Alexis took a deep breath before looking herself in the mirror. She was wearing a gorgeous long, laced white dress that had been made especially for her by the great Ana de Luca. She ignored the exact cost of the exclusive dress, but she knew it was extremely expensive.

An old memory started to creep into her mind. The memory of another white dress in another life, a life that seemed so far away now that she wondered if it all had been a beautiful dream or a terrible nightmare.

2010

“Guys, I’m getting married in less than a month! I need to find the perfect dress” She sighed looking around the retail store “Everything here is …generic”

“Well, Alexis you don’t have much choice. You thought the designer store I took you was too expensive, and you don’t like the retail store either” Olivia sighed annoyed “We’ve gone through Plan A and Plan B, what’s next?”

Max grinned “I know a little vintage shop just around the corner. They have great, original, cheap clothes”

Olivia couldn’t hide her disgust “Vintage?”

Alexis jumped into Maxwell’s arms “That’s just perfect Max!”

After walking a few minutes, they arrived at the store.

Alexis’s eyes wandered through the store “I hope I could find something that will leave him speechless”

“Please, Blossom, that guy is so lost for you, you could arrive in a jean shirt and he’d still be mesmerized”

Olivia arched her brow contemptuously “Well, that’s probably because that’s what he’ll be wearing himself”

Alexis warned her friend “That’s strike one, Liv. I don’t know why you hate him so much”

Olivia scoffed “He’s in last year of his Veterinarian degree but you’re about to start your second year, Alexis. Why do you want to get married right now? Do like everyone else, fuck him in every classroom of the university and move on” She squinted at her “Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”

Alexis rolled her eyes “First of all, you’re the only one that fucks in classrooms, Liv. And for the hundredth time, no I’m not pregnant. We’re just crazy about each other. I can’t even explain it” She sighed “he’s my whole world and I’m his”

Max talked while he looked through the racks “Well, I for one, think is inspiring, Lexie. I’ve never seen anyone more in love than the two of you”

Olivia nodded “Well, that’s true, you’re disgusting when you’re together”

Alexis shook her head amused. “Strike two, Liv” She turned to Max “Did you find something?

Max answered from the back of the store with his arms full of white dresses. “Only this, Blossom. Let’s the parade begin!”

After two hours trying different outfits, Alexis had chosen a long, white, bohemian dress, that would suit perfectly the simple wedding they were planning.  

Maxwell was almost jumping “You look gorgeous Blossom!”

Olivia nodded “The bastard won’t know what hit him”

Alexis looked herself in the mirror beaming, she had never felt so elated before in her life.

Maxwell saw the tears in his best friend’s eyes and took her by her shoulders “Is everything ok, Lexie?”

Alexis wiped the happy tears with the back of her hand “I was just thinking that I can’t wait to be his wife”

Drake entered the address Liam had given shaking his head, it was an exclusive, expensive store. He definitely couldn’t afford it. One day, Liam would understand that they didn’t belong to the same world.

“Drake, over here” Liam waved at him.

“Hi, Li. This store is way above my possibilities, man. I just need a suit”

“Come on, Drake. You only get married once, or at least that’s the plan” he teased.

Drake smiled thinking about her “There won’t be no one else, Liam. I’ve never been so sure about anything else before in my life”

Liam nodded “I know, Drake. That’s why I brought you here, plus, I’m the best man. The suit is on me. She deserves to have the best day possible”

“And she will if I don’t spend our whole budget in the damn suit. I appreciate your offer, but I can buy the suit myself. Let’s go to another store, one that I can actually afford”

They got into Drake’s jeep, and he started driving.

Liam watched his best friend, feeling almost jealous. Drake was going to marry the love of his life. Alexis. As usual, when his mind drifted to her, Liam tried to think about something else, he couldn’t allow himself to go there. “We have been friends all our lives, Drake. You can trust me, is money a problem? I could lend you some”

Drake shook his head. He had inherited his father’s house after he had passed and his internship at the veterinary clinic was a paid job. It was a small house and the internship didn’t pay much, but they would manage.

