𝔸 𝕃𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤 ➁

56. Receptions For A Requiem

It's been six months and even though I'd moaned out Rae's name while I came surprisingly Irina is still with me. This was the condition though, going to Rae and Liam's wedding. Well, not the wedding, just the reception. I made up some bullshit excuse about having to go to the gym for something and that I'd only be able to attend the reception. Irina bought my excuse as did Rhys, thank Christ.

So now, here I am, sitting at a table with my father, Katie, and her daughter, Amelia. I'm surprised my father hasn't popped the question to her to be honest. To my left is Rhys with his newest girlfriend. I think her name is Lindsay, I can't really remember. Darren and his wife are at our table as well and because this a family table we get to be right up front.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

Once everyone is seated around us, which is a fuckton of people may I add, the music changes to what I'm assuming is an introductory song. That's when I see them, her. They walk out arm in arm, with big smiles on their faces. They're waving to everyone, looking like a beautifully happy newly married couple. And the sight is the most painful one I've ever seen.

Once they're about to sit at their table her gaze comes to our table. The moment her eyes land on me that smile falters and for the briefest of moments, one I hope no one else notices, she looks completely haunted. She masks that quickly though before they sit down.

My heart feels like it's going to fall right out of my chest onto the table. This is the last place I want to be. This is fucking torture. And I have a fucking front row seat to my complete and utter worst nightmare.

After a few speeches and an endless amount of food, not that I could really eat anything, people started to get up and dance. I'd watched them do their first dance. I watched as they lovingly caressed one another and moved in time to the beat, effectively dancing all over my tattered heart.

"Come on, let's dance, Seth." Irina grabs my hand and tries to pull me up. "Stop being so depressed, you're being too obvious." She whispered the last part to me. "Come on."

"Fine." I let her lead me onto the dance floor. The song is slow and steady, it's a love song. Irina wraps her arms around my neck and I wrap my arms around her waist as I dance with her slowly.

"She looked like she was going to throw up when she saw you." Irina states as we slowly make our way around the dance floor.

"I was hoping no one else noticed that."

"It was pretty obvious, Seth. Just like your melancholy attitude throughout the entire dinner." I let out a sigh at her words. I'm so shit at hiding my emotions.

I don't say anything else. I just want to dance silently, not thinking about that face she'd made. That look of heartbreak that was briefly on display for the entire room when she looked at me. I look across from me when I feel that feeling you get when someone is watching you.

Rae is looking at me over Liam's shoulder. I want to walk over to her and take her beautiful body out of Liam's arms. I want to wrap my arms around her and tell her how much I've missed her. I haven't seen her since the last time we'd slept together, since I'd held her all night in my bed. Now she's Liam's wife.

Another beat begins and I look around the room for Rhys because it's about to go down. 'I'm Shipping Up to Boston' by the Dropkick Murphys begins and Rhys grabs my arm just in time for the first verse.

"I'm shipping up to Boston!" He screams.

"Woooooaaaahhhhh!" I scream in time with the music.

"I'm shipping off to find my wooden leg!" Rae chimes in with us and I can't help but smile at her. "Come on, boys!" She hikes her dress up and begins to do a jig to the beat, just like we used to do when we'd all hang out. Both Rhys and I join her, probably looking like a bunch of idiots as we do since we don't technically know what we're doing.