Chapter twenty-five break

AN: Hi guys, this chapter is twice as long as usual. I am making up for the -longer than usual- update. I rushed to get this out, so I apologise for any errors. Please let me know which you prefer. (Longer chapters, but longer updates. Or, shorter chapters, but quicker updates) Thank you for continuing to enjoy this fanfic your support means a lot to me

Lee's POV

Her hand in mine calmed me in a way I can't describe. I felt whole, mended, like this was how it was meant to be. Elle let go of my hand and took Noah's. and as she did a new feeling came over me.

I still felt jealous, seeing them so happy, sent a sharp pang of longing through my heart. But I also felt guilty. Elle was clearly happy, her face shone so brightly, her eyes wide and relaxed. I had rarely seen Elle like this. Noah also looked different. He looked calm and content. Noah never looked like this; he was always hot headed, ready to punch someone for looking at him the wrong way.

It clicked into place straight away, and I started to cry. Elle misinterpreted my tears and put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Listen Lee, I love you I really do, but…" Elle began, but I cut her off. "Not in the same way you love Noah. I know, I fell the same" I said, and to my surprise I meant it. I realised that it wasn't Elle that I wanted so desperately, it was what she had with Noah that I wanted.

Elle looked shocked at my words. I guessed, that she thought I was going to put up a fight and insist that she should be with me instead of Noah. She closed her mouth, not sure what to say next.

"What Racheal did to you, was unforgivable. But you will get over it." Noah said quietly. I looked up into his sincere face and nodded. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to hope, that one day I would be happy. I wanted to hope, that all of the bullshit was finally behind me. But something told me it wasn't.

Noah's POV

I was happy that Lee had finally seen sense. He didn't even need a long argument. Something in Elle's face, must have told him what everyone already knew. I had to admit to myself, I was concerned. If anyone had a chance of taking Elle away from me, it was Lee.

We all went downstairs. Mom and dad where waiting in the kitchen for us. We all strolled in. Elle holding my hand and Lee's, Lee smiling down at her in a brotherly way.

As soon as I walked into the kitchen, I realised what was happening. Someone had put up balloons, that were shaped as Disney characters. A large banner hung across the wall. And Mom and Dad were both wearing Mickey ears.

"We thought, that it would be a good idea, for us to get away as a family. Just before everything gets hectic around here with the wedding." Mom said, with a bright smile at all of us. Elle and Lee, immediately got excited. But I kept myself reserved. I hated to be the bad guy, but I wasn't about to let mine and Elle's wedding fall, second place, to a holiday.

"Don't you think its too much? We haven't done any of the planning, and the wedding is right around the corner." I said to my mom. She didn't lose her smile, "I knew you would say that. Which is why I took the liberty of hiring a wedding planner. She's coming for dinner later." She said and Elle beamed at her.

"She is going to plan it all?" Elle beamed at us. I frowned in confusion, why she was so happy about this.

I thought all women dreamed about planning their wedding one day…

"Yep, you and I won't have to do a thing. She's rather excited about it. She has never been given an unlimited budget before." My mom said and Elle looked beyond ecstatic.

"But that means, that you won't get to plan anything yourself." I said to Elle, thinking that maybe she didn't realise what she was giving up.

Lee chuckled, "Elle has never been that type of girl. If she had to plan this wedding, it would probably kill her." Lee said and it hit me. I felt unhappy that I didn't know this important detail. Sometimes, the fact that he knew Elle in ways I would never understand, really got to me.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked Elle. She looked guilty, "Oh Noah, obviously, she didn't want to hurt you" my mom said, slapping my shoulder and tutting.

I sighed, "So, you would prefer not to do any of the planning?" I asked Elle again. She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed me. "I don't care were or how I marry you. As long as you're mine, it doesn't matter." Elle said sweetly and I smiled.

She had wrapped me around her little finger, like she always did. She knew, I would never deny her anything she wanted.

"When do we leave?" Lee asked excitedly turning the conversation back to the holiday.

Elle's POV

Things were better than I could have hoped for. I don't know why I had spent so long agonising over the conversation with Lee. We didn't even need words. Lee seemed to understand straight away.

When we found out that we were all going to Florida for a family holiday. I didn't think that things could get any better. But then Molly announced that she had gotten a wedding planner to organize everything for us. And I felt like I might explode with happiness.

Lee knew, that I was worried about organising the wedding. I had never so much as organised a tea party, and I felt sure that I would mess things up. I had never dreamt about my wedding. To me, the actual wedding didn't matter. All that mattered to me, was the person I was promising myself to.

Molly told us, that the wedding planner would be here for dinner. So, after the excitement of finding out we were headed to Florida in the morning. I helped her set up the dinner table.

Luckily, Molly had been shopping recently. And she had stacked Noah closet with new dressed and outfits for me. She had even packed my suitcase for Florida. I was a little bit worried about that. But I knew that I would unpack the case and repack it later tonight, so that I could be sure I had everything I needed.

