by Len Webster
At the end of the altar, she watched as he Liam spoke to the minister that would marry them. The smile on her fiancé’s face made her smile. He was happy and for the first time since returning back from Connecticut she was too. The pure joy on Annie’s face had Clara raising her eyebrow at Jarred.
He shook his head and chuckled. “She’s getting ideas,” he said as he walked down the aisle to Clara.
“Mrs. O’Connor, may I please borrow Clara for a moment?” Jarred asked with such sweetness that it was impossible to say no.
Imogen smiled and nodded her head.
“I’ll be back,” Clara said. She followed Jarred as they left the altar and walked towards the large wooden doors, exiting the church.
They walked in silence as he led her away from the church and behind a large tree, some distance away. Jarred stopped and faced her.
“You okay?” he asked.
She hadn’t realised how tense she was until she walked out of the church. Looking around and seeing no one around, Clara slipped out of her heels and let the cold tarmac relieve her aching feet.
“I’m good, really good. Absolutely good.” She nodded as she wiggled her toes.
“You said 'good' three times, Clara.”
“And?”
“You repeat words when you lie,” Jarred pointed out and placed his hands in his pockets.
“I do not! I’m good, fine, perfect. I’m happy.” Clara threw her hands in the air, exhausted.
“You used far too many words to describe that lie.”
The seriousness in Jarred’s usual carefree face had her shoulders sagging.
“Jarred, I really don’t want to have this discussion with you.” Clara fiddled with her engagement ring. There was a sigh from Jarred and she met his concerned eyes.
“Tough luck. Don’t you remember?”
“Remember what?” Clara asked, her eyebrows knitted.
“Almost a year ago, you and Noel ended. Don’t you remember how I said I’d have that legal pad with reasons why you made the right choice when you found the one? Well…” Jarred pulled out his right hand and held out a folded piece of yellow lined paper.
She looked down at Jarred’s hand and her heart sank. He was there that night she walked away. In his moment of compassion towards her he made her a promise that he now fulfilled.
“Jarred,” she softly said.
“I’m your best friend and I know we’ve drifted. You have your reasons and I’m always here, but this was a promise I wasn’t willing to break. Just read it,” Jarred begged with a sad smile.
She took the piece of paper from him. Clara held it tightly in her hand and bit the bottom of her lip.
“Don’t end up like Stevie,” Jarred said before he walked past her and towards the church.
When she was sure she was alone, Clara started to unfold the piece of paper. She looked down to see Jarred’s writing on the paper and his words instantly brought the fire in her chest and the stinging in her eyes.
Reasons why I know Clara found the one:
You’ve already found him and he’s waiting for you in Boston.
Noel's the one.
Because no matter how much you think you love Liam, he’s not Noel. You found the one, Clara. You’ve fought countless battles and you’ve been through more pain than others. You will always come out loving him no matter how much you try to tell yourself otherwise. The reason why I know Noel’s the one: because your heart won’t let him go, even after all this time. You need to let Liam go, Clara. It’s time you let your heart win. It’s time you won your battles. It’s time you let Noel back into your life and willing into your heart.
P.S. I’m not good with words, I should have asked Annie for help! But I hope you get what I mean. Noel's the one.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Jarred’s reasons were not her own. Though his words touched her and made her heart ache, it wasn’t the driving force. It wasn’t enough for to leave Liam. It wasn’t enough to will her to end it. She spent the last two night reading Jarred’s reason. He said he wasn’t good with words, but he had proven himself wrong. Jarred had a way with words. That afternoon they spoke in private and he understood her reasons for not succumbing to the piece of paper. The end of their conversation had Clara smiling at him and in the end he had her blessing as she had his.
Looking down at the paper in her lap, Clara let out a heavy groan.
“You okay over there, Clara?” Keira asked looking up from the bridal magazine she was reading.
Clara raised her legs up and crossed them on the cream French couch of her Royal Suit at The Hotel Windsor. She looked over at the French inspired fireplace to her right and frowned at the extravagance of the room she was in. Liam had practically booked out floors of one of Melbourne’s most prestigious five-star hotels.
Holding up the blank piece of paper in front of her and the end of her pen to her lip, she shook her head.
Accepting defeat, she let the paper and pen fall to the ground. “I don’t know how to write my vows. I need Google.”
Keira laughed as she held the side of her body, trying to not cause discomfort with her ribs. “You don’t need Google. These things take time.”
Scrunching up her nose, she looked over at Annie who sat in the armchair in front of her.
Annie pointed at Clara and said, “It should come naturally!”
She flinched. Drawing up her knees, Clara wrapped her arms around her legs and rest her chin on her knees. “I know it should,” she whispered and closed her eyes.
“No, Clara, I didn’t mean it like that. Please don’t be upset with me.”
Opening her eyes, Clara smiled up at Annie. “I’m not. I just… I don’t know with this wedding stuff. Honestly, I never imagined myself getting married. My parents put me off the idea, then Darren and—” Clara stopped herself. It was a lie, she saw herself being married to Noel but she also saw a life with Liam.
“You’re going to be fine.” Keira gave her a beaming smile.
