Forked Roads Back

99 - ARCHIE

WHEN WE GET TO the rehearsal dinner, the room is full of people. Full of people I haven't seen for years.

As I step in, I clamp on to Millie's hand as all eyes turn on us and conversation stops. As eyes turn on me, I feel like I'm in a movie, and I'm the protagonist walking into a lion's den. Now all the lions are salivating, just waiting before taking their chance to tear me to pieces.

I spot Tessa immediately across the room. Charlotte's theme is red, so she's wearing a beautiful red halter neck dress, similar to the two other bridesmaids, Millie included. Her hair is up in a tight, gelled bun, fringe curled at the front. Next to her, Jamie is wearing a red tie with his black suit to match, and his expression darkens as he spots me.

Moving my gaze away, I see Rob and Will coming towards me, faces unreadable. They stop in front of me and Millie, and I feel like Will is about to start shouting. Will and alcohol don't mix and he never could control his temper when he'd had one too many.

I drop my head, preparing to expect the worst, but I half yelp when he throws his arms around my shoulders instead, wrapping me in a hug. I let Millie's hand go so I can hug him back, and I feel a lump in my throat as Rob's arms go around me from the other side in a double hug. I wrap my arm awkwardly behind my back, but after a minute they both let me go and we all step back.

"About time, bro," Will says, putting a hand on both of my shoulders.

I give him a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be sorry," he says with a shrug. "You did nothing wrong. We're just glad you're back. Got my best bro back."

After Matt and Danny, Rob and Will were who I was closest to at school, especially after the rift opened with Callum and Dee. As well as the football team, they were in all my classes and I stayed at his a few times as well when the Grangers couldn't. His warm blue eyes always had laughter in them, and like Matt, he could pick you up out of any bad mood, even if the bad mood was down of him.

I look around and spot Danny, so I tell Rob and Will I'll catch up a bit later and Millie and I make our way to them... only to realise they're standing with Tessa and Jamie.

"Sorry we're late guys," I tell them, before kissing Charlotte on the cheek and shaking Danny's hand. "Millie was fixing her hair," I chuckle and she swats me.

"For a moment we thought you wouldn't come," Charlotte admits. My smile falters as I look at Millie, but then I pick my smile back up.

"Wouldn't miss this for the world."

She smiles then, before she turns sideways to Jamie, extending her hand. "Arch, have you met Jamie?"

I nod curtly. "Yeah, we've met." I give him a tight smile. "Nice to see you again."

I glance at Tessa for a second, and it seems she hadn't told Charlotte about our scuffle at the hospital. Her eyes plead with me not to say anything, so I just extend my hand for Jamie to shake. He looks from my hand to me before he finally puts it in mine, giving it one firm shake, stiffly nodding at me before quickly taking it away.

As Tessa smiles at me, my gaze moves to her cheek, which has healed nicely. There's now only a tiny cut visible, but I'm only noticing because I know to look for it. To an unobservant eye, it may look like a freckle.

Moving my gaze to her face, she looks happy. Her eyes bright, and she's smiling wide, so I knew I'd been worrying over nothing over the last few weeks. The way she is molded into Jamie's side as she does so is like a painful barb, so I turn my gaze away as Danny turns to me.

"So I gather you've finished college now, Arch? Everything handed in. You're officially a free man?"

Tessa's eyebrows raise and her mouth opens to ask a question, but then she shuts it again as she gets a hard look from Jamie.