I put on a new, bright yellow, long maxi dress and rushed downstairs to meet the wedding planner.

When I saw her, I wasn't at all happy. She was tall, blonde and elegant. She screamed, pampered. The only thing that settled me. Was that she was clearly looked far too old for Noah. That was, until she stepped aside and introduced her daughter. Her daughter was also blonde and perfectly groomed. But, she also, had a dazzling smile that nearly blinded me, and a body, I knew, most girls would kill for.

"Megan" Molly said happily, stepping forward and embracing the older of the two. Her eyes flicked towards the younger woman in question. "This is daisy. I hope you don't mind that I bought her along." Megan said, smiling at Molly and hugging her back.

Of course, Molly said that she didn't mind at all. We all went into the dining room and sat down. Daisy sat next to her mother and she look shyly at the floor. But I wasn't falling for it. Every girl had her eyes on Noah.

Not that I blamed them…

I didn't want someone, who looked like her, anywhere near Noah. It took a hint of my self-esteem. And it wasn't as though I didn't trust Noah. It was just that, I didn't trust other girls around him.

I realised that I was staring at Daisy and dragged my eyes away to her mother.

Megan took a large gulp of wine, seeming to pump herself up to say something.

"There's actually a reason I bought Daisy along with me tonight." She said, and her eyes flicked towards her daughter.

Daisy looked up; her soft, blue eyes looked at her mother. She didn't look too happy that she was sitting here and I wondered why that was.

"Daisy is getting into the family business. She hasn't assisted on many projects before. And a project like this, with an unlimited budget. Is something she shouldn't miss out on." Megan explained. I gasped in horror.

I didn't want this beautiful creature anywhere near my wedding. She was sure to overshadow me on my big day. I was going to look stupid next to her.

Everyone looked at me, and I struggled to find a way to say no. whilst still being polite. To my surprise, Daisy was the one to come to my defence.

"I don't have the experience required for this kind of event. It's silly to have me assisting on this. It should be someone with more experience. To give you the wedding you deserve." She said, speaking directly to me. There was so much sincerity in her eyes. And I realised that I had gotten the wrong impression of her.

I had expected her voice to be high pitched and snotty. Like so many of the snotty, pampered princesses I had come across. But it wasn't. her voice was soft and comforting. Her eyes didn't stray anywhere near Noah.

"No, I don't mind. I mean, if it will help you." I stuttered. But I meant what I said. It was amazing had 180 I had turned. A minute ago, I didn't want her anywhere near my wedding. But now, I wanted her help. Something about her told me that she could be trusted, that she wasn't the person I thought she was going to be.

Daisy's POV

I fidgeted nervously in my mirror as I got ready to go over to the Flynn's. I kept torturing myself. On the one hand, I wanted this really badly. It would be an amazing opportunity for me. I had loved planning and organising since I was a little girl. I knew, that even if this want a family business, I would have chosen this as my career.

But, on the other hand, I didn't want to mess up on something as important as this. A Flynn wedding, would be a perfect feather in the family businesses cap. Something we couldn't afford to mess up.

But I was likely to mess it up. I was inexperienced. I had wanted to study in college, to give myself the best advantage for my career. But, six months in, I had dropped out. I was badly bullied over my weight. Every other girl on my course, was a perfect, pampered little princess. And they hated the overweight sloth, who brought donuts to class in an attempt to make friends. So, they bullied me. I was never invited to parties, or asked on dates. I became depressed. My eating got worse and I gained ten more pounds.

That was, until the bullying reached a peak. People started painting pigs everywhere over the campus and labelling them as Daisy donut. Everyone felt like a stab in my heart. It got so dark, that I attempted suicide.

When that happened, everything finally came out. My parents were rich enough to afford me good help. I got a therapist and a personal trainer. But then, I became addicted to the attention and how people were treating me. I was more confident; the weight was dropping off me like water running down a window. My grades, my ambitions, everything I had gone to college for, went down the drain. I failed test after test, because I was too busy enjoying my sudden change in popularity. My mother tried to make excuses for me to the dean. But nothing she said could stop them from kicking me out.

My mother and father were nice about it. My attempted suicide had brought things into perspective for them. They gave me a place with the company, and college was never mentioned again. When people had asked them about it, they had told them, that they had decided. I could do more good here and actually learning the business, instead of off at college, studying what they could teach me without the expense.

I went along with what they said, because I was too ashamed to tell anyone the truth. And I threw myself into my work. I still had, both a trainer and a therapist. Which helped me to keep the businesses image, but that was the only reason.

Nothing else matter to me now, except making my parents proud.

When the bride seemed hesitant that I should assist on her wedding. I completely agreed with her. This was too much too soon. And if I messed up, the whole world would hear about it, and I would never be a wedding planner.