NEW BEGINNINGS

CHAPTER FORTY ONE

The limo pulled up in front of her house. Wanda already packed everything she needed. The limo was going to take them to the hotel where Brie and the rest of the bridesmaids were. Wanda heard a knock on her door.

"Wanda? The driver is here already"
"Where is Richard? I've not seen or heard his voice all day!" Wanda asked
"He's with Ken. He's part of the groom's men"
"How many groom's men are they?"
"About six, why?"
"Nothing. How many bride's maids does Brie have?"
"Six, you included"
"Oh shit! I'm going to be stuck with that son of a bitch all through the church wedding"
"It is only for an hour or two"
"I would rather stay alone for the whole year than sit next to Riley for two hours"
"Who knows, you might eventually get together and shit"
"Ewww, that's the most disgusting memory you have put in my head so far," Wanda said to her sister
"C'mon, we don't want to keep the driver waiting. Richard took Tristan with him. He's the ring bearer"
"Do people still do that shit?" Wanda asked and she laughed
"Well, Tracy is the little bride and you can whine about that all you want but we need to go"
"Fine!"

Wanda said as she grabbed her bag and headed down. She locked the doors and headed to the car. They got in and they drove to the hotel. The church wedding was supposed to start by 12 and it was almost eleven. Everybody was ready except the bride herself. She eventually came down and they headed to the church. She met Riley waiting at the door. He extended his hand with a smirk on his face

"You know, you would make the perfect bride for me if you weren't so stubborn and aggressive," Riley said to her
"I would rather get married to the devil's son than get married to you!"
"Married to the devil's son? Isn't that a book or something?"
"So you do read?" Wanda said, sarcastically. "Why the hell am I surprised?"
"Whatever pretty woman," Riley said back
"Pretty woman is a movie, one I intensely dislike!" Wanda said
"Why do you?"
"My mom made me watch it over and over again till I knew every word in the movie. So hell yeah, I hate it"
"That's just bull shit, Wanda. It's a nice movie"
"Just shut the hell up and give me your hand and let us get this whole ceremony over with"

She said as she held his hand and they walked into the church. The ceremony was over in two hours and they headed to the reception venue. She was still busy greeting guests when she felt a hand on her waist. She turned and looked behind her. It was Dylan. He was the one that touched her. She looked at him. He was with Gabriel and Val. She hugged him

"Hey, thanks for coming. I didn't think you were going to make it. How are you?"
"I am good, thanks and how the hell would you think that I would miss it? I mean if it's important to you, it's important to me and everybody here. You do look beautiful"
"Thanks, Dy"

She said as she hugged Val and Gabriel and led them to a table. She decided to sit with them and they talked about everything. They talked about how work was going for all of them and how their week went. She moved about a little bit till the party was over. She decided to postpone the gift she was going to give her brother because she wasn't done with the finishing touches. The day ended and everybody returned to their various homes. Dylan drove to her place though. He didn't return home with Gabriel and Val. He went to her house instead and they talked. It was almost midnight when her phone rang. She looked at it, it was Ken. He was probably calling to check up on her so she ignored it. It kept ringing and ringing but she still ignored it, hoping he gets the impression that she is asleep

"I really think you should pick that up" Dylan said to her
"It's Ken. He's just calling to check up on me and I don't want him to know that you're here with me"
"Why don't you want him to know?"
"I don't want him to know because he is going to think that we have something going and I really can't start to explain that we don't"
"Do you want us to? I mean if he's going to think that and if you want it then I don't see why it can't happen because I definitely want something to happen between us again. I messed up the first time"
"Just stop. Nothing can happen between us again. Never! Nothing would ever happen between us. You left and just because I talk to you doesn't mean I forgive you for breaking my heart when I was eighteen! I don't! You left and that still hurts even till now so no. I do not want anything between us. Maybe when I was eighteen, I did but I was stupid back then but not anymore"
"Oh, I wasn't expecting that. I'm sorry I left. I had no choice!"
"You did have a choice. You could have maintained what we had! You could have fought for us but you didn't. You left the country and changed your numbers and social media accounts!"
"What the hell was I supposed to do? I couldn't do that to you. Hurting you was the only way I could make you hate me because I needed to make you hate me! I needed you to date me because loving me when I left would do nothing but hurt you! I never stopped loving you Wanda and I probably never will. I did what was best for you at that point because if I had held you back, you would have stayed there and waited for me!" he said, Hurt