Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place. No profit is being made from releasing this fictional story.
Author's Note: I cannot stress how thankful I am of everyone's patience. A lot of things has gotten in the way of writing this chapter (mostly school-related junk!) and I really do appreciate everyone for waiting.
And now here we are with yet another chapter to this looonnnnggg story. I swear, when I started this, I thought it would only be seven chapters long. Ten chapters, max, maybe. But look at it now! Thirty chapters and still going! Well, it's almost done, but still!
Also… 200 Reviews? Whoppers!
Now… Let's read on!
A Familiar Pattern 30
By genielou
"No, Mom, I'm not going… Well, I wasn't invited… I never received an invita- I don't mind! Really! It's okay. I mean—we used to date, yeah. It would be inappropriate for me to attend…"
Justin let out an aggravated sigh as he tried to reason with his mother as to why he will not be attending Harper's Rehearsal Dinner that night. He shifted the phone on his ear to better hear her.
"To be honest, it's better this way anyway… No, I do not want to be your plus one! No, I don't want to be Max's plus one either! Mom! No! I don't want to be anyone's plus one!"
He heard the shuffling of feet and turned his head in time to see his sister exit the kitchen with a bowl of sliced pickles, seeming to scrutinize each slice carefully, as if deciding which slice should be eaten first is just that important.
"Mom, let's not talk about this anymore, okay? I'm not going. Period… Okay… Yeah, okay… Yes, I'll be fine… Alright, I love you too… Yea—yes, uh-huh… Okay, buh-bye."
He hung up with a firm press of a button and turned a scowl towards his sister. "Why is everyone so worried about me? So I'm not invited. Big deal."
"Well, it kinda is a big deal. You and Harper were like—" Alex made kissing sounds while pressing two slices of pickles together. "You two were like the Gomez and Bieber story of our time; which is appropriate if you think about it 'cause they broke up and so did you two. And in both case, the guy was the idiot."
Alex laughed as she threw a pickle in the air and caught it in her mouth.
"Ha ha, you are sooo hilarious," Justin quipped as he pushed her feet off of the coffee table. He settled on the couch across from her. "So… are you going too?"
"Her right brow lifted. "D- uh. Duh. Maid of Honor, remember?" She scrunched her nose at him. "You wanna be my plus one?"
"How abou O? You gets me?" Justin answered sternly. A pregnant pause followed as he looked up to the ceiling with a huge sigh. "Harper is getting married soon. The proper thing to do is to stay as far away as possible."
"Do you really believe that, Justin? Or are you just trying to convince yourself that you believe it?"
Justin held up a hand to make the oncoming nagging stop, but Alex just pressed on.
"You don't think it's weird that this rehearsal dinner came out of nowhere? We haven't even done a bachelorette party yet. It's totally strange that I don't hear from Harper for over a week, and now this!"
Justin stared into space and contemplated the light of the recent events. He hadn't even told Alex about the last time he tried to call Harper's cellphone, when Andy was the one to pick it up and practically declared himself as the Alpha Male.
"You need to tell her, Justin."
He frowned at her. "Don't start."
"I never stopped. I just paused for a bit," Alex said. She bit into a pickle slice before continuing. "She's my bestest friend in the whole wide world. I can't stand watching her make the biggest mistake of her life."
Justin's frown grew deeper. "Why do I get the feeling that there is something you're not telling me? Is Harper okay?"
Her lips pursed. "I'm sworn to secrecy, but I can tell you this: you should go talk to her. I admit that I wasn't a fan of the Jarper lovey-dovey club—"
"Jarper?"
"—but believe me when I say that I would rather she's canoodling with you than with Captain Nemo. I mean… sure, he was nice and all when I first met him, but now? He took over this whole wedding thing and now he's acting like he's the king of the sea. She doesn't get a say in anything! The venue, the date, the type of cake they're gonna eat. Even her dress—"
"Wait, he picked out her dress for her?" he asked incredulously. Knowing Harper, he would've thought that she would want to create her own dress, not wear a manufactured one. "Why—why did-?
"You! Because of you! Oh fudge! I wasn't supposed to say that!" She exclaimed as she got up from the couch and started pacing; the bowl of pickles still in her hands…
Justin stood from his seat as well. "Harper and I are just friends. Andy has no reason to feel threatened in any way whatsoever."
