CHAPTER ONE

Sophie 

“...Soph, could you come here please?... Sophie!?” was the next thing I heard. Snapping me out of the deep trance I had gotten myself into, having a staring contest with the man that was about to get married to my sister in a few hours. 

“Yes, I'll be right there” I replied. Took a deep breath and went back to the bridal suite where Hazel was getting ready. 

“You literally just got back and you're over here disappearing again. It's not even been an hour yet damn” Hazel said sarcastically, letting out a fake smirk. 

“I only said to go see Dylan, before the ceremony begins so you can meet him officially.. 

Why did that take forever” she added. 

“Ugh you're so dramatic. We got talking and got carried away. That's my brother in law, are you kidding! You know I had to put him on the spot and decide if I approved of him before you walked down that aisle” I replied, chuckling. 

“Oh lord!” She said, laughing. I laughed too. 

“So then, your royal highness, did he pass the vibe check?” she asked, giving me the funniest side eye. 

“Well duh, I would have called this wedding off immediately if he didn't” I answered and that made everybody in the room with us laugh. 

“You will never change now will you?” she said, teasing me. 

By this time there were just little finishing touches left to be done before the ceremony began. 

“Now that I'm here, what did you call me for Mrs Hazel Carter” I teased her 

She chuckled. 

“Oh, Soph, I missed you so much” she said, holding my hand as I stood beside her 

“And I'm so grateful that you're here today,” she added, starting to get a little emotional. 

“Uh, no ma'am, we won't do that right now, are you trying to ruin the hard work of these people in one minute” I said, placing my hand back on hers. 

“By the way, don't tell me you called me here to tell me you missed me ma'am, really? Oh God save me from this girl” I added dramatically. 

“I missed you too Haze, so much” I added squatting to give her a little side hug as she was still seated. 

“Did you really think I would miss your wedding for anything? Are you crazy!?” 

We both chuckled. 

“Now, get it together and let's go wife you up!” I said in a more exciting tone and that set the vibe right back. 

Hazel really did make a beautiful bride. 

By this time, everyone was already seated in the open field waiting for the bride to come out, so my parents came to see if she was already and have my dad walk her down the aisle 

And walked into a big surprise of seeing me in the room. My dad looked all sharp in his finely tailored suit and my mom looked as beautiful and as stunning as ever, very much fitting the role of the parents of the bride. They had no idea I would be there. 

Technically, nobody knew I was going to attend this wedding, I lied to everyone and said I had my final exams on the day and wouldn't make it because I wanted my appearance to be a surprise and I achieved my goal. They were very much stunned to see me. 

I ran like a baby to hug them both. It's been way over a year of being away from them and home. It felt so good to be back home. 

Time was running and we didn't have enough time to talk and catch up as much as we would have liked right there as Hazel was expected to walk down with my dad in a couple of minutes so we had to move all that chit chat to after the ceremony. 

“well, how do I look” Hazel asked Mom and Dad 

“You look perfect, sweetheart. Absolutely stunning.” Dad said as he took her right hand and gave her a peck on it. 

“Oh my dear baby, you look amazing” my mom said as she gave her a hug and turned to me.

Hazel and dad walk out of the room. 

But my mom wasn't letting me leave without an explanation. 

“Sophie? Oh my God, how did you.. When did you get here?” she said, bombarding me with all the questions she could possibly ask 

“Ha, surprise” I said, slightly waving my hands in the air jokingly. 

“Relax mom, I got here today. But that's not important now, I'll tell you about it later but right now we have a wedding to attend” I said as I held her hand and dragged her out of the room in a hurry so we wouldn't miss the most important part of the ceremony. 

As we got to the venue, mom immediately went to her seat. Dylan was already in position waiting for Hazel. And for some reason, I kept taking glances at him. It was hard not to. 

He was the kind of man you noticed immediately without wanting to. Tall, broad shoulders straight, dark hair and had the most beautiful eyes. 

The kind that ruined people. That almost ruined me moments ago when I saw him earlier. 

The day of the wedding was the first time I met him in person. I had only seen him in pictures Hazel would send anytime they went on dates so I knew who he was. 

But I really cannot explain what happened between us earlier this morning in that corridor. 

There was no conversation that led to us getting carried away or talking, that was a lie. 

The minute I set my eyes on him and saw him walking towards me, my body froze. My heart definitely skipped a beat. 

It was like I completely forgot I was looking at my sister's fiancé, soon to be husband. And I kept my eyes fixed on him till he stood directly in front of me. 

“Hi Sophie, it's nice to finally meet you.” he said, extending his hand towards me. 

“Hazel sent a text that you were on your way to meet me so I thought to meet you halfway” he added. 

“Uh yes, hi Dylan” I stretched my hand towards him too giving a handshake. 

I cleared my throat

It's nice to uh.. finally meet you too” I stuttered, trying to get myself together hoping he hadn't noticed anything weird about how I was just looking at him. 

But, he didn't let go of my hand. 

I don't know if he was conscious of that or not but for a minute there he didn't let go and somehow, very weirdly, for a brief moment we made eye contact. 

I didn't look away, he didn't either. The way he stood in front of me in his perfectly crisped tailored black suit and his brown eyes fixed directly on mine, for a split second there my brain completely stopped working. 

Until Hazel's voice snapped us out of it, calling for me from her suite. 

“I'm sorry.. I– I need to get back to Hazel” I said, yanking my hand quickly out of his. 

He just stood there and didn't say a word. Probably also wondering what had just happened. 

I turned around and walked off, but before I got to the corner to take a left turn, I turned back and looked at him and he was still standing there fixing his eyes onto me as I walked off. 

And somehow that felt way more dangerous than it should have.