Three years after his mother's death, Noah Reed is lost once again. Unsure of where to go after running from his problems for so long, he ends up back home, wanting a place to finally settle down. He's ready to tie up loose ends and to try and corre...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The wedding planning is officially in full swing.
It feels like everything happens in a blur. I'm running around town to help out as much as I possibly can, though it seems like there's still so much to do. It's not even my wedding, yet I'm as stressed as Mia is. Maybe that's a little bit of a stretch, considering I don't think I've ever seen Mia McHenry anywhere near as stressed out as she's been lately.
Due to the wedding planning, I get to see Blake more often than not. However, it's always brief encounters, quick run-ins were we smile and exchange greetings that become words of departure in seconds. When I see her I am always reminded of the mistake I made in leaving all those years ago. A mistake I'm never going to stop trying to make right.
My suit has already been fitted, along with the suits of the other groomsmen. I still have to buy all of the other necessary accessories, like shoes and a tie and cufflinks. I spend a lot of time trying to help Mia out as well, a task that proves to be more difficult than I previously thought it would be. I've learned that Mia prefers my help over Thorne's, a suspicion of mine that was confirmed when Mia asked Thorne if he thought peonies complimented her rose bouquet, to which Thorne responded: What the fuck is a peony?
As of right now, I'm sitting in Thorne and Mia's living room, waiting for the rest of the wedding party to appear. The engaged couple that it would be fun to throw a little get-together before the wedding rehearsal to see everyone, as it's been a while since we've all been together.
If I remember correctly, it's been a few years since any of us have even seen most of our closest friends.
I still remember the story of how I came to know Mia and Thorne, which I must admit is a story I'm not very proud of. I'd known Wells—one of Thorne's closest friends since elementary school—distantly for the majority of my life, as we'd both into the whole party scene back when I was in high school. We met at a party and frown pretty close, hanging out every now and then. One fateful night—when I'd been high and wasted—I'd stumbled into Wells, who introduced me to Thorne.
Thorne had been completely sober that night. I'd spoken to him for a few minutes before running off with Wells to take shots. One thing led to another and somehow I ended on the balcony of the home owner that threw the party, where I ended up running into Thorne again. Though I'd been out of it, the two of us bonded. I met Mia shortly after, and she didn't hesitate to take care of me while I was completely trashed.
The two of them took me in that night, inviting me into Thorne's home when I'd been too wasted to get home. Mia helped me get comfortable on the couch after giving me Advil and making me drink a glass of water to cover up, setting me up for sleep with a pillow and blanket. That was the beginning of a friendship that has yet to stray, and deep down I know that I will never be able to repay Mia and Thorne for taking care of me that night no matter how hard I may try.
My thoughts wander to our mutual friends, trying to remember what they've all been up to in the time we've spent apart. I know that Wells attended the local community college a little while after graduating high school to obtain a degree. Surprising everyone, he majored in business. It's no secret that Wells is a pretty easy-going guy, tending to choose the party lifestyle and live with no boundaries or taking anything too seriously. However, he has matured over the years, yet he never lost that spark of mischievousness that initially draws people toward him.
