too much to do right now to think about it.”
I nodded. “Are Kensington and Rylee helping us?”
Aden shrugged. “I don’t know. I think they might be out at the pool.”
I laughed. “That actually sounds really good about now.”
Aden nodded in agreement.
We arrived at the front desk of the hotel and asked the lady at the desk for ideas of things to do for a bachelorette party. She smiled and handed us a huge stack of papers and a business card, telling us that if we had any questions, we were to contact the man on the card.
Aden rolled her eyes as we left the counter. “This is horrible customer service.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I glanced behind me at the lady.
“At the hotel where I used to work, there was this concierge named Grace, and she had people down to an art. You don’t just give people a stack of pamphlets. You know the person, get into their interests, their hobbies, their likes and dislikes. Simply, what makes their world go round? Then once you have that figured out, you don’t suggest things to do, you plan it out for them. You tell them what they’re going to do. This,” she said, referring to the papers and business card, “is ridiculous. I would have gotten fired if I had done this when I worked for Harry.”
I elbowed her and smirked. “Speaking of you and Harry, how are you feeling today after that huge surprise?”
Her face glowed from happiness. “I am overwhelmingly giddy. All I want to do is spend today with him and Karson and just be happy, but Sage, whether she knows it or not, needs me for her big day.”
I smiled. “She’s very lucky to have you as her maid of honor.”
Aden let out a short laugh. “We promised each other a while ago that we would be each other’s maids of honor at each other’s weddings, and I would love it if you could be a bridesmaid for both of us as well.”
I pulled Aden to a stop and hugged her. “Oh my gosh, Aden. I would love to be one of your bridesmaids! It’d be an honor to stand up there with you.”
She grinned and opened the door to her room. “Let’s focus on getting this wedding finished first!”
We sprawled out all the pamphlets on her bed and scanned through them.
“Sage isn’t much of a clubber, so we can throw anything like that out.”
“What about strippers?” I asked, already knowing the answer to that question.
Aden laughed. “That will be a definite no.”
We threw out pamphlet after pamphlet, narrowing down the list of Sage’s favorite things to do. We had gotten rid of most of them and only had a little over ten left.
Aden picked one up and stared at it in thought. “I think I have it. I had always promised Sage that I would take her with me and my family to this lake house we have, and she would come boating with us, but it just never happened. Being out on the water is one of her most favorite relaxing things to do. Let’s rent a boat and take her out on the Mediterranean.”
I nodded. “It’s short notice for the boating company, but it’s Niall Horan’s wedding. Who wouldn’t let his wife rent a boat after sunset?”
Aden smiled. “I understand. Do you think she’ll like the idea?”
My face mirrored hers. “I think she’ll love it.”
She let out a deep breath she had been holding in and picked up the business card and her phone. “Let’s hope this guy speaks understandable English.”
Sage started out the night by going up there and singing, quite passionately, Can’t Fight the Moonlight, and Niall followed her by singing one of her favorite songs, I Won’t Give Up. A group of Niall’s friends went up and sang E.T. Before I knew what was going on, Aden shoved the microphone in my hand and threw me up onstage.
“Guys, I don’t sing. I don’t even have a song picked out! C’mon. This is embarrassing.” I covered my face as the deepest blush filled my cheeks.
Sage called out, “We already picked out a song for you! Sing!”
They started chanting my name. “Em-ma! Em-ma! Em-ma! Em-ma!
I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut before I laughed and said into the microphone, “Cue the song.”
The entire bar was filled with an uproar of cheers, and I heard Greg’s voice the loudest as he shouted above the rest about how awesome I was.
The music started, and I recognized the song immediately. I was hesitant at first to put the microphone up to my mouth as I sang one of my favorite songs, Don’t Hold Your Breath. “You can’t touch me now; there’s no feeling left. If you think I’m coming back, don’t hold your breath! What you did to me, boy, I can’t forget. If you think I’m coming back, don’t hold your breath!” By the end of the whole fiasco, I was dancing around the stage, twirling the microphone cord this way and that way, and I think I even kicked my shoes off my feet into the guys’ tables. I wasn’t completely sure; the alcohol was starting to get to me.
I bowed and curtsied when I finished, and the bar again rose with cheers. I made my way back to my seat, and as I passed people, they held out their hands for high fives, which I graciously gave. By the time I found my seat, the next singer was onstage complaining about how hard it was to go after that.
I cheered when I saw that it was Greg, and he pointed at me and said, “This one’s for you, babe!” And he began singing the most off-key, adorable rendition of Every Time We Touch. I must say, I was very, very attracted to him as he swung his hips all around the stage.
But my mind went back to last summer, the day after Liam and I confessed our love for each other. The day we had missed our dance lessons, so we instead stayed home and carelessly swung around the room. The song playing was the very one Greg just sang, and my heart recoiled, unwilling to let go of the summer eight months ago. Liam and I were so in love and so free, completely trusting of each other like best friends are. As much as I wanted to deny it, I missed those days of sweet nothings with Liam.
