Found Along The Way

Chapter thirty-nine

"Oh fuck." Tricia whispered, looking across the room from her seat in the audience, and seeing him. She wanted to scream, to beat him to death right then and there, but what good would causing a scene do? She decided she'd wait. Wait until everyone else had left and catch him before he could.

The huge dining hall was decorated from corner to corner, and lit up by the summer sun outside, streaming in to glow onto the floor where music drifted through the air above it. Lucas took her hand, and led her to the large empty space, open just for them.

A familiar song was playing, one she'd heard before, one she must have danced to before... but it wasn't until he held out his other hand that she noticed.

"Dance with me?"

It was the song that played the night of the museum ceremony, sad and slow, the one they danced their thoughts away to. It didn't seem so sad now, in the sunlight and on the happiest day of her life, it was lighter and softer than it had been on that dark, stormy night.

She gave him her other hand and they began to dance, people flooding the room and their designated tables to watch, giving the couple their full and joyous attention as they glided across the floor to a song that held more meaning than ever.

Lina watched from a distance, Rosie in her arms, and Joey with his arm around her, swaying with the music.

"You're amazing to her Lina, she's come out of her shell and its' because of you."

She shook her head and grinned,

"It's all Anya, I was just along for the ride."

"Dance with me?" Joey asked, gently placing her hand in his, guiding her towards the dance-floor.

Anya caught the sight out of the corner of her eye, Joey, Lina, and Rosie, dancing together in their content little group, and she found herself crying again. So many people had come into her life and yet not a single one knew her in the way Lina did. Lina had changed, her life was nothing like the one she used to have, but she was still Anya's best friend and could encourage her through anything. So seeing her and her loved ones, dancing across the room from her, Anya admired and adored Lina.

Caleb felt the same, his heart bursting at the seams with the sight before him, sighing, crying, he held Lilly and Taya close to him. Taya pulled away from him for a moment, wiping her eyes and linking his arm.

"You're my best friend Caleb, will you share this dance with me?"

He nodded,

"Absolutely babes."

Lilly watched everyone drift their way over as the songs changed, and their feet moved in sync, feeling happy but awfully lonely to have been left on the side-lines, until Aaron approached her.

"You came!" She exclaimed, hugging him.

"For you. And of course for Anya, couldn't miss her wedding after almost getting her killed." He laughed,

"You also saved her life, come on." Lilly teased, pulling him to dance.

Feet tapped the floor, bodies and hearts swayed, the singers' silky voice gliding through their heads and the air, peace being read throughout the room.

Peace contained in that space, but broken elsewhere.

"You're crazy Daniel. Fucking crazy." Tricia grabbed him, pinning him against the door of the chapel after everyone had gone and he stood alone.

"Let me go Tricia, don't test me."

"What are you gonna do? Hurt me again? I'll scream, I'll get you thrown out."

He looked around, exasperated, angry, but containing it.

"I'm not going Tricia, don't make this any harder than it has to be." He murmured, his eyes low and voice intimidating. It was the kind of voice he'd use before he broke out and got violent, the voice that shook Tricia to her very core. She let go of him, her breath catching in her throat and tears brimming her eyes with fear.

"Leave." She begged, "Please, please, leave."

But he stormed off into another corridor. It was away from where Anya was, and she considered following but was stuck in her place, traumatised. Daniel had been showing up at her house in the past few months, begging for forgiveness, a second chance, saying he was miserable. He wasn't allowed near her, not really, but she couldn't get a strong enough written barrier in place to fully keep her from him. There wasn't enough evidence, it was a one-time incident, all kinds of other excuses that kept her on edge every second. And now he was here, he'd somehow weaselled his way in and planned to ruin something beautiful.

What the fuck could she do? If she screamed, she'd call attention to herself. If she told Anya, her day would be forever stained by the man who shut her down. If she tried to stop him again, he'd hurt her. Tricia simply stood there, gazing down the corridor he was walking further and further away, drowning out the joyous music in the room beside her.

"Tricia?" Someone said, snapping her out of the dazed state. She hummed a quick response,

"Yeah?"

"Best man and maid of honour are giving their toasts hun, come on."

Lina cleared her throat and smiled at everyone, now sat at their carefully arranged and labelled tables.

"Hi everyone, as most of you know I'm Anya's best friend, former roommate, and personal bodyguard. I've seen Anya grow from being a curly headed child who dreamt of growing wings and flying as a profession, to a strong young woman who's has done her damn best to get where she is.

Lucas, I've known you for the three years I've been in our writer's group, and if I wasn't taken I would have most definitely scooped you up the minute I saw you. But I'm glad I never got the chance, as handsome as you are. You and Anya are everything I wish to be one day, loyal and kind to each-other, bringing the other out of their shell and loving whatever they saw, no judgement, no running away. Anya has come so, so far and I have to say that she wouldn't be as awesome as she is today without you Lucas, so cheers to you, and cheers to Ann." She raised her glass, winking at Anya who smiled back, mouthing 'I love you.'

Lina passed the microphone to Joey, who looked more nervous than he'd ever looked before.

"Uh," He coughed, laughing and looking down at his feet for a second, "So I became friends with Lucas when he saved my life from having to continue living with Anya by asking her to move in with him, sorry Anya, but you're messy as hell." Joey chuckled, "But I never thought he'd ask me to be his best man. It's an honour, dude, and I really do love you and Anya. I've known Anya since she was dragged into my life by Lina after we began dating, it was a 'date one, you get another' deal, Lina never wanted Anya to be left out of anything, and honestly I'm so glad she didn't. I've seen Anya go through some stuff, she'd keep it quiet but I knew. And I've seen her come out of the other side better than ever before, with her famous smile and incredible optimism, and a lot of that is definitely due to Lucas being the best man I know. So here's to them, and how they hold each-other up through the harshest storms."

Anya and Lucas stood up from their place at the table, and ran over to hug the best people they knew. Telling them how much they loved them, accompanied by the roaring sound of applause from everyone in the room.

The support was overwhelming, and the love was almost suffocating, but in the best way.

Music, food, cake, dancing, everything flew by, laugh by laugh, hug by hug.

Her mother fussed over her like always, fixing her makeup that had been ever so slightly smudged by her tears, adjusting her hair. It would have been annoying, but Anya couldn't be annoyed, not today, nothing could break her smile. Caleb danced with her to the fast songs, the pair recreating their silly routines from sunny art afternoons when they'd get bored in class. And Lucas, oh Lucas.

He held her hand, fed her cake as she did per tradition, danced with her again and again, and held her close to his heart, as he'd do for the rest of their life together.