All Chapters of Never Mine To Love: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

River’s POVThe backyard had been transformed.Colorful plastic cones marked a big rectangle on the grass. There was a cooler in the shade, half full of juice boxes and cold soda cans. Someone had brought out a speaker, and music played—happy, bouncy songs that made little kids dance and adults smile. It smelled like sunscreen and barbecue. Laughter floated through the air like sunlight—soft and warm.Kids were running around in circles, chasing each other, their voices rising with joy. Some adults lounged on folded lawn chairs. Others stretched out on picnic blankets. The grass was soft underfoot, a little dry from the heat, but not too bad. The sun was bright but kind, not the kind that burned—just the kind that kissed your skin and made you squint.Antonio was already halfway across the yard, darting toward a group gathering in the middle.“River’s on my team!” he shouted like he’d just won something huge. He pumped his fist high in the air like a champion.A few heads turned my wa

River’s POVThe day Claire exchanged her vows started off like it had been picked straight out of a wedding magazine. Sunshine poured through the trees, brushing everything gold. The sky was a soft kind of blue, the kind you only see in old postcards or dreams. Birds were singing. Bees danced lazily around the wildflowers near the fence. The wind was gentle, like it knew not to mess anything up today.The backyard had already been dressed up the night before, white petals lining the grassy aisle, chairs in neat rows with pastel ribbons fluttering on the backs, and that beautiful arch. Someone had spent hours twisting vines and roses around it, making it look like a page from a fairytale. It was Claire’s dream wedding. And it was perfect.But even perfect days can have shadows.I found Noah in the guest bathroom, right before everything started.I hadn’t been looking for him. Just ducked inside to check my hair, maybe reapply some lip balm. But when I opened the door, I froze.He was s

Noah’s POV.Claire stood at the altar, her hands trembling just a little as she faced her soon-to-be husband. Sunlight poured in through the soft white drapes wrapped around the garden arch, spilling golden flecks into her dark curls. The air held its breath. The music faded gently into the background.She smiled, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Then she began."You were the last person I expected, and yet the only one I truly needed. You’ve seen me at my best and held me through my worst. You’ve loved me in silence, in chaos, and in the quiet moments I didn’t even know how to love myself. Today, I give you all of me. The scared parts. The brave parts. The ones that still need healing. And in return, I promise to fight for us every single day, even when love feels hard. Especially then. I promise to grow with you, laugh with you, and stand beside you for every chapter yet to come."Her voice wavered, catching at the edge of emotion, but she pushed through and said the final words

River's Pov.Noah's lips were soft.That was the first thing I noticed. Not the surprise of it or the heat pulsing between us, but how gentle it felt—like he was asking, not taking.His hand found the side of my face, fingers curling at my jaw like he wasn’t sure I’d let him. I didn’t stop him. Couldn’t. My thoughts had scattered like leaves the moment he said my name, and now they were nowhere to be found.The kiss deepened slightly, but it never turned frantic. Just soft. Patient. Full of all the things we never said.I let my eyes fall shut, body swaying toward his like gravity had given up pretending we weren’t already pulled together. The world around us quieted. The distant music from the wedding reception, the laughter, the clink of glasses—it all blurred into something else. Background. Irrelevant.Because right now, it was just us.When he finally pulled back, just a little, his breath was warm against my cheek. He didn’t step away. Just looked at me like I held every answer

Noah's Pov.My thumb hovered near the edge of River’s phone again, not touching it. Not scrolling. Not opening the message.Just… staring at it as if it would magically disappear but it didn't instead the name sat there like it was daring me.Marcus.Such a small thing, a name. Just a little cluster of letters. But it landed in my head like a pebble dropped into a still pond. The ripples didn’t stay neat. They spread, bending and twisting, until the quiet inside me wasn’t quiet anymore.I knew that name.I’d heard it before, few weeks ago, at the hangout. River had tossed it into the conversation the way you throw a peanut to a squirrel. No real weight, no reason to catch it. “Marcus from tinder” or “this guy Marcus.” I’d forgotten it the way you forget the color of the car parked next to yours. Unimportant. Forgettable.But seeing it now, sharp white text against the black of his screen… paired with that casual, we didn’t get to know each other well… yeah.It didn’t feel forgettable