The Runaway Bride

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."

Everything fades into silence as she looked at the man before her. The man whom she had agreed to marry out of love just as how her father had envisioned his little girl to do when she finally decided to settle down.

He had always reminded her that when she decides to get married, it should be and only be because she had found love, true love, where she couldn't be anything but happy and content knowing she's doing the right thing in spending her life with the right person forever.

Six months ago, she wouldn't have any problem doing just that. But right now, as she stares at his eyes - ever so soft and caring just for her - she can't feel anything but guilt, eating her up from the inside. Because deep down, she knows, she doesn't deserve his love.

Not anymore.

Not when she had done terrible, unforgivable things in the course of the last six months. She never intended for any of it to happen but she felt like destiny has it's own way of playing with her undoubtedly peaceful life. Or was it actually fate, trying to tell her that she doesn't actually belong to the man in front of her but she'd rather be reconciled to the true love that once was lost?

Either way, she knew she can't marry him when she knows for sure that her heart wasn't completely at ease with the thought of spending her forever with him. And most importantly, she can't be with someone whom she hasn't been totally honest with ever since she got back from the unspeakable.

So with a look of shame and remorse, she willed the tears not to fall as she uttered the words, "I'm sorry."

And with that, she looked down to the other end of the aisle and made a run for it.

_____________________________________

|Six months before the wedding|

Caitlin's PoV

"Come on, Caity! There's only a couple of months left before your wedding so you've gotta enjoy the last days of you being single. Trust me, I know." Felicity winked at me before literally dragging me into a dock where a yacht is waiting for us. She's been married to Oliver for more than a year now and being the only married one in our circle of friends, she feels like everything she knows about the journey to being tied down is the most reliable amongst all of our opinions.

Refusing to argue with her on that matter, I was left with no choice when she decided to have girls night out more frequently than before. At first, we used to tease her about being bored with married life that's why she came up with the idea but the more she tries to convince me that she's doing this as a favor for me as well, I couldn't help but believe her especially when I started enjoying going to different adventures with them.

And so it led us to where we are right now - a party yacht with an invite-only goers which included us since Felicity (actually it was Oliver) knows the owner of the yatch. Tagging Iris and Kara along, we found ourselves enjoying the party as the yacht started sailing into the deeper part of the sea.

Everything was going so well when I heard an excited scream from Iris, taking our attention to where she was headed. It wasn't long until someone came out of the crowd, someone so familiar that the moment our eyes met, mixed emotions started clouding my mind and heart at the thought of seeing him after all these years.

It was Kara's voice that made me jump out of my staring game with him. "What's he doing here?"

"I don't know. Last time I checked he was still in Star City taking care of business." Felicity said, acting as bewildered as I am.