One Day || book two.

12 ~ Privacy policy

Chapter 12.

Stef’s POV

“Twenty six days until the wedding.” I mumbled to myself, going over the list of guest requirements making sure that we’d have everything on time and there’d be no hitches. “Chairs are arriving on the eighteenth, tables: the nineteenth in the morning, catering was ordered last week and should be there by ten o’clock on the twentieth.” I recited. “ The marquee’s being delivered same day as the chairs, but will be put up on the day of the tables, four fans inside the marquee in each corner, because who knows what the weather’s going to be like. Shit, I’ve jinxed myself now; it’s going to rain.” I cursed, getting myself up off the couch, dumping the lists.

I hadn’t even noticed Niall standing at the doorway, fixated on the t.v. It was of some shaky footage, it looked like a nightclub: the lights were dim and fairly loud music was playing, but I can’t say that that was the typical type of club music. “Niall? Why are you watching something that looks like it was filmed in a nightclub?” I asked.

He didn’t look away when he answered. “That’s our engagement party. Someone filmed the whole event; and sold it. We can have no privacy.” He was way too calm for my liking. I saw that he was strangling the phone in his hands and it looked like he was going to snap it. His stare then shifted to me. “We have no fucking privacy.” He swore loudly.

“Does... does Wardy know?” I asked quietly.

He silently shook his head. At that very moment, the front door opened and slammed shut followed by loud footsteps. 

“Cassie told me everything.” She exclaimed breathlessly, holding herself up on the other side of the doorframe. Niall immediately moved out of the way so that she could have some space, and as soon as she realised that what was on the t.v. was what the commotion had been about, she looked furious. “Who would do that? Why would they do that? What gives them the right to be so damn repulsive as to sell our engagement party off to the world.” She sat down with a sigh of frustration, to which Niall left the room and swiftly returned with a glass of water.

“When did Cassie tell you?” Niall asked, handing her the glass of water.

She sighed and looked at her phone briefly. “Less than ten minutes ago, and now, I’ve missed my lunch tuition.” She groaned, setting her bag down next to the couch. 

Niall went to say something but she cut him off. “Don’t worry, I’ve got another one next week, and I’m sure that they’ll be understanding enough, because, well, our engagement party was just broadcasted across the nation.” She tried to sympathise herself.

“It’s not the end of the world.” He said slowly and quietly.

All this time, I’d just been standing, rather absentmindedly watching this scenario build up. And just as I was going to make a break for it and leave them to their own troubles, Wardy called me back. “Make sure your wedding isn’t within too much of the public eye, would you? I’d hate for your day to be ruined.” 

I nodded and walked out. Once I was in the kitchen, I pinched the bridge of my nose and really thought about this. Mallacoota: small town, quiet place, it’s not going to be during the holidays, it’s on a Saturday, there’s plenty of accommodation for both families. The only thing that really worried me, was that we had no planned way to get there. And roughly a four-and-a-half-to-five-hour trip. I’m really hoping that I’ll be able to go down the weekend before, but that’s Valentines Day the Sunday before and then the wedding’s the following Saturday, I suppose Louis might want to go as well. Well, he did say that he wanted to spend Valentines Day with me, and what better way to spend it than a five hour drive to the beach.