But I guess this is how it had to be We see the world so differently

I didn't love you, you didn't love me And it was just curiosity

Sometimes the road to love isn't paved We had to find our own way

We lost faith in what we believed And it was just curiosity

It was curiosity, baby Just curiosity

The day is finally here. I will become Mrs. Marcus Sloan in precisely 3 hours. Seven hours, and instead of thinking about how my dress is going to match my french manicured nails, I'm thinking about him. I don't want to be thinking about him. I want to be thinking about my future husband, but I can't stop. I know I sent the letter, but I just feel like I didn't say goodbye. There was something I left out. I can just feel it. I wish it wasn't bad luck to see the groom. I know it's just cold feet. Everyone gets cold feet. Mark would make me forget him. He makes me forget, and I need to forget. I can't walk down that aisle thinking of another man. I won't do that to myself, or him.

A knock on the door gets my attention as I hang up the dress, that is still in it's bagged hanger, and make my way to the door. "Dear, It's Melinda. Can I come in?" Melinda. Mark's mother. Oh God. She isn't going to like threaten me to call off the wedding, is she? She isn't that mean, I hope.

"One second." I call out, taking a deep breath before opening the door. Every time she's in the room, I can't help but stand a little straighter and smile a little bigger. How is it possible to be THAT flawless?

"Hi Melinda. Please, come in." I step backwards, allowing her to enter the relatively small room at the back of the church.

"Why don't you have your dress on, dear? Pictures are soon." She frowns as she eyes the dress by the window.

"Oh. I was waiting for my mom. Apparently putting the dress on is a HUGE deal." I fake a smile. That was a lie, but she'd never know that.

"I can help you, if you'd like. I mean, after all, we'll be family in a few hours, after all. Right?" She asks, and for a moment I was scared she saw right through me, but I go through with it anyway.

"Right." I nod as I cross the room, grabbing the dress and bringing it to her.

"Nervous?" She asks with possibly the most sincere smile I have ever seen from her.

"A little." I can't help but to answer honestly. A wave of relief washes over me as she starts to laugh and nod her head.

"I was terrified the day I got married to Marcus's father. I was a nervous wreck. My hands were trembling terribly, and my eyeliner kept smearing because everyone kept making me cry! It was terribly tragic." She laughs as she looks at the gown, probably remembering her own.

"Oh gosh. If someone makes me cry. .I don't think I'd be able to stop!" I grin, placing my fingers under my eyes just in case.

"The dress is beautiful, dear. Mark is lucky to have you." Did she really just say that? Oh My God.

"Thank you." I smile, fighting the urge to run up and hug her. I don't think she'd take it well.

"So let's get the bride ready, shall we?" She nods, not really even speaking to me.

"We shall." I reply anyway, just for my own need to keep silence from enveloping the room.

She has me picture perfect in no time, and I realize that to her, it's just expected. She's actually a very nice person, once you aren't afraid to speak to her. "Melinda?" I speak softly as she lowers my veil over my face.

"Yes Dear?"

"I'm sorry we've never really talked." I smile genuinely at her, and I'm thankful when she returns the gesture.

"Oh dear, that's probably my fault. Mark has never done very well with picking women before, so I'd assumed you were the same. That's my fault. So, I am sorry too."

"Well I'm glad you changed your mind. I'm really happy to become a Sloan." I grin happily, looking down at the bare finger that will soon hold a ring.

"Better go. The photographer isn't very patient." She grins, extending her hand out for me to take.

"Off we go." I smile as I grab her hand, but instantly stop in my tracks. "Wait. I can't see Mark before the wedding! It's bad luck!"

"Darling this IS the wedding." She laughs before gently pulling me behind her to another part of the church. At least it wasn't the alter.

"Right." I agree, taking another deep breath before walking over the threshold, Mark immediately coming into sight.

"Feel better now?" She laughs as she notices our locked gaze.

"Much." I grin, withdrawing from her hold to go to my husband. We went to City Hall yesterday, but I still don't think of him as my husband until the vows are said. As soon as I'm in his arms, I smile into his ear. "I love you, Marcus Sloan."

"I love you too, Mrs. Sloan." I can feel him smile against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. It had such a nice ring to it. At last, he is put out of mind.

There is nothing quite like the feeling you get as you walk down the aisle. Every eye in the room on you. It's a little unnerving really. I almost wonder if my dad is doing something to make them look that way. As if their in aw that I'm not falling. Not that that is surprising, I am in awe of that myself. I don't even cast a glance at anyone in the pews surrounding me, keeping my eyes solely locked on Mark's. The preacher says it will keep me focused, CLEARLY he has not noticed Mark's body. Nothing about that man keeps me focused. But I didn't argue. He's done this before, after all. Not something I can say.

The walk itself goes by in a blur, and before I know it, my dad is handing me off to Mark, who still has a big grin on his face. I have a feeling I know what he's thinking, and I'm pretty sure it's a sin to think that in a church, but who am I to judge. Exactly.

I can faintly hear the preacher address the crowd, but I can't bring myself to listen. I realize I should seeing as how I'm eventually going to have to repeat stuff, but really how hard could that be. Love. Sickness. Death. It doesn't vary that much, does it?

