"Jenner, wake up!"

Riley heard Shirley yelling from the other side of the door as she pounded on it louder.

"Babe," Tyler murmured, turning away and continuing to sleep.

"Riley Jenner, open the door!" Shirley continued her assault. Riley slowly stood up from the bed, wearing Tyler's shirt to cover her nakedness.

"Coming?" she yelled back, although it came out more like a whisper.

"Are you alone?" Riley asked before finally opening the door.

"Should I call your mom?" Shirley shot back. Riley rolled her eyes and opened the door.

"Jenner, you-jeez! Put on something, girl," Shirley gasped, taking in Riley's appearance.

"Can't you see the shirt?" Riley replied in her sleepy voice. Tyler chuckled in his sleep at the sound of those two cousins bickering.

"Yes, but it's see-through," Shirley said in an exasperated tone.

"Why did you wake me up so early, Bassey?" Riley asked, trying to ignore Shirley's irritation. Tyler slowly sat up in bed, covering himself with the duvet.

"Early? It's nine already! You're not here for a vacation; you're here for my wedding. We have to practice the dance for the Sangeet. Rayan and I need your help with our couple's dance, so get ready fast, have breakfast and meet us on the side lawn!" Shirley ordered in one breath before leaving. Riley watched her retreating figure for a few seconds before shutting the door.

"I don't want to admit it, but I miss that bitch. It was her duty," Riley murmured, turning around and freezing when she saw Tyler sitting on the bed, clearly having heard her. She released a nervous chuckle.

"Come here," Tyler beckoned with his fingers, a soft smile playing on his lips.

"Good morning," Riley said as she settled onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Tyler pressed a long kiss against her cheek, causing her to blush within seconds.

"Shirley said we need to get ready quickly," Tyler murmured in his husky voice.

"Yeah," Riley whispered back as they joined their foreheads together.

"Then don't waste time, baby. Let's take a shower." Tyler lifted her in his arms; Riley squealed at his sudden action and tightened her grip around him. The man moved the duvet from his body with his foot and walked towards the washroom, displaying his naked form.

The friends gathered at the breakfast table before starting their dance practice. The elders had already finished their meals and were returning to their activities.

"Hello, young men! Are you having fun?" Mr. McLaren asked as he saw Tyler and Ron at the table.

"Yes, Mr. McLaren," Tyler replied politely, while Ron nodded in agreement.

"Good," Mr. McLaren responded.

"Just don't have too much fun. I want to have a wedding like this for my daughter," Riley's father said with a teasing smile. Tyler choked on his juice, and Riley looked at her dad with wide eyes.

Can't he be serious for a minute?!

The elders laughed and strolled away.

"It's so good to see our kids together," Riley's mom told the other ladies, not bothering to consider her words before speaking. A contented smile adorned her face. While everyone nodded in agreement, three others managed to force smiles, concealing their pain.

Mr. and Mrs. McLaren and Mrs. Lilly Merchant were them.

Rayan's dad and Larra's dad had been best friends since childhood, growing up in the same neighbourhood. Riley's mom and Shirley's mom were sisters to Larra's dad. Everyone was once part of the McLaren family. Later, Riley's mom married into the Jenner family, while Shirley's mom married into the Bassey family.

Mr. McLaren and Mr. Merchant were married on the same day. Their wives became pregnant in the same month, and both gave birth to a boy and a girl during the same month. Lilly considered Larra as Rayan's twin sister. The two grew up in neighbouring houses until they turned twenty-five. In the interim, Rayan met Larra's cousin Shirley at university and fell in love.

For Lilly, Larra's departure was as shocking as the loss of her own mother. Larra had endured more than they could ever imagine. Then one day, their beloved daughter vanished from their lives. They hadn't seen her in the past five years, but they were comforted knowing the children remained in contact until their last trip together.

Lilly learned about what happened in Miami from Rayan, and she shared it with Larra's mom. Both women were deeply worried for their daughter, unsure of what she was experiencing. When Larra's mom lost hope that she would attend the wedding, Lilly continued to pray that she would show up.

Like mother, like son

"Guys, eat quickly and come fast," Shirley said as she stood up from her seat. Everyone hurriedly finished their breakfast and followed her to the expansive lawn on one side of the hotel.

"Ouch, baby! Be careful!” Rayan cried out for what felt like the umpteenth time during practice. Riley was trying to help them with the dance steps while Tyler, Ron, and Winnie enjoyed the show unfolding before them. Shirley kept making mistakes and stepping on Rayan's foot.

