"This is unbelievable, I come to this wedding, your sister, Madeline's wedding, and I'm grinning like a fucking idiot because I'm happy for her and that I get to be her bridesmaid," I grunt, kicking my suitcase, pulling over the entrance, "And who do I see? Who do I see, Zoey?" I asked her as she followed me.

"Nick fucking Heartwell," she groaned while pulling her suitcase.

"We will take that." Two bellboys came and took our bags for us.

"Thank you," I sighed, flopping down on the couch in the hotel lobby.

We were pretty much last to enter the hotel since all the parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts were let in first.

Zoey stayed behind with me willingly. Don't know why she did that. "Just avoid him, Emma, you've been doing it for a month and you have a few classes with him but you handled it just fine," she shrugged.

"That was a few classes in a date, Zo, this is three weeks!" I exclaimed.

"Ladies!" William walked over to us from the front desk. "Here are your room keys," he handed me one key and the other to Zoey.

"Are we sharing?" Zoey stood up.

"No, you can if you like, I just thought it would be less... chaotic," he chose his words wisely. "The entire top floor has been given out to attendees for the wedding, a lot of other people already took their rooms, so sorry if your rooms aren't close enough, if you can find someone to trade with, that wouldn't be a problem," he smiled.

"Thank you, William," I sighed while standing up before saying bye to him and heading to the elevator with Zoey. As we got in and pressed the button to close it, someone's hand almost got crushed. "Shit! Are you all right?" I opened the doors quickly.

"I'm perfectly okay, thanks for asking," he smirked.

I'm having second thoughts on opening those doors.

"Hey, Zo," he nodded.

"Hi, Nick," she nodded back awkwardly.

We stood there in absolute silence when I clenched and unclenched my fists behind my back. Fifty-seven floors is a lot. The one and only hotel. SLS Lux Brickell, Miami, Florida. After a dreadful time, the elevator finally dings and we all step out. I look at my key card.

The SLS Lux King.

Cool.

"I'm that way," I pointed to the left from the elevator.

"I'm not," Zoey sighed.

It's on the opposite side of the hall, we'll live.

"See you at dinner?" she asked and I nodded before walking my way. I turned around and Nick was standing right there.

"Can I help you?" I asked while walking past him, only for him to follow me.

"Can I ask you something?" he questioned while following me.

"No," I huffed.

He jumped in front of me and began walking backward. "Why do you hate me? Shouldn't I hate you after you dumped me in front of everyone so humiliatingly?" he asked while smirking.

"Dumped you? Nick, you cheated on me," I huffed while looking through for my room.

"No, I didn't. We weren't officially dating, Emma. Come on, forgive and forget," he gave me a pointed look.

Forgive and forget?

I stopped at my room and he stopped with me. "I don't care if we were dating, talking, a fling, or having meaningless sex. You were scared to commit so you cheated on me before I could ask you for your commitment. Admit it," I huffed while opening my room.

"We've never had sex," he pointed out.

"You are unbelievable," I rolled my eyes, "Are you done following me now?" I huffed.

"Who says I was following you? I'm just going to my room, Em. Relax," he smirked before unlocking his door and going inside.

You've got to be kidding me. His room is next to mine? Next to mine?

I thought Miami could be good. I guess not.

-----

We've been in the hotel for an hour and I'm pretty sure everyone is taking a nap because not one person can be heard on this entire floor. I was bored so I decided to go for a swim at the pool, so I pulled on my bikini, grabbed my shorts, my key and I left.

The doors opened to the rooftop pool and I stepped out, groaning when I saw Nick pointing out the directions to a little kid.

"That's fine, I'll just take a swim in the tub in my bathroom," I shrugged, turning around to go back to my room but someone called out my name.

Please don't be him.

I turned around slowly and saw Liam walking over to me. "Hey," he nodded.

"Hi," I nodded, trying very hard to not check him out.

Summer really did work wonders for him.

"Just so we're clear, you are the same Liam I met last summer, right?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, I just discovered a gym," he laughed.

"Well, you look great, it's a good look for you," I nodded. It doesn't hurt to compliment a guy first.

"You've always looked great," he checked me out subtly.

"It's the metabolism," I shrugged. It's so not metabolism.

"So, are you here for a swim?" he asked.

"I was," I nodded, squinting slightly at the sun. "Now, I'm not sure," I mumbled.

He looked around before his eyes settled on Nick. "I'm a pretty good distraction," he shrugged.

"Sure," I laughed. I placed my stuff down on a lounging chair and took my shorts off before getting in the pool with him. I decided to dip my legs in first for a little bit while he went all in.

"So, you're a bridesmaid," he nodded.

"Yup," I replied, "And you're a groomsman?" I questioned.

"Yup, there's three of us. Me, Nick, and little Elijah," he sighed.

"Why have I never met Elijah before? That kid has my heart," I chuckled, rocking my legs back and forth slightly.

"He's adorable, he likes Nick a lot. Nick is good with kids," he shrugged.

I know.

He took me to Landon's cousin's party. She was turning six and he was every kid's favorite in that place.

"Hmm," I nodded.

"Are you coming tonight?" he asked.

"Tonight?" I asked in confusion.

"Yeah, everyone's meeting at the bar downstairs, I thought Zoey texted you about it?" he asked in confusion.

"She probably did, I haven't looked at my phone since I got here," I replied while slipping into the pool. "So, Liam," I sighed, "How's life been?" I asked.

"The same," he shrugged.

"The same?" I asked in confusion.

After he started looking like that?

"I still play basketball, I still work at the library after school, I still don't have a girlfriend," he laughed.

"You don't have a girlfriend?" I questioned.

"Nope, do you have a boyfriend?" he questioned.

"Nope," I shook my head. "Your cousin kind of scared the shit out of me after doing what he did. I lost interest in having a boyfriend," I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Everyone knows he shouldn't have done that," he shook his head, "I wouldn't have done that," he turned to me.

I stared at him in confusion but I knew what he was implying. I just didn't know what to say. I was standing there, leaning against the wall when I felt a pinch at my waist. "Ow," I winced, turning to me right to see Nick.

"Hey," he smirked. I rolled my eyes and stared at the water, deciding to ignore him. "Hey, Liam," he nodded at him.

"Hey, Nick," he said gruffly.

"Nicky!" Elijah screamed while running over to us. He looked absolutely adorable with his little arm floats. He almost fell in front of us but Nick managed to catch him and pull him into the water, holding him on his hip.

"Hey," he laughed while Elijah splashed the water.

"Will you watch him, Nick?" someone asked.

"Sure, Finn," he nodded. I take it that he is Elijah's dad. He looks young to be a dad. Hence Elijah is too.

"That's Finn, I think he's our eldest cousin, but he's only twenty-six, is there anyone older, Nick?" Liam asked.

"Nope," he shook his head while bouncing Elijah up and down.

"Hi Emma," Elijah laughed.

"Hi," I laughed, glancing at Liam who was called over by someone else.

"He really likes you," Nick said while looking at me as I was playing with Elijah.

"Unlike some people," I sneered before pulling my finger out of Elijah's hand and going over to the ladder, pulling myself up and out of the pool.

"Emma, come on," he sighed while I grabbed my towel and dried myself off, slipping my shorts back on.

"Bye, Nick," I said before grabbing my things and going over to the elevator.

"Bye, Emma!" Elijah waved.

I waved back with a smile that fell as soon as the elevator doors closed. I leaned against the wall.

I hate you, Nick. You broke my heart.

What I hate, even more, is that I still don't completely hate you.

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