“It’s not that, Li. I’m just trying to be careful. Lexie is always exhausted from studying all day and working all night in that bar, so I’ll try to convince her to quit waitressing. I’m also saving to take her to that trip in South America she dreams about. We won’t be able to do It right away because of my internship, but maybe in the summer”  

Liam chuckled “I can’t get over the fact that the brooding, dark and cynic Drake Walker is so ‘in love’ that he’s planning a honeymoon. Who would’ve thought?”

Drake didn’t reply anything, but he was wearing such a mushy grin that Liam punched him playfully in the arm “You disgust me, man. Who are you and what did you do with my best friend?”

Drake shook his head “I don’t know what the fuck she did to me, Liam. I only know that I can’t wait to make her my wife”

Alexis spent her days trying to forget all about those days, the days with him. She was starting a new life in less than two months. And after all, she had been through, after all the heartbreak, all the pain, all those days in that horrible clinic, she deserved to be happy with a man that loved her. She deserved to forget everything about her old life and start all over again.

Maxwell entered the room and gasped “Oh my god, Blossom! You look gorgeous!”

“Thank you, Max. It was a great idea to hire Ana de Luca. The dress is beautiful” She gave him a small smile.

Five long years had passed since that dreadful day, but Maxwell still wasn’t used to the change in Alexis’s personality. The joyful, sunny girl he had met in college had disappeared and a guarded, broken woman had taken her place. However, Max knew his old Blossom was still there somewhere and he had made it his life’s mission to bring her back.

A few minutes later she had changed back into her clothes, and they walked to the exit.

“Thank you for coming to the fitting with me, Max. Are you sure you don’t want to join us for diner?”

“Sorry, Blossom, Rash is waiting in the house, I owe him a romantic night”

Alexis smiled “Oh, I wouldn’t want to interrupt that”

A flammant black Aston Martin pulled over in front of them.

“That’s your fiancé, Lexie” He kissed her in the cheek as he waved to the man inside of the car.

Alexis set herself in the passenger’s seat before turning her head and kissing her future husband “Hi, Liam”

March 2015

Maxwell and Liam arrived at Alexis’s apartment and ran through the stairs. Maxwell knocked on the door several times, but no one came. He threw a worried look at Liam; she hadn’t answered any calls or messages for two days.  

“Olivia gave me the spare key” he screamed through the door “We’re coming in Alexis, I’m sorry”

Liam opened the door and saw an impossible mess. Dozens of wine bottles, pizza boxes, and piles of clothes were scattered everywhere. She wasn’t in the living room, so they went to her room where they found her on the bed. She had her back turned to them.

They exchanged another concerned look.  Maxwell sat next to her and rubbed her back “Lexie, we were so worried”

She didn’t turn her head, but Max felt her crying silently.

“Go away. I want to be alone”

Liam’s chest tightened “Alexis we can’t leave you like this. Come with us, please”

Her sad, hollow voice was barely recognizable “Where?”

Liam gestured at Maxwell to stand up so he could sit next to her. “To Valtoria. You know how big the estate is, you won’t have to see me if you don’t want to, but I want to take care of you, Alexis, please”

Alexis shook her head, they didn’t understand. How could they get her pain, the emptiness in her chest, the despair that never left her? She needed to be left in peace with her memories, that was everything she had now.

She sat up on the bed, her face was pale, almost grey with deep purplish rings encircling her eyes. Liam noticed that she was gripping a photo album.

“I don’t need you or anyone else. I lost everything” She bawled at him “Everything!  Just leave me alone”

Maxwell’s eyes watered too “It’s been five months, Blossom, maybe we could get some help”

She scoffed bitterly “Is that so? Five fucking months? So, I’m supposed to forget everything? I’m supposed to just move the fucking on?” Tears ran through her cheeks “Just leave !”

“Darling, I-“

“Leave.Now”

Liam stood up “We’ll leave now, but we will come back later with Olivia and every single day after that, Alexis. You may want to die but I won’t allow it” He didn’t dare touch her, even if he wanted nothing more than taking her in his arms and comfort her, he knew he couldn’t help her right now.

After they left, Alexis gathered the little strength she had and stood up to pour herself another drink. More tears came to her eyes when she remembered how he used to tease her for her love of pictures and old photo albums.

