Look East | A Hozier Fanfiction |

41

FIRST WEEK OF JULY

Andrew ran his hand across the bed next to him, his heart giving a small jump when he found it empty. His eyes snapped open in panic before his mind caught up to itself. Molly was just down the hall in one of the spare rooms. She'd moved there because it was bad luck for him to see her that day. It was bad luck because they were getting married that evening.

Married.

By this time the next morning, she'd be his wife and he'd be her husband. He hadn't had a lot of time to truly process everything that had happened in the last week and a half. One minute, he was listening to Oscar beg Molly to take on a case for Bright Horizons, the next he was sitting next to Oscar picking out a menu for the small reception that was to follow the ceremony. Somehow in between those things, he'd managed to work on the album with Alex as well. It was all a chaotic blur to him.

He inhaled slowly and stretched, pushing his hands over his head against the headboard. A small pang of guilt coursed through his system as he recalled the one sad thing about the wedding: his parents and Jon weren't going to be there. He'd decided it was probably easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, so he didn't plan on telling them what happened until he returned to Ireland in a couple weeks.

His phone vibrated on the night stand and he reached for it. A text from a new number shone back at him.

I'll be there around two. Does that work? the text read.

Andrew sat up and cracked his neck before replying.

That works. She has no idea you're coming.

He got up and pulled a shirt over his head before slowly opening the bedroom door. Molly had been up late the night beforehand working on the case, so he figured she'd probably sleep in for another hour or two. It was just enough time for him to nip down to the kitchen for breakfast. He was halfway through making a cup of tea when he heard footsteps behind him. He clapped his hand over his eyes and turned around, groping blindly for the edge of the counter.

"Molly?" he asked. "We're not supposed to see each other."

"Its only me," Alex replied with a yawn. He settled into a bar stool at the island.

"Oh," Andrew said, lowering his hand. "Tea?" he asked, sliding his own fresh cup across the counter and beginning a new one.

"So...big day," Alex said with a grin. "If you want to leg it to the airport, I can get a car here in an hour."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere." He took the tea bag out of his cup and wrung it out over the sink.

"Just doing my best man duties," Alex answered with a shrug as he took a sip from his mug.

"Thanks for...that," Andrew said, ducking his head. "I know it was kind of short notice of me to ask you."

"Don't be stupid, Andy," Alex smiled. "I'm honored that you'd ask me. Even if it was out of necessity because nobody else is here."

Andrew laughed. "You were going to be part of the original wedding in September. This isn't really any different." He shifted and leaned against the island facing Alex. "Besides, it would feel wrong if I didn't have a bit of home standing up there with me."

"Do you know who else is coming?" Alex asked.

"I know Este, Danielle, and Alana are coming," Andrew said. "Bob said he was coming, too. I think a few people from Bright Horizons. We didn't invite a whole lot of people; we didn't exactly have the space or time."