Chapter 25
[date.
Stephanie and Daniel were getting married in late fall, which everyone said was the perfect d
Liam flew to Riverton a day ahead and spent the night alone in his hotel room.
A 10:00 am the next day, he suited up and went to the wedding venue alone. Someone from the Leith family greeted him and asked for his name since They didn’t recognize him:
Liam simply told them he was Stephanie’s old high school classmate, who was there to pass on his and their classmates well wishes. Then, he pulled a cantout of his pocket.
With everyone staring at him in surprise, Liams said flatly, “Stephanie knows the password. Please tell her to take this. It’s a small gift from her old classmates, wishing her all the best.”
The wedding took place at a hotel hallway up the mountain. The hall was everflowing with pink roses, and laughter and happiness filled the air.
Liam grabbed an empty seat at a table and quietly waited for the ceremony to begin.
The wedding kicked off right at noon. The room erupted in applianise as Stephanie entered in her breathtaking wedding gown, her arm linked with
Hubert’s
Hubert gently placed Stephanie’s hand in Daniel’s..
Liam saw the joy on her face. Her smile never faded though she looked slightly nervous. Stephanie would sneak glances at Daniel, who was beside her, now and then.
Whenever Daniel noticed her nervousness, he’d meet her eyes with a soft, reassuring smile,
Under the spotlight, they stood before their nearest and dearest, solemnly promising to spend their lives together. After slipping the rings on, the crowd cheered for the newlyweds to ldss
As soon as Daniel lifted Stephanie’s veil, Liam quietly rose and left the venue. With all the celebrating going on, his departure went completely unnoticed.
He left the hotel on his own and told his driver to take him further up the mountain along the winding road.
The lush green mountains had given way to the colors of late fall, now dressed in vibrant shades of orange, red, and gold.
The wind swept the remaining red maple leaves off the branches, sending them flattering to the roadside and eventually landing on the windshield.
Staring at the fallen leaves, Liam told the driver to pull over and lowered the window. The cold wind rushed in, brushing his hair aside and showing his eyes, red from emocion
Out of nowhere, his eyes started tearing up. Maybe the wind had kicked up some dust. He quickly closed his eyes. Darless closed in around him, and memories came rushing back all at once.
It was around this time last year when his shift flying the plane from Oster to Javerton was cut short. He’d returned to the apartment in the cold. The living room was dark, with only the bedroom light on. He figured Stephanie had probably fallen asleep waiting for him again, so he tiptoed When Liam reached the door, he realized she was still up, chatting on the phone. He couldn’t tell who she was talking to, but her voice sounded upbeat and joyful
“I’d like to get married next year, but I’m not sure if it’ll work out. Do yo
you think i would rather wait a few more years before getting married? Maybe 1 should just wait for him. Getting married this young does feel a little rushed.
“For the wedding, I’d love to have it in the fall, preferably on a mountain. It just feels so peaceful up there. Plus,
bus, the view and the tall weather are perfect. “Having the most important moment of my life–marrying the person I love most–during such a beautiful season should be a memory I’ll never forget.
Even now, Liam could still hear the hope and excitement in Stephanie’s voice when she said those words.
He could almost picture her lying on the bed, swinging her legs and absently twirling her hair. It was a scene he’d seen a million times. He was so used to it that he’d stopped really noticing in
Things weren’t the same anymore, and all that was left were the memories. There was no going back for him and Stephanie
Those feelings of guilt and regret that had Liam tossing and turning would turn into a pain be’d carry with him forever.
Everything Stephanie had dreamed of the proposal, the wedding, the happily–ever–after–had all come to life. The only difference was that the groom ended up bring someone else.
But it didn’t really matter in the end. All Liam wanted was for Stephanie to be happy.
He finally broke down, and lils tears ran down the scar on his face
The driver was at a loss when he saw Liam in tears. He hesitated for a moment, then quietly got out of the car. The only sound left was the faint hum of a song and Liam’s quiet soba,
“If only we’d never met, If only our paths had never crossed..”