She opened it and saw the first one.  It was a picture of a dark sky illuminated by hundredths of bright stars, with the legend “August 2009” scribbled underneath. Next to it, there was a picture of Drake smiling, and then another one of both of them smiling at each other. She was unable to look more photos knowing that dozens of other memories were waiting for her in that fucking album. Memories that were happy once, and that had become excruciating after that day. The day he had… died.

She couldn’t understand why everything was so incredibly unfair. They had so much love. He had so much life left to live. An uncontrollable rage overcame her, and she threw the album across the room.

Then she went to her drawer and took a bunch of sleeping pills. She needed some rest.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

August 2009

Alexis shut the door behind her and hurried to the bar where she had been working since last summer. She lived with her family in a suburb outside of Cordonia city. It took her one hour and a half to go to work or college, but Cindy, her stepmother, insisted on moving there because it was a neighborhood “where rich people lived”. It didn’t matter that her father was an ordinary accountant or that she had to work to afford college. Appearances were everything for her and her father.

She arrived at the bar five minutes late and panting, but she didn’t have time to catch her breath. She changed into another t-shirt and put on her apron, as soon as she finished tying it, two men entered the bar. They seemed completely disparate, one was wearing a jean shirt and Timberlands while the other one had an expensive jacket and loafers.  

She went to their table noticing how handsome the man in the denim shirt was. He looked angry and brooding, not her usual type but he made it work.

“Hi, guys. What can I-?”

“Waitress, the menu!” The other man interrupted her.

Alexis cocked her brow, as used as she was to the rich kids on campus and their poor manners, some nights she just didn’t have the patience to deal with them.

She smiled widely before answering “My name is written on my tag, it’s Alexis. I also work faster when people add please or thank you to their sentences” Fuck! There goes my tip.

Drake was suddenly interested. He turned his face to look at her for the first time and his heart skipped a beat. Even wearing a horrible green apron, and with her hair in a messy ponytail, he could see how pretty she was. Shiny eyes and a flirty smile. Fuck, a beautiful smile.

He cleared his throat “We apologize, erm… Alexis. Can we start over?”

Alexis felt his dark eyes penetrate hers and she bit her lip feeling slightly nervous. “Of course, that’s fine” She smiled again “what can I get you?”

“We’ll get three burgers and three glasses of whiskey, please” He added smirking.

She looked puzzled “Three?”

Drake nodded behind her, so she turned around and saw a tall, blond man smiling at her.

“Hi, I’m Liam” He looked at her tag “Alexis?”

She smiled at the impossibly handsome man in front of her. “Hi, Liam, yes, that’s it”

“Nice to meet you, Alexis. That’s Tariq and Drake” He said pointing at the men on the table.

She grinned back at them “Nice to meet you too, I’ll bring your order in a few minutes”

Liam watched her leave for the kitchen “Damn she’s pretty”

“The waitress?” Tariq arched his eyebrows in surprise

Liam smiled “Yes, she’s very cute” he looked at the main counter where she was animatedly talking to the bartender. “I’ll go talk to her after diner, maybe she’ll accept to come out with us”

Drake didn’t bother to say anything, Liam wasn’t only kinder than him, he was also much richer and a noble. He didn’t stand a chance with her, not that it mattered anyway, he was only looking for another fun night.

After dinner, Liam went looking for her, when he came back to the table, he had a huge smile on his lips. “She agreed to come with us. Let’s wait for her outside”

Fifteen minutes later she came out with the same black jeans and sneakers than before but without the apron and the t-shirt she used for work.  Instead, she was now wearing a white tank top that highlighted her tanned skin and hugged her curves. Her hair was down, and she wasn’t wearing a lot of makeup, but it didn’t matter, she was completely natural, one of the most beautiful women Drake had ever seen.

His mouth went immediately dry and he couldn’t avoid blushing as a loud “Wow!” escaped from his lips.

She smiled flirty at him “Wow?”

He cleared his throat and said the first thing that popped into his head “I almost didn’t even recognize you”

She laughed “He! Thanks? I guess?”

He laughed too, a bit embarrassed but didn’t take his eyes off of her and something intangible seemed to pass between them for a second until Liam spoke.

“I booked a table at Kismet, is that alright with you, Alexis?”

“Isn’t that a super fancy club?” She looked at her simple clothes and sneakers.