Greg came over and kissed me when he was done, and this caused the bar to go crazy yet again. Greg went back to his seat, and the next person went up.
Liam carried his guitar with him and positioned the microphone on the stand. He spent a moment tuning his guitar before he looked out to the audience and said into the mic, “I thought I’d slow things down a little for right now and share with you all a song that I wrote not too long ago for someone in the audience. Your ears are the first to hear it, and I hope you enjoy it.”
He started gently strumming his guitar and began singing with his angel voice, “Over, I can’t believe it’s over. I can’t believe the love I lived to show some other day. Listen, I hope that you can hear me as I kneel down and pray with the love I meant to say.” I closed my eyes, trying to convince myself that the song wasn’t written for me. He continued with, “Shadows, you took away the shadows before your life was black and white. Though, tonight, the room’s gone gray. Golden, all the love you gave was golden. Golden, I would gladly pay to show the love I meant to say.” I opened my eyes and saw him squeeze his eyes shut as the song reached its climax. “Oh, music, you made me hear such music. Without you here to guide me, I feel as though I’ll fly away.” He opened his eyes and searched for me in the crowd. His eyes locked with mine, and his voice broke as he sang, “Sorry, that’s the word I want to sing to you. The other word is stay to hear the love I meant to say.”
A single tear fell from my eye. Liam wrote a song for me. Liam still loved me. Liam didn’t want to just be friends again. Liam wanted me back.
What scared me the most was that I had a feeling I wanted the same from him.
Sage put her hand on my back, knowing as well as almost everyone there that the song was for me. “We should talk later,” she whispered.
Aden heard her from the other side of me and nodded. “Before we get on that boat.”
“What boat?” Sage asked.
Aden and I glanced at each other and laughed.
“You’ll see,” Aden said as she took a sip of wine.
My stomach was uneasy. I wasn’t sure I would be able to last on the boat rocking back and forth, this way and that way, up and down. I took another swig of my beer to try and relax my nerves.
I could feel eyes penetrating me, and I tried so hard not to look over at the guys. If it was Liam, I didn’t want to be reminded of how he felt for me. If it was Greg, I didn’t want to see him hurt.
Aden took her turn up at the microphone, and Harry joined her as they sang some Indie song by some Indie band I had never heard of.
I excused myself to go to the bathroom and instead went back to my room. I needed some time to collect myself before I got on that boat.
I was putting my keycard into the door when I heard someone call my name. I hesitated as I turned, not sure whether I wanted to see who wanted my attention.
My heart jumped and fell in both excitement and disappointment when I saw Liam walking my way.
“What do you want?” I asked, rather harshly.
He sighed as he reached me and stared at the ground. “I’m just…I’m sorry.”
I crossed my arms. “You’re sorry for what? For embarrassing me like that in front of my boyfriend, who, no doubt, now believes you and I still have feelings for each other? For lying to me about still having feelings for me? For what, Liam? Enlighten me on what you’re so sorry about.”
His gentle eyes looked up into my hostile ones, and he took a deep breath, as if he was mustering up the strength to get something off his chest. “I’m sorry I didn’t chase you.”
My anger somewhat lightened, but I was confused. “Excuse me?”
He took my hand, and all of his words came out in a rush. “That day at the lake. I should have chased you after you found out. I shouldn’t have pushed you away when you came back. I should have gotten over my ego and gone after you. I should have called you to try and mend us. I should have gotten on a plane and flown to you and begged for you to take me back. I’m sorry, Emma.” He paused and stepped a little closer. “And I’m sorry for embarrassing you tonight and lying to you last night. I thought I could be okay with you and Greg. I thought I could get over you. But I can’t Emma. I should have done it eight months ago, but I’m doing it now. I’m chasing you, Em. I want you.”
Tears started to fill my eyes as the words I waited eight months to hear finally reached my ears. I couldn’t find the words to say anything. So we just stood there and stared at each other.
Liam took my other hand and pressed up against me. He smiled kindly and rested his forehead on mine when he saw I wasn’t resisting. “I love you, Emma.”
And that was all I could take before my hand shot up and slapped him square on the cheek, sending his head flying to the right.
“Damn you, Liam,” I said as the anger simmered inside me. “Damn you.”
I left him standing in the hallway with a shocked look on his face and a bright red cheek.
I collected myself half an hour later and finally left my room to head back to the party.
Greg was leaning up against the wall across the hallway. He smiled when he saw me and took my outstretched hand.
“Are you okay?” he asked as we started walking down the hallway to the elevator.
I glanced up at him. “Of course. Why do you ask?”
Greg somewhat smirked. “Liam came back to the party with a very red cheek, and I had a feeling who it was from.”
I pulled him to a stop. “Greg, I didn’t…I don’t…” I sighed, not sure how to explain it.
