Another man walked by and Charlie’s brother left us to go greet him. With a hesitant breath, Charlie’s eyes searched the room before he looked back down at Hazel. She could tell there were some feelings of unease he was trying his best to hide.

“I’m sorry.” He sighed, running one hand through his greased hair, sweeping it back. “They hadn’t told me she’d been invited. I haven’t spoken to Morgana in over a year.”

“It’s fine.” Hazel nodded as reassuringly as possible, opting to ask a question she already knew the answer to. “Is she your ex?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, grabbing two flutes of champagne from a waiter passing through the crowd.

“How long were you together?” She pushed, taking a sip from the one he handed her.

“6 years or so.” He answered, reading her eyes for a reaction, figuring it was better to get this all out now instead of letting her piece things together by what she heard from everyone else. “We dated a while but once Son’s of Anarchy started gaining a following, she couldn’t handle the fame and attention. So we ended it.”

6 years? 6 years was a long time. No wonder his family had invited her. She practically was family.

“Hey.” He lowered his head to look her in the eye. “It’s been over for a while. I don’t want you to think for even a second that there might be something between her and I.”

“Okay.” She nodded again,, finishing the rest of her drink.

Easy for him to say.

“Ah, there’s my mum.”

He pointed across the sea of people to a blonde woman with shoulder length hair in a pale yellow dress that fell past her knees. She threw her head back revealing a toothy smile as she laughed at something someone said.

“Come on.” He smiled, pressing his lips against her temple. “She’s been dying to meet you.”

“Oh really?” Hazel asked, leaning into his side while he lead her across the lobby. “You’ve been talking about me, huh?”

“I never seem to stop.” He laughed, tapping her on the shoulder

His mother turned around, at first still relishing in the joke she’d been told before recognition crossed her face and she squealed in surprise, throwing her arms around her son.

“Charlie!” She smiled, cupping his face with her hands. “Don’t you look so handsome?! How was your flight?”

Before he could even answer, she glanced over over at Hazel, waiting patiently with a smile for the introduction.

“Is this Hazel?” She asked, letting go of her son before pulling Hazel in for a hug. “My goodness, aren’t you a beaut!”

“Thank you.” She blushed, hugging the older woman tightly. “Thank you so much.”

“Ma, this is Hazel. Hazel, this is my mum. Jane.” Charlie introduced with a chuckle, as more of a formality than anything.

“Charlie, go see when we’re sitting. I want this one next to me.” Jane said, hooking her arm through mine.

Charlie’s eyes shifted to mine to Hazel, making sure she was okay alone before nodding and leaving the two women.

Jane waved him off, giving Hazel a smile while they walked to the open bar. She ordered them two glasses of wine before propping herself up on one of the stools.

“So a few months ago, Charlie came to me and said ‘Ma, I met someone. I don’t know if I’m ever going to see her again, but wow.’” she started, thanking the bartender as she took her glass, taking a small sip of the dark liquid. “Do you know when that was?”

Hazel shrugged, hoping to god she wasn’t going to say the day he met his ex.

“That was when he flew to New York to meet us on my birthday. He’d called to say he’d lost his luggage and he was going to Barney’s next to our hotel to pick up something for dinner. The whole night he was so distracted. I’d never seen my son that smitten. And he wasn’t even sure he was ever going to see you again!” Jane chuckled.

The younger woman blushed, lowering her eyes to the glass of wine in hand, her fingers gently grazing the rim. To know she had that kind of first impression on someone, Charlie Hunnam, at that, was incredible.

“When he told me he’d run into you again, I was happy for him, but you have to understand, I have my reservations.”

“Oh, I get it.” Hazel said with a nod. “I would too.”

Jane nodded, watching her observantly. “You see, it was all fine when he was relatively new to the business, but now there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with dating my son. Most are drawn to him for the wrong reasons and the ones that are there for the right reason, can’t handle the spotlight.”

“I understand. Charlie told me about his ex. The reason they broke up -”

“Morgana?” Jane interrupted, her voice losing its tenderness. “That girl was dumb ass a rock. The two couldn’t of been more opposite.”

“Oh.” She said, taking a sip of her drink while silently celebrating in her head.

“Charlie tells me you’re in school?”

“Yeah, I’m taking classes at NYU. Just hear and there.”

Jane smirked, looking impressed. “Are you from New York?”

“Yup! Born and raised in Queens. Now I live in Brooklyn.”

