Yanni POV
Its today! The wedding. I'm nervous but excited, my stomach in knots when I imagine Syd in her dress. I haven't seen it, but I know it will be perfect for her and she will be stunning! I can't wait to see her in it.
Lying in my bed I picture her in my mind. Lace. It's made of lace, the beautiful soft colour of the fabric compliments the glow of her tanned skin, that gorgeous blonde hair in a bohemian style up do, loose tendrils framing her face with small pink and white flowers woven through it.
I imagine her arms will be bare, the bodice will cup but not squeeze or lift her boobs, hug her waist and skim her hips, before falling to the floor in folds of gentle flowing lightness.
I'm tearfully watching her approach the altar, gliding towards me posy in hand, smiling brightly... I can see the love on her face, but then she stops walking, just watching me for a few seconds before she mouths something I can't make out, then turns and runs away! I try to call after her but I can't speak, then I attempt to get up and go after her, but I'm immobilised. I panic. What's wrong? I begin screaming her name, my abdominal muscles on fire from the effort I'm putting into my shouts, but there is still no voice!
My heart pounds, I feel breathless..... and then I'm startled by an insistent banging on the door of my room and realise it was a daydream. Noah is snoring like a train in the bed beside mine and doesn't move a muscle, despite the fact that someone is clearly attempting to break our door down with that thumping.
We had separate rooms within the suite, but he got so wasted last night I didn't want to leave him alone, so here we are. I'm thankful it is now acceptable for men to wear make up, I am definitely in need of some concealer after listening to that noise all night!
The door goes again as I look at the time and find it is only 07:15, my alarm not due to wake me for almost 3 hours. Who the hell is banging this early?
I call out "OK" as I put on some joggers and pull a T-shirt over my bare torso and approach the door, habit causing me to check the spy hole before opening it.
I did NOT expect THIS particular visitor!!
I'm not sure what to do. It's clear she wants to come in, the banging continuing. Is she pissed off about something that happened last night?! Has she changed her mind about the wedding? Oh god, I pray not! I couldn't handle that.
"I'm not leaving until you open the door and we talk!" She insists, so I decide to save us all some time and just answer the door, pulling it open to reveal a floor length white waffle dressing gown topped with a mass of hair so tangled it conceals half of her face!
"What are you doing here?? Isn't it bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony?" I remark in a semi hushed tone.
"Oh, for Christs sake Yanni, we fucking live together! Some things are more important. This is more important" she replies, swiping her hair from her face and tying into a loose bun on the top of her head, then rubbing her eyes and yawning while looking hard at me.
"Are you in love Yanni?! Are you actually IN love??" She questions quietly as she sits on the couch, watching my face. She really has quite an unnerving aura when she is determined about something. I have found that out the hard way over the last year!
Always questioning my love, always pointing out our differences, making things harder than they need to be. I'd love for her to relax and let the two of us really get to know one another again properly, but I don't think that is what she's come to talk about.
"What's so important you had to risk this? Isn't this tempting fate!?"
She shakes her head at me. This is not a time for superstitious crap apparently, and there are some things I need to hear she tells me, indicating I sit opposite her, which I do. I am not pissing her off today.
She doesn't get mad often, but when she does you certainly know it! She stares intently at me, her inquisitive mind looking for some tell in my behaviour, a chink in my armour to signal I'm not ready to commit.
"This 'role play' stuff. It needs to stop. Its no good, it's not helping anything."
"Fine by me! It's never been about me, never been something I wanted. I'll happily go back to it just being us, but this is something for the two of us to decide together, don't you think?"
She contemplates my words for a few seconds then nods, stands up and moves towards the door, preparing to leave, then asks me again if I am 'in' love!
"I am! Hopelessly, totally and completely. You know that. I can't imagine my future with anyone else. I know that these role-plays are supposed to help, but I'd rather they stopped, we don't need them. I don't think we ever did. We love each other, support one another, trust, encourage and comfort each other. I'm in this for the long haul. This is my forever relationship. I've never felt like this about anyone"
She seems satisfied with my response and kisses my forehead, then opens the door to leave, pausing just long enough to wish me luck sorting Noah out.
"Please make sure he's not going to throw up all over the place, I think Eloise and Amelia will kill him if he does, they worked so hard. Feed him, that should help, and make sure he showers, this room smells like a brewery, I can only imagine how bad he smells! See you in a few hours!" she winks then is gone, leaving me to wake the beast that is hungover Noah.
We have made lots of progress in our relationship this past year. I was absolutely adamant that we were finished, I wanted nothing to do with him. He was the reason that I nearly lost my life, and my love. I didn't feel able to forgive, and certainly will never forget what happened, so could not see any way back for us.
Syd was insistent that I did not understand how conniving and smart Harry could be, how easily he trapped people into situations they couldn't escape. She lost her shit with me one day after witnessing another recording session that was made far more difficult than it needed to be by my refusal to share space with him.
I was told in no uncertain terms that she had made an appointment with Dr Daisy and if I refused to attend then we were over. She couldn't spend her life with someone who chose to live with hate and bitterness, and I'm glad she did that because I missed him, but my stubbornness kept me from making an effort, despite his continuing attempts to mend what was so badly broken.
We may never be as close as we were but have made great progress, having some joint therapy sessions with Syd as well.
Jimmie, Teddi and Parker have been great mediators, but I realised the situation I had put them in was unfair, another reason to try with Noah.
I call room service and order a selection of foods then pour a glass of water, pop some painkillers from the packet in my travel bag and head into the bedroom to wake Noah. He groans when I open the curtains and let the brightness of the morning in and buries his head under the duvet, clearly unwilling to face the day.
"Wake up shit face! Take these meds then get in the shower because you stink! There's food on the way. We've got a wedding to get to incase you had forgotten" I enthuse, chuckling at his grunts of complaint.