Liam grinned at her “A woman as beautiful as you would go in spite of what she’s wearing” He winked at her “but I know the owner too”

She blushed “Thank you Liam and I supposed it’s okay then”

Liam offered her his arm and walked her to his Mercedes Benz, Drake was getting more and more annoyed at them, at least he had his jeep and wouldn’t have to ride with the new happy couple to the club.

Kismet was a trendy club at the heart of Cordonia city, when they arrived the manager himself took them to their table upstairs in the VIP section and asked for their order.

Liam talked with a kind but assertive voice “We will be drinking the same as usual, Terence. And you, Alexis?”

“I would love a glass of whiskey, thanks” She smiled at him.

Drake looked at her even more intrigued than before but didn’t say anything. Liam was captivated, so he was already talking to her and making her laugh.

After a while, Alexis turned to the other two friends. “Liam tells me he just finished his MBA. Were you in the same class together?”

Tariq answered fast “Yes, we were, but I still need some credits to graduate”

Drake snorted “The understatement of the year, you were drunk the whole semester”

Alexis chuckled as she turned to Drake “You did an MBA too?”

“No, I hate that kind of shit”

Liam shook his head amused “Drake is in Vet school”

“Wow, that’s interesting” She looked at him “Is this your last year?”

Drake shook his head no and took a sip of his whiskey without adding anything else. He hated her feigned interest; it was obvious that she was only trying to impress Liam by befriending him and Tariq. After years as Liam’s best friend, he knew all their tactics.

Liam sighed “No, he still needs two more years to graduate”

She cocked her brow “And does Drake speak, or does he need you to translate for him?” Liam chuckled. 

Drake shrugged “I just hate small talk”

“Suit yourself then” Alexis scowled; he was infuriating so she wasn’t to lose any more time with him, no matter how handsome he was.

Tariq let his eyes roam over her body as discreetly as he could, she was a simple waitress but certainly a very hot one, maybe he could have a chance with her when Liam got tired. “And you?” He asked, barely listening to her answer.

“I’m an English literature major, I start in the Fall”

He frowned “How old are you?”

“Nineteen. I took a year to save for college”

Before Tariq could reply anything, he saw Alexis jumping off the table to greet someone.

“Blossom!!” Maxwell’s shout could be heard despite the high volume of the music “What are you doing here? I called you like a thousand times. Olivia is here too, she’s downstairs.

Alexis hugged Maxwell. Maxwell, Oliva and her had met each other in High School. Maxwell and she were almost soulmates and had become instant best friends while Olivia and she were completely different so their friendship had taken longer to build but she couldn’t imagine her life without either of them.

“Come, I’ll introduce you, Max”

He giggled “I know the Rhys, Blossom. They’re my brother’s friends” He got closer to her and whispered in her ear “Remember the guy I wanted to set you up with?”

She nodded

“Well, It was Liam” She smiled but her eyes went to Drake, which didn’t go unnoticed by Maxwell.

“Forget it, Blossom. Bertrand says that he and Leo, Liam’s brother, are only interested in one-night stands. Liam is more like you, a romantic”

I gotta feeling (here) started playing on the speakers.

“Our song, Lexie!” Maxwell screamed “Come on guys! Let’s dance”

Liam grabbed Alexis’s hand and took her to the dancefloor, Tariq followed them to talk to a lonely blonde by the bar and Drake stayed alone at the table. Finally.

He poured himself another whiskey and changed seats to watch the people dancing. His eyes instantly drifted to Liam and Alexis.

Liam was a decent dancer, but she was mesmerizing. Her hips moved in sync with the music, and a playful smile never left her lips. He had never seen anyone enjoy music so much, or be that joyful, that full of life.

He must’ve been staring hard at her because she suddenly locked eyes with him and he felt the same intangible energy passing between them that he had felt earlier.

He held her gaze for a few seconds, feeling his heart beating much faster, and his mind running wild with thoughts of him with her on the dance floor ravaging those lips.

He shook his head, breaking the eye contact, she was there with Liam, his best friend.

He needed a distraction, so he went to the bar for another whiskey. While he was waiting, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Hi, there!” She was standing in front of her, grinning at him.

“What do you want, Alexis?”

