Chapter Three
1126 Words
For someone she had met only once, Ethan Brooks was already occupying far more space in her thoughts than he should have.
Amelia quickly looked away, hoping Lily hadn’t noticed the slight blush creeping across her cheeks.
“I wasn’t staring,” she whispered under her breath.
Lily only smiled knowingly.
“If you say so.”
Trying to distract herself, Amelia stood up. Just then, her mother walked over to her table.
“Amelia,” she called gently.
“Yes, Mum?”
“Please help me deliver this gift to the groom’s family. Your aunt asked me to give it to them, but I need to speak with someone first.”
“Of course.”
Amelia accepted the beautifully wrapped gift bag and made her way toward the front of the reception hall.
The dance floor was crowded with laughing guests. Children chased one another between the tables while the DJ switched to a more upbeat song. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Carefully weaving through the crowd, Amelia searched for a member of the bride’s family.
She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going.
Again.
Just as she turned a corner near the stage, she walked straight into someone.
“Oh!”
The gift bag almost slipped from her hands.
A familiar hand reached out and steadied it before it could fall.
“You really have a habit of bumping into me.”
That deep, warm voice instantly gave him away.
Amelia looked up.
Ethan.
He smiled, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“I’m beginning to think fate is trying very hard to introduce us properly.”
Amelia couldn’t help laughing.
“Or maybe I’m just clumsy.”
“I don’t think so.”
He folded his arms with a playful grin.
“Twice in one day? That’s too much to be a coincidence.”
She shook her head, smiling despite herself.
“You make it sound like the universe has a plan.”
“Maybe it does.”
For a brief moment, they simply looked at one another as the music played softly around them.
Then Ethan reached into the inside pocket of his jacket.
“I don’t want to leave this entirely up to fate.”
He pulled out a neatly designed business card and held it out to her.
“If you’d ever like to have coffee… or if you’d simply like to continue this conversation somewhere that doesn’t involve you running into me…”
He paused with a soft chuckle.
“…give me a call.”
Amelia hesitated for a second before accepting the card.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
She glanced down at the elegant card before slipping it carefully into her small handbag.
“I should deliver this before my mum starts looking for me.”
“Of course.”
Ethan stepped aside to let her pass.
“It was nice seeing you again, Amelia.”
She smiled.
“You too, Ethan.”
As she walked away, she could feel his gaze following her until she disappeared into the crowd.
Only then did Ethan quietly smile to himself.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
Amelia eventually found the bride’s parents and handed over the gift, delivering her mother’s message. After exchanging a few warm words and congratulations, she excused herself and returned to her table.
The celebration continued with lively music, delicious food, heartfelt speeches, and a general dance that soon had almost every guest on their feet.
Lily tried several times to pull Amelia onto the dance floor, and after much persuasion, she finally gave in. For a few songs, she forgot about awkward questions, forgotten expectations, and even Ethan.
She simply laughed and enjoyed the celebration.
Before long, the reception slowly drew to a close. Guests began saying their goodbyes, collecting their belongings, and wishing the newlyweds a lifetime of happiness.
Amelia’s mother checked the time and turned to her.
“We should leave now. I still have somewhere I need to be this evening.”
“Okay, Mum.”
Amelia looked around for Lily and found her chatting with a few friends.
She walked over and gave her a warm hug.
“Drive safely,” Lily said.
“You too. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“You’d better.”
The two friends laughed before saying goodbye.
A few minutes later, Amelia and her mother left the venue, completely unaware that someone watched their car disappear through the gates.
Ethan stood near the entrance with his hands tucked into his pockets.
He smiled faintly
“I hope she calls.
Amelia leaned against the car window as she and her mother drove home, watching the city lights blur into streaks of gold against the dark night sky. The wedding was over, yet her mind refused to leave the events of the day behind. Every few minutes, Ethan’s face would appear in her thoughts—his calm smile, his kind eyes, and the playful way he had said that fate seemed determined to keep bringing them together.
She let out a soft sigh and rested her head against the window.
“Why am I thinking about a man I only met today?” she wondered.
She had attended countless weddings before, met dozens of people, and exchanged polite conversations with strangers. None of them had ever occupied her thoughts the way Ethan Brooks did. There was something about him she couldn’t quite explain. Despite his elegant appearance and obvious wealth, he had been surprisingly humble and easy to talk to. For the first time in a long while, she had genuinely enjoyed talking to someone she had just met.
The drive home was unusually quiet. Her mother noticed Amelia’s silence but assumed she was simply exhausted from the day’s activities and didn’t disturb her. Before long, they arrived home.
Amelia wished her mother goodnight before heading upstairs to her room. After taking a warm shower and changing into her pajamas, she sat on the edge of her bed, replaying the day’s events once more. A small smile unknowingly formed on her lips before she quickly shook her head.
“You’re overthinking this,” she whispered to herself. “You’ll probably never see him again.”
She switched off the bedside lamp and pulled the blanket over herself. Slowly, sleep began to take over as the memories of the wedding faded into dreams.
What Amelia didn’t realize was that Ethan’s business card was still safely tucked inside her handbag, forgotten amidst the excitement of the day. Unaware of the opportunity resting just a few feet away, she drifted peacefully to sleep, never imagining that the little card she had forgotten would soon become the beginning of a story neither she nor Ethan had ever planned.
- Writer