“Easy for you to say. You’ve got my brother so in love with you, marriage is around the corner,” Clara said as she unwrapped her arms and reached over for the pen and paper on the floor.
When she sat back up, Clara saw the content smile on Keira’s face.
“I see myself being Alex’s wife. I’d love that honour.”
“I’d marry Jarred,” Annie joined in.
Clara smiled at Annie’s words before she shook her head.
“Better not talk about that kind of stuff around Ally and Stevie,” Clara said as she tapped the pen on the paper.
I need to write my vows.
Clara looked down at the paper. She tuned out Annie and Keira’s conversation and concentrated on her vows. Clara didn’t really need to hear about how romantic her brother was. It was a little sickening, but she was genuinely happy for Alex and Keira.
Twenty minutes later and she had no words formed. She needed inspiration and she needed a certain search engine. Groaning out, Clara scrunched up the unwritten piece of paper and threw it across the room.
“Clara—” Keira said before her phone beeped.
She tilted her head at her brother’s girlfriend. “Yeah?”
“Maybe something’s stopping you from writing your vows. Annie and I will leave you to it,” Keira said as she walked over to Annie and pulled her out from chair.
“Hey—Oh!” Annie said as she looked at Keira’s phone.
“You two are up to something. Oh my God! If a stripper comes then I’m going to be really mad. Is that why Ally and Stevie went out to get ‘food’?” Clara raised her eyebrow at them.
They were sharing a secret and Clara wanted in but with everything Jo wanted done she had no time for silly secrets. Getting up from the couch, she walked over to the small table next to the window and unplugged her laptop from its charger.
“If it’s a stripper then you’re all in trouble! We agreed no strippers!” Clara called out as Annie and Keira giggled unti
l they left the room.
⌘
Scrolling down the fourth website for hints on wedding vows, she rubbed her eyes. The screen brightness made them feel dry. The only words she was able to write on a new piece of paper was “I promise…”
She never realised how hard it was to write vows until she had to write her own. A knock on the door was an answer to her prayers. She needed a distraction and she knew Stevie was on her way up to Clara's suite.
“Stevie, use your key!” she yelled out, scrolling through another lot of example vows.
“Clara.”
The voice made it difficult to breathe. Turning her head towards the door, she shook her head slightly at her guest.
“What are you doing here? I thought I told you not to come for me?” Her lip quivered and her heart was succumbed to a heavy pain at the sight of him.
He’s really here.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I texted Keira and she gave me your room key. Listen, baby, you’ve got to put a stop to all of this,” he begged.
Those green eyes made her trembled. The tiredness in Noel’s eyes had her moving the laptop off her lap and standing. He almost ran to her and his hands were on her waist before she could refuse.
“I’m writing my vows.”
His eyes saddened and she placed her hands on his chest.
“I told you, Noel, I’m in too deep. I can’t—”
Noel brought her closer, removed his hands from her hips and cupped her face and said, “I was scared that you won’t see me the same and this fairy tale of you loving me would be just that, a fairy tale. Who would have thought that Nolan Parker, the jerk of my childhood, would be the prince I wanted to save me.”
Her heart stopped.
“I was missing one thing in my life and that was you… You were the piece of me I’ve been waiting for…” he continued.
Clara blinked in shock.
“How—” she struggled out.
His hold on her tightening as if he knew she would back away.
“It’s me that needs saving, Clara. It wasn’t a fairy tale. It was real, more real than anything I’ve ever felt or experienced. There is more than just one piece of me that’s missing since you left, my entire being. I need you for the rest of my life.”
He ran his right thumb along her cheek before he let go over her face. He took a step back and reached into his back pocket. The butterflies that he always gave her resurfaced and she bit her bottom lip to contain the flutter.
Pulling out his wallet, Clara looked at him confused. He looked up at her and gave her a delicate smile. He wasn’t giving her any clues. Noel flipped open his wallet and took something out from the slot.
“I never expected to fall in love with you. Not because you're Alex's little sister but because I neglected to see that the opportunity to fall in love was before me my entire life. If I never get the opportunity to say it tomorrow or the next day then I love you, Clara Louise Lawrence. I love you. I've unknowingly loved you my entire life.”
They’re the words.
Noel stepped forward and handed her what he took out of his wallet. The air caught in her throat as she looked at the picture he handed her. It was a photo of them. The exact photo she had Stevie burn. Clara ran her fingers over their faces. Tears ran down her face as she looked at the love in his eyes as she kissed him in the photo.
“You kept this?” she asked unbelievably.
“I couldn’t get rid of it. My heart wouldn’t let me. My heart won’t let you go.”
This one photo had her believing. She wiped her tears and looked at him. The words he spoke were familiar, almost word-for-word. Looking at the picture of them one last time, she handed it back to him. Noel looked at the picture for a moment before he put it in his pocket.
“How do you know about what I said about you being my missing piece and saving me?” she asked.
Noel tensed and reached back into his pocket and held out the pieces of paper she recognised.
“Oh my God,” she breathed out.
“Just know that I loved you, with all my heart, I loved you,” he recited to her.
There was a pain in her heart that she didn’t know very well, someone betrayed her. He had the letter she hid away and someone gave it to him.
