all ability to breathe. The shock on his face more than likely mirrored hers. The need to flee overtook her, but those eyes of his rendered her motionless. They were dull compared to the life she’d seen in them four years ago. Guilt and pain entered every inch of her heart. Stevie swallowed hard and hoped that maybe he’d forgotten that night all those years ago, that she was just another one of his notches.
He blinked several times, and she saw it in his eyes.
Recognition.
He remembered her.
“Stephanie?”
The startled look on her face told him that she remembered him. That flash of recollection had his heart jolting to life. He couldn’t believe the woman who stood in front of him. Her. It was her. The same blue eyes and the same blonde hair.
My Stephanie.
She stood frightened. He watched her blink and then swallowed hard. She bit her lip and took a deep breath in. He was stunned. The urge to touch her was consuming. He wanted to feel her skin under his fingertips; he wanted to ensure the sight before him was real. That she was real.
“Never dye your hair. It’s the first thing I noticed when I laid eyes on you, Blondie.”
Julian blinked away the memory of her back pressed against his chest as he took in the beauty of her blonde hair. Four years later and her hair colour was still as beautiful as ever. His eyes hadn’t been deceiving him. That glimpse of blonde he saw not too long ago was the woman he fell in love with on that white sand when he was twenty-one.
The fear that consumed her blue eyes had his jaw clenching. They were no longer joyful or happy. They were guarded, as if she had seen far more than she should have, as if she had experienced more pain than was necessary.
She straightened her posture and held out her hand. “I’m Stevie. It’s lovely to meet you. Rob has said so much about you.”
Julian flinched at the sound of his brother’s name. Rob and his Stephanie had chemistry, and Julian clenched his fists at the realisation. She had been in Melbourne all these years. He’d run, and his brother got her.
His fists squeezed tight at the name she’d called herself. It was off. Wrong and unsuited for her. When she had introduced herself all those years ago, she had said her name with a slight hint of a French accent. Hours after they had first met, she’d spoken softly in French. It was only a sentence, but it had made his heart ache with the need for her. He never forgot that one sentence, and he never forgot about her.
“Stevie?” he breathed out, confused. He noticed her slight wince, but she composed herself quickly.
“Wait…what?” he asked, looking at her. It was her. Not one moment together in Thailand had she ever called herself Stevie. Julian noticed that Clara had stepped closer to him. He glanced at her as she looked back and forth between him and Stephanie. “No. Your name’s Stephanie,” he corrected, shaking his head.
Those blue eyes clouded, and he knew she hadn’t forgotten. Then, Stephanie took a startled step back.
“Oh, my God,” Clara breathed out.
Julian watched the shock consume Clara’s face.
“I’m starving and this cake is not helping… Baby, what’s wrong?” Noel asked as he elbowed Julian out of the way to stand in front of his wife.
The colour in Clara’s face faded as she put it together. “I… Julian… and…” She focused on Stephanie before her eyes quickly fluttered and then she fainted, Noel just catching his bride in time.
“Jesus! Clara!” Noel cried as he held her in his arms. Before Julian could process it all, Alex was by his sister’s side.
“What happened?” Alex frantically asked before he helped Noel carry her to the nearest chair.
“Come on, baby!” Noel shook her.
“I’ll go get a wet towel or something,” Alex said and quickly went to the bar.
“I don’t think she’s eaten today. I haven’t seen her have anything but champagne,” Stephanie said as she crouched next to Clara.
Noel had his hands in Clara’s as he repeatedly called her name. Julian stood next to him and noticed the fear in Noel’s eyes. He felt guilty for Clara fainting, possibly tarnishing her big day. Looking around, Julian noticed that the wedding had stopped around them as the guests whispered.
“It’s okay, folks. Fainting bride. It’s just the norm. Get back to your mingling and we’ll have that small finger food crap served to you