As he walked down the center aisle of the church, he couldn't help but smile. The building was an old stone sanctuary with a beautiful woodwork ceiling. The auditorium was baturally lit by skylight windows cut out in the roof and several tall skinny windows on the side. The stage had been cleared of.everything but the alter and the grand piano. Piano music filled the chapel as Ariel's brother played it to avoid being put to work.
The other people in the sanctuary included a team of interior decorators who were setting up two white columns beside the alter and.wrapping them in green ivy; Ariel's mother and grandmother and Harry's mother and sister who were decorating the end of every pew with ivy and pink flowers, the minister who was taking last minute notes; Audri, Eleanor, and Tiffani who.were clearing the sanctuary of its previous decorations and artifacts; Jackie setting up the candle stands, and Ariel's father and Harry's stepdad rolling out the aisle runner.
In the middle of the whirlwind chaos was Ariel, carefully critiqueing everything, and her maid of honor, Paris, who was calling all the shots. Paris wore a zebra print toolbelt.around her waist, equipped with extra material such as tulle and bobby pins. She and Ariel were absorbed in their conversation that they didn't notice Liam approach until he grabbed the tape dispenser from Paris's hands. She frowned at him.
"What was that for?" Paris scowled. Ariel paused and observed the two.
Liam chuckled. "Just trying to get you to slow down."
Paris glared at him for a moment before biting her lip and smiling at him. "Thanks."
"No problem, now what's up?" Liam asked.
"Oh, um, decorating" Paris answered nervously.
Ariel took over. "Hopefully we'll be done by the time we're supposed to start rehearsing. Wait, you're here? Are the boys here? Where are they?"
"Relax, Harry and the guys are in a back room getting ready" Liam.assured. "We went white water rafting today so we all sort of needed to change."
"And ya'll are early by thirty minutes!" Ariel cheered. "I'm impressed."
"Anything for you beautiful" Harry stated as he joined them.
"So, how long have you guys been here?" Liam asked.
"Since about 3:00" Paris answered. "But before that we were setting up the reception area. We finally jist let the caterers handle that."
Tiffani rushed over, juggleing some random items. "What do you want me to do with these grapes?" she asked.
"Grapes?" Paris raised an eyebrow.
Tifdani nodded. "Apparently these people have an obsession with grapes. There's a whole room back there that's covered in grapevine wallpaper. I just pulled these off the piano." She held out a golden plate and a basket.that was filled with fake grapes.
"Um," Paris hesitated. ""Go put it in the grape room?"
"Okay, but tell the guys they are.not.allowed to mess with them" Tiffani.commanded. She hurried off to get rid of the grapes.
Paris sighed and focused back on Liam, Ariel, and Harry, who were all talking to.the minister. "Are we ready to.start the.rehearsal?" the minister asked.
"I.think so" Ariel answered. "I'll go warn every one. Paris, can you make sure the candles are ready?"
Paris nodded before heading towards the stage. She grabbed a box of candles and started to put them in the holderals. Jackie was already working on it.
"Shoot!" Jackie exclaimed.
"What?" Paris panicked.
"Nothing" Jackie replied. "Nothing happened. You didn't see anything."
"Didn't see what?" Paris asked.
"Exactly" Jackie smiled softly.
"You broke one didn't you?" Paris guessed.
"I said you didn't see that!" Jackie snapped. She took the broken candle off the stand and replaced it.
Paris rolled her eyes. "Just be careful. And Hurry up, we're about to start the rehearsal."
"Okay" Jackie nodded.
An hour later, Paris was running back and forth between the sound booth and the stage because the mics.weren't working. She hadn't walked in the wedding precesscional because the flower girl, Ariel's 6 year old cousin, had thrown a fit and hid somewhere in the church right before she was supposed to walk down the aisle and Paris had to go.find her. While the couple was practicing the unity candle ceremony, Harry accidently dropped the burning candle on the carpet and Paris had to use a miniture water bottle from her tool belt to put the fire out. Then, because of who they are, the groomsmen decided to goof off while they stood at the alter. Paris had to change the lineup so that the boys didn't cause to much trouble.
By the second time they ran through the program, Paris had become a florist. The bridesmaid's bouquets had come with light pink carnations mixed with green ivy and dark pink roses. The only problem was, Jackie was allergic to the pink carnations, so Paris had to.take apart every bouquet and rearrange them.
On the third and final run through, the bridesmaids didn't stay at the alter as the couple rehearsed their vows. Paris was the only one who stood at Ariel's side. The other girls.claimed they had to stay in the back room to fix something about their dresses.
"Remember, you can't say I Do yet" the minister reminded the couple. "But do you, Harold Edward Styles, take Ariel to be your loftly wedded wife, to have an to hold, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, till death do you part?"
Harry squeezed Ariel's hands and grinned at her. She laughed as she tried to win the staring contest between them. He broke his gaze away and looked at the minister.