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but from the outside perspective, you two do NOT look like you're JUST friends."
Justin had to think about that for a quick minute. Yes, he and Harper had gotten back to their past ritual of enjoying each other's company, but he had been extra careful to keep his true feelings to himself. He ignored the butterflies that swarmed inside his stomach, and the blushes that threatened to turn his face into a tomato. He was even consistent with keeping at least a three-feet distance between them at all times. Where had he gone wrong?
"I'm going to interrupt you right now because you look like you're about to throw up from all that thinking you're doing," Alex quipped, completely stopping his train of thought. "I'll make a deal with you here. You meet with her—uh uh! This is a speech. No interruptions!"
He slacked his arms to his sides and closed his mouth (which was open and ready to protest).
"You meet with her. Tonight. At her rehearsal dinner. You are going to be my plus one. And you will give her that gift that I know you've been hiding in your underwear drawer, inside your disgusting, lucky socks. Don't even deny it. I've checked twice before, and a third time a few months ago. I know it's there."
He looked at her sheepishly as his eyes momentarily glanced to his bedroom door. Alex really did know too much about him.
"Don't go to support her, Justin. Just go be with her. Harper is… I can't go into detail because… girl code and all- but she's not having fun right now. She's not the fun, easy-going Harper that we both used to get into so much trouble with. Please, please go tonight. Give her that… thing that you've been hanging on to. Give it to her and let her make a decision. Remind her of who she is so she can stand up for herself. So she can be herself again."
Her speech was cryptic and vague, but the information that she allowed to leak out was enough for him. He gave her a curt nod before shooing her out of his apartment.
Alex sighed heavily as the memories of that morning came to a conclusion. Reminiscing back to her early morning endeavors had kept her entertained for a good fifteen minutes, as opposed to the lack thereof in her current surroundings. The event was initially entertaining as she watched the Wizards and the ocean dwellers try to act normal around the few mortals who were invited. But now, everything had molded into a comfortable flow and had become absolutely boring. She was sure that attempting to count her teeth with her tongue would be more fun than standing around, pretending to be nice to people she didn't know or care to know.
On the other hand, she did spend an entire hour paying attention to her best friend and her husband-to-be; and with that, Alex came to a not-so-surprising conclusion: she did not like Andy in the slightest bit. If given the opportunity, she might even be willing to say that she hated the Atlantean. She observed him; watched him like a hawk, and noticed without precipice that he clung to Harper like a newborn puppy to its bitch. Not that Harper is a bitch or anything, I'm just sayin'… ugh! Focus!, she scolded her easily distracted mind as she saw Andy drag Harper along to another pair of his parents' long time friends.
He did this a lot. He must have invited twenty different pairs of Atlantean royalties ranging from leaders to governors, and he made sure that they all knew who he and Harper were. Their hands were always connected in a tight grasp; that or he would find another form of connection, like an arm around her shoulders or her waist, or a grip to her arm… anything to show that she was his property. And his audience was more than eager to meet them. More her than him, Alex supposed, because almost all of them made a gesture to touch Harper in some sort of way. One of them even stroked her hair. They were immensely fascinated with her, like she was the very first human they've ever come in contact with. It was like she was his land-dweller trophy and he was showing her off.
She could live with that: Harper was a special person and it was about time that someone finally praised and appreciated her like a queen… but what bothered Alex was that she didn't see Harper open her mouth even once in the times that she was introduced to the other Atlanteans. Alex saw her smile, nod, tilt her head, but she never opened her mouth to speak. It was almost like Harper was acting like a mute commodity. Now, whether she was doing this of her own will or Andy had cautioned her to do so, Alex wasn't sure. But she sure as hell didn't like it.
Lost in thought, Alex didn't notice Max approaching until he was right in front of her. "Hey, Alex. Can you tell me what this is? I think it's a vegetable but it looks like a giant booger."
She watched him examine the round, breaded balls of 'booger' in his tiny plate, seeming to analyze further if the thing was actually edible.
"Those are baked mushrooms," she supplied. He looked at her with an unconvinced expression, so she continued, "Puréed, shaped, breaded, and then baked."
"Oh wow, that's gross," he chuckled, and then discreetly placed his plate on a passing waiter's tray. "So, this is some party, huh? It's really bumpin'."
