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...
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I find myself on the dance floor once the afterparty has begun, twirling around and laughing with Jess to the beat of "Every Rose has its Thorn" by Poison.
The guests who haven't already gone home surround me, chatting or dancing with each other. The sunset has taken place, washing the sky in colors of soft pink and deep orange. The light reflects on the river, making the scenery all the more beautiful. I feel happy and light as I dance with Jess, spinning into the arms of my sister, Brooke, goofing off with my brothers and Jackie as the day slowly comes to an end.
Mia and Thorne can be found on the center of the floor, having yet to take their hands off of each other or leave one another's side. It doesn't seem to matter to them that they have been together for years, it's as if they're experience their first moments all over again. I can tell that they're itching to head off on their honeymoon, as they have a flight booked for Hawaii first thing in the morning. However, they seem content to just be together, surrounded by their loved ones and good times.
Wells can be found at the bar, which isn't unusual, sipping from a glass. Jay has his arm around his girlfriend, Haley, sitting next to Wells and monitoring his drinks. Charlie and Violet sway off to the side of the dance floor, as if every song that plays is a slow song.
As I dance with Jess, I spot Asher and Emmie standing together in the corner, smiling shyly. Once I heard about their past, it wasn't hard for me to piece together what's going on between them now. Watching them, I get a feeling that their story has yet to be completed. It doesn't seem to matter that their paths dispersed once, they found their way back to one another.
Thinking of the ways people tend to enter our lives and leave them, paths crossing from time to time, I instantly find my gaze landing on Noah. He's talking to his father and stepmother a few feet away, crouching down to speak to Charlotte, wearing a wide grin. I can tell that he's happy, and something about knowing this warms my heart. I know this world has never been easy on Noah, so it brings me peace to see that he is mending, even if he hasn't fully healed quite yet.
"You should talk to him," Jess murmurs, the sound of her voice breaking through my thoughts. I turn to face my best friend, only to find her staring at me with dark eyes full of understanding, expression soft. By now, her hair has been completely restored to its natural dark shade, causing her to appear just as she did years ago, back when we were in high school.
I open my mouth to counter her statement, but Jess doesn't give me a chance. Glancing in Noah's direction, Jess says, "You can deny it all you want, Blake, but I know you want to. Besides, you two have unfinished business. No matter how long you put it off, you're going to have to finish it someday. How you decide to tie up your frayed knots is up to you both, but your knots still aren't going to tie themselves."
Jess is right, per usual. I've since learned that she is always right, though I also have a habit of not taking her advice when I should. I think we both know that I'm not planning to change my ways anymore than Jess is planning to try and get me to change them.
