Walk Me Down The Aisle
It was a beautiful autumn season at the wedding day of Danni's friends. She got up from her table to refill her glass of champagne, and as she walked past the head table, she saw Scott sitting there. They exchanged polite smiles, but didn't talk much. Danni had seen Scott before, but had never really talked to him. She knew he was an actor, but chose to keep quiet about it, because she wanted to get to know the real person behind the fame. Over the weeks, they started to enjoy each other's company, and seem to still seeing each other at weddings. Scott never knew that Danni was a writer in the movie industry, and Danni never told him. She enjoyed the anonymity of being able to observe him without him knowing who she really was. One day, while in their hiding place, Danni opened up to Scott about how she was feeling. She told him that she had developed feelings for him over the passed months and wanted to explore a relationship with him. Scott was hesitant at first, because of his past heartbreak, and wasn't sure if he was ready for another relationship. But with Danni's persistence and patience, they started seeing each other and fell in love. They had a whirlwind romance filled with laughter, passion, and adventure. Danni was happy, and she felt like she had finally found her soulmate. She loved him so much that she decided to write a book about their love story. It became a bestseller and the spotlight was on them. But then something happened that she never saw coming. Scott was disappointed about the book, and his father was filled with anger towards her. Scott felt like his privacy had been invaded, and he became distant from Danni. She tried to reach out to him, but he wouldn't respond. She felt like she had lost him forever. But doon reconciled but it was too late. Years went by, and they were both at a mutual friend's wedding again, with their own partners. They locked eyes from across the room and smiled with the idea of their past. They didn't exchange words, but they both knew that they were happy in their own lives. Danni looked over to her companion and felt thankful for everything she had. She still loved Scott, but she knew that they were just characters in each other's stories now. She realized that sometimes, life doesn't go as planned, and the person you thought was your happily ever after, wasn't meant to be. But she was grateful for the memories they shared, and for the love that had filled her heart for a time. As the night went on, Danni realized that sometimes, the best love stories don't have endings that make sense. And sometimes, the best love stories are the ones that you hold in your heart forever.
Chapter Seventeen
It's that unmistakable sensation that washes over you when you wholeheartedly love someone, believing that they are deserving of all the time, love, and effort you offer. Yet, when you come face to face with the harsh reality that they no longer feel the same way or have fallen out of love with you, it becomes utterly bewildering. It feels like all the energy and emotion you poured into the relationship was in vain.
"Danni, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Scott's unexpected presence caught me off guard as I stepped outside the wedding venue. "Scott? What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be enjoying the celebration inside?" I answered back, intentionally avoiding eye contact.
"I don't know. It just seems like we always end up running into each other at these events. It's starting to make me wonder if there's something more to it," Scott questioned, his tone betraying a hint of confusion.
"Do you honestly think I'm coming after you?" I snapped, my frustration boiling to the surface as he quickly apologized realizing his words. "No, Danni, that's not what I meant."
"I don't have time for this, Scott. I need to go," I responded curtly, desperate to escape the uncomfortable situation, but Scott called after me, nevertheless, I was determined to avoid any further confrontation, hurrying away without looking back.
I knew he wouldn't pursue me like the passion of those men who believe that women have the ability to change them. I wasn't some fictional character from a romantic movie; I was far from famous and certainly lacked the conventional beauty associated with such narratives. Realizing that he was the elusive Mr. Stranger I had been seeking, all I wanted to do was express my gratitude, but the sting of rejection overwhelmed me. It wasn't supposed to be like this; it was solely my assumption.
Even before the night had come to an end, I made the difficult decision to end our connection, determined to give our story a different conclusion than the one I had originally written.
"Danni, this is a great ending that you've come up with," Mitch clamored, beaming as he read through my completed manuscript. "I'll speak to our agent right away, and with any luck, we could have your new book published within the next month."
Feeling encouraged by Mitch's enthusiasm, I couldn't help but ask, "What about the script? Should we continue working on it?"
Mitch responded still engrossed on the manuscript's pages, "That's entirely up to you and David to decide what the script for this book will be, Danni. Just let me know when you have it ready." He continued to devour every word of my manuscript, his excitement palpable.
With Mitch's aid behind me, I gathered the courage to face my friends who had witnessed the hard times and anger that is still wrecking havoc in my heart. Amongst them, it was David who seemed unable of forgiving me without an evident explanation.
"What?" I asked innocently, feigning surprise and denying any wrongdoing. "What do you mean, 'What'?" David responded calmly, seemingly unfazed by my question. "You're not going to forgive me, are you?" I sighed, realizing that my actions had caused a rift between us.
"I can't just overlook what you did, Danni. You used Scott, who had no idea what was going on, for the project you and Mitch were working on," David sarcastically uttered, emphasizing his disappointment.
"But it's my job. Our job, David! If I don't do this, I could lose everything!" I justified, my voice cracking with emotion.
"Is your job really worth sacrificing someone's trust? And to make matters worse, you exposed his secrets to the public, secrets he had entrusted to you. And I know why you did it – because he rejected you!" David's voice filled with anger as he unleashed his accusations.
"Well, say whatever you want. This part is going to be mine alone, and I will write the script alone!" I challenged defiantly, walking away from them, determined to prove myself.
"You shouldn't have done this, Dan," David muttered under his breath as I walked away from them, leaving a lingering sense of regret in the air.