“Aren’t you a real charmer?” she laughed “Come dance with us”

He shook his head. “I don’t dance”

“As a rule?” She gave him an adorable grin, that made him smile almost against his own will. 

 “Well, I’m a man of principles.” They both chuckled.

She Will Be Loved, started playing. 

“Oh god! I love this song. You’re not going to let me like this, are you?” She said as she offered him her hand.

Drake shook his head smiling but took her small hand, almost nervously. He had no trouble engaging with women almost anywhere except for a dancefloor.

Beauty queen of only eighteen she Had some trouble with herself He was always there to help her, she Always belonged to someone else

She grinned bashfully at him “This song is meant to be dance closer than this”

He smiled as he put his arms around her waist and she settled her left hand on his shoulder and her right hand on his waist. “Just feel the music”. She winked at him. He was instantly charmed. And damn, she felt good in his arms.

She was delicate and tantalizing and had a fruity scent, cherry maybe, that was driving him insane.

He felt her move against him, her hips swaying with the rhythm of the song, and her eyes fixated on his. She was the sexiest woman he had ever held before. She had her head turned to him, so he could finally watch her face freely. Her eyes were black and bright with long eyelashes and they were looking at him in a way he had never been looked at before. Her lips were pink and full, and she had the cute habit of biting her bottom lip when she was nervous.

He felt an irresistible need to feel her even closer, so he pulled her against him as they danced. He smiled when he saw the pretty blush coloring her cheeks. She looked away so he took her chin between his fingers and turned her head back to him without a word. He couldn’t get enough of those eyes.

Tap on my window, knock on my door, I Want to make you feel beautiful I know I tend to get so insecure It doesn't matter anymore

Alexis’s heart was beating so hard she couldn’t believe it, a few minutes ago he was driving her crazy, and now she felt like melting in his arms.  

His chocolate eyes were looking so intensely at her, that she was having trouble breathing normally. Suddenly, she felt his big hand on the small of her back pulling her impossibly close to him, getting her knees weaker too. She looked away but his calloused fingers raised her chin to him again, and she saw that he was smiling at her for the first time that night. He was incredibly handsome, with cute dimples and kind eyes that made her feel instantly safe.

Please don't try so hard to say good-bye I don't mind spendin' everyday, out on your corner in the pourin' rain Please don't try so hard to say good-bye

They didn’t notice when the song was over, completely lost in each other, Drake was about to tell her something when Max interrupted them to take Alexis to the bar for a shot drinking competition.

Drake let her go reluctantly, he could’ve stayed on the dancefloor for hours just holding her. He went to the bar as well and saw Liam talking and flirting with her. Maybe it was the whiskey, but just looking at them was making him feel nauseous. And even if he knew he didn’t stand a chance, not if Liam was really interested, he couldn’t help himself, he was drawn to her.

Liam arched his eyebrows seeing his usually brooding friend come to the noisiest corner of the club, where the bartenders were offering free Jello shots.

He hadn’t taken his eyes off of Drake and Alexis while they were dancing. Just a few minutes ago, they appeared to really dislike each other but while they danced, they both seemed…smitten. It was out of character for Drake to be so captivated by someone. He was used to seeing his best friend taking off with a different woman every night but never acting like that. It was a pity because he really liked Alexis too.

He turned his head to watch her and saw her eyes looking for Drake’s. He shook his head; it was clear that she was captivated by his best friend too and he had no interest in a twisted love triangle. He smiled to himself, the cute blonde in the bar had been flirting with him, maybe he should give her a chance. He checked his phone before talking to her and saw a message from his father, he was going to have to cut the night short.

“Drake! I need to go home earlier, Father wants to speak to me about something tomorrow morning, and I better be rested. Could you take Alexis home?”

“Of course, I mean if you don’t mind” He turned to Alexis.

She smiled at him and was about to answer when Maxwell spoke for her “Don’t worry about it, Lexie. I can take you”

Drake and Alexis’s locked eyes with each other, she bit her bottom lip trying to find an excuse.

Fuck, those lips are going to kill me. Drake cleared his throat. “It’s ok, Max. I don’t mind”

“Well, we’re neighbors so it’s really not a prob-. Auch!” Maxwell grabbed his right arm, where Alexis had discretely pinched him.

