Selphie stared at the man in front of her in a shocked silence. Could it really be him? The one
she had missed all this time?
He took a timid step closer, removing a new cowboy hat from his head. "It's me."
She stood up, holding onto her night stand for support. "But . . . how?"
He smiled gently. "Back in Trabia . . . I didn't die that day. I was attacked from behind by a
snow lion." He ran a hand threw his auburn hair and turned away. "The damn thing caught me
in its mouth and took off after one of the other SeeDs hit it." He gave a weak smile as the
recollection of pain re-entered his mind. "The beast walked for miles before finally dying.
Must've been plannin' to keep me as a souvenir or something. Anyway, I passed out from loss
of blood, and when I woke up I was in a cottage. An older woman took care of me for
awhile."
Selphie frowned. "You were alive all this time and you didn't contact me? Or anyone else?
We even had your funeral for Hyne's sake!"
He stepped closer and reached out to touch her face. "Selph . . . I was in pretty bad shape.
Trust me I wanted to tell you but I couldn't. I would never hurt you. I love you."
She whipped away from him. "Don't." She turned to him, tears forming at the tips of her
emerald eyes. "You can't just come back. Irvine, I've changed. I'm engaged now." She took
a deep breath and looked at the diamond that adorned her finger. "I think you should leave."
She said quietly, still not looking up.
He gave a laugh of disbelief. "Not exactly the welcome I was expecting." He tightened his jaw
as he replaced his hat on his head. "If that's how you feel I'll leave you alone. I wish you the
best on your upcoming marriage." Without another word he turned toward and walked out of
the door, and out of her life for the second time.
How long Selphie stood there she didn't know. All she knew was the feeling of her heart
pounding steadily in her chest. She shook her head and ran out of her room, hoping she
wouldn't be too late. "Irvine!"
She stopped at the top of the stairs and grasped the banister, looking below. She frowned as
she saw nothing. Could he have left that quickly?
She turned to see a maid coming down the hall and turned to her. "Did you see anyone leave
recently?"
The younger maid shook her head and shifted the towels she held. "No, I didn't." She
frowned momentarily. "Miss, are you ok? You look a little pale."
Selphie collapsed to the floor, her gown a sea of silk whisking around her. "He was just here . . .
I know he was."
The maid showed more concern. "Should I call Mr. Spencer?"
Selphie's head snapped up. Greg couldn't know about this. "No! I'm fine." She picked herself up off the ground, straightened
her dress, and headed down the stairs.
By the time she reached the entrance to greet guests her face lost any sign of the fear and
confusion it once held. She stood beside Greg and mechanically gave her greeting to the people
who entered her house, most of which she had never seen before. After what seemed like an
eternity, people stopped coming. She started toward the ballroom, but Greg grabbed her arm.
"You're late."
"I know I'm sorry. I had a little mishap."
He leaned close to her to where the noses where almost touching. "This is a very important day
for me Selphie. Don't ruin it." He looped her arm in his. "Now come on; Everyone's waiting."
***
Irvine sat in his Jeep, shivering slightly as he took a puff from his cigarette. In his other hand he
held a picture, taken from the party after Ultimecia's defeat. He ran his thumb over the smiling
girl in the cowboy cat.
FLASHBACK
Her laugh rang out clearly as she stole his hat and stuck it on her head. "How does it look?"
He grinned as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're too cute for your own good."
He bent down slightly and his lips brushed against hers. After a moment their lips parted and
Selphie buried her face in his chest. She played with his vest before speaking. "Do you love me
Irvy?"
The question caught him off guard for a second, as they had never really talked about it. He
knew the answer though, had known it all along. He picked up her hand from his chest and
kissed it softly, sending a chill through her. "I love you more then I've ever loved anything
Selph. You're everything to me."
She smiled up at him, her eyes never leaving his. "I love you too Irvy. I'll always love you."
He moved in for another kiss but was startled by a bright flash. He turned to see Zell holding a
camera, grinning like an idiot. "Heheh . . . It's not so fun having a camera stuck in your face is
it? Now come on; it's time for a group picture." He left them and walked over to the rest of
the gang, leaving the couple alone for a second. She took the hat from her head. "Here you
can have it. But just for now." He gave a lopsided grin before pushing the hat away. "You
keep it." She smiled and entwined her fingers in his.