“What the heck, Bassey? I told you to twirl this way, not that way,” Riley shouted, clearly frustrated. This wasn’t her strong suit.

“Um, sorry… sorry, dear. I’ll be more careful next time,” Shirley replied, cupping Rayan's face tenderly.

“You said that last time too,” he pouted, which made the watching trio laugh even harder.

“Winnie, stop laughing and help me with these guys!” Riley called out for assistance.

“Coming, babe!” Winnie responded, quickly finishing her juice.

As they prepared for the next round of practice, a red Ferrari suddenly screeched to a halt nearby, capturing everyone's attention.

“Hey, guys! Missed me?” a man around their age exclaimed as he stepped out in a funky outfit. Rayan and Shirley waved at him excitedly, while Riley rolled her eyes and sat down beside Tyler.

“Damn, I almost forgot about this idiot,” Riley muttered, clearly annoyed.

“Who is he, babe?” Tyler asked, looking confused.

"Oh, he is our family friend, Aron Malhotra. He’s a celebrity; you know, he hosts some TV shows and all. He’s friends with Rayan and Shirley." They all nodded as they listened.

"Okay, but what's with that face?" Tyler pointed to her annoyed expression.

"Because I hate him."

"Why?"

"Just like that," Riley shrugged with a neutral face.

"And yeah, he was the one Larra's mom asked her to meet," she recalled. Ron and Tyler exchanged wide-eyed glances before looking at Aron.

"Guess whose idea that was?" Riley wiggled her eyebrows. The three of them shook their heads.

"My mom's," Riley said with an exasperated expression. Tyler chuckled at her irritation; he thought she looked cute when she was annoyed.

"I still don't get why Mom suggested him for Larra... for Larra McLaren," Riley said, thinking deeply.

"Did Larra like him?" Winnie asked, confused.

"What do you think?" Riley responded, hinting at an affirmative answer.

"Larra would have killed him on the first day," Ron blurted out, immediately regretting it when he saw the surprised looks on everyone's faces.

"Um, I mean, look at him. How dramatic!" he pointed at Aron, who was making weird faces while talking to Rayan and Shirley.

"I agree with you," Riley said, high-fiving Ron to ease the awkwardness.

"Dramatic and predictable idiot", Riley muttered, annoyed.

"Hey, Riley!" Aron waved at her excitedly as he approached them.

"Here we go," Riley murmured, waving back. Tyler and Ron tried not to laugh at her reaction.

"Hey, Aron. Long time, huh? How are you doing? I watch your shows sometimes. You're doing great!" Riley exclaimed in an overly enthusiastic tone, making her three friends look at her as if she had grown two horns.

"Can you believe it? People are really fond of my show these days. I'm getting a lot of love," Aron replied, waving his hands dismissively as if it were no big deal. Riley nodded with a forced sweet smile.

"By the way, who are these guys? Your friends from London?" he asked.

"Yeah. This is my boyfriend, Tyler. This is Ron, and this is Winnie," she introduced each of them.

"Hi, guys! I'm Aron. I like your hair, by the way," he said, winking at Winnie.

"Thanks, but I don't like Ds," Winnie replied nonchalantly, which made him slightly embarrassed. He quickly put on his sunglasses again.

"Okay, guys. See you at the Sangeet! I have a party to attend," he said before heading over to Rayan to say goodbye as well. Riley chuckled at the sight of him hastily making his exit.

"Okay, now back to work," Shirley ordered Riley, who looked to Winnie for help. Winnie nodded and stepped forward to give instructions to the couple.

"Aren't you guys practising your dance?" Riley asked Tyler and Ron, curious about what they were up to.

"Yes. We will. After this" Ron said with a smug smile. Riley nodded.

"We are gonna beat you, girl," Ron said in a challenging tone.

"Nevermind. I know it already," Riley said sassily and walked ahead to Winnie, leaving Tyler and Ron confused.

Everyone stopped their activities when they saw a taxi driving up the driveway and stopping in front of the hotel. The driver got out and walked around to open the door for the passenger. On the lawn and the veranda, everyone furrowed their brows in confusion.

Who would arrive in a taxi?

A lady stepped out of the car. Her long, highlighted hair swayed with her movements, and a cap and sunglasses obscured her features. Riley took a few steps forward for a clearer view, filled with anticipation. Could this be the moment? Could this be when her wish came true?