She gave him an innocent smile “Are you okay, Max?”

“Uhm, yes, but I remembered that I can’t take Lexie home because… because I have, uh, something to do”

“That’s settled then,” Liam said good-bye to everyone and left, after a moment Maxwell went back to the dancefloor, leaving Alexis and Drake alone.

Drake turned to her “Do you want to stay here?”

“What do you have in mind?”

He locked eyes with her as he tugged a strand of hair behind her ear “Do you trust me?”

Inexplicably, after only a few hours of meeting him, she did “Yes, I do”

He smiled. Normally, he would ask her if she wanted to go back to his place, but there was something special about her. For the first time in his life, he wanted to take his time first. And he knew exactly where he wanted to take her.

They got into his jeep, and debated about movies, music, and tv shows while he drove.

After an hour of driving and laughing they arrived at the beach. Drake’s favorite spot.

He took a blanket that he kept on the trunk of his car and extended it on the sand, remembering that he had bought a bottle of whiskey the day before, he put it on the blanket so they could share it.

“It’s a beautiful beach” She took a sip from the whiskey feeling the warm sensation burn her throat.

“It’s more beautiful if you lie down” He nodded at the sky. It was full of stars.

“Fuck! That’s gorgeous”

He grinned “I told you”

“I need to take a picture of this” She took an old camera from her purse and took a picture of the sky, then she turned the camera to them.

“Smile, Drake, I mean if you know how” She stuck her tongue out.

He chuckled shaking his head, he was loving the way she teased him. She took two or three pictures of them and put the camera away.

“Do you come here often?”.

“I do, whenever I can. It’s calm, quiet and far away from everything”

She smiled “I have a similar spot close to home. We live on the other side of the shore. And there’s this little cove, next to the house. I go there when I want to escape”

He frowned “Escape what?”

She shrugged “My father, my stepmom. My life”

He took her arm and rubbed it with the tip of his fingers “Why, Lexie?”

“My family is very strict, very religious. My father would kill me if he knew I’m here. He thinks I’m with a friend”

“I’m sorry”

She shook her head but didn’t answer anything else.

They stargazed for a few minutes, their silence only interrupted by Drake showing her a star or teaching her the name of a constellation. Alexis was fascinated.

“How do you know all this?”

“My father was a bodyguard, but he loved nature and was an amateur astronomer. He learned by himself and taught me everything he could”

“He was?”

There was a short silence.  “He died when I was twelve”

She took his hand and squeezed it. He smiled feeling strangely comforted.

Drake turned to look at her “You have a stepmom”

“My mom passed when I was ten. I had to go live with my father and his new wife in New Jersey, in America. We moved to Cordonia five years ago because he got job here in an American company” She paused “I miss her”

He cupped her face with his hand and gently turned her to him. “I’m sorry, Lexie”

She shrugged “It’s okay, I’m used to it” He looked at her mesmerized. Under the light of the stars, her skin was almost glowing, and her eyes seemed intensely bright.

He was still cupping her face so he left his thumb softly brush her lips, the air rapidly becoming heavy between them. She closed her eyes enjoying the touch of his fingers on her mouth. She had never felt such an intense desire to be kissed before, he made her excited and incredibly aflutter. Drake pulled himself up and leaned towards her, inhaling her delicious cherry scent.

He growled “Fuck, I’m dying to kiss you Lexie”

She managed to mutter “Me too, Drake”

As much as he was dying to ravage her lips, he sensed her nervousness, so he peppered her face with soft kisses first. He kissed her cheeks, her nose and the corners of her lips, as he stroked her neck with his thumbs, and she put her arms around his own neck.  It was soft and deeply tender, but also extremely charged and Alexis felt a warmth sensation pooling between her legs. Finally, he moved to her full lips, and kissed her pouring all the desire and the passion he was feeling. He crashed his mouth with hers again and again softly biting her lips, and letting his tongue explore hers. Alexis had never been kissed like that before. With such passion and tenderness mixed in the same kiss. She knew right there that she wanted to spend the rest of her life being kissed like that. Drake had never felt a kiss so intensely before either, he had never felt his heart beating hard as he kissed someone. He wanted to spend his life kissing her.

