The Love We Almost Had
A Contemporary Romance
Chapter 1: A Wedding Invitation and a Forgotten Love
The white envelope sat on Lily’s kitchen counter.
It had been there for three days.
Unopened.
She already knew what it said.
Ethan Parker & Claire Reynolds request the honor of your presence…
Lily swallowed hard.
Ethan.
Her Ethan.
The boy she spent years loving.
The boy she almost had.
And now, in two weeks, he was getting married.
To someone else.
Chapter 2: One Last Chance
Lily never planned to go.
She told herself it would be too painful.
But as the wedding day approached, a single thought haunted her:
What if he still loved her too?
And that was how, against her better judgment, she found herself standing at the back of a grand chapel—
Watching Ethan at the altar.
Looking heartbreakingly handsome.
Looking… lost.
And when their eyes met across the room—
Her breath caught.
Because for a split second—
Ethan looked like a man about to make a mistake.
Chapter 3: A Dance with the Past
The reception was a blur of champagne and laughter.
Lily tried to blend in, but then—
A familiar voice whispered, “Meet me outside.”
Her pulse raced.
She turned—
And there was Ethan.
Still in his wedding suit.
Still looking at her like she was the only person in the room.
Her heart stumbled.
“I wasn’t sure you’d come,” he admitted.
She exhaled. “Neither was I.”
A long silence stretched between them.
Then—
Ethan ran a hand through his hair. “Can I ask you something?”
Lily hesitated. “Yeah?”
His voice was quiet.
“If I had told you I loved you years ago… would you have stayed?”
Her chest ached.
Because the answer was yes.
But now, it didn’t matter.
Did it?
Chapter 4: A Love That Never Got Its Ending
Ethan sighed. “I thought about you today.”
Lily swallowed. “You’re getting married, Ethan.”
He hesitated.
Then—
“I know.”
Her heart clenched.
Because in that moment, she knew.
If they had met at the right time, he would have been hers.
But this wasn’t their story anymore.
It was hers and his wife’s.
And Lily?
She was just a chapter he never got to finish.
Chapter 5: Walking Away for Good
The music from the reception drifted into the night.
Lily forced a smile.
“Goodbye, Ethan.”
His eyes darkened. “Lily—”
But she was already turning away.
Already choosing herself.
Because some love stories never get their happy endings.
And that’s okay.
Sometimes, walking away is the bravest thing you can do.
Epilogue: The Right Love, Someday
Months later, Lily sat at a coffee shop, lost in thought.
A new city. A fresh start.
And maybe—just maybe—
A new love story waiting to begin.
Because love isn’t always about who you lose.
Sometimes, it’s about who you find next.