Sophie's POV

Passing by the famous 'Welcome To Jacksonville' sign, I let out a sigh of relief as we approach our destination. Feeling the warm, Alabama air flowing through my hair, a smile comes to my face when I think of my hometown, willing myself to push out all of the bad memories in my mind.

"Are you sure you want to go this weekend? We could always just turn back around and go home; you could make it to practice today" Scarlett suggests.

Scarlett and I drove down from Charlotte this morning to make it back in time for the Alumni weekend that is happening at JSU this weekend.

Since Scarlett and I were both apart of the ballerina line in the marching band, we opted to come back to dance with the past and present members rather than me going to the track and Scarlett staying back in Charlotte this weekend. 

Although in this moment, I would rather be at the track. 

"Scar, I promise I'll be fine. We're going to stay with my parents, and if all else fails, Ryan is prepared to have a PR emergency to get us out of town quickly" I respond.

Scarlett gives me a nod as I'm pulling onto the Jacksonville State University campus. All of the positive memories from my four years here come flooding back to me. From dancing at football games, to sorority gatherings and everything in between. This campus holds some of the best, and worst memories I've experienced. Looking at this campus healed and not heartbroken, I see it as the place where a young Sophie came in with a dream. 

 Parking in front of the band hall where we were told to meet, I looked over at Scarlett with a smile on my face. 

"No matter what happens this weekend, we will make it the best weekend possible" I tell her.

"No matter what" she responds. 

Riley's POV

"So, what's it like being famous?" Davis, one of my best friends from college asks.

The two of us are walking towards the football stadium at Jacksonville State to watch the current team practice.

This weekend is Alumni weekend, a weekend that I have been trying to attend since I left the school. Fear of running into Sophie has kept me away from here, not wanting to make a happy weekend rough for her, or me.

However, since we saw each other, I've been hoping for any chance I can get to catch her again somewhere, maybe this will be the chance. Maybe she will actually hear me out. 

"It's definitely not what I expected if that's what you're asking. It's lonely out on the road, and in general. You don't know who's real and who isn't. I spend most of my free time at my house in town, or in a studio somewhere." I explain.

He gives me a nod, looking up from his phone. 

"That's understandable, but I'm sure it's everything that you always dreamed of so that's always a positive" he responds.

Before either one of us can say anything further, a blonde walking towards us catches my attention. With her arm looped through a red head, the two of them laughing amongst themselves.

"Not everything" I mumble.

He looks over at me confused, before following my line of sight to where Sophie and Scarlett are walking.

"Sophie girl" he exclaims, catching her attention. 

Sophie and Scarlett look over at us, both glaring at me, before smiling at Davis.

Sophie lets go of Scarlett's arm, before running full speed towards Davis. Once she is in arms reach, he scoops her up in his arms, spinning them in a circle.

"How are you pretty girl?" He questions, setting her on the ground.

"Good. We just got done at the band hall and decided on a walk around campus. I didn't think you were going to be able to come this year" she responds.

"I wasn't supposed to, but I decided to show up anyways. Figured I would run into you at some point" he tells her.

"Is this the former boyfriends of Sophie club?" Scarlett questions, once she reaches us.

I look at her, eyes wide, before looking over at Sophie and Davis.

What the fuck?

"Well, more like asshole ex-boyfriend and best friend ex-fiancé" Scarlett adds, giving me a smirk.

Sophie slaps Scarlett on the arm, before covering Scarlett's mouth with her hand. 

"I think that's enough talking, we should go, see you two around, maybe. Davis, tell Kelly we said hello when you talk to her tonight, and we will see her next week for our weekly wine night" Sophie states, giving me a small nod. 

I watch as the two girls walk away, before turning to Davis who is looking anywhere but in my direction.

"What the fuck dude" I exclaim.

"I don't know what you want me to say here" he responds, shoving his hands into his jacket pocket. 

"Mind explaining that one? because clearly I missed something here" I state.

He gives me a nod, before moving to sit at one of the nearby picnic tables, motioning me to sit across from him. Once I sit down, he looks at me, before looking down at his hands.

"First of all, I never meant for anything to happen between us, and I'm only telling you this because I once considered you my best friend, not because I owe you any kind of explanation, because I don't. Anyways, when Sophie fled town with Scarlett, no one had any idea where the two of them went, they both just disappeared. It wasn't until about a year later that I ran into the two of them in downtown Charlotte at a bar. I had just moved up there for work and went out with a couple of guys that night. We all started hanging out after that, but Sophie and I ended up having a connection, so we ended up going out just the two of us, and well you get the point. We dated for about a year before I proposed, we moved in together and started planning a wedding. It wasn't until we were getting deeper into the planning that we just felt things weren't right, so we called it off, mutually. I moved out and let Soph keep the house since it was her dream house. I met my now fiancé Kelly a few months later and here we are. Soph, Scar, and Kelly are the best of friends, I mean constantly attached at the hip. There are no lingering feelings there between either one of us" he explains. 

I take a few minutes to process every little bit of information I was just given.

It's not like I didn't expect Sophie to move on at some point. It's more of the fact that it was with someone who was like a brother to me at one point that shocks me more than anything.

"You good?" He questions.

I give him a nod, before taking a deep breath.

"Just a lot to take in" I respond. 

He gives me a nod, before standing up from his side of the table.

"I get that, trust me it was a lot for the both of us to come to terms with at one point, but at the end of the day things worked out how they are supposed to" he tells me. 

"It was my fuck up anyways, we all know it. I deserve to be in the dark here" I tell him.