SIX | PREPARATIONS

"Must I remind you that I was working the day you guys had that magical hand touch moment?"

Third Person POV;

"And then the bride can walk down the isle here! And then—" Toni hears Lauren's voice boom throughout the church room. Lauren cuts off her own words with a gasp, seeming to have thought of some miraculous idea, before turning to the wedding planner and cupping a hand over her mouth, "The children! The wedding bearer and the flower girl! Could you imagine how beautiful they will look, Sara?! The boy in a mini tuxedo and the little girl in a beautiful dress! According to what color Toni would like the bridesmaid dresses to be, of course."

"Rose gold."

Lauren turns around and spots Toni standing at the entrance of the church, with her hands clasped in front of her. She has no makeup on, which has an enhancement on her features. Lauren smiles brightly, her pearly white teeth casted, Toni not being able to stop herself from smiling in return.

"I should've known. That's been your favorite color for the longest time."

Toni simply nods, walks past Lauren with a small 'excuse me' and bows her head before the altar, showing her respect. Lauren places a hand on her back once she's finished and guides her over to the woman with an iPad in her hands. The woman looks up and smiles at Toni.

"Hello. You must be Ms. Jones. I'm Sara Holden."

"Toni," She mutters, slipping her hand in Sara's and smiling a toothless smile.

"So, I was going to ask you some questions related to the arrangement of the wedding and other things pertaining to your special day," She smiles and winks, "Is there somewhere I could meet you?"

"Uh yes, my home would be fine," Toni says softly, looking from Lauren to Sara. Sara nods her head and types in the address Toni's given her.

"Would this Saturday be all right?"

"Yes."

"Great. I'll see you then, Ms. Jones."

Toni thanks her and nods her head, heading out of the church with Lauren to get lunch. They slip into Toni's car and begin driving to the restaurant. Lauren immediately turns on the radio station, Caroline by Aminé coming on. She bobs her head to the song, leaning her elbow on the window as they cruise along the road.

***

Third Person POV:

"It's not like I can deny it anymore, Daniel." Justin breathes out, running a hand down his face with a sigh. Daniel wipes his hands on the cloth and sets it down on the counter. A man that's just finished eating his dinner exits the restaurant with a wave, Daniel telling him to have a good night in return. The bells chime above the door as it shuts.

"Then don't," Daniel says simply, walking over to the entrance of the restaurant and switching the sign from open to closed. Justin huffs out a breath and desperately unties his tie.

"What else am I supposed to do? She's getting married, that's a huge commitment."

"From the looks of it, it doesn't seem like she feels for him the same way she does for you."

"How could you possibly know that?" Justin asks in an annoyed tone, running a hand through his hair and tugging at the roots. He doesn't even know what to do anymore. Yesterday was confirmation that he had serious feelings for this girl. But that's just made things more difficult. Her being engaged would be number one.

Daniel scoffs, "Must I remind you that I was working the day you guys had that magical hand touch moment?"

Justin mutters something incoherent and Daniel sighs.

"I'm just saying that you shouldn't give up. Ryan even told you the same thing."

"He did. But we don't even know her view on this. Ultimately, it's what she feels, and whether or not it's mutual."

"No, it's what you both feel." Daniel corrects, turning off the phones and putting away his notepad, "And you know Sheila would want this for you."

His heart drops.

"You need time to think on it... I'll see you tomorrow, man."

Justin curves his lips into a crooked smile, waving at him. He then sighs heavily and clocks out, taking his blazer jacket off of a chair; throwing it over his shoulder. He switches all the lights off and walks out of the building, locking it securely and slumping into the drivers seat of his car.

***

Toni and Lauren eat their lunch in peace, deciding to sit outside in the sunlight. The sun shines down on them as they sit on a table in the patio of the restaurant. Two hands cover Toni's eyes and she's shocked, gasping.

"Guess who."

She could guess that voice anywhere.

Noah.

"Noah?" She questions, even though she already knew it was him. Something about him being here gave her a little relief. Him being gone wasn't the same at all and she had started to become worried. Even under current circumstances, she still cares for him and wouldn't want any danger coming his way.

