The Ex

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

I take the microphone offered to me.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here to celebrate Liam and Sophie's very special day! For those of you who don't know me, my name is Charlotte, and I am the best friend of the bride and groom." I smile brightly as I address the audience.

Sophie and Liam beam at me from their seats beside me. "Sophie and I bonded over our shared love of wine and hatred of men." I laugh along with the crowd. "That's a story for another time."

"Or never," Sophie states with a giggle.

"Liam and I grew up together. I was there for his first kiss, first heartbreak, and his first real love. You hear stories where two people meet and that's it. The connection is instant, the love between them is undeniable. This wasn't the case with Liam and Sophie, in fact, it was the complete opposite."

"That's true," Liam shrugs while Sophie nods in agreement.

"Their love was a slow burn, they both buried their feelings out of fear of ruining their friendship. But there was only one problem, we could all see it. We could all feel it. So Ethan and I gave them the push they needed." I avoid Ethan's gaze when I add, "it is undoubtedly our greatest accomplishment to date."

"But it was inevitable, the two of you would have always found your way to each other." I shift my attention from the happy couple back to the crowd, "as someone who has watched their relationship from the very beginning, I can honestly say that I have never seen a greater love. A wedding ceremony should only be an affirmation that the relationship is where the couple wants to be, and a promise to keep it like that. Sophie and Liam, you two truly embody this. As a couple, you are both exactly where you should be."

Sophie wipes a tear away as I raise my glass, "now I ask that you all stand and join me in a toast to Liam and Sophie. To love, laughter, and your happily ever after – cheers!" With shared salutes, we all take a sip.

"Love you guys," I whisper as Sophie kisses my cheek and Liam wraps us both in his arms.

When they release me, I pass the microphone over to the best man whose eyes burn with an intensity I have never seen before. With a steadying breath, I take my seat.

"Hello, everyone," he begins with a wide smile. "My name is Ethan and after all these years it's nice that Liam has finally admitted that I'm the best man!"

Liam and the rest of the room laughs with him.

"I'm honored to be a part of your special day as best man, and I'm so happy to be able to tell everyone here how perfect Liam and Sophie are for each other. It was obvious from the first moment I saw them together. I watched their relationship bloom into an extraordinary love that I had only ever seen once before in my life."

He meets my gaze. The knowing look he gives me, paired with the emotion in the depths of his grey eyes has my breath hitching. He means us. The realization has me looking away. Despite everything, my heart wants to believe it more than anything. My head tells me it's a lie.

"There was a change in Liam, and I don't think he's stopped smiling since," Ethan continues.

"He hasn't," Sophie confirms as she leans into Liam's side lovingly.

Liam smiles broadly as he wraps his arm around her.

"I'll leave you both with a lesson that I've learned first hand. Love isn't perfect. It isn't a fairytale and it doesn't always come easy." He pauses in silent contemplation for a moment, "love is overcoming obstacles, facing challenges, and fighting to be together."

I can feel his eyes on me. My attention remains straight ahead where the crowd hangs on his every word.

"I want you both to hold on and never let go. To always share your hopes, your dreams, and your fears. Always respect one another. And always be quick to forgive."