Emilia's POV

I wake up to the scent of maple syrup and bacon. On any other day it would be the most appealing awakening, but today it makes my stomach churn. I don't even remember getting back to the hotel last night. The last thing I can recall is taking shots with the girls at the bachelorette party, but everything after that is blank. I don't like having pieces of my memory wiped from my mind, especially when I was conscious during that time.

I roll over on my side and nestle my head deeper into the pillow. Ashton's voice rings in my ears as he speaks to a man at the door, and I could easily fall back asleep at the sound of his morning rasp. Is it even morning? Did I sleep in?

Ashton thanks the man and sends him on his way. I peek out of one eye, and the sickening sweet and salty scent grows closer. The wheels to the linen-clothed table squeak as Ashton pushes it further into the suite and purposely leaves it by the bed.

"Good morning, Ms. Party Animal," he says, and lies on his stomach next to me.

I cover my nose with the blanket to block out the mouth-watering yet repulsive scent. "I should have listened to you and not drink."

"Feeling sick?" he asks, but the curve on his lips tells me he already knows. "You started throwing up when I got back to the room last night. I was dealing with my own drunkenness, so I wasn't able to stay in the bathroom with you while you had your head in the toilet. It took a lot for me not to join you." He laughs quietly. "I helped as much as I could to get your makeup off and change your clothes, but I could only do so much while I was drunk. I take it you didn't eat much before you drank?"

"I guess not," I say, slowly sitting up and immediately regretting the decision. I feel like I have jetlag again, except this time it feels like I'm on a swing set, trying to swing as high as I can, even though I'm completely still. "If you were drunk last night why don't you have a hangover right now?"

"Oh, I do," he assures with a sigh and he cradles his head in his hands. "I should have taken my own advice. My head feels like I rammed it into a wall repeatedly. Also, I love your voice, but can you bring it down to a whisper for a bit?"

"We weren't the smartest last night."

He tells me of his time at the bachelor party, including Nathan's revelation about Reina. He lifts the mood by telling me about Moana, which I find hilarious yet immature at the same time. He asks about the bachelorette party and I blatantly tell him that I called Natalie a bitch. He finds it hard to believe that I would openly say that to her, and I tell him that she didn't take offense to it and how it actually helped us communicate with each other. Overall, the parties seemed to be successful in one way or another for us.

Ashton sits upright and pulls the cart closer to the bed. He removes one of the silver cloches to reveal a plate of double-stacked pancakes doused in maple syrup and two slices of bacon on the side.

"Since when does room service have pancakes?" I ask, debating whether or not I can stomach the food. "I've looked through the room service menu at least fifty times this week, and I've never seen it on there."

"Gluten-free and all natural fruit crepes weren't going to cure this hangover, so I made a special request."

"You do realize that there's no real cure for hangovers, right?"

"Yes but that doesn't mean I can't indulge myself in a high caloric breakfast that will make me feel a little better. I got you a plate too."

"I'll pass for right now," I say, scrunching my nose when he reveals the breakfast plate underneath the second cloche. "I could go for some water or ginger ale, though."

"I put a bottle of water on the nightstand for you last night," he says with his mouth full as he slices into the pancakes. "You passed out before you could drink it."

I reach over to the table and grab the bottle that's surrounded by small pieces of notepad paper with the hotel's logo on them. A ballpoint pen sits on the edge, dangling yet maintaining its balance unlike the few pieces of paper that seem to have fallen, haphazardly scattered on the carpet. He was drawing again.

I refrain from looking at what's on the paper and turn back around to Ashton, catching his gaze which then drifts down to his food.

The bottle crinkles as I guzzle down the water, leaving it empty. "Today's the day."

Ashton doesn't lift his head or acknowledge my statement. He taps his finger against the blanket with downcast eyes. Today is bothering him, but he's finding a ways to keep his sanity. I'm proud of him for that.

"You were drawing again. Last night."

"I stayed up to make sure you were okay, but after you fell asleep, I couldn't." There's a curl hanging in his face that doesn't seem to behave. He tries to brush it away, but it falls back.

"Can I look?"

He nods and takes a large bite out of a slice of bacon.

The first paper I pick from the pile has a sketch of a row of church pews with tulle and ribbon tied around the arms and decorated with flowers. The next paper has a sketch of an aisle between the pews waiting to be walked on. I skim through the other pages and every sketch contains an image from a wedding: the altar, flower arrangements, a reception hall, and an elaborate cake with a trail of roses climbing up to the top tier. Even when he's drunk, his art is still flawless.

"If only you could bake as well as you draw," I joke.

"Maybe in another life," he says with a chuckle. "Natalie and I didn't get far in our wedding plans, but she would always tell me these ideas she had."

"This is what your wedding was going to look like?"

"It's what I imagined it'd look like, but the whole concept of it was too fuzzy to add much detail. I guess that's a good thing."