"Yup," answered Alex, with a pop of the 'p'. "This party is so wild; I think asbestos is growing underneath my shoe."
Max nodded his head in agreement. It only seemed appropriate that the hired music chose that time to finally start. He snorted a suppressed chuckle as the sounds of synchronized harps and violins filled the air. "Not to be a ball-buster or anything, but I believe I contributed a hundred bucks to make tonight a fun night. When exactly is that money going to take into effect?"
"Relax, you. I confirmed the final arrangements before I came here. The real question is whether or not these people-" she gestured to the rest of the room, "will enjoy it."
"I'm betting the ladies will. But, how about his parents? Aren't you worried that they'll get offended or something?"
Alex thought about it for a quick second before concluding, "I've had Atlantean girlfriends before. Mommy Fish will definitely be tickled the right way. Daddy Fish… not so much, but I really don't care enough to take that into consideration."
Max just shrugged.
"You remembered to bring your camera?" she asked.
As a response, Max reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small digital camera. His other hand reached into his pant pocket and pulled out his old portable, video recorder. He held up the latter to show it to her. "YouTube-friendly," he quipped with a grin.
Alex smiled, satisfied that she could always count on her younger brother to be just one step behind her when it came to her schemes.
"You think he'll be mad?"
She turned a raised eyebrow to him. The "He" that Max referred to was, of course, their loving eldest sibling. A mischievous smirk lifted to her lips, "Yes. But that's the whole point." From the corner of her eye, she noticed Harper and Andy appear into view, and they seemed to be approaching her. "Make yourself scarce, Sidekick. The grown-ups are coming."
Max, being the obedient pawn, quickly turned and walked away. Alex braced herself as she saw the engaged couple make their way towards her. Harper smiled warmly at her (the first time that night, Alex mentally noted), and Andy offered an obviously strained smirk. "Harper. Andy," she gritted through her teeth. She immediately pasted the biggest, most obnoxiously fake smile that she could muster, making Andy even the more irritated.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Russo?" he asked politely.
Alex grinned. "Tremendously so. Although all of these vegetables are not as fulfilling as I wish they would be." She emphasized by glancing at a waitress holding a platter of vegan finger-foods. "I am suddenly craving some caviar. Or sushi. Will either of those be in the menu tonight?"
If looks could kill, Alex would surely have dropped dead as Andy's eyes narrowed at her comment. Harper laughed awkwardly as she discreetly moved between the two.
"Andy, look, your mother is playing with her sandals again," Harper pointed towards his parents. His mother was seated on a chair, holding a red, high-heeled sandal in her hands. She was studying the object as if it held all of the answers to the universe's deepest, darkest secrets. Andy nodded curtly, then walked away with a frown. As soon as he was out of earshot, Alex snorted loudly.
"These sea people are truly entertaining to watch," she said, then chuckled loudly for good measure. Alex wanted to laugh heartily, but Harper's disapproving gaze stopped her.
"Alex, behave. You promised."
"Yeah, I know. And, really, if you haven't noticed, I am behaving," Alex countered.
Harper rolled her eyes.
"You know, to be honest, and I think you'll agree with me on this… this party is a bust."
Harper sighed. "This is a sophisticated, formal dinner party. And it is not a bust. It's just… calm and demure, and—"
"And ridiculously boring. Seriously, when are the strippers coming?"
Alex firmly closed her mouth as Harper's eyes widened. If she hadn't, she would likely have laughed out loud at her best friend's expression. When Harper was sure that Alex was joking, she grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter and downed the alcoholic beverage in one gulp. She finished it with a huge sigh.
"God, I love it when I turn you into a nervous wreck," Alex quipped.
"Don't flatter yourself, Alex. I've been a nervous wreck for days now," answered Harper as another waiter offered to take the empty glass from her. She smiled courteously and allowed her hand to be freed of it.
"That is an indicator that all is not well. To think that a vein on your forehead popped and I was not the cause of it? Inconceivable!"
Harper began to shake her head. "You said it yourself. I'm a wreck. Please don't add to it."
The restrained smile on Alex's lips made her even more nervous.
"Alex, what did you do?" she asked slowly, enunciating each word. Suspicion was always at the back of her mind whenever her best friend was around.
