Page 107 of The Longshot

Time continues to fly as I anxiously peer down at my phone. By now, most guests have arrived and have opted to take their seats along the aisle.

I refuse to leave the front entrance despite Ruby texting me to come back. I can’t. Gary will be here any second, I know he will. We have to go in together. I can’t go in alone. I can’t.

I stare back down at my phone, sending him another question mark—a subtle nudge to say, “Where the hell are you?”

His lack of responsiveness leaves me in a panic. Should I give him another call? I wonder. Yeah, another call won’t hurt.

I swipe toward my contacts, and just when I’m about to hit the dial button, a familiar yet unsettling voice draws me away.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Miss. Chelsie Windsor.” A middle-aged woman with her arm interlaced between her husband approaches me—it’s Simon’s parents.

Fuck.

“We haven’t seen you in such a long time, Chelsie!” they remark. “How are you?” His mum smiles before planting a kiss on my cheek.

“I’m well,” I’m short with her. “How uh—are you both?”

“We're good, happy to be here. Aren’t we, love?”

She peers up at her husband, whose eyes could shoot daggers.

I’d never been a fan of Simon’s father, he always had a superiority complex, I guess that’s where Simon got it from.

“Yep.” I’m left unphased by his short-winded response. He’s always been this way, and I’m confident he always will be…

Trying to be as cordial as possible, I nod. I knew my parents were going to invite Simon’s Mum and Dad, they asked my permission and granted, over the years, our parents became friends. So, although it wasn’t necessarily ideal to have them both show up, at the bare minimum, it appeased any further questions surrounding “why can’t they be there?” from my Mum and Dad. Besides, I’ve got Ruby and impending Gary looking out for me tonight. Nothing is going to happen.

Nothing should happen.

“Well, you both better get inside.” I peer back over my shoulder, seeing how the front foyer has started to clear out. “I think it’s about to start soon.”

The two of them nod once more before heading inside and falling out of my line of view, yet as they do, another emerges…

“We meet again, don’t we, Chelsie?”

I furrow my brow and curse the way even a single look at Simon holds the power to make my heart race—it pains me that he still has any control over me.

“You look beautiful, as usual. Love the blue. I had a feeling you were going to wear it. That’s why I picked?—”

“Leave.” I stand my ground, shooting him a death stare as he peers up from his blue dress shirt.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Leave. You weren’t invited,” I tell him directly. “I made sure of it.”

“Oh, on the contrary.” Simon pulls an invitation out of his suit pocket. It’s as if he’s prepared for this moment—prepared for this encounter. “You see that?” He points to the front of an envelope. “The invitation says ‘to the Hedgecock family’, and last time I checked…” He tucks it back into his jacket smugly. “I’m a part of that family.”

I should’ve known better than to trust that Simon would’ve taken the hint after our last encounter. Things had been too quiet, too perfect, for too long.

I should’ve known he was bound to pop up again and menacingly flip my world upside down.

Where’s Gary?

“So, tell me…” He places a hand on my forearm, caressing my skin up and down. “How are you, darling? When are you coming back, huh? Hasn’t this whole thing gone on enough? I miss you.”

He’s like ice—sending shivers through my spine and freezing me in place. His touch reminds me of when you have two of the same magnets. You can try to push them together all that you want, but somehow, they’ll always find a way to repel against one another.

That’s Simon and I.

---