“Are you close with your family? Charlie said you don’t speak much about them.”

Hazel looked down, shaking her head in response before meeting the woman’s eyes. “Not exactly. My dad left us when I was born and I haven’t seen my mom or stepfather much since they moved out of the city.”

“Well. That’s a shame.” She replied. “Charlie’s father was always in and out of our life. He had better things to do than help me raise two boys, I suppose. You look like you turned out just fine, dear. Doing something good for yourself. What’re you going to school for?”

“I’m working on a business degree.” She answered somewhat proudly. “I’ve always wanted to start my own business. Maybe even a few.”

“A girl with ambition, I see.” She smiled.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if you would all please make your way into the dining hall for dinner.” A voice came from a man by the large wooden doors, leading into another room.

Charlie appeared from the crowd as everyone started shuffling towards the doors. His eyes studied the women carefully, making an attempt to read the feel of their interaction. When both smiled at him, he took a breath of relief.

“Did you arrange the seating?” Jane asked.

Wrapping his arm around Hazel’s slim waist, he nodded. “Billy already had it set up. Guess he knows you too well.”

“That’s because he cares enough to see his mother every once in awhile.” She snipped.

Charlie rolled his eyes at his mother’s comment, turning the attention back to Hazel. “Ready to go in?”

With both women nodding, they followed everyone else into the dining hall. It was simple. One long table with immediate family and friends. It was wooden and decorated elegantly with bouquets of white flowers down the center. There was a dance floor in front of the table. A bar on side. A DJ booth on the other.

He lead them to their seats, Hazel placed between them. Their names carved into wooden place cards were set on their plates along with a white rose.

There wasn’t anything extravagant about it. It was just simple and beautiful. Despite not knowing anyone there, she could feel the love in the room.

Everyone clapped as the bride and groom walked into the room. They waved at everyone, taking their seat at the center. Billy sat next to Charlie, giving Hazel another wink before making a toast to everyone and his soon to be wife as she looked at him adoringly.

Throughout the toast, Hazel let her eyes wander across the guests faces. They all watched the couple, laughing, smiling.

All but one. One woman’s eyes were focused on Charlie. Intensely focused. With her manicured hand holding up her face. Her blue eyes, almost hidden by her chocolate bangs, watched his every movement.

Was that Morgana?

When the woman’s eyes met Hazel’s, she quickly averted them down to the glass in her hand. A red flush swept across her milky complexion, confirming that she indeed was.

Charlie squeezed her thigh, meeting Hazel’s eyes adoringly as everyone clapped for his brother. Changing her expression to a smile. If he said there was nothing between them. Then she’d believe it. The way he was looking at her in that moment – the way he looked at her always – it was like she was the only girl in his world.

 

ooo

 

The wedding was beautiful. The same color scheme as the rehearsal dinner but a lot more people than the night before. The bride and groom had opted out of selecting a best man and a maid of honor. While Charlie and the bride’s best friend still gave speeches during the reception, the only two people standing at the altar were the bride and groom.

Hazel had worn the strapless yellow gown she’d bought from Barney’s. Despite Charlie’s insistence to pay, she’d used her employee discount and whatever she could scrap from her savings to buy it herself.

All of it worth it for the look in his eyes when he saw her.

“Have I told you how stunning you look.” He whispered in her ear.

His hand caressed the small of her back, holding her body against his as they swayed to a slow song on the dance floor. The smell of his Armani cologne filling her senses, her head lifting from his shoulder to meet his eyes.

“You have.” She confirmed, a shy smile crossing her lips. “Though if you want to keep saying it, I can’t say that I’d mind.”

He chuckled, pressing soft kisses across her jawline to her lips. “You look stunning.” He repeated. “See this wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“It wasn’t.” She whispered against his kiss. “I had a lot of fun.”

“Good, Val seems to like you a lot. Surprising seeing as she’s tried to get me back with Morgana from the moment we broke up.”

“Really? Good! I was so nervous she wouldn’t like me because of that.” Hazel sighed, relieved that she’d seemed to get everyone on her side.

“Everyone loved you, Haz. Just like I knew they would.”

His eyes fell behind her, his mother and brother watching proudly from their table. She made him happy. From the looks of it his family could tell. His mother had introduced her around to everyone and she seemed to have them all just as smitten as she had him. It hadn’t been long since the two had been together but he knew she was the one.