Slide Away.

Take me away (Manchester 1993)

"Surprise!"

We all flinch when the door of the bridal shop is opened and a horde of men storms in and in the midst of them-

"You fuckin' idiots!" Louise yells. "He is the groom! He is not supposed to see her in her bloody dress!"

"Sorry Lou, but he just couldn't wait." It's Liam who leads the whole gang, of course it's Liam. He holds his arm wrapped around the groom Bonehead and the both of them as well as the rest look just smashed. Which isn't that easy to accomplish, so against my will I'm impressed. 

"Well, that Bachelor party must have been a success" I whisper to my best friend Jess and she chuckles. 

"So, where is the beautiful Mrs Bonehead-to-be?" He cracks in a loud laugh together with Bonehead who hangs more over Liams shoulder than he stands on his own feet. Delilah, who was sitting right next to Louise stands up.

"No way!" She shakes her head. "Seeing the bride before the wedding day means bad luck!"

"You really believe in that bullshit?" The door has opened again just for Noel to hear her words. He walks over to Louise to give her a quick kiss, but she turns her head away. The expression on his face leaves a bad taste in my mouth. 

"Why did you not stop them?", she accuses him. 

"Good fuckin' luck stopping this knobheads from anything", he mumbles. He seems to be just as pissed as the rest of them and just now Liam is starting to ramble through the shop.

"Kate! Kaaaate! Your groom wants to tell you something! Kate!"

"Oh, would you stop it, dickhead?"

Kate steps out of one of the changing cabins and everyone instantly holds their breath for a second. The white silk of her bridal dress flows down her body just perfectly and she looks more graceful and more beautiful than ever. Biblical  would Liam say. Divine would Noel say. 

Our eyes meet across the room, only for a heartbeat. Then I look away, ashamed. 

His girlfriend stands just next to him you idiot I say to myself. Cut it out. 

"Fuck me!" Boneheads jaw has dropped and he looks at his fiancé with the most bewildered gaze. Kate rolls her eyes.

"Not yet." She steps to him, ignoring the protests of Louise and Delilah and places a soft kiss on his lips. 

"What did you want to tell me ?", she whispers.

"I...I love you. So much. And I can't wait to marry you. I just wanted you to know that.", he answers, still bewildered.

"You think I didn't know that already?" She laughs. "It's about time you marry me, you massive softie." For a moment, they just smile at each other. My heart wrenches, as I look over to them. Suddenly, I feel a soft touch on my hips.

"One day, I want something like this." Liam tightens his grip, his face is completely serious for a moment as he watches his best mate and his future wife. Then he looks at me, smiling. Not the confident smirk or the arrogant grin he normally wears around. It's a soft smile and I feel how my heart skips a beat, looking into his blue eyes. He leans in and kisses me and I can taste all the amounts of alcohol they must have consumed in the last night. 

"You look smokin' hot by the way", he whispers and I can hear the smirk in his voice. "Can't wait to rip that down." 

I punch his arm. "I'll punish you if you do."

"I hope so."

"Hey our kid!" We haven't noticed that the boys have left the shop. Noel stands in the door frame and looks annoyed to his brother. "Move your dick out of here!"

"Coming." Liam pulls me with him to the door and as soon as we stand in front of Noel he places a sloppy peck on my lips. 

"See you later?" Liam asks. 

"Don't you think you should go to bed?" I laugh. 

"No way! Now the fun part begins!" he shouts and runs out, his arms in the air. I shake my head at this adorable sight. 

"Please, take care of him." I ask Noel, barely daring to look at him. He furrows his eyebrows. 

"Of course. Everything for little Liam."

"Please don't be like that."

"Like what?" His arrogant face hurts me in my stomach. Without another word he goes out and follows the other and for a moment he looks a bit lost behind his running brother and his gang of mates.

God, if I could just turn back time and make things as they were before that night.

Manchester, 2011

"Far too good."

"Lizzie..." Delilah sighs. "I have to tell you something." She suddenly looks concerned. I turn around.

"What is it?"

"It's about Noel."