Heartthrob ✓

thirty

T H I R T Y

AND TWO YEARS LATER, IT WAS THE WEDDING OF THE YEAR.

In a flurry of feelings finally revealing their true nature and someone garnering up the courage to put their whole heart out on the line; the storm had finally turned into getting wedding invitations weeks ago to Ashton and Emilie Baldwin's wedding reception in Italy. Thankfully, Ashton understood how poor some people were, because there were two plane tickets in the package as well. Luke, of course, couldn't come because of work-related matters, so I was currently getting off of an airplane with my cousin, Bretton - who definitely could've afforded his own ticket, but never passed on an opportunity to be cheap.

"I still can't believe you're coming to this," Bretton said. "I know it's been two years, but Emilie was pretty rude to you and your relationship with Ashton ended on a bit of an ugly note. I can kick Ashton's ass if I have to, but if Emilie tries to fight you, you know you're on your own."

"What?" I asked, feeling almost offended that Bretton would insinuate that I was the type to cause drama at this wedding. "It's going to be completely fine."

"Alright then," Bretton said, grabbing up his bags. "If you do make a fool out of yourself, we're still not leaving Italy until our weeklong stay is spent."

I rolled my eyes. Of course that's what he cared about of all things. Then again, he did pay a bit extra for a nicer hotel than the one Ashton was having the ceremony at (which I could only assume was because he felt that I would probably try and ruin the marriage before it even happened), so it made sense that he got his money's worth. I guess I was glad he came along with me because being with him made the idea of that sound completely crazy, but I knew how sexually attracted I was to Ashton. Surely, it waned away during the two years since I spurned him romantically and left Philadelphia for New York City and Luke Johnson, but I didn't want to risk it. Besides, he was already getting married to the one that almost got away, the girl he made me buy condoms to sleep with and basically told me he had been harboring age-old feelings for. I had plenty of reasons to be a jealous and crazy ex-girlfriend. But I didn't feel like one, no, I felt pretty good right about now.

"Let's just get to the hotel and talk about this later," I said with a chuckle, punching my cousin's shoulder.

-

LIKE EXPECTED, THE VENUE WAS INCREDIBLY GORGEOUS.

I knew Ashton was probably blowing a million or so on this space and as rich as he was, the thought of that still made me gasp a bit. This could've been me with the fairytale wedding when I thought about it, and picturing it made me shiver. Me, in Emilie's dress that definitely cost a fortune and a half, walking through this spacious venue, amongst my family and Ashton's, taking in the sight of this scenic landscape through a veil; I would've collapsed long ago had I still been with Ashton. As beautiful as everything was, I was glad about the way things turned out. I didn't need any of this and I wasn't sure if I wanted it. Hell, I was a bit terrified to even run into Ashton's family, yet alone Ashton. I was just not meant to be that girl.

Breton whistled at the sight of everything, the flowers all over the wall, the fish pond, the banquet table, the amphitheater that was steadily filling with guests; it all just screamed of elegance that even he couldn't touch with his MLB salary. "On second thought," Bretton started, "maybe you should go talk to Ashton. See if he'll reconsider -" breaking off because I pinched him.

"Ow," he said, drawing back from me when I freed him from my grasp. "What the hell, Fiona?"

I was readying myself to scold him when I heard an all-too-familiar voice a few feet away from me ask, "Fiona?"

Sure enough, Ashton Baldwin was standing a ways off with another man who I didn't know and Nolan who was with his kid. For a second, it was like the first time I saw him, when I found out that I had accidentally given him the champagne glass I had drank out of, what had pretty much catapulted my whole life into motion. As many downs as there were after that, I have to say, I owed Ashton for all of the ups in my life since then as well. He had introduced to the most amazing guy inadvertently, he helped me get back into the job market, he caused for me to make some of the best friends I had in awhile. Ashton Baldwin had changed my life. And maybe I had a big stake in his as well, I had no clue. I mean, I did end a marriage two years ago for him to begin one now with the same girl.

So yeah, it didn't exactly work out between us the way I thought it would or the way anyone thought it would. From the moment I saw him, I had a feeling that it would be us, that we would be together, but life just didn't happen to work out that way. But here I was, at his beautiful wedding to his beautiful wife while I had a great life and lover waiting for me back in New York. We had crashed into each other's lives and changed them for what definitely seemed to be for the best. So either way, when you look at it things still worked out.

Just the way I liked for them to.

T H E E N D

[ read on to the next post for info about the spin-off ]