Back To You

Chapter 5 || Like It Was Yesterday

𝐒 𝐎 𝐏 𝐇 𝐈 𝐀

Families like this make me miss my own.

The unexplainable yet magical closeness each family member shares with one another, as well as the close friends that they consider as part of the family by everyone. The inside jokes they share that while they may seem confusing to an outsider but to family, they are the most hilarious jokes. The way you can share something with them and they will never judge and help you through it.

My family is not a million miles away, in fact, they live down in Syracuse, which is four hours away from where I live in Manhattan. With running my business and planning several weddings at once it means taking a vacation isn't the easiest thing to do in my line of work, so I don't get to see them as much as I would like to. 

Gently pushing a lock of my raven black hair away from my face and behind my ear, I smooth out my floral sundress before grabbing the salad bowl off the kitchen island in front of me. Walking outside the bowl, I smile towards Savannah and Elijah's family and friends as the light sound of music fills the outside area while people chat away to one another or sway to the music.

Placing the bowl in the middle of the long wooden picnic table on the patio that is large enough to fit all twenty family and friends that are here. I stand back to admire to sight in front of me. Covered in fine china and candles in the middle of the table, fairy lights hang both above the table and around it strung on the trees, illuminating the garden.

"I heard you got stuck listening to my aunts 'in my days' stories." Savannah appears, placing bottles of wine and water on the table. "For that, I am truly sorry. I love her to pieces, but I've had to listen to those stories and they're so long," Savannah says, making me laugh.

"Nothing I can't handle," I tell her. "I have to admit, though her story about sneaking into a concert by flashing her boobs had me laughing."

"Oh, my god, don't even. She tells that to random people she meets at events and we have to drag her away," Savannah explains. "She told that same story to Elijah the first time I introduced him to my extended family and I thought that was the end of our relationship."

"How did you two meet, anyway?" I ask her as we make our way back inside to the kitchen.

"College actually. I was there for veterinary studies and him law, which are two extremely different courses, so we should have never crossed paths, considering we were never on the same sides of campus, but one day my class got moved to his side, and we bumped into each other," Savannah explains.

"Sounds like fate to me."

"Ugh, fate...a big bowl of bullshit," Victoria says, sitting down at the kitchen island with a glass of wine in her hand.

"Tell us how you really feel, Tori." I chuckle, and she rolls her eyes.

"So I know Nicole has her girlfriend, Meghan. You and Jackson have that complicated thing going on," Savannah trails off, waving her hands in the air. "What about Miss wedding planner over here? I have plenty of attractive cousins to set you up with, as does Elijah."

"Well, as appealing as that sounds. I'm not one for dating. I'd rather focus on my business."

"She has the whole independent woman who doesn't need a man thing going on." Victoria gestures to me as I roll my eyes.

"I haven't dated since college. My last relationship ended in a bad way and it almost cost me my future," I explain. "After that, I focused on setting up my business and I don't intend to let a guy distract me."

"If I ever see his face again, I'll put my first through it. No matter how pretty he was," Tori threatens, sipping her wine. This is exactly why I didn't tell her I saw or thought I saw Carter at the club the other night, as she can be quite violent. But she's my friend, and I'd never want her to change for anything.