2 2 | Many Moons Ago

VINCE

I couldn’t help but curse myself when I rewound all the memories I had of her at the back of my mind. Joy was the only woman I’d regretted not getting to know. And that was all because of a stupid agreement. She was exquisite, both her nature and her body. That body—I wanted to devour her back then. And feeling the blood rushing in my veins at the sight of her now, that ravaging hunger hadn’t dived down.

I’d always wondered if she’d picked a fake name for herself. Little did I realize that she was too similar to me than I could’ve thought. When I’d introduced myself as Vince, she had done as Joy, both being the shortened versions of our names.

"What's her full name?"

"Joyce Gale," Jordan quickly answered.

Joyce Gale . . . I sighed, folding my arms over my chest. For a year after I’d last seen her, I’d thought only of her, wishing if I could reverse time and get to know her better. But that was all a long time ago. I had moved on from her . . .or so I thought.

"Man no,” Jordan uttered, pulling my attention toward him. “She’s not your type.”

Funny, I thought. I had said the exact same thing to myself many moons back when I’d first touched her skin—so smooth, buttery and very much breakable. My cock twitched and I groaned. The last thing I wanted was a hard-on in the middle of a wedding, which wasn’t the only effect she’d had on me.

“She doesn't even look at guys in that manner.” Jordan continued, “She once said to me that she'd rather marry a skunk than date men like us."

"Men like us?" I knitted his brows together, disturbed. What the fuck did that mean? That did not sound like the girl I knew or had known.

Jordan shrugged, giving a sly smile. "Arrogant. Way too rich. Flirtatious. Promiscuous. Narcissistic."

"Are you intentionally picking on me, Jordy?"

"That's what I’d asked her," Jordan huffed his reply, making me roll my eyes. “But she was true to some extent.”

I took a deep breath and went for it. "Do you remember the girl I told you about, the one I met in Paris?"

Jordan was about to nod but then paused, his eyes narrowing at Joyce before being back at me with shock painted on his face. Even Jordan knew about the mysterious woman that had me, of all people, swooning over her.

"I think that's her." I shook my head and corrected myself, "No, I am sure that's her."

Jordan’s wanted to speak but his words were cut out as the music played louder, indicating the bride’s arrival. I exchanged a small nod with my best friend before turning back to the event.

The moment Aubrey began walking down the aisle, everyone stood up but I twisted my head to see Jordan’s expression. His eyes were rounded and filled with so much affection and desire. Both the bride and groom refused to lose their eye contact as if they were talking to each other via an invisible string.

What was shocking about the entire thing was the aged man beside Aubrey. Jordan and I remembered him clearly. One, because it was Bill, Aubrey’s father and two, we had gone to his house a week ago, requesting him to make amends with his daughter, which, at that time, he had blatantly refused.

But no matter how much I tried to focus on the ceremonies, my attention kept drifting to where Joy was seated. All I could fucking think of was Joyce Gale: her emerald eyes and her lavender scent. I’d craved her scent. Her scent. Neither a girl nor a perfume could match up to that extremely soothing odour she had that melted me whenever I was close to her.

Does she remember me? I stared at her, unable to steer my gaze away.

With a sudden flick of her eyes, Joy looked at me (surely to me gawking) and a smirk took over my lips, knowingly. Cocky bastard! She stared at me for a while, roving her eyes up and down but then she frowned and looked away.

Throughout all the ceremonies all I could do was stare like a fucking idiot. I was waiting for a golden chance to talk to Joy, maybe start from where we had left off five years ago. And finally, the chance came. By the end of the dance, she was just a few feet away from me yet even with so much distance, my heart raced.

Joy had long hair now, which cascaded down to her hips. I’d never thought she would grow her hair as she had made it—her disgrace for long waves and how it was disastrous to manage—very clear to me. I noticed her curves as I moved a little closer. She had gotten . . .voluptuous now, which was so much sexier.

The light cold wind was making her shudder as she stood at the altar in her off-shoulder gown.

It was finally time for me to go forth with my plans of reconciliation.

***

JOY

I hurried to the altar, only to find Aubrey’s cousin, Carter, sitting in the front row. He had a grin glued to his face as he saw me walk toward him.