"Can't tell you right now. I'm saving it for later," Alex said. She quickly averted her gaze to avoid the growing suspicion in Harper's stare. She concentrated on her own parents trying to talk politely to a pair of Atlantean royalties. The possibility that her dad was embarrassing himself was high. "So, I hope you don't mind that I invited Justin," Alex offered.
"Justin is here?" she asked eagerly as her head turned every which way to look for him.
"Yes. And no." Harper frowned at her so Alex continued, "I extended the invitation. He said he'll come, but I have yet to see him."
A slight wave of disappointment passed through her features. "I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. I wanted to send him an invitation but Andy insisted that… well, I was still hoping that maybe he would be someone's plus one, but…"
Alex watched her carefully. If Harper was trying to be nonchalant in regards to the topic of Alex's brother, she was definitely doing a bad job of it. The furrow of her eyebrows immediately gave her away as her eyes suddenly found the carpeted floor very interesting. Anxiousness was written all over her present demeanor.
A sincere smile rose to Alex's lips; her first one since the night started. She nudged Harper's shoulder playfully and supplied, "You look really nice tonight. Like five-years-younger nice. Pipi-Longstocking-nice."
Harper's reply was an equally playful slap to Alex's shoulder. A few more jabs of banter later led to the happy besties dancing to lighten their moods even more; even though the band that Andy had chosen for the night was playing nothing but slow, melodic, jazz tunes. Alex and Harper didn't have much choice but to slow dance with each other, thus alternating between the male and female roles of their exploit. Harper laughed hysterically when it was Alex's turn to be the male, and took advantage of the placement of her hands on Harper's waist as she dug her fingers into her skin and tickled her to no end. They were sure that many of the attendees were staring at them, but they didn't care. For the first time in a long time since Harper had left Waverly Place, they were together and they were acting like they were sixteen years old again.
Alex couldn't help but enjoy this as a sensation of familiar happiness ignited within her. There was once upon a time when they were simply like this: laughing and living life without complication. But ever since Harper had decided to grow up and leave, she had no choice but to grow up with her. It was that, or let Harper leave her behind. They got rid of their mischievous exploits and replaced it with their own respected careers. They replaced their everyday fun with normal every day responsibilities like bills and mortgage and regular morning coffee and daily television news and serious relationships… Alex tried her best to keep up with her best friend, but at one point, she finally came to a dreaded conclusion that Harper had just run too far ahead of her. Eventually, Alex succumbed to the role of supporter instead of partner-in-crime. She stepped aside and enabled the proclaimed Andy Bisca from the Bay of Bisca to take over. Alex thought that it was for the best. Andy supported Harper in everything she did; certainly more so than her own brother ever did. He encouraged Harper to open her very first boutique at a busy shopping district near the Notre Dame Cathedral. Her magically-inspired clothes and accessories became so popular that she was able to open a second boutique a year later within the Avenue Montaigne, a street well-known for the latest fashion trends. Harper was her own little factory so she kept herself busy with producing her designs. Even when help came in the form of fashion students in need of food money, Harper was still kept busy with property contracts, business licenses, fashion exhibits, etcetera, and etcetera.
It took months of moping over her failed relationship with Justin for Harper to finally become active and productive with herself. Yes, it seemed like Andy was just what the doctor ordered. Although as the years passed by, Alex soon realized that her stepping aside and Andy's unending support towards Harper's career soon resulted to the Harper that they now had: a very serious, workaholic Harper who wouldn't know fun even if it slapped her in the face.
Currently, for that night, as Alex averted Harper's attention away from the stress of her soon-to-be husband; the fun, care-free Harper was laughing along with her and Alex couldn't help but feel like she was given a chance to look through what life would have been like if she hadn't allowed Harper to walk away from Waverly Place all those years ago.
Something caught Alex's attention from the corner of her vision, and she immediately grinned like a Cheshire Cat. She briefly turned her attention to Harper. "So, I've been wondering… were you expecting a minimum spending amount on your gifts?"
Harper giggled; a rare genuine sound to Alex's ears. "For everyone else, there was a $30 minimum and that information was included in the wedding invitations. For you, I'd be happy with a picture frame made out of dried macaroni and glue."
"You know me so well," said Alex as her grin slighted to a smile.