It's a very good thing. There's a distance now between he and Natalie—a distance that allows him to reflect on a fictitious scenario without feeling the heartache of what could've been. His flight training may be coming to an end soon if he keeps this up.

"I want to keep those." He pauses. "I want to add them to my portfolio when we get home."

I take his statement with a grain of salt and place the stack of papers back on the nightstand. I get out of bed and quickly grab my makeup bag from the bathroom. "I should make sure Julia is up. She has my dress and she'll be doing my hair. You and the guys have to get ready too. "

"Will I finally get to see this dress that's been kept a secret from me for weeks?"

"Probably not until Julia finishes my makeover," I say, balancing my plate of food in my hand, just in case. "You know how she is with these kinds of things."

He sighs. "Yeah, that one trait of hers is going to be the death of me."

I laugh. "You'll survive." I meet Julia in her room. She, too, isn't handling this morning too well and she looks like she's going to be sick every time she moves her head. Calum isn't with her when I enter. Julia tells me he's already with Luke and Michael in their room, where they will most likely all hang out and wait until thirty minutes before we have to leave to get ready.

I share my breakfast with her and we drink three bottles of water each from the mini-fridge before we start on our hair and makeup. As we do so, it's funny to hear Julia complain about how much money she lost gambling, and how she wishes she had some of my luck. But then she speaks so appreciatively about Calum for 'stealing' her wallet to prevent her from losing more than she did. I tell her that I will split my earnings with her and add it to our savings, but she convinces me to use it on myself instead. I could use a new bookshelf for my room anyway.

Even after sleeping in until noon and having our hangovers slow us down, we still have ample time to get ready. The hotel is nice enough to steam our dresses free of charge within an hour, and we even have some spare time for us to repaint each other's toenails.

My wavy locks have been swept to one side, cascading over my shoulder. The open back to my dress causes chills to run down my spine when the A/C kicks on and the cool air brushes against my skin, but it doesn't keep me from smiling in the mirror when I look at myself. The bottom of the dress falls to my mid-thigh and fans out slightly beneath the decorative belt around my waist. The soft, lightweight fabric pairs nicely with the lace-covered bodice that reaches just beneath my neck. I may not wear this dress again after tonight, but at least today I can feel beautiful.

Julia rummages through the extensive collection of shoes she brought with dissatisfaction. She drops a pair of white heels onto the floor. "Can I borrow those shoes you wore on your date with Ash? These all suck."

"They're yours to begin with," I say. "You should have figured out what shoes you were going to wear before we came to Australia. Not thirty minutes before we have to head out to the wedding."

"I'm indecisive; sue me."

I laugh and reach for the doorknob. "I would but you help pay half the rent."

When I step outside the room, I catch Luke strutting down the hall towards me with bags of chips and candy bars cradled in his arm. He's wearing charcoal grey trousers and a white dress shirt, but unlike the black ties I know the other guys will be wearing, his is red and peeks out from underneath a grey vest. He rummages through the snacks as if he's counting to make sure everything is there. He lifts his head and jolts when he finds me standing only a few feet away, causing a few bags of chips the fall from his grasp.

"The guys were hungry," Luke says, feeling the need to explain himself.

"Why am I'm not surprised?" I say and pick up the fallen snacks for him. "I though you would have been at the venue already since you're a groomsman."

"It's not like it's a huge wedding," he says. "Plus there are 5 other groomsmen who can set everything up. Jack wasn't expecting me to show up early anyway. He knew I had other things to tend to."

"You mean someone."

An elderly couple steps out from the room adjacent to mine and Ashton's. Their voices are hushed when they see us, as if we're some sort of disturbance to their wealthy stay. Luke and I step out of their way and return to our conversation after the couple is muted by the elevator doors.

"How's he doing?" I ask.

Luke places the snacks on the carpet next to him, probably assuming that we'll be talking for a while. "Better than expected. He's been wearing a smile all afternoon."

"That's how he was earlier. I think he's finally ready to face this head-on."

"We've made a good tag-team to help get him this far." He gives me a high-five.

We have worked long and hard to be the support Ashton needed. Even when there was tension or fights, one us still managed to be there for him. We were determined not to let him fall again.

Luke loosens the neck of his tie, and I notice how it is twisted and definitely not up to wedding standards. "Your tie is on backwards."

"Probably because the guys and I had a race to see who could tie one the fastest." He slips the tie out from beneath the vest and removes it from around his neck.

"Did you win?"

"No," he says with a breathy laugh. He flips the tie right-side out, waiting for my nod of approval, before retying it. He finally takes in my appearance and gives me a quick once-over, his eyes lingering at my bare feet before meeting my eyes again. "You look beautiful, by the way."

Instinctively, I glance down at my dress and swivel from side to side. "Thanks. You know I don't like to wear dresses, but I feel pretty in this one."