Finally, the need for air became urgent so they parted panting. Drake smiled seeing her pink lips swollen and the blush coloring her cheeks.

She looked at her phone “Shit! I have to go back to my house now or my dad is going to kill me”

“Don’t worry, Lexie, I’ll drive you fast enough” He stood up and help her to stand up too, pulling her against him. He kissed her forehead “When can I see you again?”

She bit her lip grinning “If you manage to take me to my house in less than twenty minutes, I’ll put my phone number in your phone”

He smirked “Deal”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2019  (NOW)

Alexis chose a red dress and nude heels for her engagement party. The last few weeks had been hectic at work and she hadn’t had time to shop for a new outfit, but it didn’t matter, Liam loved that dress. It was tight, mid-length and left her shoulders bare, perfect for the party.

She finished dressing and placed in her neck a few drops of the same perfume she had been wearing since high school, the same Drake loved. The cherry scented one. It didn’t matter how many times Liam teased her about it, or how many expensive bottles of French perfume he gave her, she couldn’t bear the thought of smelling like anything else.

“Hi, love” Liam’s voice startled her. She had given him her key three months ago and was still getting used to his presence in her apartment

“Hi, Li” She turned to him as she put a pair of golden hoops on her ears.

He smiled at her “You look gorgeous” He rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand before kissing her “Are you ready, darling?”

“Yes, let me just grab my purse”

They had chosen to host their engagement party in a cozy but exclusive Italian restaurant. Their wedding was going to be similar, elegant yet small with only their closest friends. It wasn’t the first wedding for either of them, so they preferred to keep it simple.

They arrived with a slight retard, Liam knew his fiancé had trouble being on time, he shook his head trying to forget about old times, about someone else teasing her incessantly about it.

Everyone was already there. Liam squeezed Alexis’s hand knowing that she would be feeling anxious, she gave him a grateful smile in return and gripped his hand.

“Alexis, darling, you look stunning” Olivia smiled “A glass of champagne?”

“You too, Liv, Red is definitely our color” They both laughed “And Yes some champagne would be nice”

Liam looked at her with a concerned expression on his face “Are you sure you want to drink today, love?”

Alexis glared at him “Yes, I’m sure. Please pour me a glass, Liv. If you’ll excuse me, I need some fresh air. I’ll be back in a minute”

“Why are you offering her a drink, Olivia?” Liam’s voice had the cold tone he used when he was angry.

“I don’t see the fucking problem, Liam. She’s doing so much better, and I’ve seen her drink wine with you plenty of times” She looked at him questioningly “Didn’t you went to visit the vineyards near Bordeaux together?”

“That’s not the point, Olivia. Her anxiety peaks in events like this. And you know that around this time of the year it always gets worse” He looked to one of the balconies of the restaurant where Alexis was standing. He smiled thinking how beautiful she was and how much he loved her and wanted to protect her.

“Li, if you’re going to marry her, you’ll have to learn how to trust her. If you continue to coddle her like this, you’ll both get tired very fast. She’s a strong woman, she has been through hell since he died, but she needs to find herself again”

“I just don’t want her to relapse” Liam sighed

“So, stop smothering her”

Liam gave her a surprised look “Well, Jin has really changed you, Olivia Nevrakis. Thank you” He smiled at her mockingly “Now, I know who to ask when I need some romantic advice”

“Don’t you dare, Rhys”

Alexis needed a moment alone. Everything was happening so fast that sometimes she had trouble dealing with it. She looked at her diamond ring. It was beautiful, elegant and expensive but non-ostentatious. Much like Liam himself.  However, no matter how perfect the ring was, she would always prefer the simple ring Drake had given her ten years ago. The one she had lost. She took a deep breath and tried to think of something else. She couldn’t go back to those memories.  

Liam walked to the balcony where his fiancé was standing.  “My love, it’s our engagement party. I want you to have anything you want” he encircled her waist and placed a kiss on her bare shoulder “you deserve the world and I want to give it to you”

She smiled “I know you get worried about me, and I understand, I do, but please don’t try to control me. You don’t need to. I’m doing better” She turned around to face him “I promise”

“I believe you, my darling” He caressed her face “I love you, Alexis. You mean the world to me”