"Hey baby." Noah says, kissing Toni's cheek and taking the seat in front of her, next to Lauren. She smiles a crooked smile and picks at her salad with the fork. Noah furrows his eyebrows in confusion, speaking up.

"Toni, what's wrong?"

"Noah, you left out of nowhere." She mumbles, picking at a piece of chicken and slipping it into her mouth with some spinach. Out of the peripherals of her eyes, she can see him looking off in the street. He's searching for a proper answer, she can tell. His arms are crossed over his chest and she sighs. Lauren takes a swig of water from her Dasani bottle and sets it back down, twisting the cap back on.

"I'll leave you two alone. See you later sis," Lauren says uncomfortably, taking her handbag and rising from her chair. Toni watches her as she leaves the restaurant, thanking the valet and driving off.

"I'm sorry."

She says nothing. She doesn't know what to say. No warning, no phone call, not even a text message. He feels it suitable to pack up and leave without letting her know. Someone who cares so deeply for him. She doesn't look up at him, but instead keeps eating. It's her lunchtime, she might as well enjoy it with the half hour she has left. She puts the last forkful of salad into her mouth, wiping her mouth with a napkin, and grabbing her bag from the seat beside her. She reaches into it and takes out a five dollar bill, leaving it under the flower vase.

"I should be leaving." She announces, rising from her seat. Noah does the same, adjusting his tie. Toni smooths out her pencil skirt and looks up at Noah. He says nothing and she begins to walk away before he grasps onto her wrist.

"I'll make it up to you." He says, rubbing his thumb on her skin. All she does is nod, slipping her arm out of his grip and walking out to her car. The valet hands her the keys and she opens the car, slipping inside and sticking the key into the ignition. The engine roars to life and she begins to cruise along the road. She looks back for a second, and sees Noah sitting where he was when they were talking, rubbing his temples stressfully.

***

Third Person POV:

Toni walks into the firm with her head held high, the black heels on her feet clacking against the tile flooring. A coworker, Isaiah Thomas, walks by her and bids her a hello. She smiles at him and waves, walking up the staircase to her office. As she's walking, several coworkers greet her. She says the same to them and finally reaches her office. She pushes the key into the hole, unlocking the door and heading inside. All the outside noise is muffled as she sets down all her belongings with a sigh.

Everything involving the wedding, Noah's sudden return, and the big case she has tomorrow has been so much for her; as an individual, to handle. It would have been way better if Noah had been here, and it bothers her that he left when she needed him most. He said he would make it up to her, but she doesn't need him to do that. She just needs to trust him and believe he'll help her from here on out.

A sudden knock on her door has her creasing her eyebrows, getting up from her swiveling chair and walking to the door. She twists the doorknob and pulls, seeing Kayla at the door with a brown bag. Toni smiles at her and invites her in. Kayla says a soft thank you and walks in; setting her bag down on the seat and the brown bag on the desk.

"Hey, Kay." Toni sighs, walking around the desk once again and plopping herself down in the seat. Kayla smiles and waves with her fingers, suddenly shooting up in her seat with a gasp.

"Toni! I have a wedding dress design for you!" She exclaims, grabbing her bag and opening it up; taking out a binder with several neatly placed papers inside. Toni sits curious, watching Kayla take out a specific paper and handing it to Toni.

She gapes at the picture, taking it in her hands and leaning back in her chair. Kayla bites her thumbnail nervously, watching Toni's every move. It's embroidered with diamonds, the chest plate of the dress lace designed. It's very lengthy at the back, and she can't help but think about her baby cousin Nevaeh, who will be ecstatic to hold her dress up for her during the ceremony.

"Kayla, this dress is beautiful."

"Really? Thank you," Kayla breathes out with relief, smiling brightly at Toni. Kayla's so happy, this is something she absolutely loves to do. And the fact she had taken the time to design a dress for Toni on her wedding day, was amazing.

"That's my wedding dress, Kay." Toni tells her, handing it back to her and smirking. Kayla has tears welling up in her eyes, staring at Toni speechless.

