I closed the door to my room, silently, brushing my nose absentmindedly. It still hurt where the girl knocked me but it was dull and forgettable enough. I had to be down for the dinner opening where Joshua and Madison would announce their Best Man and Maid of Honour.

Although I was grateful and honoured to even be considered as Josh's Best Man, I had unknowingly gotten Madison to change her mind about her Maid of Honour. I never thought she would take it seriously.

She didn't even know me very well except for how she had almost giggled when we first met. I chalked it up to my celebrity status but I had no idea she would actually listen to me instead of just admiring my face, like everyone else did.

And on the other hand, Madison's eyes had glinted like a Cheshire cat's. It was almost maniacal, as if she was deriving pain from the look on Olivet's — no, Olivia's — face. It troubled me no end to think that maybe I had unknowingly caused someone pain.

Again.

I thought I was being charmingly sassy but it did not end well for her. Neither could I apologise. I wasn't used to it. I was used to acting a certain way around crowds. It was part of my job persona and the press loved it. But I thought she had not appreciated it.

There's a saying my grandfather used to say back when I was a kid living with him in Spain. Si no puedes hacer el bien, no hagas el mal, which translated to, if you can't do good, don't do bad.

I've always tried to adhere to that saying as far as I could. I wanted to trash the world when Favian died but I didn't. I wanted to break Harvey's knuckles when he—

I shook my head. I couldn't let myself wander down darker territories. The point was that I had never technically harmed someone, no matter how bad I wanted to. And maybe I had just violated my one principle and got someone else into trouble too.

Olivia hadn't looked pleased with Madison and Joshua had been throwing me strange looks. That one girl who had the best chance to slap me had run away towards Robin as soon as he had come into view when Olivia had glanced at her.

It couldn't be all a coincidence; I must have upset Olivia. And I would try and apologise to her tonight.

Having made up my mind, I walked to my wardrobe and put on the first black suit I could find among all my black t-shirts and shorts. Although everything looked the same to me, Joshua would have a stroke if he saw his Best Man wandering around like he'd just walked out of Teen Beach Movie 2.

Yes, I'd seen it. No, I'm not an imbecile.

I folded a handkerchief in my coat pocket and walked into the hallway, locking the door shut behind me. I heaved a sigh before I made my way downstairs. The corridors seemed to be deadly quiet and I assumed that I was heading off early.

Maybe I would find her alone for a moment and apologise without people staring at us.

Animated chatter welcomed me as soon as I stepped into the ballroom. Bellboys ran around with varied requests they had to take to the guests at the tables. Couples in fine silk swished forward on the dance floor, linking their arms together. A few people turned to glance at me and immediately the whispers became louder.

So much for privacy.

"Daniel!" Someone called and I turned to find a positively radiant Robin. He walked over to me, his arms outstretched. I felt a smile tugging up the corners of my lips. I hugged him, slapping him twice on the back.

"It's been a while, Rob, how are you?" I said, pulling away and falling into step beside him as he started walking.

"Just doing okay. I heard about your accident, Dan, I'm sorry. You sure you're up for this? If you want it, I can fill in for you tonight." He raised his eyebrows at me, waiting.

I knew I could go back, lock myself up in my room and weep about how sad my life was. I could give the Best Man honour to Robin, who'd be excellent at it, no doubt. I could spend time in solitude, read a little and while away my vacation.

As wonderful as it all sounded to my broken ears, something wouldn't let me. It wasn't a feeling or a thought- just something- begging me to let myself go for a while. Maybe it was my locked up frustration that I would never be the Best Man for Favian, which was showing up now.

All I knew for sure was that I wanted to do this and I had no idea why. So, I nodded at Robin. "Yes, although, I wouldn't mind your help."

Robin's eyes lit up at that. "Is that your way of saying you have no clue where to get started?"

I raised my hands in surrender. "You know me enough to know that that's exactly what I am saying."

We reached the bar at the end of the ballroom, laughing and catching up. It felt comforting to be in someone's presence who did not look at me like I was a nutcase or a madman. I kept my alcohol on the low which wasn't helpful. People would still glance and whisper as if I was a circus monkey for them.

Robin spent the next hour talking to me about Patricia, the girl I had assumed would beat me up yesterday. He spoke about her with such love that it reminded me of the way Josh spoke about Madison. It was heart warming to know that love wasn't always painful.

