"Wait! Hold the elevator!"

Hearing that voice alone was enough to make my heart stop.

It was also enough to send me right into a frantic state and repeatedly press the close door button on the elevator.

"Fuck," I grumbled under my breath. "Come on! Come on!"

Just as the doors were about to close, an arm reached through the gap and set off the monitors. Whatever power above that was currently watching this all unfold must be having a good laugh at my predicament.

The doors reopened. I closed my eyes, took a quick deep breath and prepared myself to face her.

"Please tell me you were not just trying to close the door on me!"

I slowly opened my eyes.

Here it goes...

Wait. What?

"Are you okay?"

I blinked. "Shit, yeah. Sorry, Del."

Delilah stepped into the elevator, arching a (rightfully so) suspicious brow at me. "Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"

Because you sound so much like your sister that I almost had a panic attack thinking we'd run into each other by being forced to be trapped in a small space together-

"Tired," I replied, adding a nonchalant shrug as I pressed the elevator button for the lobby. "Long day."

"Yeah, tell me about it," she muttered. "When you get married, prepare for the fucking unexpected. You think you'll have every detail planned out... and then bam! Someone's not coming. Or this person needs ten extra rooms."

"Someone asked you for ten extra rooms?"

A small smile pulled on her lips. "No," she quietly admitted. "But I wouldn't be surprised if I got that call."

"These people know you're meant to enjoy your wedding... right?"

"I wish they were that smart. Or considerate."

"Well, if anyone does try to pull that kind of shit... send them my way. You shouldn't have to deal with that."

Delilah ran her hands down the front of her dress, smoothing out the silky material. "Careful now, Hunter," she said with a warning tone, "I might take you up on that offer."

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

As the doors opened to the lobby, a group of guests' voices were heard from down the hall, giving us our last moment of peace before it was time to mix and mingle.

"Thank you."

I turned my head to the side as we stepped off the elevator. "No problem."

"I mean..." Delilah paused, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip. "For everything, Hunter. Look, I know we're still... figuring each other out a bit," that was putting it lightly, "But I appreciate everything you've done. And I'm glad you're here."

"Me too."

Delilah reached her hand forward and gently squeezed my arm. With one final smile, she disappeared down the hall and was greeted by roaring voices, all celebrating the soon-to-be bride's arrival.

It wasn't a secret that a lot of time had to pass before Delilah and I could be in the same room. After the confession in the garage, I could see the burning hatred she had for me in her eyes. And I understood it too. I kept her sister from her. At that time, it didn't matter my reasoning or why I made the decisions I did. Because, at the end of the day, I was part of why the Miller sisters had spent so much time apart.

"I would have just wanted to know she was okay and happy," Delilah admitted to me one night. "My mom would update me here and there about her... But it was clear she never really knew Dylan. I mean, she called her painting a nice hobby, for fuck's sake."

I understood her reasoning.

And slowly, Delilah understood mine.

"Did you truly love her?"

"Yes."

"Do you still love her?"

It was the first time someone had asked me that after everything had happened. And the honest answer hurt far more than it ever did. "Yes. And I'll never stop being in love with her." It was painful to think about - but even harder to say out loud. "You found your person," I nodded to Ethan, who was feeding Rosie with a bottle, "And I found mine. I can't be with her."

Shaking the memory from my mind, I headed down the hall. A few pleasantries were exchanged as I made my way through the crowd of people and toward my desired destination. There was only one thing on my mind to get myself through the night: a drink.

The temptation to order something strong pressed at the front of my mind. But I worried that if I had one, I would end up ordering far more than I could handle. The last thing I needed was to make a drunken fool out of myself and embarrass the soon-to-be bride and groom - or worse, get thrown out of the wedding.

Anxious thoughts swarming my mind over the possibility only served as a reminder that alcohol was not the best choice for me tonight.

Knowing that, I settled on the water as the bartender came to take my order.

Eyes trailing up from my glass, I glanced around the space, taking it all in. It was nice to see everyone who loved Delilah and Ethan all together in one room. And honestly, I was thankful to be a part of that group.

A smile played on my lips as I observed the crowd.

Smiles. Laughter. Happiness.

It was all here; a contagious feeling that overwhelmed your senses from the moment you stepped foot through the door.

Eighteen months ago, I never thought I would get a chance to share this moment with everyone else. For the first time in my life, I was thankful I hadn't entirely disappeared.

I sipped my drink, watching the laughter roar from the delighted guests. Drunk on happiness; it was quite a sight to witness.

But as my eyes found their way across the room, the sounds from everyone else faded to the background.

Suddenly, the laughter no longer overpowered my ears. It was like someone had turned down the volume.

My mouth ran dry; my palms pooled with sweat.

I blinked, attempting to snap myself out of her golden trance.