"Is it... Larra?" Rayan whispered in disbelief upon seeing her emerge from the car. Shirley and Riley held their breath, hoping to confirm the identity, while Ron took a deep breath. Winnie and Tyler exchanged glances.

The driver retrieved her luggage from the trunk as she watched him. After paying him, she looked around, only to find a pair of shocked and surprised eyes staring back at her. Larra tensed for a moment and tightened her grip on her sling bag.

"How dare-" Shirley stormed towards Larra, fisting her arms in anger. When the car drove away, clearing their view, Tyler and Winnie also followed Shirley, while Riley took slow steps with teary eyes.

They couldn't believe the moment. Larra is here!

Larra smiled nervously, seeing Shirley coming like a raging fire; exactly knows what would happen next. Shirley pushed her backwards causing Larra to stomp back in force.

"How dare you shut down yourself?"

"Shirl-" push.

"How dare you say you won't attend our wedding?"

"But I came you-" push.

"Don't you dare open your mouth now!" Shirley yelled, cutting off Larra.

"Do you know how worried we were?"

"Shirl-"

"Do you know how hurt we were?"

"I-"

"Do you know how much we missed you?"

"You idiot.. stupid.. bitch.. who do you think you are.. huh?" Shirley kept yelling at her and pushing Larra, not allowing her to say a word.

Riley chuckled, feeling amused. Over the past six months, Shirley had repeatedly claimed that she had lost hope for Larra. But now, look at her—unleashing her pent-up emotions on Larra like a burst of fire. Riley could understand Shirley's reaction; she, too, was confused about how to respond—it was all too overwhelming.

"I am Larra Maclaren," Larra said with a sheepish smile, causing Shirley to stop her actions and look at her in surprise for a moment. But in the next second, Shirley scoffed and threw her arms around Larra, tears streaming down her face. Larra happily accepted the hug, a relieved smile on her lips.

One down!

"Larra, babe!" After they pulled apart, Winnie chirped excitedly and hugged Larra as well.

"Hey sexy" Larra hugged her back.

Two down!

"Tyler", Larra side-hugged the man, who nodded in acknowledgement.

Three!

Larra glanced over at Riley, who was standing a few feet away with teary eyes. Although Larra was trying to hold back her own tears, she approached Riley with a smug smile.

"My bitch," she said as she hugged Riley, who remained stiff like a statue, not returning the embrace.

"Sorry," Larra whispered in her ear, followed by a teasing retort. Riley glared at her, took her sunglasses and cap, and put them on, which made Larra chuckle.

Four!

Rayan stood in the same spot where he had been dancing. When Larra looked at him, he crossed his arms over his chest and turned away, silently indicating that he was upset with her.

Larra moved closer and hugged him from behind, causing him to flinch at her unexpected action. The tears he had been holding back for years began to roll down his cheeks.

He had been forbidden from attending the cousin's trip, which meant he hadn’t seen his best friend for nearly five years. Although he felt grateful to stay in touch with her over the phone, the last six months had left him restless, worrying that she was alone, struggling with her inner turmoil miles away. His heart yearned to go to her and offer a comforting hug, but he knew he had to respect her decision.

When he found out that she wouldn’t come to his wedding, he felt utterly shattered. However, seeing her right in front of him now, her arms wrapped around him, made him lose all control.

The man burst into tears and covered his face with his hands. Larra wiped her tears before stepping in front of him and cupping his face.

"Hey..." she called to him gently. He looked up and pushed her away.

"Don't talk to me. Stay away from me, you idiot."

"Okay, I'm going," Larra said as she turned around to tease him. But he immediately pulled her into his embrace.

"You are so mean," he said, hugging her tightly and crying harder. Larra smiled at his reaction and embraced him back.

Five!

"Gosh, this is why I love this man," Shirley said with a chuckle, wiping her tears as she watched the two most important people in her life being emotional.

“McLaren is here, guys!” Rayan shouted excitedly as he pulled away from the hug, making everyone laugh. The happiness on their faces was priceless.

Finally, Larra turned to look at the man standing nearby.

Ron.

The moment their eyes met, Ron felt a lump of emotions form in his throat. He thought he had moved on from this girl, but seeing her again brought back feelings he didn’t expect.

Larra gave him a genuine smile, and Ron returned it with a blink.

It wasn’t over yet, and he realized it would be tougher than he had thought to be with this playgirl again!

****

Finally..

Larra is back guys!

What do you think is coming next?

Are you guys excited for the wedding? Give me at least a 'yes or no'.