"—and that's when Pat broke the line and stole a whole tub of popcorn!" Robin laughed and I joined him, laughing awkwardly, even though I had missed the whole story.

I was about to ask him to repeat himself when my eyes caught on to a dark haired girl in a stunning red gown. She was weaving her way uncomfortably through the crowd. Her expression was begging to be invisible but the way she carried herself, even in distress, made heads turn.

One of them was mine.

I sat transfixed, my eyes following her as she glided around the ball, seemingly searching for someone. Her face was partially covered by the cloak of her hair and then, she pushed it back. I felt my breath hitch in my throat.

Olivia.

She looked heavenly tonight, nothing like the haggard, mascara laden woman I had clashed horns with that morning. She walked like a dream, as if she had stepped out of a medieval castle. The fact that she seemed worried turned her dark eyes into pools of black.

And then my heart nearly stopped as she turned her head and looked straight at me. Her gaze felt like a thousand suns burning into me, like she was reading me. I sat up straighter, not liking the new effect she was having on me.

I almost yelped in surprise when a hand slapped my back. "What?" I asked Robin when he stared at me as if I had lost my mind.

"You seemed like you were having a stroke. I read somewhere that it helps to have—"

"Robin!" A voice called out, sounding like honey drops and I instantly knew who it was. Robin turned to smile at Olivia but she waved her hand, impatiently. "I need your help with Pat and Madison. I can't find either of them and it's driving me crazy."

She rattled off and Robin laughed while I wondered at her. Here she was, definitely not a socialite but working her way through as if she'd been born to be. Her hands were on her hips and even though I hadn't been able to take my eyes off of her, she calmly decided to ignore me.

"Can you breathe? What do you mean, you can't find Pat? Didn't she text you that she was in the kitchen, swiping pastries or something?" Robin asked, genuinely surprised.

It looked like Patricia and Olivia were joined at the hip from the tone Robin used. He probably couldn't imagine one of them clueless about the other's whereabouts.

Olivia sighed. "Maybe. I forgot my phone back in my room. I must have placed it near one of the key cards and—" Her eyes widened. "Oh my god, I forgot my room key, too." She placed her head in her hands and let out a grunt of frustration.

Robin chuckled before leaving the bartender a tip. He got down from his barstool and patted Olivia's back. "You've had a rough day, Liv. Go find Madison, I'll get Pat and a new key for you, okay?"

She peered at him from between her fingers and the smile that lit up her face almost dazzled me blind. "You'd do that? Thank you!" She pulled him down for a hug, squeezing him tightly. "You're the best person ever!"

"Alright, alright!" Robin smiled, pulling out of the hug. He nodded at Olivia, reassuring her with just one crinkle of his eyes. "But you'll need to do something for me in return."

"Anything," she said, the relief of finally accepting help never leaving her face.

Robin pointed a finger at me then. "Just please take him along with you to Madison? He needs to be there during the dinner announcement too," he said and Olivia turned to me. Her eyebrows shot up her forehead as if she had noticed me for the first time that evening.

I shifted on my chair, feeling terribly uncomfortable for the first time that night. Was it all the piña coladas?

"Why does he need to be there at the table? Can't he just listen from here?" She asked, with visible distaste.

Robin shook his head while I suddenly found the marble tiles too interesting to look away from. "He's the Best Man—"

"He's the what?" Olivia shrieked, her jaw dropping, almost enough to brush the floor. A dozen heads turned to stare at the commotion. Robin shot Olivia a look and she shut her mouth but the surprise didn't leave her face.

"So that's what you meant by 'enough time to find out'," she said, addressing me directly for the first time. Robin looked confused but Olivia was clenching her jaw and frankly, it was creeping me out.

"Look, I'll find Madison on my own," I said, suddenly eager to leave and lock myself in my room. The thought of apologising to her was terrifying when she looked like she could throw a table at my head.

But wonder of wonders, she held out a hand to stop me. "No, you're not running off to your room after you technically ruined my life. Let's find Madison and get tonight over with."

If she saw the surprise in my eyes, when she read my mind about running for my room, she didn't show it. Instead, she sighed defeatedly. "Come on now, tomorrow we can go our separate ways."