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Tommy stood, tapping his glass with the edge of a knife. The banquet hall, in its entirety, turned their attention towards him. The room was filled with everyone who was most important to Oliver, but he couldn’t fight the feeling of his mind being elsewhere. However, it didn’t matter where his mind might be; he needed to get back to the present, pay attention to what was going on. “I don’t have an elaborate slideshow planned,” Tommy stated. “Maybe because I always put everything off until last minute,” he tipped his glass towards his left, “or maybe it’s because I’m not a Lance sister.”
“Jerk!” Sara called and Laurel sat next to her laughing.
“It was great, I loved it!” Tommy turned to glance down towards Oliver. “I mean, I could have done without those pictures of us in the bathtub when we were two.”
Oliver lifted his glass, “I second that.”
“But your little tushies were so cute!” Sara argued.
“Hey, mine still is.” Tommy winked at Iris and she buried her face into her hands. “How cute of an ass I have, however, isn’t the topic of the night.” He motioned towards Oliver and McKenna. “These two getting married is. That’s why we’re all here because come tomorrow they are going to be starting their lives together as husband and wife.”
McKenna wrapped herself around Oliver’s arm, leaning into him. “While I was trying to think of what I wanted to say tonight I kept coming up blank. I thought maybe I could do the cliché reading of Corinthians, as many best men do. Thankfully my wife was quick to put an end to that idea.”
Iris smiled, “you’re welcome.”
Tommy placed a hand on her shoulder, “but it did get me thinking about what love really is. In my opinion love is probably the hardest thing you’ll ever do in life, but it is also the most rewarding. When you find the person who is able to drive you completely crazy, but you’d still follow to the ends of the earth—there is no better feeling.”
Iris lifted her hand, placing it on top of Tommy’s, give it a reassuring squeeze. He smiled down at her. “When you find that person you need to hold onto them and never let go, no matter what.”
Oliver stared down at his glass; he watched the ice move as he tipped the glass, the brown liquid threatening to spill over the edge. Tommy’s words had definitely painted a picture in his mind—it just wasn’t a picture of the woman sitting next to him.
“Don’t do it, Oliver.”
Oliver’s grip tightened on the door jamb. He hadn’t even been able to open the door completely before the words had left her mouth. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of the woman on his porch. He whispered her name, “Felicity?” She looked as if she had just finished swimming laps in a pool fully clothed.
Her teeth chattered. “Don’t get married.”
He averted his gaze from her; instead he watched the cars as they drove past on the wet streets of Starling. Choosing to ignore her words he asked, “What are you doing here?”
“I know that I told you the other day that I was glad to see that you found someone who makes you happy, but the truth is that I don’t want anyone else to make you happy.” Oliver allowed his gaze to fall back to her. He couldn’t tell whether the wetness on her face was from the rain or if she had begun to cry. “I want to be the person making you happy.”
“You left.” Oliver stated, simply—getting straight to the point.
"I know, but—“
Oliver stopped her. “No, Felicity.” He dropped his hand down to his side. “You don’t know. Five years ago when I told you that you were who I wanted to spend my life with you left. Actually, you didn’t just leave you ran. You took a job in Central City and didn’t look back.”
“I was scared.” She whispered.
“You were scared of being with me?” Oliver felt as if he had just been sucker punched in the stomach. He couldn’t breathe.
“I was scared of being with anyone, of loving you as much as I did.” Felicity used the back of her hand to wipe her nose, her breath staggering over her words. “I saw what happened to my mom and I couldn’t go through that.”
“But you’re not your mother,” he argued, “and I am not your dad.” Oliver lifted his hand to rub his face, letting out a sigh. “I know what he made it harder for you to let people in; allow yourself to trust someone, but you should have also known that I would never do that. I would never leave.” He watched as she wrapped her arms around her waist, something she had always done, a tactic to keep others out. “It was you, Felicity. I had always chosen you. I had just been foolish enough to believe that it went both ways.”
