Right In Front Of Me

Bolded text are song lyrics.
-----
"I'm just asking for one dance, Stevie. Just one song." Emma tugged at Stephen's arm, trying to coax him onto the dance floor. "Come on, one dance is not gonna kill you."

"Emma, you know I don't like dancing," Stephen whined. "I'll just make a proper fool of myself out there."

"Aw, come on. Please," Emma pouted and fluttered her eyelashes at him to add to the effect.

Under the gaze of Emma's feline-like eyes, Stephen gave in.

A triumphant smile spread across Emma's face as she lead Stephen onto to the dance floor. Blasting out of the speakers was Major Lazer's "Lean On," which was about to finish playing.

Stephen bounced on his knees -his sad attempt of what he called "dancing" - while Emma enthusiastically moved her body to the beat of the song. Noticing that Stephen wasn't really dancing, Emma grabbed his hands and started swing them to try to get him moving.

"Come on, Stephen," Emma shouted. "Let loose! Dance!"

Stephen rolled his eyes at Emma, but did as he was told. He started mimicking Emma's dancing. This awarded him a huge grin from Emma.

Just as he was getting into it, the song ended and the music switched from a happy, electronic song to a slow, emotional one.

"Oh, that's the end of your one song. Let's go back to our table," Stephen said over the first few notes of the new song.

"No, that's not fair. That other song was about to end when we started dancing, so you owe me another song," Emma says a matter-of-factly.

Seeing as there's no point in arguing, Stephen conceded and resorted to listening to the song.

I'll use you as a warning sign
That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind
I'll use you as a focal point
So I don't lose sight of what I want

Man, this song sounds so depressing. Why would they play this at a club? Stephen thought. Hands resting on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts. Emma closed the distance between them as they swayed to the music. She did all of this while keeping eye contact with her tall friend.

I've moved further than I thought I could
But I miss you more than I thought I would
I'll use you as a warning sign
That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind

Stephen rested his hands just above Emma's waist and pressed his body to hers, bodies fitting perfectly like two puzzle pieces. This gesture prompts Emma to bury her head against Stephen's shoulder and snake her hands around his neck.

His heartbeat quickened when she unexpectedly nuzzled his neck. He tried his best to keep his heart rate in control before Emma notices, so he focused on the lyrics of song.

I found love where it wasn't supposed to be
Right in front of me
Talk some sense to me

I found love where it wasn't supposed to be
Right in front of me
Talk some sense to me

The lyrics hit Stephen right in the heart. He felt a wave of sadness over him because the chorus perfectly summarized his current situation.

He's in love with the beautiful woman in front of him. His best friend. His married best friend.

Stephen loves her and Emma loves him right back, just not in the same way he does. The love Emma has for him is a platonic one, but he yearns more than that from her.

He wants to be the man who she kisses first thing in the morning and last thing at night. He wants to be the man she cuddles up to when she's unwell. He wants to be the man she raises a family with.

He wants to do those things and many more with Emma, but he can't because she already has Matt to do all those things with. Matt had met Emma first; Stephen was just a victim of bad-timing.

So he settles for what he's got. He cherishes their time together at work or at their "mate dates." These are the moments he lives for and the moments he'll relive on his deathbed.

He gazes down at Emma's face to capture the memory. Her head is still resting on his shoulders; she has her eyes closed, so she doesn't notice Stephen admiring her beauty. Stephen mirrors the small, content smile on her face as they continue to sway to the music.

Having Emma like this in his arms makes it easy for him to imagine that she is only his for him to love, like there is no one for him to contend with for Emma's heart. But that fantasy was immediately shattered by the simple repositioning of Emma's hands. The cold feeling of Emma's wedding band against his warm skin brought him back to his sad reality.

Much to his favor the ended and Emma pulled away from Stephen, but keeping her arms looped around Stephen's neck. Greyish-blue eyes stared into sad cornflower blue ones as they stood in the middle of the dance floor, not exchanging a word with each other.

It was Emma who broke the silence first. "Wasn't that nice? I told you one dance wasn't gonna kill you," Emma sweetly smiled. "Completely painless."

Unbeknownst to her, that one dance was killing Stephen in the inside. It pains him to hold her in his arms like that, only to have to let her go at the end of the night and return her to another man's arms. He masks his pain, though, and puts on a fake smile for her. "You're right, Em. Completely painless."