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*Spoiler alert; This chapter contains some stuff from chapters I haven't uploaded yet. It's perfect in that nobody's cheated on anyone and nothing really fell apart yet way but it's also horrible because a character dies.

*Trigger warning: A character dies. A marriage happens. I do the thing where Time Stands Still again. I stray away from cannon. It's OTP af. It's also potentially triggering so just don't read it k.

*Disclaimer: I wouldn't have ended the story this way in a bazillion years and I don't wish Olivia any actual harm IRL, nor do I wish Emily back into my life but here it is.

Shoutout to Smutty Pariah, here's that cheesy ending fam. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
~

“Andy?” Olivia whispered, and before he opened his eyes he could feel her arm placed sleepily across his chest. He didn’t want to face the day ahead, didn’t want to open his eyes. “Andy.” She whispered again. He turned his head to the side, eyes still closed. “It’s okay my love, take your time waking up.”

He inhaled a deliberately slow breath through his nose, held it in when he felt like his lungs would burst from his chest and opened his mouth slightly to let the air seep out. Another slow deep inhale later a loud knock at the door startled his eyes open.

“Let’s go!” His mom shouted. She wasn’t angry but she had been sick with worry since the accident happened, as far as anyone knew Olivia and Amelia fell tragically after taking a selfie too close to the edge of a cliff. She kept saying the words, ‘such a horrible accident’ and ‘a beautiful life cut short’.

He closed his eyes again and tried to imagine Olivia back to his side, attempted to hear her voice.

“Son.” His dad opened his bedroom door slightly and forced a smile. “Time to wake up.”

“Okay.” Andy grumbled, sat at the edge of the bed and glared at the suit hanging from the back of his door.

When he arrived at the bottom of the stairs his mom stood before him, tugging at the collar of his jacket first, then folded the collar of the black shirt underneath. She undid the top button and took a step back, taking in the site of him before bursting into tears. “I’m so sorry Andy.”

His dad stepped out from the kitchen and pulled his mom into an embrace. “Shhh.” He guided her to step away from Andy. “He’s trying to be strong for you. I need you to do the same.” He whispered near her ear, kissing her temple.

“What about the flowers?” Was all Andy could say, he felt like a zombie but he knew he was in this suit about to bury Olivia and somehow it still didn’t feel real to him. It was like a nightmare come to life, could he be who he was without knowing the heartbreak she’d brought him? Would he have appreciated Emily this much if Olivia had never shattered his world, turned his friends and family against him, broken his heart?

“They’re already there.” His mom stood tall and proud, having taken care of everything he might not have been able to do. She’d rented their suits, sent the flowers, and coordinated the day when Olivia’s mother had a breakdown after finding the ultrasound photo in Olivia’s bedroom.

“Thank you.” Andy said quietly.

“It was the least I could do.” His mom escaped his dad’s embrace and forced Andy into a hug. She applied a shaking hand to the back of his neck and pulled his head down to rest on her shoulder, for a moment he felt safe again, for a moment he felt okay in her arms.

“I’ll be in the car.” His dad said quietly and left the house.

“Do I have to go?” Andy whispered desperately.

“Yes.” His mom replied. “It’s for support of the family, it’s not about you.” But it was about him. It was literally an accident that took place because Olivia was trying to get him back.

“Babe?” A soft voice said.

He shook his head, trying to will away another flashback.

“He’s freaking out.” Emily’s soft voice began to quiver over the phone on speaker mode. “I knew this would happen. It’s too soon."

A hand tugged at the lapel of Andy’s suit, then at the crisp white collar of his shirt. “He’s fine.” His mom announced. “And he looks as handsome as ever. I bet you can’t wait to see him.”

“I can’t wait!” Emily shrieked in excitement.

Off to the corner of the room stood one of those antique giant oval mirrors set within a huge wooden frame. CC stood before it adjusting his tie and smiled when he noticed Andy watching him in the distance. “Reminds me of the masquerade.” He laughed lightly.

Andy snapped back to reality and grinned. “Crashing the masquerade was the craziest thing we ever did.”

“Driving next to a hurricane is the craziest thing we ever did.” CC corrected.

“You did WHAT?” His mom interrupted.

“Uh.” Andy began to stammer.

“It’s a video game.” CC pulled an answer from nowhere. It probably was a game somewhere.

“I don’t understand your fascination with those games.” His mom rolled her eyes, left his collar alone and wandered away to a tie rack, selecting a different shade of black.

“They all look the same Mom.” Andy shrugged.

“They’re very different colors.” She shook her head with a warning glance. “Women notice these things.”

The wedding planner burst into the room hurriedly and glared at Andy. “Eyes closed!” She warned.

He did as commanded.

“I couldn’t stop her.” The wedding planner said desperately as the door opened again.

“Andy?” Emily called out from the doorway.

“Are her eyes closed?” CC laughed quietly.

“Yes.” Emily answered. “I need a minute alone with him. I’m sorry, this can’t wait.”

Andy heard shuffling around the room. “I need your opinion on that shade of tie.” His mom asked the planner.

“Hmmm. Maybe a clip on bow-tie?” The planner answered, her voice fading out of the room.

“Are we alone?” Emily announced when the room had fallen silent. When there was no response her feet shuffled on the carpeted floor toward him, careful not to trip on her dress or damage her hairstyle.

“Andy?” She asked, her hand stroking the freshly cut hairs at the back of his neck.

“Emily.” He whispered.

“Babe.” She whispered, pushing herself into his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck.
A lump formed in his throat. “I can’t wait to marry you.” He whispered.

So much had happened in the past thousand days. He’d finished school and found work, on evenings and weekends he was singing for a band which broke up but lead to something bigger.

Amelia finished physio and was able to walk again, graduated and formed a producer/director power couple with CC. CC was filling in as a drummer with their band until they could find somebody permanent but Andy knew that day wouldn’t come. They were doing small tours and were scheduled to begin playing third stage at festivals this summer.

He’d felt like he’d lived hundreds of years in the span of three but things were okay now. Everything had worked out in the end and today he was marrying the love of his life.

“I can’t wait to marry you.” Emily whispered back, her lips seconds from his. The energy of her words brushed his mouth, spilled down his chest and into his soul.

“I love you.” The words caught in his throat, coughed up awkwardly and a rush of heat flooded his face. “I’ve never loved anyone more in my life.”

“Andy.” She whispered, kissing that spot behind the tiny hollow at the bottom of his ear knowing it would make him smile. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Our life.” He took her hand in his, their fingers intertwining at chest level. They began to dance together, eyes still closed. In his head his favorite song played and he quietly hummed along as they swayed together, embracing as time stood still.

Notes