12

Ethan got off the taxi in front of the Bonnet Island estate which was booked for the wedding. It was one of the greatest wedding destinations in the US. As what he had heard from his parents, it was the biggest estate in the US and a perfect destination for an intimate wedding. Ethan couldn’t even imagine getting married ever.

The sun had grown bigger in the day and Ethan’s shined because of it. He could barely keep his eyes open. He paid for the taxi and walked inside the estate with his luggage, covering his eyes.

The estate was vast and the mansion in the estate for the bride and groom was immense even in its presence. Jake comes from a very affluent family. Booking this place was the least of the things he could do.

Ethan dragged his luggage and walked into the reception of the suites. The hall was grand enough to look like the wedding venue but this was just the reception hall, which doesn’t even make up to 1/4^th of the actual wedding venue. It had chandelier and paintings everywhere on the walls and only sophisticated people walked around except for the employees.

“Good morning, Sir. Welcome to the Island Estate,” the receptionist had a warm smile on her face.

“Good morning.” He smiled at her.

“So I assume you are here to attend the wedding,” she said, citing the obvious.

“Absolutely. If I was the groom I would have gone to the mansion,” he replied nonchalantly. The receptionist's over flirtatious words backfired. Or was she suggesting that Ethan was not the groom and could be a bachelor since he had arrived alone at the wedding? One could say the receptionist was aiming at something.

As embarrassed as she was, she smiled at him, “Right.”

“Yes,”

“Your name Sir?”

“Ethan Francis,”

She looked up the guests' list on the computer and spoke, “Here is the key card to your suite sir. It is 5034.”

“Thanks,” he took the keyboard from her.

“What’s your name?” he asked her.

“Eliza,” she said shyly. She was already embarrassed enough, she didn’t need anything more.

“It is pretty just like you,” those words made an impact on her and that was evident on her face. She blushed hard. He tried to make her feel better for making her feel embarrassed just a few seconds ago. He didn’t mean to but he couldn’t control being coy. He chuckled and said, “See you around.” But he definitely didn’t have any intentions of meeting up with her again, unless otherwise.

He got into the elevator and pressed the 5^th-floor button. The ride in the elevator was cool. He had leaned onto the wall and relaxed. The air conditioner made him feel sleepy after the flight. He just wanted to crash on the bed and take a nap before meeting up with his friends.

When the elevator dinged making him aware of his surrounding, he walked out of the elevator and looked around trying to spot his suite.

He found 5029, 5040 on either of his sides. But couldn’t figure out which corridor would lead him to 5034.

While he thinking which way to go, a little girl bumped into him.

“Ow.. can’t you see,” she said in an annoying tone.

Ethan looked at her. She had beautiful and mesmerizing deep blue eyes which reminded him of someone. She was wearing a pretty frock and had worn matching accessories. It was almost like she could be the bride if she wasn’t a little girl. And just by a glance, he could tell this little girl possibly had the princess syndrome.

‘You bumped into me, little lady,” he defended himself.

“I’m not a little lady,” she said brushing off her frock. She was annoyed. Period. If it was him and or her frock, Ethan couldn’t figure it out.

Ethan saw her doing that and squatted to her level and helped her brush her frock. And made sure it didn’t have any wrinkles or dirt.

“I’m sorry you fell down,” he said.

“Fine. I’ll let this slide since you are apologizing,” Ethan thought of what to say next, because he was taken aback. This girl could make him feel really embarrassed just like how he did to the receptionist. Probably she would do intentionally.

“Uh.. thanks. I’ll consider myself as lucky for this.”

“Of course you should.” By now, Ethan had fallen for her unapologetic self. He wished he could learn that from her.

Ethan was amused by the behavior of this girl. She had a different kind of aura. Like the spoiled brat aura which he had always seen in Vanessa. Spoiled brat but definitely not heartless. Maybe she too had another side to her, he thought.

He smiled at the little girl in front of him, “I am Ethan.”

“I am Amity,” she shook his hand.

“That’s a pretty name,”

“I know,” She said looking at his eyes.

Ethan was lost for words. He was beyond shocked to know about the confidence this girl had.

“Uh.. of course. By the way, you are looking like a princess,” he tried to win her through some compliments.

“I am a princess,” she said, boasting herself.

“What?” Ethan wondered if she was really a princess of some Royal family.

“I am my papa’s princess,”

Ethan laughed hard and she gave him a stern look which immediately had a reaction of him going on silence mode.

“Are you here to attend the wedding?” she asked him.

“Yes. Are you too?”

“Yes. The groom is my dad’s friend.”

“Oh really. The groom is my friend too,” he was curious to know who was the father of this little firecracker. If Jake had invited only his close friends, he could be knowing her dad.

“Where is your room?” she asked.

“You ask a lot of questions,”

“I know. Now tell me,” her bossy nature was making him fall for her. This little girl was something else.

“Well, my suite is 5034. But I’m stuck and cannot find it. You think you can help me?”

“Yes,” she said and pointed at his luggage and signaled him to walk with her. And he did as he was directed.

Ethan took her hand in his and his other hand got a hold of his luggage.

“Wow, Amity. You are very nice.”

“Why?” she asked, walking and jumping occasionally.

“Because you are helping me find my room,”

“That is because you are handsome,”

“What?” Now, he was really curious to know about her parents. She wore confidence like an accessory. This is definitely not expected from a 4 year old kid.

“I thought you are handsome. Are you not?” she asked blinking her eyes. Amity wondered if he didn’t like being called Handsome.

“Of course, I am. But was just shocked. Someone as pretty as you never said to me that I am handsome,”

“Really,”

“Yes.”

“I guess they might have some eye sight problem,” she said dramatically.

Ethan laughed at her words. That was the most convincing words he has ever heard from anyone.

“Yeah. That’s possible,” that’s all he could say.

“By the way, where are you from?” she asked. She was like a walking question bank.

“New York,”

“Wow. I have seen pictures when my gramps and gran had a visit. But I have never been there.”

“Really,”

“Yes.”

“Then you can visit me sometime,” he gave her an unplanned invitation.

“Will you show me around?” she asked curiously. Who would decline a free assistant and Amity knew very well how well to use her assistants.

“Yes, I will.” Sure, he could take some time for this little girl who has already stolen Ethan’s heart.

Amity pointed her finger at the corner, Ethan didn’t catch what it was until he saw it was a suite door. And that was 5034.

“Thank you so much, Amity. Do you want to come in? I am sure there will be some snacks inside the refrigerator that we can munch on?”

“Sure,” who would miss a chance for free snacks.

“Amity,”

Just when they were about to enter the suite, they heard a voice. The voice that made both of them freeze in the spot.

Amity was scared because she was caught giving in for the free snacks.

Ethan was shocked because the voice made him remind a lot of things, a lot of memories, and a lot of love and pain.