My smile tugged on my lips once again as she spun around, causing Rosie to erupt into giggles. She held Rosie tightly, keeping the tiny child close to her body.

I couldn't snap myself out of the trance; I was consumed by it just like I was on the first night we met. And on our first date. And New Year's Eve. And when I saw her across the bar after all that time apart.

As her eyes found their way to mine, I waited for reality to hit me like a truck. I waited for her smile to disappear, for her eyes to fill with sadness or look at me with utter disgust.

I waited.

And I waited.

But that moment never came.

The smile stayed on her lips, and her eyes held the same joy.

For a split second, I wondered if I imagined her even looking at me.

But she was.

Dylan raised her free hand and waved.

I mirrored the action and forced myself to stay put. The temptation to go over to her was hard to suppress, but it was the right choice. Our new relationship, if we could even call it that, was going to be a delicate path to navigate - one that could not be rushed. Especially not at a wedding.

As I felt my feet betray me, someone pulled Dylan's attention away to swoon over baby Rosie.

There will be plenty of time to interact with her, I kept reminding myself.

I knew that to be true.

And yet every minute that passed without us getting the awkward first exchange out of the way only increased that anxious feeling in my stomach.

A proper moment never revealed itself during the cocktail hour. Nor did it happen as we sat down for dinner in our preselected seating arrangement due to being at opposite ends of the table - something I assumed was done deliberately.

I tried to take my mind off of everything by involving myself in a conversation with those sitting beside me. But it was hard knowing she was so close. And it was even worse whenever our eyes met.

That one second of our meeting glance was all it took for all the other people and their voices to fade to the background—one second.

Shit. It was going to be fucking impossible to get through this weekend - I could already tell I was going to be a pathetic lovesick puppy over her.

Once dinner had finished, some guests said their goodbyes and turned in for the night, while others made it clear that they intended to keep the party going. I glanced around the room, unable to spot a particular face. A tinge of disappointment pained its way through my chest. Although, I had to sympathize that she was tired after her long day of travelling.

Refilling my glass of water, I headed outside for fresh air to help clear my mind. There was still tomorrow, the final day before the wedding, to have our interaction.

Besides, maybe she didn't want to have it. Perhaps it was easier for her if we continued smiling and waving from across the room. Maybe getting that awkward first interaction out of the way wasn't necessary because it would never happen.

The night air did help ease my mind - it was a lot less suffocating here outside. Plus, the view was quite beautiful at this time.

As I made my way to the balcony, my feet came to a sudden halt.

I didn't have time to turn around and pretend my presence was never here - the moment I tried, she looked over her shoulder.

"Oh, shit, sorry," I started to ramble with a panicked voice, "I'll just, uh..."

Great way to start your first interaction, you fucking idiot, the voice in my head sneered.

Dylan smiled. "It's alright," her voice sweetly replied. "I don't mind if you stay."

"Are you sure?"

"Not at all. There's a nice view of the water from here." Her head turned slightly to the side at just the right moment to catch my hesitation. "I won't bite," she teased, raising her glass of wine to her lips.

A grin tugged on my lips as a teasing rebuttal lingered on the tip of my tongue. However, not wanting to push too far while only seconds into our first real interaction in a year and a half, I silently joined her side.

I left a healthy amount of distance between us - enough room for another body to stand comfortably without brushing either of our shoulders. While her attention focused on the water, I couldn't help but keep glancing at her from the corner of my eye.

"Isn't it lovely?"

"Yes," I breathily answered, unable to take my eyes off her.

I gave myself a moment to collect myself, forcing my eyes to look at the view she was memorized by. My heart was pounding so loud I feared she could hear it.

"By the way," I said, looking over at her, "Hi."

Dylan turned her head. "Hi," she repeated, a smile spreading across her lips which she attempted to hide with a sip of wine. "So, did you come outside for some fresh air, or are you trying to avoid something?"

"Fresh air. You?"

"The same, I guess," she said. "I feel bad admitting this, but I'm jealous of Lily and Rosie getting to bow out and go to bed."

"Still tired from your flight?"

She nodded. "And exhausted from socializing."

"I don't think anyone would blame you if you snuck off to bed."

"That was my plan." Dylan looked back at the venue behind us. "But it's nice to be with everyone again. I needed a minute to get my social battery powered up again."

"If you need a moment alone to recharge, I understand."

"No, it's okay. I like the company."

"Even if it's me?"

She let out a light laugh. "Yes, Hunter. Even if it's you."

"That's a relief. I never know who will put up with my company these days."

Dylan took a sip from her glass before saying, "Well, Lily and Rosie sing your praises if that makes you feel any better."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes," she said, "I hear you're up for Uncle of the Year."

"Wow. That's quite an honour. What do you think my chances are of winning?"

"If everything I've heard is true, I'd say you're a shoo-in."

