Every fiber of his being was burning; as if he was set on burning coal. He just could not look away at the girl he loves. The girl who was literally in the arms of someone else. He could not forget how some years ago he was the one who could enroll his arms around her and held her close. He cherished his moments and secretly hoped that they would make surface again but his expectations vanished when she announced that she was fiancée to her long time boyfriend. He was the first to know about the wonderful news maybe because she considered him as her best friend. She even used the terms "brother" sometimes to describe him. Of course, he loved being his best friend, his confident and that often prevented him to reveal his true feelings. After they dated for some time, she found out that their relationship was too difficult to cope with but she felt hurt anytime she was far from him so they developed a new kind of bond and he never fully regretted it. He often concluded that being her friend was better than being nothing else.

"Chad?... Chad!" the girl snapped her fingers in front of his face to catch his attention. He broke out of his gloomy thoughts and gave her his full attention, as always. "Isn't that great news?" she said leaning back in the sofa next to her newly-announced fiancé who had to Chad's most sorrow had his arm around her shoulder.

"It's fantastic Sonny, am so happy for you two" he smiled at the easiness of the words. He was not an actor for nothing. Performing was his thing. Of course Sonny was easily convinced but Chad doubted that her companion was not as much certain as her. "Congratulations" Chad said extending his arm to Mark who took it after a few seconds of hesitance as they were not always in like terms. Chad put back his arm to his side and contemplated the coffee-table who was separating the two couches and could not avoid comparing this table with Mark. He was soon going to separate him from his Sonny. He stared at him trying to compose a polite and easy-going face. He had jet-black which was previously auburn and a prominent but not huge jaw. His nose was formed of a smooth arc-line and whenever he smiled (which did not happen often in the presence of Chad) small wrinkles appeared, to Sonny's pleasure, at the corner of his brown eyes. He had to admit it, he was good-looking but still occasionally Chad could not see which aspect of him could make Sonny prefer Mark over him. He had nothing which Chad did not have already but the latter would never admit it openly not wanting to brag as he was a different person. His attitude changed not only towards Sonny but also towards everyone else thanks to her. Sonny began blabbering about how she would visualize the wedding and Chad interrupted her.

"Did you tell your mom?" he questioned the couple but looked only at Sonny.

Her face immediately fell and his friend knew why. Connie was not very fond of weddings and did not see the point of anyone marching down the aisle telling that it was a complete waste of time, money and energy but Chad and Sonny knew better than anyone else that it was because of her disastrous marriage experience with Sonny's father. Another reason is that she never liked Sonny's boyfriend and she was not the only one.

"No, I did not but I thought you could plead to her on our favor. You are the only one who will be able to persuade her and I really want her to be present"

How hard things already started to be for Chad. Not only he had to assist her best friend's wedding as an obligation, but he had also to help her in the process. Help her to union her to someone else.

He just nodded, lifting lethargically his head from up to down. Sonny's face lightened up to his approval and that made him better. Her happiness shredded away every trace of grief he could have and if helping her through her wedding made her glad, Chad decided that he would do it even if it was a countless huge sacrifice. Those later events made him looked nobler than he was in his eyes but he did not completely disapproved of it.

The couple discussed a few things and had merely dropped off feeling as an outsider. For the past few months he had felt that he was solely being excluded and a wedding in view made things looked warier and blurry.

Chad suddenly felt stuffed and decided to use the headache excuse as a good reason to leave them alone. Before leaving the place, he had a last sad glimpse at Allison Munroe, the girl he was going to lose and left in a hurry to his car.

"I still can't believe it!" Connie Munroe yelled in anguish and terror when the blonde actor told her the news. Her little daughter was going to get married at only twenty-three years old. She was an adult and the mother knew she could not disapprove. Not wanting to discord and mess up things between the two of them, after serious thinking she had no other choice to accept. The young woman would be so pleased to know that her mother was OK with her decision but right now Connie was still in front of Chad. The latter came to do his duty two weeks after he learned the news himself. Why so long? He did not know.

The eyed-sharp woman knew that there was something wrong with him. He seemed tired, depressed as if a dark aura was floating above him. A dark shade could be seen under his eyelid and his stare was fleeing. She immediately knew why. She knew him just too well, sometimes better than her own daughter which acted like an alien through her choices. Perhaps she wished that she had chosen him instead of Mark and she knew Chad wanted it too. She was extremely fond of him, of Chad and that was another reason why she did not like her daughter's future husband.

He sighed heavily and continued "Are you okay with that?".

She joined him in the choir and heaved a sigh too "I guess I can't say anything, it's her choice… What about you?"

" Me?" he asked bewildered that someone asked him about his point of view and Connie just nodded.

He raised his shoulders and the woman knew better than to insist but questioned him on another subject " But why are YOU intermidiatering? Don't take me wrong dear but is she or her beau too afraid to come here and spit all in my face?"

The young man who was familiar with her barge and direct way of speaking responded calmly " They thought that you would be influenced more than me than by any of them"

" They were right Son"

For the first time since their meeting he smiled, not his true smile, the smile her daughter adored but a weak one. He got up and declared in the same monotony " Sorry I got to go ,see you Connie" and left in a flash leaving the soon to be mother-in-law in her deep thoughts until her daughter barged in.

She stared at her and back at the door from where Chad exited and smiled. They both stared awfully quiet until Connie extended her arms and her daughter rushed into it as happy as a clam. She promised to talk later but first ran taking the same path his friend took some minutes ago. She ran through the familiar staircases that she remembered taking some years ago before moving out and flew the main building door open. There he was walking hands in his pockets and head down she jigged quickly to him quick enough gratefully she was wearing flat sandals. She approached him more slowly and furtively slid her two arms under his, hugging him from the back.

" Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she chanted excitedly and that made him smile.

" Anything for you Sonny and that was not bad at all, she was not difficult" he said he hugged back with one arm around her shoulder

They arrived to his car and it felt normal for him to invite Sonny to come over for dinner. She always did. They sided in the car and conversation started without Chad being too into it. He was not in the mood. He did not even argue about the content of the radio channel and his friend did not noticed his melancholy as she was too busy dreaming about her perfect day.

" When?" Chad opened his mouth for the first time.

" In five months" she replied excitedly and his hand tightened on the steering when showing his white knuckles. He was going to lose her in five months. Five damn months. "Why so fast?" he dared to ask.

"Why wait?" she replied impulsively and Chad could not help sigh. His friend was about to ask her what was wrong when she was distracted by him opening the door as she arrived at his house. He appreciated the familiar sound of his footsteps on the gravel and the familiar clicking noise of the key in the door. He opened the door to reveal his "humble" house which Sonny preferred to mention as Mansion. They immediately went to the kitchen and she made herself comfortable while he opened the fridge. He started scroll through the different condiments.

"Do you want any help?" he asked her sarcastically

"No am fine thank you" she replied in the same tone smiling while resting her chin on her two joint hands.

They both took the last bite of their fajitas "Would it be a white wedding?" he asked reluctantly but this topic was the only one Sonny was enthusiastic to talk about for the moment. " Duh!" she replied licking her fingers clean. "Chad?" she started.

" Uhm?" he growled to tell her to go on.

"How is your girlfriend?"

"Sonny, I currently don't have a girlfriend"

"You see my point! You don't date! It's been how long since your last serious relationship?" she screeched.

How could she think he could want to see anyone else when the only girl he required to be with was her?