Dozens of forks and knives clink against crystal glasses. The high-pitched noise runs right through my body and straight to my temples. A slight ping of pain lingers as I watch the happy couple look deeply into each other's eyes.

Despite the personal rain cloud looming over me, I am genuinely happy for the newlyweds. My lips pull into a small smile when I notice the twinkle in their eyes before leaning in to kiss.

I can't help but look at the empty seat to my right, wishing things turned out differently.

"Can I have this dance?"

Even after all the time, Noah Buckman's blue eyes leave me speechless.

He looks down at me, and a piece of his dirty blonde hair falls to his brow. I take his outstretched hand without hesitation. "Of course."

Noah's calloused fingers wrap around my soft ones. The feeling is foreign but welcomed. He guides the two of us through the moving sea of people on the dance floor until we find an open space.

Loud music bumps its cheery beat, and everyone around us has their hands in the air dancing. The two of us follow their lead, waving our arms and swinging our hips, matching the song's pace.

My rain cloud seems to lift, with my worries vanishing as I allow myself this moment of happiness. When I look over to Noah, his youthful smile shines so brightly. I can't help but mimic him.

The song ends and is replaced by one with a much slower tempo. Thinking our time together has come to an end, I start to make my way back to the table. A gasp fills my lungs with air when Noah pulls me back into his muscular body.

He unexpectedly spins me around before fanning his fingers across my lower back. When his lips hover over my ear, tingles inch down my spine before stopping where his hand rests. "I'm happy I got to see you smile at least once tonight, Sunshine."

Memories fill my mind remembering all the times he has called me by that nickname. Never being able to lie to him, I admit, "I have a lot of shit going on right now, Noah. Just trying to stay afloat."

My heart feels like a cement brick sitting in my chest, desperate to go back to its normal rhythm. My head rests on his solid chest, and we sway gently side to side.

I don't need to be looking at him to know that his brows are pinched together, forming lines between them. His face etched with worry. It's just one of the perks of knowing him for over fifteen years.

He starts to rub up and down my back and pulls me closer. His tenderness helps to ease some of the tightness in my chest, and it almost feels like I am finally able to breathe.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I take a moment to gather my thoughts. I know exactly why I didn't call Noah, and it has everything to do with the fact that he would be in jail. I believe his exact words to Simon were, "If you hurt her, I will destroy you in every sense of the word."

In a desperate attempt to change the topic, I ask, "When are you heading down to Florida?"

Noah stops dancing, and my neck cranks back so I can look up at him.

The corner of his mouth pulls into a smirk, and he shakes his head. "Nice try dodging the question, Annie." I try to suppress a chuckle but fail, causing Noah's smile to grow. "I leave on the 11th. When do you go back to Boston?"

"Oh," I start. My body begins to sway, and Noah follows my lead. It almost feels as if his crystal blue eyes are looking into my soul, and he can already sense what I am about to say. My lungs fill with air before exhaling slowly, trying to slow down my racing heart. "I will be here indefinitely."

Noah stands still, never letting me go. His grip tightens, and his well-defined jaw becomes even sharper as he clenches his teeth.

Someone above must have sensed that I needed an escape. The song ends, and the DJ tells the guests to return to their tables— Dinner is served.

"This conversation is far from over, Sunshine."

I begin to walk away and wave him off, knowing he won't stop until he gets his answer.

Long oval tables surround the dance floor and I need to weave in and out of them to reach my seat. Flickering votives set a peaceful ambiance and the servers begin to bring out our meals.

I am blessed to have remained close with my high school friends. I look around the long oval table, and my heart skips a beat knowing how lucky I am to have these people in my life.

Besides me and Noah, the only other person to fly solo tonight is my lifelong friend and his highschool girlfriend, Meghan. The way she is clinging on to his arm like a koala lets me know she only has one thing on her mind, getting in his pants. She has never been one to shy away from getting what she wants. Hell, that's how she landed him in the first place.

Comfortable conversation flows around the table as we eat. Well, everyone else eats. I'm mostly pushing around my vegetables like a child.

Shane, Noah's best friend, clears his throat and motions his fork between Noah and me. "I always thought we would be getting together to celebrate your marriage."

My mouth becomes so dry it's as if I am chewing on sand. I pull too much water into my mouth and begin to choke on an ice cube.

Why couldn't we just keep talking about our kids?

Noah slaps my back, trying to help me dislodge the foreign object in my esophagus. Once I can breathe again, he drapes his arm over my shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

Shane shakes his head before taking a bite of his steak. His wife, Heather, places her hand on top of his and looks over to Noah. "From what Shane has told me. Annie was quite the popular girl, and of course, you were the school star athlete. I think what he was trying to say was that you both share such an epic friendship. In most schools, you would have ended up together in some way."