"It looks great on you." He places his hands back in his pocket, nervous and unsure.. "But I think it's missing something."

I wiggle my toes. "My shoes, I know."

His dimples peek out. "Yes but that's not what I'm talking about. Hold out your wrist."

I comply and watch intently as he pulls something out of his pocket. The familiar rose gold reflects off the soft fluorescent light above us and exposes the brilliance of the emerald cuts. Luke's fingers brush against my skin as he fumbles with the clasp, struggling to latch it. The band hangs loosely around my wrist, and I admire it just like I had the day I first got it.

"My bracelet..."

"I thought it was about time I give it back to you," he says.

"With everything going on I completely forgot you were getting it fixed." I feel awful that I didn't notice it had been gone this entire time. I panic when I can't feel my necklace dangling around my neck, but I didn't feel the slightest difference when I stopped wearing the bracelet or even question the location of it.

Luke scratches the back of his neck and looks down to the paisley patterned carpet. "It's actually been fixed for a few weeks."

"What? Why haven't you given it to me?"

"I was being stupid again," he says. "I seem to do that a lot with you. Somehow even Ashton knew that I still had it; he got after me for not returning it to you yet. I thought that if I held onto it longer than it should've taken to get fixed you might notice and ask about it. But you never did. I know you love this bracelet but just like in reality, you love something else more. I was going to give it back to you the other day, but I couldn't make myself do it." His guilty tone is counted with a genuine smile.

He looks at me as if we're parting ways—like what is about to be said will be the start of an inevitable change between us..

"Emmie, I'm not completely over you, but I'm almost there. That bracelet was my last connection to you and I wasn't ready to let go of it just yet. I am now."

"Luke, I--"

"Your outfit is complete now." He beams and his hands returns to his pocket.

Three steps close the distance between us and I stand on the tips of my toes to kiss his cheek before I embrace him. He's knocked back a step and accidentally pops open a bag of chips with his foot, but I don't let him go. I've always felt responsible for unintentionally putting him through pain. I've never wanted to hurt any of my friends, especially not Luke. He's been holding on to something that even he knew he couldn't reach. Though it pains me to say, I'm glad he's finally letting go—not for my sake but for his own.

I release him and my arms fall at my side. "Does this mean you and Ashton can go back to being best friends again?"

"We never stopped being friends; he can't get away from me that easily. But the tension shouldn't be as bad as it was. Things between him and I haven't been as rough as it has been."

"So yes?"

He chuckles. "Yes." It's so refreshing to see Luke this way. What he did was difficult, but he looks so happy. I've missed this Luke. "Where were you headed?"

"Oh, right. I need to get my shoes from our room, but Ashton has the key."

"I forgot you girls were still getting ready," he says, picking up the chips and candy and gesturing to follow him. "We've just been sitting around watching TV this entire time."

"Lucky you."

Luke unlocks the door and allows me to enter first. Playful wolf whistles sound off when I step inside and come into view. The guys are dressed in their slacks and button ups, but their suit jackets are lying untouched on the bed; they haven't even been removed from the hanger. Ashton's eyes widen and stares at me with his mouth parted, completely dismissing the fact that he was in the process of tying his shoes.

"Youlookamazing." The words tumble from his lips. His eyes can't seem to stray from my face.

Julia chose a red lipstick for me, and when I told her it was too bold of a color she said, "Wear the boldest color where you want someone's eyes to look. If I can't look away, a certain someone won't either."

It's a good thing I didn't fight her on the topic because I like the way Ashton is staring at my lips. I used to feel so embarrassed when he looked at me for a long period of time, but I like it because he makes it visible that I take his breath away.

"I need to get into our room," I say and kick out my foot to show him why.

"If you needed a sock to put on the doorknob you could've just asked," Michael snickers, but his laughter is short lived as Ashton throws a pillow at his face. "Joking!"

"You see what I have to deal with when you're not around," Ashton says. He pats his chest like there's an invisible pocket and then moves down to his pants where he finds the room key tucked inside his wallet in his back pocket.

I take the key and thank him. Just as I turn to head for the door, Ashton reaches for my wrist and his thumb grazes over the band of my bracelet. He flashes a lopsided smile of approval to me and Luke before slipping his hand away from mine.

"Today is the day," he whispers.

_____

A/N: It's the day before my 23rd birthday (which is the 17th) so here's an early birthday present from me to you guys (I am so old good lord). School is over so I'll be able to update regularly again. It's going to take me a while to get back into the groove of writing fiction since I've been writing non-fiction all semester, but hopefully that won't take too long. Speaking on non-fiction, I am more than likely going to post my non-fiction book that I wrote for class so be on the lookout for that. It's a very different style of writing but I think you guys will enjoy it.

I'm sorry it's been a long wait for my updates, and I know this isn't one of my best written chapters but I hope you all enjoy anyway. Thank you so much for sticking around!

--Rebecca xoxoxoxo