❝I've waited a hundred years and I'd wait a million more for you. Nothing prepared me for what the privilege of being yours would do.❞ -Sleeping at Last, Turning Page
I have never felt more beautiful than in this moment. My hair is half up, falling in elegant waves, my makeup done to sheer perfection, all while wearing a gorgeous dress that glimmers with every step I take.
I hear a soft knock at the front door. My parents are currently waiting with me in the living room, cell phones and cameras out and ready.
I open the front door to reveal my achingly beautiful Noah, and everything feels complete.
It almost feels surreal to look at him; to look at my dreams take form as reality. It shouldn't be allowed for any person to make me feel the way I do when I'm with him. I feel like I could create an entire universe with him by my side.
Noah's dark hair is gently styled, still holding the messy touch that I adore. His suit is black, with a cream coloured tie that matched my dress perfectly. In his hands is my corsage and his boutonniere. He raises the corsage, a silent question. I offer my wrist and he slides the beautiful rose corsage onto it. I take the boutonniere and pin it on his suit with a small smile.
I barely notice that our parents have been taking an embarrassingly large amount of photos during this interaction.
We pose for a few more pictures, our mothers fussing over the little flaws and gushing over how "cute we look." It is tiring to keep a forced smile on my face for the pictures, but every time I grow slightly wary, I look up at Noah and he would look down at me with his pretty smile, and I would receive the energy I need.
After a hundred photos, Noah and I finally make it to his car parked out front. My parents want to have dinner with Rachel and Chris, so they all stay at the house, waving goodbye to us from the porch.
Noah opens the car door for me and I get in with a grateful smile. Noah gets in the driver's seat and looks at me for a moment, with a dumbfounded expression. He looks to be in utter disbelief as he stares at me.
"I know it's shocking that I actually look cute for once in my life, but you're freaking me out a little," I joke.
Noah shakes his head, "you know you're gorgeous. I was just thinking about how my fourteen year old self would be so proud of eighteen year old me."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Because the beautiful girl that he thought he could never have is finally by his side," Noah replies gently.
I almost laugh, "Noah, there is no way you liked me back when we were fourteen. Have you seen fourteen year old me? She's not pretty, I'll tell you that much."
Noah laughs at that, "God, you really had no idea? I noticed you the first day of high school. You were wearing a white, summer dress and had your hair in a braid. It was your laugh that got me; it sounded like every song I had ever loved. It still does."
I can't help it; I lean in and kiss him. It's not every day that a guy tells you he has only ever had eyes for you. What's more is that I know he is telling the truth, because a picture of Alyce and I on the first day of school sits on my desk. In the photo, I am wearing that youthful, white dress. The only difference is, right before the photo was taken, I had taken out the braid so my hair fell in loose curls. That is how I know he actually noticed me; he remembers the braid.
"I would love to tell you that I was also obsessed since day one, but I called you Nolan to your face at the beginning of senior year," I say sheepishly after I pull away from the kiss.
"Yeah, you kind of stomped on my heart that day. Still stings."
I lightly shove him, "it's not like I did it on purpose! I just have the memory of a goldfish."
"It's okay, I forgive you," Noah says, mockingly clutching at his heart. "I'm sure the pain will go away one day."
I roll my eyes and play along, "is there anything I can do to help?"
"The doctors tell me that getting kissed by a pretty girl helps speed up the healing process."
"Never mind then, just drive."
"Ah, you hear that? That's the sound of my fragile heart breaking all over again. On my tombstone, write death by Diana."
"Drive."
❀ ❀ ❀
Katia Stone never disappoints.
The hotel she picked out is beautiful; with marble pillars, a shining crystal chandelier and marble floors, prom looks like a fairytale come to life. The ballroom is spacious and beautifully decorated, with an endless array of bouquets, garlands and lights.
"This is amazing, Kat," Alyce admires, her eyes dazzling under the glow of a thousand fairy lights. "I've always wanted to feel like I'm the protagonist of a fantasy novel trying to seduce a prince at a royal party."
There is a moment of silence amongst our friends, before Hunter breaks it, "huh?"
"You know," Alyce continues rambling, clearly a little tipsy. "Enemies to lovers. We're slow dancing while I have a dagger under my dress, and he calls me beautiful then makes a sly comment about how he knows I'm carrying a knife."
"That's a terrifying fantasy, babe," Hunter says. "What kind of books are you reading?"
"Good ones," Alyce retorts.
Most of our friends go off to dance, leaving Noah and I alone at the table. When he smiles at me, I start to truly believe that we really did love each other in another lifetime. That I had grabbed his hand while facing death, and promised I would find him in every other life.
"What are you thinking about in that pretty head of yours?" Noah grabs my hand in his, looking at me with amusement.
"That maybe you were right," I tell him quietly. "That loving someone even after death is possible."
Noah has a way of making me believe in the impossible. He could give me one look with those pretty hazel eyes and charismatic smile, and I would believe in every word he ever says. He could tell me the sun and moon are in love, and I would listen to his fabricated fairytales with the utmost certainty that the opposite ends of nature were so hopelessly enamoured with each other that they died to let the other breathe every single day. I would never even question it.
"You have beautiful thoughts," Noah says after a moment.
"Okay, simp."
Noah rolls his eyes, "love, do you really want me to pull up some receipts? Who was the one who drove out of town to find me and apologize? Who was the one who stood up against my terrifying dad just to be with me?"
"Fine, we'll call it even. Mutual simping."
"Mutual simping." Noah agrees.
Thalia had ended up asking Brielle to prom last minute. Brielle had agreed without a second thought, and I find myself feeling extremely content for Thalia. Perhaps this is her happy ending.
After Lauren and Thalia broke off their relationship, Thalia had been miserable. I didn't think I would ever see her having as much fun as she's currently having with someone who isn't Lauren. Perhaps Lauren was just another stepping stone; one more heartbreak along the way. One more lesson learned.
"Don't be creepy, quit staring," Noah chides, gently grabbing my chin so that I'm looking back at him.
I chuckle, "I'm just happy for her, that's all. After the whole mess with the Hall siblings, I'm glad Thalia has found someone who makes her smile the same way that Lauren did. Maybe even more."
"I get it," Noah nods. "After Damon and Mackenzie finished their fling, I had never seen Damon moodier. He refused to leave his bedroom and made us get him ice cream. At the time, Hunter and I didn't even know it was Mackenzie he had been so messed up about. It's kind of funny how that all turned out. They're so in love now."
"What a bunch of hopeless romantics we all are."
The song shifts from an upbeat tune to a slow, romantic piano. I recognize the song to be Turning Page by Sleeping at Last. I stand up immediately and drag Noah to the dance floor. This song is what I imagine dancing in a meadow with your soulmate feels like.
Noah holds me close, holding my head against his chest as we swayed to the gentle rhythm. I find myself relaxing into his touch, closing my eyes as I listen to the mellifluous voice of the singer and his sweet lyrics.
"I love you," I hear Noah murmur into my ear, his chest humming. "More than you'll ever know."
I look up at him and kiss him, "trust me, I know what you mean."
A/N: please I just want to dance to this song with someone I love. Please.
I finished finals a little while ago and have a bit of time off from work, so I finally got to finish writing this chapter.
Merry Christmas my loves xx