Secrets & Lies {On Hold}

~*Twenty-Three*~

Courtney and Lucas's wedding was beautiful and intimate. The skies were clear and the weather was simply lovely. It went on without a glitch, the air filled with joy instead of its usual balmy eeriness.

After the wedding at the church, where Courtney and Lucas had said their vows and signed the wedding contract, everyone had moved to the reception.

The reception is set in a picaresque garden. The soothing classical music dances around the air with precision, blending into the happy atmosphere and captivating it with subtle intensity. The Jasmine flowers that engulfs the  surroundings with it's intriguing fragrance mixes with the wine to induce giddiness in everyone.

A giddiness everyone is happy to embrace, especially a grinning Rachel who happens to have her arms roped around her boyfriend Dave's neck, pulling him down into a kiss as they dance slowly and intimately, his hands vested on her hips.

"Can I just say that this is a gorgeous wedding." Rachel says into Dave's ear after breaking the kiss, giggles escaping her throat as she does.

"I don't know about the wedding though." Dave says, his voice kept husky "but you're gorgeous."

As more giggles erupt from Rachel's lips, she pulls him in for another kiss.

Dave and Rachel got together about a week ago. It was something neither of them expected but when Rachel walked into Dave's house during a cleanup and tripped over the clutter on his floor, landing against an unsteady Dave and inadvertently ending up on the floor atop him, neither of them could deny the feelings and passion completely burning in their souls for each other anymore.

Everything set off from there. The midnight phone calls, cuddles against the couch after work, sweet text messages, unprompted dates and most of all, the excessive make outs.

Someone mistakenly brushes Rachel's arm, forcing Dave and Rachel apart as they both laugh in slight embarrassment. Rachel's arms leave Dave's frail neck and he rubs it haggardly.

"Rach why do you have to be so short?" Dave sighs, an obvious attempt to irritate his girlfriend "As much as I love kissing you, it will definitely be the death of my neck!"

Rachel throws a light punch at Dave chest, his teasing causes her to fold her arms over her chest and force a frown.

"What? It's true!" Dave insists, trying to look innocent "Look, you're even in heels and I still have to lean down so much!"

Rachel scoffs, her squeezed face earning her a hearty laugh from Dave.

"You're such a-"

Rachel's words are cut off when she notices that Dave's gaze has shifted to something behind her. Rachel follows his eyes swiftly.

Trevor stands behind them, his steps small as he walks up to the couple reluctantly.

"Sorry to interrupt you guys." Trevor begins, his head tilting to the side in an apology.

"It's cool." Dave states, stepping forward to shake Trevor's hand and give him a hug from the side while Rachel stares at the pair "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you guys have seen Scarlet?" He ask, his gaze shy amidst his dark bedroom eyes.

Rachel's face twists at the same time realisation plays on Dave's.

"Yes, now that I think about it, I didn't see her at the wedding and she doesn't seem to be at the reception either."

Rachel's eyes do a one over on the reception, going from the dancing people around her, to the people eating and drinking, to Courtney and Lucas seated on the makeshift podium which is exquisitely decorated. Her eyes even find a busy looking Kaitlain Cassidy who is hunched over her phone and an indifferent looking Paige Miller who has a glass of red wine in her hands.