END FLASHBACK
"Selphie . . . what happened to us? What did we do wrong?" He threw the rest of his cigarette
out the window and started his car. "No sense in staying where I'm not wanted."
On his way to the hotel he passed the mansion where he had just visited. He slowed down as
he saw the long line of cars parked along the street. A party of some sort?
"I'm sure I'm not invited." he said bitterly as he sped up. The wind blew his hair freely as he
drove on, no longer consumed with thoughts of the past but only thoughts of the present. Did
he really want to go back to the hotel?
He stopped at a local bar and parked his vehicle. There was only one way he could think of to
forget about her for the time being.
***
Selphie gulped at the wine, hoping it would help her relax. She had been tense the whole night
after the incident with Irvine. She had to find him and explain herself. She hadn't meant to
sound rude, just stern. After all, she was engaged. What would Greg do if he found out she
had had another man in her room?
Even after the heavy consumption of wine Selphie didn't completely relax until the last guest
was gone. Greg turned his attention to her as he closed the door. "You were absolutely
amazing. I'm the luckiest man in the world to be marrying you."
She smiled as he kissed her forehead. It was rare when he displayed true affection. His kisses
trailed down to the tip of her nose and settled on her lips before they continued down to her
neck. "Irvine." she whispered.
She froze, hoping that he hadn't notice. But it was soon obvious to see he had as he pushed her
away. "I don't know why I even try with you. You're a damned little girl stuck in her fantasies.
Don't you love me?"
She sniffled slightly. "Of course I do. I didn't mean..."
"Don't cry. It makes you unattractive." He brushed a tear from her face. "I'm going to bed. I
hope you think about what you just did."
As soon as he left the room Selphie sat down in a nearby chair and cried softly. What was she
going to do?
Almost as quickly as they had come the tears left, leaving Selphie with a sense of determination.
She stood up and clenched her fists. "I love Greg and nothing's going to ruin this marriage. Not
even Irvine."
Feeling a little better, she made her way to her room. "Tomorrow is a new day."
***
Well there's another chapter! Sorry for the bad formatting but I couldn't get the HTML to
work. I know there's a lot of unanswered questions but I hope to answer
them in upcoming chapters. If you want me to continue, please review! Thanks!
she had missed all this time?
He took a timid step closer, removing a new cowboy hat from his head. "It's me."
She stood up, holding onto her night stand for support. "But . . . how?"
He smiled gently. "Back in Trabia . . . I didn't die that day. I was attacked from behind by a
snow lion." He ran a hand threw his auburn hair and turned away. "The damn thing caught me
in its mouth and took off after one of the other SeeDs hit it." He gave a weak smile as the
recollection of pain re-entered his mind. "The beast walked for miles before finally dying.
Must've been plannin' to keep me as a souvenir or something. Anyway, I passed out from loss
of blood, and when I woke up I was in a cottage. An older woman took care of me for
awhile."
Selphie frowned. "You were alive all this time and you didn't contact me? Or anyone else?
We even had your funeral for Hyne's sake!"
He stepped closer and reached out to touch her face. "Selph . . . I was in pretty bad shape.
Trust me I wanted to tell you but I couldn't. I would never hurt you. I love you."
She whipped away from him. "Don't." She turned to him, tears forming at the tips of her
emerald eyes. "You can't just come back. Irvine, I've changed. I'm engaged now." She took
a deep breath and looked at the diamond that adorned her finger. "I think you should leave."
She said quietly, still not looking up.
He gave a laugh of disbelief. "Not exactly the welcome I was expecting." He tightened his jaw
as he replaced his hat on his head. "If that's how you feel I'll leave you alone. I wish you the
best on your upcoming marriage." Without another word he turned toward and walked out of
the door, and out of her life for the second time.
How long Selphie stood there she didn't know. All she knew was the feeling of her heart
pounding steadily in her chest. She shook her head and ran out of her room, hoping she
wouldn't be too late. "Irvine!"
She stopped at the top of the stairs and grasped the banister, looking below. She frowned as
she saw nothing. Could he have left that quickly?
She turned to see a maid coming down the hall and turned to her. "Did you see anyone leave
recently?"
The younger maid shook her head and shifted the towels she held. "No, I didn't." She
frowned momentarily. "Miss, are you ok? You look a little pale."
Selphie collapsed to the floor, her gown a sea of silk whisking around her. "He was just here . . .