Harper looked at her strangely. An inquiry was at the tip of her tongue but a tap to her shoulder made her turn her head instead. Her eyes widened and a memorable, tingling feeling filled her stomach as her eyes met his.
"May I cut in?"
She tried to greet a hello, but her mouth didn't seem to want to obey her. The best she could come out with was a soft whimper.
Justin decided to not wait for an answer. He took her hand in his and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"You came," she managed to breathe out after a while of swaying along with him.
"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't come?"
The word "friend" distracted her momentarily before contentment overtook her as she placed a hand on his shoulder. She allowed her body to move along with his and soon found herself perfectly in sync with his movements. She didn't even notice that Alex had already disappeared from sight until Justin pointed it out minutes later.
"I meant to invite you," she said to fill the void of silence. An indication of an apology was evident in her tone.
"Don't worry about it. I completely understand," Justin offered. "I wouldn't be too keen about me if I were in his shoes."
Harper nodded. "He doesn't mean to be that way. He's just a bit stressed out about the wedding. I am too."
"I know. Like I said, don't worry about it. What matters is that you're happy."
Her eyes drifted down as she avoided his gaze. "Yeah, I'm very, very happy," she muttered.
A comfortable silence grew between them, and neither truly minded. For the rest of the song, they just enjoyed each other's presence. He concentrated on the feeling of having her in his arms, and she concentrated on the feeling of being held by him. They hadn't stood so close to each other since they separated years ago, and it was no surprise that the familiarity of their close proximity made them feel so happy and so content.
On the other side of the room, Andy caught sight of them and his face immediately reddened. He excused himself from the group of men that he had been conversing with and quickly made his way towards them. Halfway through his quest, a familiar, irritating voice boomed over the entire venue.
"LADIES AND GENTS!" Alex yelled onto a microphone (Harper groaned upon seeing her). "MOST OF YOU SURELY MUST BE FALLING ASLEEP FROM THIS FABULOUS MUSIC—NO OFFENSE MUSIC DUDES, YOU'RE ALL DOING A DANDY JOB!—BUT WHY DON'T WE KICK THIS UP A NOTCH?"
All attention turned to her, and Harper could barely hold her embarrassment at what was to come.
"ALL THE WAY FROM THE RED DISTRICT OF PARIS… LES NAUGHTY MESSIEURS!"
Loud techno music erupted and the fluorescent bulbs dimmed to give way to colorful, disco lighting as four men dressed in tuxedos approached the stage. "HAPPY WEDDING, HARPER!" Alex yelled again before quickly descending from the stage and disappearing into the crowd.
The scattered crowd slowly approached the stage as curiosity set in. Harper grimaced as the techno music quickly transitioned into a remix version of Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty." Applause drowned out Andy's hysterical screaming as the four men slowly took off the jackets of their suits. Their pants followed the same fate soon after.
Somewhere in the corner, Max could vaguely hear "Damn it, Russo! Where are you?" coming from the only disapproving expression in the entire room. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Women of all ages were cheering, whistling, and hollering. Even the men, including his father and Mr. Finkle, seemed to be laughing and waving around loose Euro bills. Mr. Russo started laughing hysterically when coins started raining onto the stage.
Harper awkwardly shifted on her feet as she tried to assess the situation. Her fiancé was somewhere in the crowd, undoubtedly chasing her best friend, while the rest of the room is in absolutely uproar over the male strippers. She could visibly see Max leaning against a wall, smiling, while Justin stayed by her side with an amused smirk on his expression.
"You can always count on Alex to keep things interesting," he quipped.
She laughed nervously. "Yup. That, she does."
Harper stayed still, unmoving, as she watched the event unfold. It didn't take long until the rest of the strippers' clothing was completely gone, and all that was left on their persons were sock-looking covers for their penises. It was demeaning, inappropriate, and down-right disturbing; but the crowd seemed to love it. The uproar continued and seemed to have no end at all. Whenever a song ended, another followed, and the strippers would just pick up right where they left off with the previous song. They were in sync with their dancing and highly entertaining with their movements. If Harper wasn't so sure that her fiancé wasn't likely to be on a murderous rampage towards Alex, she probably would have enjoyed the merriment as much as everyone else.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt the gentle brush of a hand to her shoulder. When she turned, her breath was caught at the sight of a smiling Justin. She had forgotten he was there. And at that moment, with the music blaring so loud that it didn't allow her to think properly, she just looked at him as purely an image. She had forgotten how handsome he was, with his jet-black hair groomed to a short cut, tousled to just the right angle; his fair skin illuminating the colors of the lights that passed by him; and his eyes, it was always his eyes… In the previous meetings that they have had upon re-engaging their friendship, she had avoided looking at him like she did when they were younger. She always made sure that her conscious wariness was at the forefront of her mind. But now, with the loud music and the every-changing shades of lights, her mind became foggy and disoriented, forcing her to only look at him with her eyes and not her mind. And he looked damn good.