"Harry!" Paris hissed. "Look at your.fiance! You're not.saying your vows to the minister."
Ariel, Harry, and Louis, who was his best man, laughed. Harry stared back into Ariel's eyes and sighed lovingly. "I guess so" he answered the minister.
Ariel's jaw dropped and she playfully smack his shoulder. The rest of the boys sniggered. Harry chuckled. "How was that for an almost I do?" he asked cheekily.
"Ridiculous" Ariel replied. He.winked at her.
"Do you Ariel Noel Garrison take Harry to be your loftly wedded husband, to have an to hold, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, till death do you part?"
Ariel pretended to think. "Maybe" she replied.
Harry frowned. "But babe!" he whined. "How can you resist this?" he asked, pouting his lips. All of the boys behind him leaned out to show Ariel their puppy dog pout faces also.
Ariel laughed. "Oh sweetheart!" she.cooed. "I can say no, like this!" she.smirked.
Before the boys knew it they were being pelted with marshmellows. The bridesmaids were running.down the aisle with marshmellow guns, firing at the boys. Paris grabbed Ariel's hand and they ran off stage together while the boys tried to.fight back.
Liam and Harry rushed after them but.Harry was.stopped by his mother and Gemma. "Hey, little bro!" Gemma teased. "I have an early wedding present for you!"
"What?" he groaned.
His sister grinned and smeared marshmellow creme all over his face. She laughed. "I lied. That's actually a present from.your bride."
"Of.course!" Harry groaned as he wiped.off his face on his sleeve amd watched Ariel and Paris slip out of the sanctuary.
Two Hours Later
After they cleaned up the auditorium and did some last minute decorating, everyone went to the rehearsal dinner. This is where Ariel and Harry actually got to see each other again after the marshmellow incident. He wasn't really mad, in fact, he found the whole thing halarious and the two.of them spent the whole.dinner laughing at each other.
Paris and Alex, along with Louis and Eleanor, shared a table with the bride and groom to be. Alex was posing as Paris's date to the wedding, even though she was single. She would have asked Liam, but she was still uncertain of their relationship.
Across the room, Liam tried to get her attention, but it.was no use. She was too distracted. So he gave up and focused on Mitch, Tiffani, Zayn, Perrie, and Audri's conversation. However, he stole.many.glances at Paris throughout the night.
Later on, the music.started and everyone began.to.dance. Ariel and Harry of course took the middle of the dance floor. Zayn twirled Perrie around next to them. Tiffani.and Mitch swayed back and.forth on the other side.
Jackie and Niall argued on one side of the dance.floor, and Kian and Jake.tried to.desperatly keep them away from.each other. Hayden and Audri.weren't really.dancing, but they were both hanging out by the.desert.table. And Gemma had.asked.Alex.for a dance, which Paris didn't discourage.
She stood quietly on the side of the dance floor, watching everyone. Louis and Eleanor.were dancing effortlessly near her, mainly because Eleanor didn't want her to.feel left out.
Liam.approached.her. "May I have this dance?" he asked.
She turned to him, startled. "I.guess." she replied and took his hand.
He led.her to the middle.of.the floor with Ariel and Harry. He.wrapped an.arm around.her.waist.and grabbed her hand. "You look lovely tonight" he whispered.
"Thank you" she whispered back.
"I've been.trying to tell you that since I first arrived at the church, but you were so.distracted" he revealed.
"Well, maid of honor duty calls" she shrugged.
He.chuckled. "You.did a.wonderful.job. Tomorrow is going to be beautiful."
"Thanks" Paris blushed. They.danced in.silence. The song.ended, and.another.began. She sighed. "Liam, I can't do.this again."
"Dance?" he asked.
"No! Well yes, but not.really what I meant" she.babbled.
He.chuckled. "Breathe."
She.inhaled and exhaled. "Right" she.nodded, feeling.a.little.more.confident.
"Now, what can't you do again?" he asked.
"You" she answered. "Us."
They stopped dancing. "Oh. I see" he nodded.
She.spoke up. "I need to know.that this.isn't.as dangerous as it seems. I.won't let my.heart.get hurt again."
"I won't let me hurt you again" he vowed. She stared at him. "I didn't even want to.hurt you the first time."
"You mean that?" Paris asked.
"Absolutely" he affirmed. "Paris Kennedy, I am madly in love with you. I was two years ago. I still am. I.can't get you out of my head, and I don't want to. You're not just a summer fling, you're a lifetime worth of adventures and I want to expirience them all with you. All I want is a second chance to prove to you that you're my once in a lifetime love."
With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, she answered. "Okay."
Liam wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him. "Thank you" he whispered. She whimpered in pain. He immediatly let go of her. "What's wrong?"
Paris gulped. "Well, earlier today Audri and I dropped a table on my toe and I'm pretty sure its broken. Your foot just barely hit it and it hurt."
Liam chuckled and enveloped her in a hug again.
Author's note: one more chapter left! ahh! comment and tell me what you think!