The chapel sat in silence, dressed in flowers that would never witness vows. Chloe stood at the aisle she once decorated with such care, her heels echoing softly against the marble floor.
The air was thick with what-could-have-beens.
She didn't expect him to be there.
But Vince was—seated at the front pew, elbows on his knees, fingers laced together like a man in prayer.
He turned when he heard her footsteps.
"Hey," he said softly, standing.
"I didn't come here for you," Chloe said, though her voice trembled. "I came to say goodbye to this place."
He nodded. "Same."
Silence.
The white flowers around them had begun to wilt. Even beauty had its expiry.
"I heard about Maverick," Vince said. "He had no right to ask that of you."
Chloe folded her arms. "You always say that after it happens."
"I know," he said. "That's why I'm not here to ask for anything anymore."
Chloe's eyes searched his. They looked... different. Quieter.
"I'm starting over," he said. "Not for you. Not to win you back. But because you made me realize I've been living everyone's version of my life—except mine."
Chloe blinked, unsure how to respond.
"Bella and I... we were a convenience. We fit the image, but not the truth. And I guess when I met you, I felt what truth actually tasted like." He smiled, bittersweet. "It was terrifying."
"Vince..." Her voice softened. "What are you trying to say?"
"That I don't expect you to love me back. I don't even expect forgiveness. But I wanted to thank you. For shaking me awake. For being the one honest thing in the middle of everything fake."
Chloe exhaled shakily. "Why here?"
He looked around the chapel. "Because this was supposed to be the start of a life I no longer want. And maybe... ending it here is the closure I need."
She stepped closer, just enough to meet his gaze fully. "Closure doesn't mean we go back and fix the past, Vince."
"I know."
"It means we forgive ourselves enough to move forward."
"I'm trying," he said.
They stood in silence again, but this time it wasn't heavy. Just... still.
"You deserve to be loved out loud," he whispered. "Not in hiding. Not in guilt. The next man who comes into your life should shout it from rooftops."
Chloe gave a soft laugh. "That sounds noisy."
He chuckled. "But real."
"I hope you find that, too," she said.
He nodded, eyes glinting. "I will. Someday."
Then, slowly, he reached into his pocket and took out a velvet box. Not the ring Bella returned, but another one—plain and unopened.
"I was planning to give this to you," he said. "Not as a proposal. But as a reminder of something I never said when it mattered."
Chloe hesitated, then took the box.
Inside was a necklace. A delicate gold chain with a tiny pendant—an open door.
She looked up, confused.
"It means freedom," he said. "The one you gave me... and the one I hope you keep choosing for yourself."
Chloe smiled, tears pricking her eyes. "Thank you."
He stepped back, hands in his pockets, his smile warm but final. "Goodbye, Chloe."
"Goodbye, Vince."
She watched him walk out of the chapel, this time with no eyes on them, no expectations, no judgment.
Just two people who crossed paths, broke rules, and learned how to choose themselves.
She turned to the altar once more.
For the first time, she wasn't here to plan a wedding.
She was here to lay her past to rest.
And maybe, just maybe, open a new door.
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