"You want to step out for a bit?" he asked.
She gave a dazed nod and allowed herself to be led out of the room, and then out of the venue. No one gave notice to the retreating couple.
Justin and Harper walked in calm silence, with no particular destination in mind. Their footsteps eventually led them to a garden area. Harper's low heels clicked softly on the marbled tiles the decorated the walkway of the garden; and Justin relished every click like a gentle strike of a piano key as he gazed thoughtfully into the vast horizon of perfectly groomed plants.
They stopped only when they reached a pond. The surface glistened with the reflection of the moon, and the white lilies that sat on floating green pods served as momentary disruptions to the overwhelming awe of the pond's clear sheen. Both individuals felt a desire to jump in, but knew better than to ruin their night's disguise.
Harper allowed herself some relief by sitting on the white marble bench situated a mere stone's throw from the water. She leaned back on her hands and sighed as her weight is removed from her feet. "The cool air feels really nice," she offered as strands of her loose braid danced with the slight breeze that passed by.
"Yeah. It felt a little stuffy in there. Especially in this suit," Justin supplied.
Harper giggled. "Well, you look very dashing in your dark suit. Quite a change from the tweed blazers with the leather elbow pads."
Justin shrugged. "It's college fashion. If I don't wear it, the other professors will make fun of me. They'll think I'm too hip if I wear regular clothes. And you're one to talk. This, um, look… It's new?" he asked as he gestured to her dress.
"Just for tonight, I assure you," she said. "Not quite me, is it?"
"No, not quite," he agreed. Although his eyes softened as he caught sight of a lone tendril of auburn hair waft briefly to her cheek. "Nonetheless," he said in almost a whisper, "you look absolutely beautiful."
Her eyebrows rose. "Despite the little-blue-girl get-up?" she asked, not quite believing his declaration.
He dared a few steps towards her, and with furrowed eyebrows and a sincere look, said, "You could be wearing the ugliest dress in the world and you would still look more beautiful than any girl I've ever met or seen in my entire life."
A tiny smile escaped her lips, despite her will to take control of her expression.
Justin dared to take another step towards her; and then another, and another. He kept advancing until he was right in front her. The steady beats of her heart rapidly raced as he extended a hand to her. "Dance with me?"
Her lips pursed. "There's no music."
He shrugged.
"Dancing with no music? I think I've seen that movie before," she giggled.
Justin rolled his eyes and chuckled. He seemed to frown in concentration as he raised a hand in the air, and then gave a knowing smile. A short moment later, a soft, whimsical melody seemed to travel through the space around them. Harper strained her ears to hear it clearly so that she can decipher what sort of instruments she could hear, but the music was not loud enough. It was almost like a whisper of well-orchestrated chimes. And when she closed her eyes, she swore she could almost hear a female humming.
"How?" she whispered as she looked to Justin for an answer.
Justin bent to take her hand, pulling her up with him and automatically placing her in a familiar embrace. "It's the sound of the fairies."
Harper gasped as she quickly looked around to confirm this. "Wha—where?"
"No, no. Not Magical World fairies. I mean the untamed, wild fairies that live freely in the mortal world. You can't see or hear them. They are invisible to mortals. But they're all over the place, especially in areas where nature is in full bloom," Justin said with a low chuckle.
She nodded her head, although she didn't quite understand what he told her. There were mythical things around her and she couldn't see it? A part of her was in disbelief, and another part was a tad jealous that she couldn't see the fairies. "What are they doing now?" she whispered.
His smile grew. "Playing… dancing," he said. "Singing…"
Harper continued to look around her, entranced by the idea that magical creatures were singing and dancing everywhere. She didn't even notice that Justin had started swaying with her. Her body moved in perfect sync with his movements. It was almost like her body was acting on pure instinct.