Without realizing it, I leaned slightly toward her. "And what have you heard?"

"That you're very helpful and nice to have around. Even for a stinky boy."

"Stinky boy?" I repeated. "That's new."

"Lily's words. Not mine," she clarified. "But, even Delilah mentioned how helpful you've been."

"I do what I can. Plus, I would be an asshole for not helping out since I live ten minutes from them."

Her eyes widened. "You moved? When?"

"A couple of months ago. There was a fixer-upper on the market, and it was a good investment."

"What about your businesses in LA?"

"Sold them all."

"Wow," she said. "What made you want to do that?"

I used a sip of water as an excuse to collect my thoughts, saying, "Fresh start. Plus, I like being closer to Lily and Rosie. You know, getting to watch them grow up and all of that."

Dylan looked back out at the water. "You think it's too cold to swim at night?"

"Probably. But it might be refreshing," I said, resisting the urge to overthink how quick she was at switching the topic of conversation. "Thinking about going for a swim?"

"Not right now. But, who knows what I'll do if I get drunk enough after the wedding."

"How's Europe been?"

"Great. Amazing, really." Dylan spoke with a tone that should have swayed me, but her smile appeared different - more forced than usual. "It's beautiful there. I love it."

I knew she had moved shortly after everything had happened. The decision appeared rushed and last minute. However, that was the only information I overheard - no one explicitly talked about Dylan to me at that time. What I did know was that she never submitted her work to the final round of the art show. Sometimes I wondered if her move to Europe still would have happened if she had submitted, let alone won.

"Are you happy?" I meant to ask, 'are you happy there?' but the final word didn't make it out of my mouth.

She hesitated before nodding and saying, "I am. Are you?"

"Getting there."

"Slow but steady wins the race," she said, taking a sip from her wine glass. "You deserve happiness, Hunter."

I wasn't sure how to respond. Nothing came to mind that didn't make me sound like a lovesick idiot over her. There were so many basic things I could ask, ways to move the conversation that would keep it light. In all honesty, I just wanted to keep hearing her talk. I liked the sound of her voice; I missed it all these months apart.

I think my issues all came down to the fear over this peaceful moment between us ending.

I was waiting for her to turn - waiting for her to release her anger or sadness towards me.

If that were the case, I would understand. In fact, I would support it.

"What are you thinking about?"

Well, that question certainly took me by surprise. Am I that obvious?

"Yes."

My eyes widened, "What?"

"Yes, you are that obvious."

"I..." my voice trailed off as my brows furrowed. "Can you read minds or something?"

The sounds of her soft laugh filled my ears. "You asked if you were that obvious. Are you feeling okay? Didn't knock back too many of those, I hope," she said, pointing at my glass.

"I've just been having water." I cleared my throat. "If I'm being honest... This interaction between us is a lot more... calm than I pictured it could go. And I'm just waiting for that pin to drop."

"And what pin would that be?"

Before I could stop the words from tumbling from my mouth, I answered, "When you stop smiling at me and start yelling instead."

Her head cocked to the side. "Why would I yell at you?"

"I'm sure you already have a laundry list of things to be mad at me over. I don't know if I want to give you any ideas."

"I'm not mad at you, Hunter."

"You're not?"

Dylan shook her head. "Not anymore."

"But you were?"

"Well, I am human, Hunter. Of course, I was mad at you." Her laughter lightened the effect of her words, but I still felt the weight of it. "But I was also mad at myself... And our situation... shit, at one point, I think I was even taking my anger out on the sky." Teeth sinking into her bottom lip, she released a heavy sigh. "At the end of the day, I knew I couldn't stay in that headspace - I had to start moving forward with my life. And that began with forgiving and forgetting." There was a pause of silence before she softly added, "You don't need to wait for that pin to drop, Hunter. I let that pin drop a long time ago."

The back door opened, pulling our attention to the drunken guests making their way onto the balcony.

Dylan looked at me, a small smile tugging on her lips as she said, "I should probably go back inside."

"Okay." When she didn't move, I took that as my moment to say, "For what it's worth, I am sorry."

"I know. I am too."

"You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I had some choice words I used to describe you right after it happened," she said. "It only feels right."

I grinned, shaking my head in amusement over how easy it was for her to joke about such things. "Thank you, by the way, for whatever you said to Ethan. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"I might have helped him make that first call. But you are the reason you're here right now." Stopping by the door, Dylan turned back around. "It feels like this was the final test between us."

"What do you mean?"

"Eighteen months ago, I never thought I would be able to have a normal, casual conversation with you," Dylan said in a sweet tone of voice, "I guess that means I've accomplished the inconceivable; Hunter Grayson, I have officially moved on from you." 

hm... come on, dylan... have you REALLY moved on from hunter??? 

btw, all the chapters titled 38 will involve the wedding weekend :) x