[9]

The thought of descending the stairs while a spotlight shone directly above me, deeming me the center of attraction, scared the living patooty out of me. But, for some reason, it gave Mida the yippies.

And by yippies, I meant an excited feeling that made one grin from ear to ear. Like she currently was.

"Just picture it, Cammie," my bubbly cousin squealed, her grip on my forearms tightening as her grin grew. "The glory. The excitement you would feel. The over-the-top rush you'll get when all eyes are on you." She paused a suggestive brow lifting. "Including Garth's."

If I had a drink in my mouth, I would have spat it out in her face and ruined her makeup. "Who says I want Garth's attention?" I nearly shrieked, my eyes widening. "Who says I want anyone's attention? Shouldn't they be focused on you, the bride?"

"To be," Mida corrected, gaze flickering down. Guess she'd accepted that fact-the one Simone had drilled into her-by now.

"It's not going to be long now." Her head snapped up, pupils dilating with emotion. I permitted a smile to gloss over my lips. "You're getting married in two days."

Her hands dropped from my forearms, and mine shot up to rub at the spots where her hands had been. She chuckled. "It's kinda terrifying, but it's a good terrifying. Like finally getting that flavor of ice cream you've always wanted but being uncertain because it comes in a box, and you're not sure what to expect. Thrilling."

I pointed playfully. "I don't think ice cream's supposed to come in a box."

"Shut up."

I laughed, shaking my head at her. "I'm very horrible at love advice, but I think if it were to be me in your shoes, you'd say," I paused to clear my throat. "'It's okay to be a little scared. Just don't let that fear deprive you of doing something good'."

The smile on her face didn't falter as she replied, "that sounds so cliché."

"You're cliché."

"I like to think of myself as sophisticated, thank you very much."

I giggled, reaching forward to place a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "You'll be fine. Besides, you've been babbling about how excited you are to get married and have kids finally-"

"I never-"

"-ever since we were teenagers. I don't think any teenager could be as excited as you were for their future wedding."

"I still am."

"Then enjoy the making of your love story. Some people don't get the chance."

The smile fell off her face, and she frowned. "That's because those people don't want to give love a chance."

I opened my mouth to retort and inform her that love didn't come easy for everyone, but she silenced me with a shushing sound. "The people are waiting. My maid of honor is probably standing at the top of the stairs wondering when I'll materialize, so it'll be really great if we could get a move on."

And that was what we did next: Get a move on.

As Mida had predicted, her maid of honor stood at the top of the stairs, waiting on the bride-to-be with a slight frown on her beautifully made-up face. Though, the frown crashed and died once she saw Mida approaching in all her regal glory.

When she'd tried to coax me into spotlight walking with her, I didn't hesitate to turn her down. Blatantly. Which displeased her, but she couldn't do anything. She wasn't the boss of me, even if this was her wedding.

So, I was left at the top of the stairs, which was dark because Mida had insisted on walking into light from a dark background. Considering how bright and well-lit the ballroom beneath me seemed, I was sure no one was able to see me from where I stood.

The lights dimmed-the ones on the ground floor. And the spotlight came on, right on the spot where Mida and her maid of honor stood.

I took a step back into the darkness and gave her a thumbs up when she shot me a glance. Soft music played in the background-the same one that had been on before-giving this entire thing an even more cliché atmosphere.

Shawn waited at the base of the stairs, a big smile slapped onto his face as he watched his bride-who was also wearing a smile-descend the stairs. I couldn't help but smile as well. The entire thing was cute. Cheesy but cute.

By the time Mida had reached the base of the stairs and looped her arm in Shawn's, smiles and all, the lights came back to normal. The room erupted in cheers.

Watching the happy couple below stirred up a sense of nostalgia inside me. I was happy for them, I truly was, but it was suffocating to watch someone else have something you couldn't. And I really needed some of that expensive wine.

I watched the couple get surrounded by well-wishers, chatting and well-wishing away. But then something caught my eye.

Or someone.

Dressed in a well-pressed white dressing shirt and a pair of black pants, right arm looped with the maid-of-honor's, was Parker Garth Wellington. Although he didn't look as polished as the groom, who wore a crisp black suit and a red tie matching Mida's dress, he still made my breath hitch.

At first, he was all smiles and talk with the maid of honor, but then his smile turned into a frown, and his gaze wandered around the room. I wasn't stupid.

I knew he was searching for me.

But I didn't want to talk, not right now, maybe tomorrow. I knew it was rude to leave my partner, but my heart couldn't take it. The talk we'd had in the room did not help at all.

Just as I had taken a step back, willing myself to get the hell out of his line of vision, the lightbulb above me turned on, and all attention crashed on me, including Garth's, whose glare felt like I was being sunburnt. And there was no escape now. Embarrassed just didn't cut how I was feeling.

So I did the next rational thing that came to mind.

I lifted my gaze to the blinding white bulb directly above me and cursed violently under my breath.

That action proved to be stupid because now, I had an image of the light from the lightbulb, temporarily stationed in my vision. And when I tried to walk down the stairs gracefully with all the attention still on me, it turned out rather ungraceful.

I tripped when I was just two steps away from the ground floor.

The next series of events happened in slow motion. Parker dashed forward. The crowd gasped. Mrs. Wellington smirked from where she currently stood next to Shawn. I fell.

Right into Parker's arms.

At first, a pin drop silence fell on everyone, and then there was applause. The sound of people clapping swallowed that of my racing heart.

I'd always been drawn to Parker's eyes. They were so green, so brilliant. And they had this safety within them that made me want to crawl into him and snuggle until I was totally immersed in his warmth.

My hands held onto his shoulders for dear life. His grip on my waist remained fixed, firm like he wanted me to trust in him like he wasn't going to let me fall. I believed him.

We'd been so immersed in our own world that we didn't hear the audience stop clapping. What we did hear was Simone clearing her throat, and we scrambled away from each other, me almost falling to the floor.

Simone had the widest smile on her lips as she stared at us, and there was someone beside her. That someone was Marcus, her boyfriend. His brown skin and hazel eyes stood out amongst the other people surrounding him since he was the only dark-skinned person in that area of the room

I grinned awkwardly and sent a small wave. He waved back.

Marcus had just returned from his home country, South Africa when the wedding was announced to him by Simone. And though he'd been busy with work, he hurried here to support his best friend: Mida.

"Are you okay?"

I cast a glance around, happy to notice that the attention had gone back to Shawn and Mida before facing the owner of the voice.

Parker watched me with uncertainty, hands tucked into his pockets as she stood a few inches away.

"I'm okay," I said. "Thank you."

"You can thank me by dancing with me," he grinned, all traces of the previous embarrassment gone from his features.

I put on a tight smile which was rather shaky. A part of me was glad Parker had saved me from falling. The other part was dreading dancing with him. But I knew that no one else was going to ask me to dance.

When I looked over his shoulder, I saw his mother giving me a nice, hard glare. But when I looked at him, I saw the warmest smile decorating the brightest set of green eyes.

I wanted to be close to Parker and not just for a few seconds. I wanted to bask in his warmth and forget about everything in my pathetic life. Even though I knew it wouldn't last forever, I craved him.

So, with half my face burning from his mother's glare, I nodded.

"It's a good thing you're my partner then."