Forever and Always

2 - Lost not Found

"Oh...." I let out, as my heart broke to two. My entire body seemed to deflate. I could hear my own heart breaking as I turned away, tears already dripping from my eyes to ruin my makeup.

I made it halfway down the staircase before letting out a choked sob. Parker finally unlocked lips with my ex-best friend to come to see what was happening.

"What's going o- Millie?" I stopped in my tracks, closing my eyes and taking in a shuttering breath.

Turning, I looked at the love of my life with tears in my eyes.

"Give me the truth Parker," I mumbled, my fists tightly curled at my sides. My nails bit into my palms, reminding me that I could feel. Parker ran a hand through his hair and met me in the middle of the staircase.

"Mil... I love you, I have loved you since our second date," a sad smile graced his lips at the memory, "but I.... something happened, and I don't understand it, but I know that it's the right thing, even though it's going to hurt people." Tears ran freely down my face. I didn't even attempt to wipe them away, I wanted him to know what he was doing - what he had done.

"So the 'right thing' is Vera then? You cheated on your fiance with your fiance's best friend?" I asked the sarcasm and anger dripping from my voice. Parker looked at me sadly, reaching out to touch my arm. I shrugged his hand off.

"Yes, Millie I -"

"Go tell them."

"What?"

"You go tell our guests that there isn't a wedding today. Go tell my dad you cheated on me. Go tell my mom you broke her daughter's heart. Go tell Vera to never speak to me again. Go. Tell. Them." I allowed myself to yell, with fire in my words and a shattered heart.

"Mil, please just talk to me," Parker tried to plead, looking at me with those brown eyes I and fallen so deeply for.

"Go." Parker hesitated but nodded. I watched silently as he solemnly turned and ascended the stairs once again. I'm sure Vera would do a great job at helping him with any emotional turmoil he had.... which didn't seem like much.

I didn't allow myself to cry there. I needed to find a place to keep away from people for as long as I possibly could, and I knew that the bridal room was the first place they would begin looking for me later. There was only one room in this large house I had memorized from my childhood, and that was where I was headed.

- - -

Sawyer

Earlier

When Vera invited me as her plus one at her best friends wedding, I didn't think it would make me so uneasy now that I was here.

I nervously tapped my heel on the ground. I knew I was beginning to get on the nerves of the people seated around me - sidelong glances and hushed whispers were enough to tell me that.

I needed to get out. I checked my watch, 5 minutes till the wedding began, I didn't have time... but when were weddings ever running on time? I slowly stood up, trying to go unnoticed. Thankfully, I had been ushered to a seat near the back. I had made it inside when my phone began to vibrate in my pocket. Sighing, I looked at the caller ID and answered.

"Vaughn?"

"Shaw." I rolled my eyes at my friend's inability to call me by my first name.

"What can I help you with?" I asked, placing my other hand comfortably in my pocket as my eyes explored Vaughn's family's giant summer home.

"My sister called me a moment ago, she sounded rather upset. Would you mind checking on her for me?" He asked in a more demanding, less polite sort of way.

"Yeah, no problem. I'll let you know if I find out anything," I answered. I had walked further into the home, and somehow I was even more on edge.

"Thank you," Vaughn stated, ending the call. Vaughn and I had been friends since we were kids, as he was just as much a stick in the mud then as he was now.

I called Vera, and as I expected, she answered on the first ring.

"Hello?" she answered, I could hear the sadness in her voice. I was intrigued, I wasn't sure if I had ever seen Vera sad.

"Vera, what's going on?" I asked from the base of the grand staircase. I was just out of sight enough not to be missed, but close enough to sneak in if the wedding started. I heard a sniffle on the other side of the line.

"Oh, Sawyer I've done something terrible!" She croaked, I could hear her begin to cry.

"Vera, I'm sure it's fine. Where are you? I can come to get you and you can tell me about what "terrible" thing you have done." More sniffles came through the speaker before a deeper voice murmured something on Vera's end.

"Ok... I'm in my room on the third floor. Do you remember where that is?" she asked, almost miserably. I nodded before stupidly realizing that there was no way she could see me nodding.

"Yeah, I know this place almost as well as you do, I'll be there in a second. Ending the call, I ascended the grand staircase to the second floor, then up to the third. As kids, we used to attempt to ride down the banister, but no one had ever made it the entire way down.

Vera's room was the second on the right, and what I opened the door to Vera and a man with his arm around her shaking figure sitting on the center edge of her bed. There was nothing covering the bare walls, unnerving in a very un-vera-like fashion.

"Vera?" I asked softly, hoping to gain her attention so I could quickly tell her that she hadn't done anything terrible. The sooner, the better. She looked up at me from her curled position against the stranger, who was, oddly enough, wearing a tuxedo? She stood, took my hand, and led me back out to the hallway.

"Sawyer..." sniff..." I - I found my..." sniff... "mate." As a werewolf, I have excellent hearing, but I could have sworn that I hadn't heard her correctly.

"What?" I asked. My face must have shown some sort of confusion because she was quick to explain.

"His name is Parker..." sniff... "and I've known- I've known for a month," her eyes became tearier.

"That's amazing Vera! I'm so happy for you! Why are you so upset? This is good news right?" I asked, a grin on my face.

"No Sawyer, it isn't that simple, I hurt someone..." she trailed off. I was intrigued, and a bit afraid of what she was about to say. She looked at me and continued to cry.

"My mate was my best friends fiance."

- - -

Does anyone have a guess for where Millie was headed?

Let me know what you think of the story so far. Much Love - Alyce.