Her mood lulled to a slight high as she continued to listen to the air. The humming of the fairies was having an effect on her. She felt her muscles loosen. Her shoulders sagged. Before she knew it, she had closed her eyes again and placed her head on Justin's shoulder.
"I feel kind of sleepy," she whispered.
A smirk formed on his lips as he wrapped his arms around her, to ensure that she didn't fall away from him. "It's an effect from listening to fairies sing. It takes a few minutes to get used to it. Just relax and enjoy the buzz."
They stayed like that for awhile, basking in each other's peaceful, silent presence. Before he knew what he was doing, Justin had closed his own eyes and allowed himself to go back to a time when he didn't feel like he was enacting a sin by holding Harper in his arms.
"I have to know," he suddenly asked, waking her from her half-slumber. "I know I promised to not bring it up, but… I just have to know…"
Uncertainty filled his expression as Harper lifted her head to look at him.
"Why did you leave?"
Her face fell, and she sighed in frustration. "This is neither the place nor the time for that..."
"I agree. Believe me, I do. But seeing as you are about to get married tomorrow, this is the only place and time that we will have until I lose you again."
Her eyebrows furrowed. She knew it; deep down, she acknowledged that Justin would most likely not attend the wedding, and that she may never see him again after she marries Andy. The thought bothered her and she had tried many times to push it to the back of her mind.
She debated whether or not she should retort a response, but quickly decided against it. The conversation was long overdue; she was surprised that it hadn't come sooner. Sighing in defeat, she organized her thoughts as best she could before speaking.
"I-," she started, but stopped when a familiar pang of insecurity rose to her chest. Her gaze traveled down to his chest, and she resolved to concentrate on the top button of his shirt before trying again. "There were a lot of things going on back then. You just became a full Wizard, and then the job at WizTech... So many new people to meet and be associated with… There was just no place for me."
She felt his grip on her waist tighten; but he remained silent, so she continued.
"I didn't want to get in the way of anything. Becoming a full Wizard meant a lot to you. It meant everythi—"
"Not everything."
She looked up, and her eyes immediately locked with his. Like so many moments since he re-entered her life, she looked at him in the same way that she did before: with awe, inspiration, and longing. She quickly became entranced with the same longing that he seemed to exude in his own gaze, and she had to force herself to look away to resume her composure.
"Becoming a full Wizard meant everything… to you and your parents. I was the mortal girlfriend…" She closed her eyes as the memories of their uncertain future came rushing back. "I know the laws… the regulations… the punishment… What happened to your dad, I didn't— I didn't want that to be an option. So I—I left. It was better that way. For you. For the both of us."
He remained quiet long after she finished, and for a while, she thought that he was just brewing in anger; maybe he was building up to a grand exit.
"You shouldn't have left," he whispered so low that she barely heard him. "It wasn't better. Not for me. It wasn't."
"Justin, you have to understand… We live in two different worlds that can't be combined without great consequence." Her voice rose and hardened. The effects of fairies' humming were quickly losing its effects. "It wouldn't have worked. It was a difficult choice to make, but I made it with sincere intentions of what was best for you."
"But it wasn't your choice to make."
She felt her nose sting and her eyes water as she looked at him. His voice remained leveled, and his demeanor remained calm. It was like he had practiced this encounter numerous times before and had perfected what he would say and how he would say it to convey the well-developed reasoning behind his argument.
"I appreciate that you had me in mind when you made the decision to suddenly leave my life, but… to separate us… to break us apart because of me… that wasn't your choice to make. It was my life. It was my decision whether or not I would be willing to accept the punishment for staying with the woman that I love," he said. "You took that choice away from me."
"And what would you have done then?" she asked with a bit of spite. She could feel herself shaking as she heaved a huge sigh. "There was no way out of it. You would've broken up with me anyway. The alternative would have been too much for you."
Justin only shook his head. "How would you know that would have been too much for me? You don't think I had thought about what I would do beforehand?" he asked. His grip firmed as he felt Harper try to push away from him. "I've thought about it since the first time I kissed you. Yes. There was a choice to make, and up to the very last minute before the competition, I admit that I still didn't know what to do. But I will tell you this: I was already leaning towards a decision before you left, and you should know that it didn't involve breaking us up at all."