Felicity’s voice cracked. “Oliver.”
“When you left it ruined me, Felicity. I was broken for a long time, but then I met McKenna, and she was able to help make things a little less broken.”
“I never wanted to hurt you.” Felicity spoke quietly—so quietly Oliver had almost not even heard her. “We were so young. I wanted to be with you, but I didn’t know how.”
Oliver swallowed, the lump in his throat felt even larger now. “And now you do?”
Felicity reached out, grabbing his hand. “The thought of never being with you -- of us never having another chance scares me more than the idea of possibly being hurt.”
“I’m getting married,” Oliver whispered.
She recoiled at his words. “I know. I’m asking you not to.”
“Do you know how many times I dreamed about you showing up at my door?”
Felicity wiped away the tears that had fallen. “I’m here. I’m here and I’m asking you to not marry her on Saturday. I love you. I always have. Please don’t do this, Oliver.”
His heart tightened, knowing that he was the cause for her pain, but she had caused him pain too. He hadn’t been lying. There had been so many times that he dreamed of her coming back, telling him leaving had been a mistake. But now it was too late. He was getting married. He had made a promise to McKenna. He couldn’t back out—even if Felicity was standing on his porch asking him to. “Felicity, I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“So here is to Oliver and McKenna, may your lives never be boring.”
The collective cheers pulled Oliver from his thoughts. McKenna stood, giving Tommy a hug and thanking him for his words. She turned and glanced to Oliver, smiling. “Are you okay,” she asked, starting to take a seat next to him again.
Oliver stood, meeting her halfway. “Do you think we can go somewhere? I think we need to talk."
Felicity was startled awake by a loud pounding that came from her front door. She rolled to her left, examining that the clock read just after five. Who would be here at this hour? Cautiously she stood, grabbing for her robe on the way out of the room.
The pounding continued, diminishing slightly in urgency. “I’m coming,” she called.
With that it stopped and she froze in her tracks. Should she have not said that? Now there was only dread that filled her at the thought of who may be on the other side of the door.
With one hand she grabbed the doorknob and with the other the umbrella that sat next to the door. What good an umbrella would really do in this situation she was unsure.
Lifting the makeshift weapon she pulled the door open. The umbrella dropped to the ground, just as Felicity’s heart did into her stomach. “Oliver?”
With his hands stuffed into his jacket’s pockets, Oliver stood watching her intently. “What are you doing here?”
His mouth lifted into a grin. “Were you really going to hit me with an umbrella?”
Her eyes dropped to where the umbrella laid. “I didn’t know it was you. It’s five in the morning.”
Oliver shifted, “I know.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I sort of left straight from the rehearsal.”
Felicity’s chest tightened. The rehearsal, Oliver’s wedding rehearsal. Oliver was getting married today, but then why was he standing on her porch? “You left after the rehearsal?”
Oliver chuckled. “Actually, I left during.”
“Why?” Felicity whispered.
"Because you drive me completely crazy, crazier than I even thought was possible." Oliver shook his head, a sigh leaving his lips. "Crazy enough that I called things off with McKenna the night before our wedding."
Felicity's heart raced, eyes filling with tears. "You did?"
"I did."
"But. . . but I thought. . . you told me-"
"I know. Maybe I was the one that was scared this time. You're not backing out on what you said, are you?"
Felicity shook her head rapidly as she launched herself into his arms. Oliver wrapped his arms around her securely, covering her lips with his.
She melted into him, savoring every moment. Tears had sprung to her eyes, a laugh escaping her lips when he pulled back. His forehead met hers and he wiped away her tears with the pads of his thumbs. "I love you, Felicity."
Felicity gripped onto his shirt, kissing him once more. "I love you." She moved her hands up, cupping his face. "I love you so much." She giggled. "This is absolutely crazy."
"I told you." Oliver laughed. "Will you do something for me?"
"Anything." She answered.
His eyes found hers, "marry me." A smile overtook Felicity's face and Oliver instantly mirrored her before kissing her once again.