“How did you find that?” she asked, completely shocked at what he held.
“Liam gave it to me.”
“What?” she breathed out.
Liam. No. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t.
“He stopped by Boston not too long ago and told me to come and change your mind.”
Clara shook her head.
“No, he wouldn’t do that. He doesn’t know about you, how could he?”
“Clara, he’s known a long time.” The hope in his eyes had her conflicted.
Liam doesn’t want to marry me? He gave Noel my letter.
“He also gave me this,” Noel said and took out the invitation she never sent him from underneath a piece of paper.
“He came to Boston to give you all this?” Clara asked as she fiddled with her ring. Then it made sense. It all clicked.
You love me, right?
Another tear rolled down her face. Liam knew. Clara took a step forward and took her letter and invitation out of Noel’s hands. She looked up and met Noel’s eyes. The fear of rejection was clear, but she walked past him and ran out of the suite.
I need to see Liam.
Running down the grand staircase of The Hotel Windsor, she didn’t stop. She clutched onto the letter like it was a lifeline. One act of selflessness and Clara was running. Halfway down the stairs she felt a stitch but she pushed through it. She passed wedding guests that were staying at the hotel but she ignored them.
Entering the grand ballroom she noticed Liam speaking to a worker, pointing at the lights. Like she naturally drew him, Liam turned and smiled at her. He looked down at her hands and his smile instantly vanished. He excused himself and the male hotel worker left the ballroom from the rear exit.
“Clara.” Liam’s voice sounded like he was trying to calm her before he even knew what she’d say.
Her chest rose and fell heavily as she panted. “What the hell is this?” she said furiously and threw her letter at his chest.
Liam didn’t say anything as they experienced their first argument. The sad frown broke her heart. She wasn’t sure why she was hurt. Whether it was because Liam had betrayed her or if he was willing to lose her for her to be happy.
“I had to do it, Clara. I can’t let you marry me if I’m not who you want to be with. I knew about you and Noel and I still went after you. I didn’t let you get over him and I selfishly took you before you were ready to open up your heart to anyone else. I couldn’t live with myself if I’m some how forcing you to marry me.”
She stepped forward and cupped his face. Clara breathed out and looked deep into his hazel eyes. “Why are you doing this?”
His hands covered hers. “When you smile at me it’s a little off. Like you’re saving your best smile for someone else. Like you’ve been saving your heart and your beautiful smile for Noel. Clara, your heart won’t let me in because you’re still in love with him.”
Liam’s words stilled her.
“You love me enough to let Noel come between us?”
“It’s not fair to me to be married to you if you’re not really in love with me, Clara. I love you enough to know that I’m in the way of you being happy. Your happiness means more to me than you know. I need you to make your choice based on your wants and needs. I’ll be all right. If you still want to marry me, I’ll be here, but I won’t be mad if you left me for him.”
His hands left hers as he took a step back and picked up her letter and the invitation. Her heart swelled for him. Liam was sacrificing it all for her. He found Noel and was selfless enough to bring him to her.
“Liam.”
“Yeah,” he said once he stood straight.
Taking the papers from hi
s hand, she placed them on the white clothed table to her right and took his hands, entwining their fingers together. She looked around the ballroom and smiled at him.
It would be a shame to break Liam O’Connor’s heart.
Clara didn’t say anything. She took off like the wind and fled the suite, leaving him alone and hoping she’d come back. But the realisation in her golden brown eyes had him concerned. Looking around the large suite he knew these were the things Liam could offer her so generously. Though it was expensive, Clara didn’t enjoy luxury. That he knew.
The sound of the key card being accepted in the lock had him standing straight. When the door opened he felt the disappointment settle in his heart.
“Noel, what are you doing here?” Stevie asked as she closed the door. She walked over to him, placed the bags on the couch and pulled him into a tight embrace.
After a quick hug, she stepped back and looked him over. “I don’t care, I’m happy you’re here. She’s struggling and she’s very close to breaking. I’m glad Liam found his way to Boston.”
“That was you?” He looked at her, his mouth gapping.
Stevie nodded. “Yeah. Liam threw Clara this surprise engagement party at the bakery and I could see it in his eyes that he wasn’t expecting her back with that ring. Once he drank, I got him talking and he’s known about you guys for a really long time. I convinced him that it was time you two had a talk and I’m glad he went to Boston before Vegas.”
“You did this? Why?”
Sighing, Stevie sat on the couch and ran her fingers through her straight blonde hair. “Look, I feel awful about going behind her back, but I couldn’t take it any more. I know she’s doing this because Liam loves her, but she needs some perspective. It’s frustrating to see her in so much pain. I know she’s better than this but she’s messed up when it comes to being in love. She doesn’t want to be selfish.”
Stevie took the bags off the couch and patted the free spot for him. Sitting down, he saw the sadness in Stevie’s eyes.
“I know she’s making a mistake and I’ve tried to get her to go back to you. I knew about the letter, I was the one who convinced her to write it. I’ve had this plan in motion for a little while. It’s going to suck not being her maid-of-honour, but this wedding can’t happen. You’ve got three days, Noel.”