Page 67 of I Always Will

She laughed. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

“What it means,” he said with emphasis, unbuttoning his jacket and sitting down beside her, “is that you’re both dancing around the same thing. You want to be together, you both know it’s going to happen tonight, and you’re both so stressed out about it that you’re not thinking clearly. Yes, Alexandria and I are friends, but we aren’t all lucky enough to find the loves of our lives in secondary school. And, contrary toyourpopular belief, everyone who went to Sheridan wasn’t completely in love with Alexandria.”

Hailey snorted. “You should have been. She’s incredible.”

“She’s great but of course you think that. You’re the one who’s in love with her.”

“Hey, Rhys Alwin was in love with her.”

Farid scowled at her. “Do you think Alexandria gives a damn about Rhys Alwin right now?”

“She might. She’s a really good person, she cares a lot about others…” She cut off at the look he was giving her and sighed. “Fine. No. She probably couldn’t care less about Rhys Alwin. Maybe doesn’t even remember he exists.”

“You do, though,” Farid said, far too smugly for Hailey’s taste.

“You do too,” she accused, pointing awkwardly at him since he was sitting right beside her.

He crossed his arms and one of his legs over the other, looking much like someone chastising a misbehaving teen they actually think is amusing. “In so far as you just mentioned him and it brought the memory back. I don’t sit around thinking about him on the regular.”

“Neither do I,” she insisted, keeping her voice quiet so her staff didn’t hear the whole conversation.

Farid looked at her and Hailey thought she might have preferred the shy kid she’d once sat next to. But then she remembered he’d looked at her like that then, too. Now, he just wore it with more confidence and, as much as she hated this, she loved that for him.

She sighed. “Fine. Do you have a point?”

He laughed. My point is that it’s time. The wedding’s about to start and then it’s time to get your girl.”

He stood up and held a hand out to Hailey.

She took it, narrowing her eyes at him. “I thought you already had a date.”

“I do. In a completely platonic sense, just in case you forgot.”

“You told me not two minutes ago.”

“I also told you to get with Alexandria years ago but I’m still waiting on that to happen.”

“I really hate you,” she muttered.

“No, you don’t.” He was so smug.

She walked through the kitchen, checking in with her staff that everything was good, before heading out the door and into the gardens of the house where the wedding was taking place. It was some sort of old, almost stately, home—though, a small one by some standards. It had the most gorgeous gardens that looked almost gothic in the grey, misty November air.

They made their way through the winding stone paths, past brambles, and mostly-naked trees, around to the pond garden where the wedding was taking place.

Esme’s vision had been spot on—flowers and colour looked beautifully striking against the November setting.

One of Dan’s friends welcomed them at the small archway that led to the seating area, handing them each a program, a cushion to sit on to help with the cold, and a little bag of sweets to enjoy before or during the ceremony.

When Farid dropped into the seat next to her, Hailey stared at him. “What are you doing?”

“Sitting down. What are you doing?”

“Jesus. You’re a snarky bastard these days.”

“All part of my charm,” he said, shooting her a grin before looking at his program. “And I’m sitting with you. I thought you’d like the company.”

“You’re not sitting with Alexandria?”

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