"Kay?"

"What? Yeah. A-Are you sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Toni laughs.

"Wow... I'll get started on it then." Kayla says, looking obviously stunned. It went from a design to actually becoming Toni's wedding dress. Kayla almost doesn't believe this is happening and sits completely baffled.

"Thank you Kay. I really appreciate it."

"Oh... anytime, T. Want a bagel?" Kayla asks politely, stretching out the brown paper bag to reveal several neatly placed bagels. The heat wafts her face and she hums, palming her stomach.

"I actually just came back from lunch, but thank you."

Kayla smiles before she's off, leaving the office filled with happiness. Toni sees Kayla jump joyfully from her seat and laughs. Her assistant walks into the room with important files, forcing Toni to return to work.

***

Toni's POV:

It was raining.

I had just finished my paperwork for my case this morning, and I took a moment to look out of my office window to the dark, clouded sky. Umbrella's dance through the rain, shielding people from the droplets of water falling from the sky. I sigh and push myself away from the window, stacking my paperwork and taking a seat. Isaiah, the man who had greeted me when I had come back from lunch, knocks twice before popping his head inside my office.

"Ms. Jones?"

"Yes?"

"You can leave if you'd like. I'll close up."

"Oh... are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay then," I respond, packing up my belongings as Isaiah stands at the doorway. I unplug my phone from the charger and walk out of the office, Isaiah holding the door behind me. I lock it securely and smile at him, walking away and down the hallway.

My feet take me to the elevator, pressing the button to go down. The elevator opens with a ding and I step into it, pressing the button to the lobby. My feet begin to ache from the high heels and I wince at the pinching feeling at my heel. The doors open and I walk out to my car, sliding inside and turning on the ignition. The radio pounds and I shut it off, already having a minor headache from the busy day.

As I drive, one questionable topic races through my mind.

I wonder how Justin's doing...

It's been weeks since we'd spoken and to be truthful, I was becoming worried. The last time I had seen him was at the fittings. There's an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was the same way I had felt when I was little and I broke my brother's game console controller.

Guilt.

After all, I am engaged. To someone who has done nothing but love me. His actions were questionable, yes, but he made me happy. Him leaving, I learned when he had returned, had taken a toll on me. Now that he is back, I feel like I no longer have a huge weight on my shoulders. But at the same time, there was this fascinating man. Someone who may not have the same aspirations and dreams as Noah, but he's prideful and determined. I envy him for his never ending commitment to continuing on; even without his wife and child. It takes so much for someone to carry that heartbreak, feeling as if they have nothing left to do but give up.

There was no doubt in my mind that I don't feel for this man. I shouldn't, and I know that. The guilt is engulfing me slowly. But I'm afraid that when it finally does, it will swallow me whole. There's someone who loves me. This brilliant man that I've known for years now. He wants to spend a future with me, get married. That commitment doesn't seem so promising as it did when he had proposed. No, definitely not.

Justin had this edge to himself that had drawn me in from the first moment we touched. The hazel eyes that held so much sadness, I could almost feel his pain. Or the time at the restaurant when he had completely broken down, bawled when he said Natalia's name. That's when I knew that he was broken and needed to be mended.

I pull my car up into the driveway, pushing my lingering thoughts to the back of my mind at once. I kill the engine, pulling out the key and exiting the vehicle with my bags. My hands fumble with the keys as I unlock the door, stepping inside with ease. As soon as I'm in, I close the door with my foot and walk to the kitchen island. I grasp onto the bottle of bourbon and pop off the corkscrew, pouring some into a glass cup and downing it all at once. My throat burns with the liquor but then settles into a satisfying feeling. I find myself pouring more.

Might as well try and keep my mind of things for a little while.

***

A/N

oml, i'm sorry if this was boring. i was hoping to get in a bit of the character's thoughts and small, yet important scenes.

noah's back and even though some of you don't like him, i'm glad he is. don't get mad at me, haha.

but i hope you enjoyed this chapter and the storyline overall. don't forget to vote and comment! i love reading them! until next time loves. 💗