Her vision blurred as tears gathered in her eyes. He was speaking so calmly, so logically. And he was right. In her mind, she knew he was right. She had wanted to make it easier for him… she was desperate to save him from making such a hard decision, but she had neglected to consider what he had felt. She had lacked confidence in him, lacked confidence that he would make the right decision, but she forgot that he was Justin… her Justin… the same Justin that she had known since before they had both been exposed to the idea of cooties.
Her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth opened. She tried to say something, anything; but nothing came out. This time, it was her grip on his shoulders that tightened as he slowly and gently pulled away from her. Her eyes followed his movements carefully as his hand disappeared into his coat pocket and pulled a folded handkerchief.
"I tried to give this back to your Dad, but he was insistent that I keep it… in case… I don't know," he said as he placed the folded handkerchief in her hand.
Carefully and slowly, she unfolded the cloth. She deliberately pulled each corner of the handkerchief away until its contents came into full view: a shiny, silver pearl encased in a very aged, Victorian brooch, decorated by intricately curled silver and mounted on an equally detailed silver band.
She could feel tears well at the corners of her eyes. "I haven't seen this since I—since I was a kid. It—it was broken and rusted, and…" she rambled on. "H—how?"
He offered a small smile. "I wanted to give you something special after the competition. You were so supportive the entire time and I wanted to give you something to—to let you know how much I appreciate you. I asked your parents if I could rifle through their old things and I found… that. They said it was your grandmother's."
She nodded. "My Nana's… It was a necklace."
"Barely," he said. "I fixed it."
"Into a ring?" she asked.
Justin took the intricate ring from her hands and held it with the tip of his fingers. "I had a motive," he said as he stared at it.
Harper widened her eyes as the full impact of what he was saying finally hit her.
He placed the ring back into her hand. "Happy… wedding. I guess."
Justin stepped back from her. It was the farthest that he's done by far throughout the night. He turned and started to walk away, and Harper could do nothing but stand still and watch him. She looked at him, and then at the ring in her hand. She kept her hand relaxed and opened, afraid that if she closed her hand, the ring will break or disappear. Her breathing became rapid and she became anxious. She wanted to do something, needed to do something; but she didn't know what to do. She looked up, hoping that the answer will be in front of her, but all she found was Justin's retreating back.
Suddenly, he stopped. He stopped walking and stood there for what felt like hours. His head was bobbing a bit, like he was debating something and couldn't decide on what to do. It was her chance to go after him, and she knew it. She knew that she should go after him and say something; acknowledge what he had just confessed, and assure him that she would have… would have said… that she would have…
Before she knew what was happening, Justin had turned and was walking; this time, he was walking towards her in fast strides. Her chest heaved with excitement as he extended his arms, took both of her cheeks into his hands, and pressed his lips firmly onto hers.
It was a hungry kiss; the type that she had never experienced before. The movements of his lips were rapid and aggressive. When his teeth graced her lower lip, her eyes widened and a whimper escaped her throat. She had never been kissed so passionately and so impatiently before, that she didn't know how to respond to it. When she felt his hands lower and his arms encircle her torso in a tight embrace, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be taken away into a deep sense of ecstasy. Soon, her instincts took over and her lips followed his kisses with perfect sync. When he bit, she bit. When he suckled, so did she. When he pressed, she did as well. When her mouth opened to allow a moan to escape, Justin took advantage of the opportunity and quickly invaded her with his tongue. His tongue immediately found hers and they danced with practiced familiarity. She moaned louder and her knees buckled as she grabbed his shoulders for support, with her grandmother's brooch still clasped securely in her right hand.
Sooner than she expected, it all abruptly stopped. They both heaved a huge breath as he pulled away from her.
"I—I'm sorry," he whispered. His gaze remained lowered and looked almost shamed. "I shouldn't have…"
She wanted to argue that Yes, Yes! You should!, but her lips were still numb from their heated kiss and seemed to not want to obey her.
Slowly and hesitantly, his arms lowered and he stepped away from her again.
"Good night, Harper," he said. And with a wave of his hand, a bright flash of light took him away, leaving a still-standing Harper to her lonesome self.
Her grip on the ring tightened as the tears welling in her eyes finally fell.