I know he was."
The maid showed more concern. "Should I call Mr. Spencer?"
Selphie's head snapped up. Greg couldn't know about this. "No! I'm fine." She picked herself up off the ground, straightened
her dress, and headed down the stairs.
By the time she reached the entrance to greet guests her face lost any sign of the fear and
confusion it once held. She stood beside Greg and mechanically gave her greeting to the people
who entered her house, most of which she had never seen before. After what seemed like an
eternity, people stopped coming. She started toward the ballroom, but Greg grabbed her arm.
"You're late."
"I know I'm sorry. I had a little mishap."
He leaned close to her to where the noses where almost touching. "This is a very important day
for me Selphie. Don't ruin it." He looped her arm in his. "Now come on; Everyone's waiting."
***
Irvine sat in his Jeep, shivering slightly as he took a puff from his cigarette. In his other hand he
held a picture, taken from the party after Ultimecia's defeat. He ran his thumb over the smiling
girl in the cowboy cat.
FLASHBACK
Her laugh rang out clearly as she stole his hat and stuck it on her head. "How does it look?"
He grinned as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're too cute for your own good."
He bent down slightly and his lips brushed against hers. After a moment their lips parted and
Selphie buried her face in his chest. She played with his vest before speaking. "Do you love me
Irvy?"
The question caught him off guard for a second, as they had never really talked about it. He
knew the answer though, had known it all along. He picked up her hand from his chest and
kissed it softly, sending a chill through her. "I love you more then I've ever loved anything
Selph. You're everything to me."
She smiled up at him, her eyes never leaving his. "I love you too Irvy. I'll always love you."
He moved in for another kiss but was startled by a bright flash. He turned to see Zell holding a
camera, grinning like an idiot. "Heheh . . . It's not so fun having a camera stuck in your face is
it? Now come on; it's time for a group picture." He left them and walked over to the rest of
the gang, leaving the couple alone for a second. She took the hat from her head. "Here you
can have it. But just for now." He gave a lopsided grin before pushing the hat away. "You
keep it." She smiled and entwined her fingers in his.
END FLASHBACK
"Selphie . . . what happened to us? What did we do wrong?" He threw the rest of his cigarette
out the window and started his car. "No sense in staying where I'm not wanted."
On his way to the hotel he passed the mansion where he had just visited. He slowed down as
he saw the long line of cars parked along the street. A party of some sort?
"I'm sure I'm not invited." he said bitterly as he sped up. The wind blew his hair freely as he
drove on, no longer consumed with thoughts of the past but only thoughts of the present. Did
he really want to go back to the hotel?
He stopped at a local bar and parked his vehicle. There was only one way he could think of to
forget about her for the time being.
***
Selphie gulped at the wine, hoping it would help her relax. She had been tense the whole night
after the incident with Irvine. She had to find him and explain herself. She hadn't meant to
sound rude, just stern. After all, she was engaged. What would Greg do if he found out she
had had another man in her room?
Even after the heavy consumption of wine Selphie didn't completely relax until the last guest
was gone. Greg turned his attention to her as he closed the door. "You were absolutely
amazing. I'm the luckiest man in the world to be marrying you."
She smiled as he kissed her forehead. It was rare when he displayed true affection. His kisses
trailed down to the tip of her nose and settled on her lips before they continued down to her
neck. "Irvine." she whispered.
She froze, hoping that he hadn't notice. But it was soon obvious to see he had as he pushed her
away. "I don't know why I even try with you. You're a damned little girl stuck in her fantasies.
Don't you love me?"
She sniffled slightly. "Of course I do. I didn't mean..."
"Don't cry. It makes you unattractive." He brushed a tear from her face. "I'm going to bed. I
hope you think about what you just did."
As soon as he left the room Selphie sat down in a nearby chair and cried softly. What was she
going to do?
Almost as quickly as they had come the tears left, leaving Selphie with a sense of determination.
She stood up and clenched her fists. "I love Greg and nothing's going to ruin this marriage. Not
even Irvine."
Feeling a little better, she made her way to her room. "Tomorrow is a new day."
***
Well there's another chapter! Sorry for the bad formatting but I couldn't get the HTML to
work. I know there's a lot of unanswered questions but I hope to answer
them in upcoming chapters. If you want me to continue, please review! Thanks!
