The Best Man {h.s.}

24

My body almost can't keep up with my feet as I weave through the various plants and flowers that surround the conservatory. I try to stay hidden, hoping that none of the guests arriving for Chloe's bridal shower will see me trying to escape. I don't care if it's my sister, I needed to get out of there.

The thought of Jane inching closer to Harry with their eyes locked on each other almost makes me sick. I know I shouldn't let her get to me. I know I should've just told her to fuck off and continued to enjoy the party with Harry by my side, but after she said those words I went numb.

Has he ever told you about how he was madly in love with me?

My feet start moving faster than they were before as the conservatory behind me gets farther and farther away. I'm out of breath, my legs are killing me, and I can't stop cursing myself for not taking advantage of the free gym in my office building.

I feel like I've gone far enough to almost reach the end of the property when I look to my right and see a lake. I decide to turn and run towards it, hoping that I can find a good spot to catch my breath. I continue on the little path until I spot a white, stone gazebo that sits right next to the lake. Slowing my pace down and walking over to it, I take a second to admire the metal dome that rests above the white stone. The metal is twisted and molded into a beautiful design, with the sun peeking through the gaps. A few stone steps around the gazebo lead down to the water and I take a seat, admiring how calm everything is in front of me.

I wish life could be this calm.

I sit for a while, staying as still as the water while I try to wrap my head around everything. He was in love with her, just like I was in love with my ex. I shouldn't feel jealous, but I am. Why does that bitch get to have everything that I want? Why does she have to take every good, pure thing in my life that means so much to me and rip it right out of my hands? I hate her. I hate her so fucking much.

The sound of footsteps break me from my thoughts and I turn around to find a very tired and panicked Harry running towards me. The second our eyes lock, he slows down, breathing a sigh of relief. I spot a hint of a smile on his face as he watches me, but I turn around. I can't decide if I'm mad at him or not. I know that his past with Jane was long before we ever met, but he did nothing to stop her as she kept pushing and pushing in the conservatory. I feel a sudden shift in the air as he takes a seat next to me.

He takes another deep sigh before saying, "Jane and I met a few weeks after I came to America."

"Harry, I really don't want to--" I close my eyes and shake my head, but I stop once I feel his warm hand rest on top of mine. Our eyes lock again as I look up at him, but I can't read his expression.

"Em, I need you to hear this."

I stare at him for a moment then sigh, knowing that he's not going to let this go until I let him tell me everything. As much as the thought of the two of them together makes me want to throw up into the water in front of me, I nod my head and let him continue.

"Ben wanted to take me out to give me the full 'American University experience', so we go to a party at some guy's flat, and Jane was there."

I cringe when he says her name, but he doesn't seem to notice.

"I was instantly drawn to her. She was so sure of herself and always seemed to know the right thing to say. That was something that I had never really seen in anyone else, and it scares me now to think about how quickly I fell for her. She wasn't lying back here, I was in love."

I can feel my heart sink down into my stomach. I thought that hearing her say it was bad, but hearing it come out of his mouth is even worse. I try my very hardest to not look phased by his story, but inside it's absolutely killing me.

"We spent so much time together. Her and I were practically inseparable, however, the time that we spent together always felt like it meant more to me than it did to her. She was there, but she wasn't at he same time. She was always on her phone, or constantly looking around when we were out in public together. It made me paranoid, which in turn made me more drawn to her. I started showing up at her job to keep her company, and sending her flowers or chocolate or whatever I could think of almost weekly. It was pathetic how much I tried to fight for her attention. Really pathetic."

He takes a break to let out a deep sigh and run his fingers through his hair before continuing.

"So, one night, I got invited to a party. It was a great time, I saw a lot of friends that I hadn't seen in a little while, but the one person I didn't expect to see there was Jane. And what I really didn't expect to see was her leading another guy upstairs."

My heart sinks as I watch him replay the memory in his head.

"What I didn't realize at the time, was who that guy was."

He pauses to look at me with sad eyes and I tilt my head, confused. He rests his hand on mine again.

"The party that I went to was during winter break of my junior year."

At first it doesn't register. My eyes narrow as he watches me try to do the math.

His heart was broken during winter break, the same time that mine was.

It was at a party, just like mine was.

It was his junior year. He's Chloe's age. She's two years older than me.

.........

It was my fiancé.

We were at the same party.

Oh my god.

My eyes go big as I look away from him, trying to find the same sort of peace that I found looking at the water only moments ago. Our heartbreak happened at the same time, with the same people. As tight as my chest feels for my own past, I feel even more sorry for him and his past. I actually had someone who loved me back, at least I did at first, but really thinking about it I don't think Jane ever did.

It's weird though, I feel strangely connected to him in some way. Even more than I did before which I didn't think was possible. I move my hand away so his is no longer resting on top of mine and I lace our fingers together, squeezing his hand gently while we both stay silent for a moment.

"So then," he exhales, "once I came back from winter break, my entire attitude towards girls completely changed. Ben hadn't met your sister yet, so him and I went crazy. We were out almost every night, bringing this girl home and that girl home and really settling into that lifestyle. As much as I hate to admit it now, we thought that life couldn't get any better. Then, one day your brother introduced me to Chloe, and everything changed. We started taking different paths, he got really serious with your sister whereas I kept running around with the first girl that looked my way. I stayed in America for my senior year and continued doing what I was doing even after school. Honestly, I was fine with it. I accepted it as my life and that's just how it was."

He stops to look down at our hands laced together before chuckling to himself.

"And then," he laughs. "I was out one night and saw this beautiful, blond haired, blue eyed girl practically breaking some guy's finger for getting too close to her."

My cheeks instantly turn red and my heart skips as a smile appears on my lips.

"It was then that I knew the life I was living just wouldn't cut it anymore."

I take a second to admire the way the sun rests on his hair before I reach up and push it away from his eyes, happy that I'm able to see how beautifully green they are.

"Can we please get the hell out of here?" I practically whisper, hoping that he also doesn't want to go back to the party.

"As long as I get to spend the rest of the day with you, then yes. Let's go."

I smile and lean over to press my lips against his before we both stand up and start walking towards the parking lot.

_________

Hope you like it. :)

xx