Finding Forever

Chapter 18

The flight to Oregon was delayed two hours, and I arrived later than expected, with only an hour to spare before my dad's rehearsal dinner party. I opted to attend dateless for more reasons than one. Maisie offered to accompany me as my guest, but I decided to go alone. Most people would want a little moral support if they were about to be subjected to watching their dad's double life come to fruition. Before I made a fool of myself at Royal Shots in front of Ryan, I had expected him to be the person to come with me.

Because no one else would even be able to comprehend or understand how tough it is for me to be present at my dad's wedding, Ryan is the only person who knows why my parents really split up because of my dad's ongoing affair with my mother's best friend Heidi - his now fiancé - who, when my mom was suffering from another depressive episode, took the opportunity to comfort my dad instead. Not to mention how Heidi has absorbed my dad's entire life into a new life with her daughters, leaving me and my mom on the back burner. Then, Heidi had a family picture taken with my dad and her two daughters and mailed me a Christmas card my sophomore year with the picture inside, wishing me a generic happy holiday. When I opened the card, Ryan was there to witness my dad in a Santa hat and Heidi and her daughters wearing elf hats, dressed festive and smiling. I nearly collapsed on the floor into tears. It was the first time I fully realized I was no longer an immediate part of his family. I was replaced with an evil soon-to-be stepmom and her daughters. Ryan was the only person to console me and tell me I didn't need them because I had him, my mom, and many others who cared about me. Yeah, now that I think about it, there may be a few reasons this whole wedding makes me sick to my stomach. And why having Ryan here would have made this weekend a hell of a lot easier.

But because I had a temporary moment of insanity and stupidly convinced myself I had feelings for Ryan, now I'm too embarrassed to even be in the same room as him. Never mind, fly with him to a different state to be my wedding date.

I confessed to my mom that I was flying to Oregon for the weekend. I also ended up telling her why. Her silence on the other end of the line broke my heart, but I also knew I wasn't the one responsible for fixing things this time. My dad betrayed her, left us, and started a new life without us. I wish I didn't feel obligated to support his nuptials, but I refuse to give Heidi the satisfaction of successfully erasing me from their life.

Usually, I would have stayed at my mom's home in Yachtas, but my dad decided to get married in Portland, Oregon, a three-hour drive from my hometown. The ceremony and reception occur at the Rosevalley River Place Hotel on the harbour.

I check into my hotel room, shower quickly, curl my hair and slip on a coral lace dress with a flirty, off-the-shoulder neckline. Heidi would be overly critical if I showed up in a casual sundress. She's always dressed to impress. Like a wannabe Real Housewife of Oregon. Except my dad is far from wealthy, and she's far from being as attractive as those women on reality television.

The rehearsal dinner party had already started when I left my hotel room. I walk down the hallway and into the elevator, riding to the first floor. When the elevator pings open into the lobby, my breath is pulled from my body in a sharp exhalation.

Ryan?

He is standing a few feet away, dark brown eyes full of hope and mischief as they meet mine. He's wearing a fitted white button-down shirt that clings to his chest and navy dress pants. His feet are in brown Oxford dress shoes, and a powdered blue flecked bowtie is around his neck. His sandy brown hair is styled perfectly.

Maisie sent him here, I'm sure of it.

"Ella..." he starts. When he meets my eyes again, I feel the weight of every ticking moment of silence. His jaw flexes as we stare at each other, and when he swallows, the dimple flickers on his cheek.