"Does anyone have any reason as to why these two should not be wed today?" Oh Crap! I fight the wince that wants to take over my face as I hear the words. Surely everyone knows that's just a formality, right? Even if they don't agree, they wouldn't do this to me, right? I can hear rustling around and my stomach starts to get antsy. Mark squeezes my hand, forcing me to smile. No, nothing was going to ruin this.

"I do." OH MY GOD. It's him. Oh my God. I blink twice before looking out into the crowd, and there he is. Last row of the church. His hair just as wavy, if not more, as it ever was, and his eyes are bright, yet sorrowful. I don't know whether it's because of the situation he'd put us in, or that he'd been that way for a awhile, but there was just an air of sorrow surrounding him, and I hated to see him like that.

"Addison." They both say my name, and I have no idea what to do. I look back at Mark, and I can tell hes silently asking me who that was. I'd never told him about Derek. I didn't' see the point.

"Derek." I sigh as I turn back around towards the crowd, I can even see my mom covering her face in horror, like she's ashamed of me. I didn't plan this! "Derek.." I speak louder, "What are you doing here?"

"I got an invitation in the mail." He muttered, and I wince. It was just a formality. He wasn't suppose to come! I would have never come to his wedding! And I definitely wouldn't have objected to it!

"Okay. What are you doing now?" I ask, not letting go of Mark's hand for a moment.

"I.. I miss you." He blushes, and I could feel Mark's grip tense, and suddenly I'm glad that he came. I know now more than ever that Mark is the right guy for me.

"I'm sorry, Derek. I... I love Mark." I frown, even though I'm not sure he can distinguish my face with my veil covering it.

"What.. What about the letter?" I can tell he doesn't want to do this in front of all these people, but that's what he gets for objecting. What was he freaking thinking!

"It was a goodbye letter, Derek. I thought I made that pretty clear." I take a step back towards Mark, not wanting to have this conversation either. This is my freaking wedding!

"Letter?" Mark finally broke his silence, and I quickly turn towards him, trying to think of something to explain myself.

"I just.. I had to say goodbye, Mark." I frown, glancing down at the floor, the red carpet contrasting greatly with my white dress.

"That's it?" He asks, raising my chin with his finger, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"That's it." I whisper, wanting nothing more than to kiss him right there, but I'm pretty sure that's very much against a lot of rules.

"How do you call it CURIOSITY, Addison?" I wince once again, I really hoped that I'd never have to hear that word again, especially in reference to him. I can feel my mother's glaring eye on me as my dad shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Of course, I can't blame them seeing as how they have NO idea who he is, or how I know him.

"Because we both know that it was. Okay Derek? You left. You don't get to ruin the best day of my life when you left. Please leave!"

Derek was about to speak again when Mark took a step forward, in front of me, and cleared his throat. "She said leave."

I can tell he's trying to get me to look at him, but I refuse, but he continues anyway. He's never been one to be quiet.

"I'm not finished! I'm allowed to object!" He pushes on, glancing to the preacher to prove his point. I glance at the preacher, begging him to say no, but this is clearly a first for him, because he's fighting for words.

"Well.. I suppose. It's really not.. Oh dear." He frowns at me quickly before nodding his head. "He is allowed, I suppose." He mutters, and you can tell he didn't want to. Not that Derek seems to care.

"It doesn't matter, Derek. When someone asks you to leave a private service, you leave!" I speak clearly, refusing to let my voice crack. I really wish Ruth was here. She'd help me! Then again, she'd probably want to talk, and that would just be humiliating.

"I love you, Addison." He frowns, and I can tell that Mark is ready to really hurt him, so I quickly grab onto his hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

"No, you don't. You should move on. We.. We were a lifetime ago, Derek. Move on. I did."

"If that's what you really want, Addi. I'll leave."

"It's what I want." I reply quickly, leaving no room for interruption or hesitation. I glance away, not wanting to see him broken.

"Goodbye Addison." He frowns before slowly turning around and leaving the church. I feel like running away now that every eye in the house is on me, and not in the least bit of a good way. My parents are humiliated, Mark looks hurt, and Melinda's looking at me the same way she looked at me the first time she met me. She was just starting to like me! This isn't fair.

The preacher clears his throat, and I'm thankful for the distraction as I turn towards him. I think he's debating to ask again, but I swear he will not get paid if he does. "Shall we continue?" He finally asked, and I quickly nod. Please, for the love of God, continue.

Mark nods his head as well, and the ceremony continues. No one in the crowd makes so much as a whisper of a noise. For that, I am thankful. The rest of the ceremony went by without any problems, and soon enough I was Mrs. Addison Montgomery Sloan.

"Curiosity, eh?" Mark grinned as he whispered into my ear during our first dance as man and wife.

"Yeah." I laugh that he's making fun of me about it. At least he isn't mad I suppose.

"So you're not just curious how I look without clothes on?" He gasps in mock shock and I fight really hard not to snort of laughter. After all, there are cameras still flashing everywhere.

"Oh, don't worry babe. I got that all covered." I grinned before pulling him into a sweet kiss. I mean really, how could I not?

The End!