“You look dashing as always.”

I nodded. “I know.”

On the adjacent aisle Joanne, Jordan’s sister, was seated and she flashed a welcoming smile the moment our eyes met.

"Hey!" Slightly nodding at her husband, I turned back to her. "Your dress is marvellous."

"Oh, don’t be so modest.” Joanne chuckled. “This dress is the only attractive dress in my closet that didn't scream pregnant."

“If anybody can flaunt being pregnant it’s you.” Joanne only laughed, shaking her head at my compliment.

Sounds of soft music playing, children giggling, people gossiping and everything around me was making me a little anxious. I was never very good at weddings, which was why I had to convince Aubrey to not make me a bridesmaid. I knew it unsettled her but she understood. She fucking understood me.

The moment Aubrey walked in with her hand around her father's arm, everyone stood up. He guided her down the aisle just like I’d imagined. Mr Evans was a great father before . . . but sometimes, realities change people. He handed Aubrey over to the tall, muscular figure at the centre of the stage, nodding to her. Jordan had his dark hair gelled to perfection and a huge smile glued to his lips while his eyes refused to move from Aubrey's. He extended a hand and she accepted.

The couple looked astounding standing in the middle of the huge stage decorated with wreaths of green foliages and white and pink flowers, white net curtains draped between the pillars of the stage. They held their hands and took their vows together, vows that bonded their souls for eternity.

Staring into each other's eyes and promising to stay by each other's side was indeed a very intimate moment, a huge commitment that I’d avoided. Knowing that from then on everything you’d do for your other half was exquisite. But at the same time, nothing frightened me more than the vulnerability that came with it.

My entire attention was stuck at the lovely couple's holy matrimony until my gaze shifted to the man standing behind Jordan. He wore a blue tuxedo and had a very well-built structure. His undercut hair was flipped back and his brows pressed together while he kept staring at me. He looked devilishly attractive, no doubt. But there was also something about him, about his gaze that gave me shivers down my spine. Why did he look so familiar?

I forcefully shifted my attention back to the main attraction of the event. After the bride and groom's passionate kiss, they headed for the reception table.

During the different ceremonies, I knew deep down that the man in the blue tux was staring at me. The staring part was okay until it wasn't. It was starting to vex me. I tried to avoid him but the intensity of his stare was impossible to ignore with every passing second.

At the reception party, I stood by the altar with Joanne with her twins running around the altar, racing after one another.

"Sometimes, I dread bringing another child into my life when two monsters are already eating my head." Joanne sighed, sipping from her glass of orange juice.

"Seeing you dread it, I dread it,” I said, shrugging my head.

She shook her head. "It's not like I hate it. There are times when I wished I could have some time for myself which seems like a dream now, to be honest. The times I'm not taking care of them, I'm freelancing. I can't take care of myself the way I used to. I can't even talk to Harper about this. He works his ass off to keep up with the business."

"Sounds suffocating." I looked at Joanne from my peripheral vision, my brows pressed together.

"It is.” She exhaled. “But on the plus side, I love them. The moment these kids hug me or call me Mom, it feels . . . I don't know how to explain this. It's one of those things in the world that has no rational explanation."

I wished if all mother’s thought the same. My mother didn’t, which was why she’d left me and Mason to our dad and had run off with some random college guy.

"You do an exceptional job at handling things. Harper and your kids are lucky to have you." I smiled at her before looking back at her kids who were now running toward the six-tiered wedding cake. “Oh shoot!”

"Oh, no . . . No!" Joanne ran after them, yelling.

I burst into a fit of laughter, watching her pull one of the twins by the ears while the other scampered off into the house. God, I couldn’t even imagine the things those devils put her through.

"It's been a long time . . ."

A hoarse voice reached my ears and I whipped around in my heels to glance. My breath hitched in my throat. It was the man in the blue tuxedo standing behind me with a more familiar-ish grin tugging his lips.

His silvery eyes were stuck on me and he said in a rather soft voice, "Joy."

On close encounter, I felt my entire world crumble as I recognized the deadly beauty.

Vince?