Run, Girl (If You Can)

Chapter 535: An Inconvenient Wedding

Months passed in a blur of physical therapy for Violet. A few hours ago her dance rehab therapist told her that at this rate she would be able to go back to work in a few weeks. She was so relieved she nearly broke down in tears because the year her boss had given her would be up in less than three months.

Noah had been endlessly supportive as she worked on healing and retraining her muscles after so much disuse and had been with her every step of the way. She doubted there was another man on earth who would ever go to such lengths for her or make her feel so cherished. It was impossible not to fall in love with him after all of that.

She was going to tell him today, as soon as they got back to her place. Now that she was sure of her feelings there was no reason to keep him hanging. All they had to do was get through the next few hours and the air would finally be clear.

Violet wasn't sure why, but her dad seemed to have buried the hatchet with his dangerous half-brother since he had asked her to come to his wedding. Which was how she found herself wearing a coral pink wrap dress (the bride had requested everyone wear the color to match her bouquet since there were so few guests) and matching heels, marching into a hotel conference room arm in arm with a sharply dressed Noah.

Aaron may have made his peace with Gray, who he now called by his first name, but Violet wasn't so sure about him. She had only seen him a couple of times in the last six months but his fiancée seemed to have given him a personality transplant.

"I know you don't like him, Vi—I'm still working on getting used to the changes he's making myself—but it would mean a lot to him if you came today because you're the only one who knows he's your uncle," her dad had pleaded.

So here she was. Unwillingly. If she didn't have this wedding to worry about, she could have told Noah she loved him right after physical therapy.

But the timing didn't seem right and she had only realized it earlier today on her way home from her appointment. It was better to wait until they were alone because she was sure Noah would think of it as a big deal.

Violet and Noah were the second to last people to arrive. Aaron was in charge of picking up the cake so her parents were still out doing that.

A woman about her age with curly brown hair and smiling eyes approached them curiously. "You're Violet, right?"

Taken aback, she wondered how this woman knew who she was. "Yes, and you are?"

"Oh sorry, I'm Brittany. Daughter of the bride. Michael told me you're a ballerina and I've been dying to compare shows with you because my husband and I go a few times a year. I'm sure I would recognize your work."

It had been so long since anyone had talked to her about her performances since her last show was that short-lived run as Clara at Christmastime. Violet returned the woman's smile and they began discussing shows.

Brittany had seen her performances as Cinderella, Odette, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and some ensemble roles but she wasn't recognizable in those. The other woman seemed a bit star-struck and it lifted Violet's spirits considerably. She was glad she came here after all.

Eventually they remembered that they still had significant others nearby and hastily introduced them. Noah seemed particularly amused because of how caught up in the conversation Violet got. He knew what she was like when dance was involved.

Aaron burst into the room at that moment with the cake and his wife in tow, announcing that they could get started as soon as he set it down. The bride, not wanting to be seen by anyone in her dress, had yet to make an appearance.

Brittany headed over to the side room where she was waiting to let her know it was nearly time to come out. Michael and the officiator stood at the front of the makeshift aisle as Jason played the wedding march on his phone.

The door opened and Mandy walked slowly and purposefully forward, beaming for all she was worth. To Violet's surprise, her uncle was smiling every bit as widely as he saw her come down the aisle.

She had truly enchanted him in order to make him turn his life around like he had. Good for him.

The music shut off when they took each other's hands at the front of the room and the officiant began speaking. Violet's mind wandered throughout the ceremony. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like when she married Noah someday.

She would want to invite her entire ballet company since she spent so much time with them. Some college buddies too. And all of their family friends since she didn't have any cousins. Maybe she could invite Brittany and her husband too; she could see herself becoming friendly with a fellow ballet enthusiast.

When the time came for the bride and groom to kiss, applause and catcalls startled her out of her thoughts. She made sure to clap right along with them.

After the ceremony concluded, Mandy wanted to dance. The playlist Jason had put together consisted largely of songs she and Michael had grown up listening to. Violet knew a lot of them because her mother liked to listen to music as she cooked or cleaned and she had grown up in the same generation.

A song she was vaguely familiar with called "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain came on right after the couple had their first dance and since other people were joining the floor, Violet held her hand out to her boyfriend with a slight smile on her face.

"Shall we put my dance rehab training to the test?"

"Gladly. High heels are only a step away from pointe shoes after all," Noah replied.

"Ballerinas everywhere would disagree with you," she said with a laugh as he spun her into his arms.

Unlike the other couples in the room who moved in small, slow circles these two had been ballroom trained. Noah whirled her around using moves from a Viennese Waltz. They hadn't danced together often over the years but their natural familiarity with each other and the type of dance made their moves as seamless as if they had practiced dozens of times.

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