My brain begins to short circuit as I sit with my mouth gaping open. All eyes are on us, and when I reach for my glass of water, the beads of condensation are mocking the droplets of sweat forming at my brow.

Just as Noah goes to say something, he is cut off by a high-pitched laugh. "Popular? That's pushing it."

Meg's comment is like a knife to the chest. It brings back memories of all the ways she purposely drags me down to make herself feel better. For some reason, it is still hard to find my voice to stand up to her. It's easier to stay quiet than to deal with her wrath.

"Looks like someone is still jealous," Someone to my right mumbles.

Meg scans the table with a glare of pure fury as she tries to find who dare defy her. "Does someone have something to say?"

Connie, the non confrontational one in our group, clears her throat. She gives me a little wisp of a smile before saying, "I said, looks like someone is still jealous."

My posture straightens, knowing that Connie is pushing out of her usual comfort zone to defend me.

Everyone's eyes bounce back and forth between Meg and Connie as if we are watching an Olympic Ping Pong match. Meg's retort falls short by Connie holding up her small hand. "Save it, Meg. You have always been a jealous person. One would have thought you would have outgrown it by now. Clearly not."

A loud bang fills my ears when Meg slaps her hands forcefully against the table. She used enough force to make the whole thing shake. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You," Connie says, tilting her head to the side.

Despite the light chatter filling the room, everyone at the table is silent. We stare wide-eyed at our usually peaceful friend. The attention is taken off of her when Meg abruptly stands and leans over the table. My heart picks up, praying she will do anything to ruin Daniella and Asher's wedding.

As if thinking the same thing, Noah reaches for Meg's hand and pulls her down to her seat. "Jesus, Meghan. Sit down."

Meg falls with a huff and sits with her arms crossing her body. If I didn't know any better, I would think we were kids again with the juvenile way she is acting. The best thing to do is ignore her and deny her the attention she is begging for.

My stomach twists into knots, and my food continues to keep my mind from drifting to Meg's harsh words. With everything going on in my life, every jab seems to cut deeper than usual.

"Where is Simon, Annie?"

The sound of his name snaps me from my thoughts, and I look around the table, unaware of who asked about him. "Oh. Well, he had business to attend to and couldn't get out of it."

That's a lie.

The muscles in my face tighten, desperate to keep my emotions in check. If I didn't know any better, I would think that tiny ants were marching up my arm. My skin begins to crawl as I sense everyone's eyes on me, only adding to my discomfort.

A bitter laugh erupts from Meg, and I pray she keeps my secret.

Please, not here. Not now.

My eyes snap in her direction, and they begin to pool with tears. Noah's fingers wrap around mine, and my attention is brought to his piercing gaze.

"Where is he, Annie?" He asks with a twinge of anger laced in his voice.

"Busy," I respond through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, busy moving out."

The world seems to be moving in slow motion after the words leave Meg's lips. The first salty droplet makes its way down my cheek, and Noah's hand rests on my cheek, quick to wipe away the moisture.

"Didn't you say he was moving in with his side piece?" Meg chuckles.

Noah snaps and turns to Meg. His brows pull together into a pronounced frown. "Were you always such a bitch? Or is this a special occasion?"

Meg's brown eyes go wide, and she recoils at Noah's sharp tone. "No"

"Yes," Everyone else answers.

I push myself from the chair and begin to walk away.

In that moment, it has finally registered how nasty and toxic of a person Meg is.  A sudden burst of confidence drapes over my body like a blanket, and I turn to look at my tormentor. My finger points in Meg's direction as if I am scolding a toddler. "Lose my number. I want nothing to do with you. You disgust me in every sense of the word."

I turn to look at everyone and continue with my rant. "Tell me, Meg, since we are sharing secrets, how is your boss doing?"

The corner of Meg's mouth turns upwards in a sinister smirk. "I won't be made to feel bad for who I sleep with."

My tongue darts out to moisten my dry lips, and I try my hardest to hide my smile. "No, I'm curious to know if he ever found out that you poked holes in the condoms." Meg's mouth drops and opens so wide I'm sure I could successfully throw a piece of food in it. "What did you say again, if you got pregnant by him, you would be set for life? I wonder what his wife would say about that."

"What was your reasoning again? Oh right, he is rich, and if you got pregnant, you wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore. Careful, Noah," I say as I slap his back. "Looks like she's trying to get her claws into you next. As I said, lose my number. I don't need people like you in my life."

I turn on my heel and march towards the bar for something to drink. I feel like a 125-pound weight is lifted off my shoulders. I am no longer going to be a doormat. I am far too old to be dealing with people who treat me like shit. It's time for me to be selfish and think about myself for a change.