He shook his head and smiled at me. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Emma. You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”
I bit my lip. “Even if it hurts you?”
He shrugged. “I can get through it. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t tell me something because it might make me mad or sad or disappointed. That’s a part of being in a relationship. Trusting each other.”
I winked. “I thought a big part of it was because I’m super hot.”
Greg laughed and leaned down to kiss me. “That too.”
I could have stood there in the hallway kissing him for the rest of my life, but I had to get back to Sage’s party.
We broke apart and continued back down to the bar. As Greg pressed the button on the elevator to go down, I squeezed his hand and said, “I love you.”
And nothing made me happier than hearing him echo those words back to me.
“So are we gonna talk about what the poop happened back there?” Sage asked as she took another sip of her beer as we floated in the water.
I sighed. “Let’s not talk about that. You’re getting married tomorrow, Sage! Enjoy your last night as a single lady!”
She shook her head and smirked. “You are not just going to change the subject like that.”
Aden nodded. “You need to get this off your chest, Emma. Our ears are here to listen.”
We were in the back of the boat all by ourselves while the rest of the girls partied loudly at the stern.
I looked from one to the other, and they both had anxious looks on their faces. “You both already know he wrote that song for me.”
Sage grinned. “Of course I already know. I helped him write it, and I convinced him to play it tonight.”
My mouth dropped. “Pardon?”
She sighed. “This whole situation between you and Liam has been difficult on me, so I can only imagine how it feels to you. But both of you are very close friends of mine. And I’ve never seen either of y’all happier than when y’all are together.”
I threw my head into my hands. “Sage, you meddle too much.”
She hesitated. “I know, and I’m sorry.”
Aden put her hand on my back and rubbed it gently. “What’s going through your mind?”
I took a moment to gather my thoughts. “I’m stuck. I feel like…like I’m in love with two very different people. It’s been eight long, long months, and I still can’t get Liam off my mind. But when I’m with Greg, all I want to do is be with him. Greg just…makes me feel like myself again.”
Aden smiled kindly. “I know you didn’t come here this weekend to figure all this out.”
I glanced at Sage. “I am so sorry, Sage. I didn’t mean for this weekend to turn into an Emma fest.”
She put her hand over mine and smiled. “Life happens. I understand. Besides, just as long as nothing tragic occurs tomorrow, I’ll probably forget all about it.”
I scrunched my nose. “You’re totally going to jinx that.”
Aden laughed. “It all falls into God’s hands.”
Sage nodded in agreement. “Now spill.”
I sighed. “Instead of going to the bathroom tonight, I went back to my room to relax for a while, which I’m sure you already knew. Liam followed me and stopped me before I entered my room. And he told me that he was sorry and that he was going to fight for me and that he still loved me. Then I slapped him and spent a while in my room. When I came back out, Greg was there looking all happy and cheery, and he told me that he trusted me and that he knew I would tell him what was going on when I was ready to.”
Aden sighed. “As much as I love Liam, I am officially Team Greg now.”
Despite the serious moment, I couldn’t help but laugh.
Sage winked. “We all know I’m Team Liam.”
Aden brought the attention back to me. “But it doesn’t matter about us. Whose team are you on?”
I shrugged slowly. “I just…I don’t know.”
“I think the obvious thing here is that there is no obvious choice,” Sage said assuredly. “But we are here to help you figure it out.”
Aden got excited. “Okay. So who’s the first guy you think of when you wake up?”
I blushed. “Greg.”
Sage smiled. “Who’s the last guy you think of before you go to sleep?”
I bit my lip. “Liam.”
They took turns asking questions. Aden scooted closer to me as she asked, “Who do you think will make the better father?”
“Greg.”
“When you think of the future, who’s the first guy you see?”
“Greg.”
“Which one do your parents like more?”
“Liam.”
“If something extremely tragic happened to your family, like your brother died, who’s guy you’d call for comfort?”
“Liam, but only because he and my brother have known each other for a very long time.”
“Who makes you feel more protected?”
“Liam.”
“Who do you feel understands you best?”
A blush again entered my cheeks as I answered, “Greg.”
Aden and Sage glanced at each other, surprised by that answer.
Sage took another drink of her beer. “You and Liam have known each other for years upon years, and you’ve known Greg for like one!”
I shrugged and smiled. “He just gets it.”
Aden laughed. “Okay. My turn. Who’s better in bed?”
I surprised myself by saying, “Greg.”
“Who would you rather live with?”
“Liam. Without a doubt. Greg is very disorganized.”
“Who would you rather have as your date tomorrow?”
I bit my lip again. “Liam.”
“When you finally get married, who do you want to be at the end of the aisle waiting for you?”
This time I hesitated with the first guy who popped into my head. This question was really what the whole conversation was about. Who did I want to spend the rest of my life with? My head had already made up its mind, and my heart finally agreed.
I locked eyes with Sage and then Aden as I went with my first initial instinct and said with conviction, “It’s Greg.”