I run my hands over the front of my lavender dress, checking my appearance in the mirror one last time. Grabbing one more bobby pin, I stick it in my hair to make sure my loose bun stays in place, and I pull out a few tendrils of hair to frame my face. Satisfied with my appearance, I walk out of the bathroom and into the hotel suite.

Peeking into the bedroom, I find Alex standing in front of a full length mirror struggling to get his tie on, eyes squinted in concentration and tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. I lean against the doorframe, deciding to let him adorably struggle for a few more minutes. When he has the tie in complete knots, I can't help but giggle, catching his attention.

"Help me," he whines, a pout forming on his face.

"I think I still remember how to do this," I say, pushing myself off the doorframe to stand in front of him. Taking the tie in my hands, I recall the last time I did this for him for the fashion show he attended months ago.

After a couple of tries, I finally manage to get the tie securely around his neck, flattening it against his chest.

"Thanks." He softly smiles, grabbing his black suit jacket off the back of a nearby chair and shrugging it on. "You look beautiful by the way."

"Thank you." A small blush makes its way onto my checks.

"Ready to go?" he asks, grabbing our winter coats.

"Ready."

After layering up, we go outside to brace the bitter cold, early December Maine air. There's a thin layer of snow on the ground and a few flakes swirling around in the wind.

Alex sticks out his elbow and I loop my arm with his, the both of us huddling together for warmth on the short walk to the venue. Shay's wedding is two blocks down the street from our hotel, so we decide to just walk there.

When we get to the wedding venue, we shed our winter apparel at the door, and Alex grabs my hand to claim seats towards the back on the bride's side. The venue is beautiful and elegant all decorated in white, gold, and blush tones. It screams Shay.

While the venue has the heat on, there's a slight draft that flows in whenever the front door opens, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin.

"Cold?" Alex asks, already shrugging off his suit jacket and handing it to me.

Normally, I wouldn't take his jacket from him, but I'm so cold that I don't think twice about taking it since the straps on my dress are so thin, providing zero warmth. I slip on the jacket, the material engulfing me and shielding out some of the cold.

"Wow, you really are freezing." Alex lightly chuckles while taking my small, cold hands in his large ones. His hands are by no means warm from walking around in the cold, but they hold a little more heat than mine, so I'm grateful when he holds them for a while.

"Damn, it's cold out there," Chris says, walking to our row and straightening out his suit jacket.

"What are you doing here?" Alex asks, brows pulling together in confusion while I'm sure mine are raised in shock.

"I decided to come after all." He casually shrugs. "Is this seat taken?" he asks, pointing to the empty chair next to mine, and I numbly shake my head, instinctively shifting a little closer to Alex.

Chris never acted like he was coming to Shay's wedding. When she gave him an invitation, he seemed to just brush it off, uninterested. Shay was happy about it because she didn't want him to come in the first place, but she had to invite him because he's her boss.

Sitting down next to me, I can feel Chris's eyes staring at Alex's hands that are still holding mine. Gently, I pull my hands from his grasp and shrug off his jacket, the ceremony starting soon anyway.

Feeling Chris's eyes still burning on me, I keep my gaze straight, looking at the altar. I fold my hands in my lap, trying my best to not anxiously fidget my fingers, especially when Alex drapes his arm around the back of my chair, slightly pulling me into his side to keep me warm. I don't have to look at Chris's face to know he's not happy.

Thankfully, the wedding starts soon and Shay walks down the aisle looking as beautiful as ever. She's absolutely glowing, and I can tell she did her own hair and makeup, both done to perfection. Her gown fits her body perfectly, modestly hugging her in all the right places and her hair is no longer silver, now a more natural blonde color.

"You're such a sap," Alex whispers in my ear during the ceremony, lightly chuckling when my eyes start to water after Shay and Evan exchange their vows.

I'll admit, I'm a sucker for weddings, but, nevertheless, I lightly smack the top of his thigh for making fun of me which only causes him to chuckle more.

The ceremony is short, sweet, and to the point, and we're back to layering up in no time to go to the reception that's about ten minutes away. Instead of walking in the bitter cold, we order a cab. Alex, Chris, and I all share a cab, cramming in the back seat. Thankfully, Alex sits in the middle seat, but that doesn't stop Chris from shooting daggers at me when Alex rests his hand on my knee the whole ride.

The large reception hall is packed with a large dance floor and tables that each have beautiful, elegant center pieces. We find our table quickly and wait for the wedding party to arrive.

When the reception is in full swing, I walk up to the open bar and end up getting caught in a conversation with an older woman from the groom's side. I believe she said she was Evan's aunt. I'm not sure, but what I do know is that she's not planning on letting me go anytime soon. Every time I politely try to walk away, she pulls me back in to start up another conversation.

Making eye contact from across the room, I spot Alex humorously smirking at me, knowing this lady won't leave me alone. I send him a pleading look to come rescue me, but he just grins, shaking his head and leaning back in his chair. I shoot him a quick glare and return my gaze back to the woman, pretending to listen and be interested in the story she's telling me.

"Ladies and gentleman," the DJ announces into the mic, gaining everyone's attention. "If I can get the bride and groom on the floor, and any other couples, to dance to this song."

Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love with You" begins to flood through the speakers, and couples slowly start trickling onto the dance floor.

"Excuse me ma'am," Alex says, swooping in beside me. "I need to borrow her for a minute," he tells her, flashing a charming smile before grabbing my hand and dragging me to the dancefloor, not waiting for her to answer.

"It's about time you came to rescue me," I grumble when we reach the dance floor. I place my free hand on his broad shoulder while his rests on my waist, and we begin swaying to the music.

"Better late than never." He adorably grins, showing off his dimples.

I just roll my eyes and lean in to rest my head on his chest, and he rests his chin on top of my head. As the song carries on, he softly sings along, causing my heart to swell.

"Mind if I cut in?" I hear a familiar voice. Alex and I stop swaying, looking up to see Chris standing next to us, hands shoved in his pockets.

Alex furrows his brow, looking from Chis, to me, and back to Chris. "Uh, sure," he says hesitantly, slowly pulling away from me and awkwardly walking back to our table. It takes everything inside me to not latch back onto him or follow him.

Chris takes my hand and rests his other hand on my waist and we begin dancing. I make sure to keep distance between us and avert my gaze to his pocket square.

"What did I tell you about keeping it professional?" His voice is low and firm, causing me to momentarily freeze, my feet not being able to move. I look up to see his face neutral, knowing Alex is watching us.

I go to open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My heart is thumping in my chest and ears, and I'm not sure my throat will work properly.

"I'll have you know that I've been looking into other assistants," he warns and I'm sure some color has drained from my face. "Just know that you can easily be replaced if we keep having problems."

I feel my throat close up and my body suddenly feels a hundred pounds heavier.

"Am I understood?" he asks as the song comes to an end, being replaced by an upbeat one and more people start rushing to the dance floor. I can only manage to numbly nod my head. "Good," he says before walking off, leaving me in the middle of the dance floor absolutely stunned.

"Hey, are you good?" A cool hand touches my burning skin, pulling me out of shock. I turn around to be met with Alex's concerned, piercing blue eyes.

Clearing my throat, I croak out an answer, trying to sound as normal as possible. "Yeah, it's just starting to get a little hot in here." I uncomfortably laugh, fanning myself with my hand.

Alex's face softens a bit. "Let's get you some water, yeah?"

I nod, following him to the bar.