Triton [hs au | completed]

55) With a Little Help From My Friends

"You should just make a Facebook event. It sounds like most of your friends are in state and your family is already here."

"See, that's why I need you here." I reply, opening the door to the shop. Vera and Allison are standing inside talking to a consultant. After introductions, I'm taken in the back and measured and asked questions about what kind of dress I want.

"Just something simple." I tell the overzealous consultant for what feels like the millionth time. 

Over the next hour I'm paraded between the dressing room and the show room in dress after dress. Each one is beautiful, but not what I'm looking for. We're about to call it day when the consultant asks me to wait just a little bit longer. She disappears into the back for a few minutes and reappears with three more gowns. The first one is the worst yet, but the second...

"If you don't buy that, I am." Mariah comments staring at it. 

"So it's not just me?" I ask admiring the lace in the mirror. 

"No." Vera, Allison and Mariah all confirm at once. I stare at my refection again, it's all becoming real now. 

"I guess I'll take it." I tell the consultant. She helps me back into the changing room. Once I've changed, I return to the lobby to find the Vera has already paid and hailed a cab for us to take back to the hotel. Mariah opts to come back with us, so we all squeeze into the backseat of the small sedan.

"Mariah, how do you know Arden?" Vera asks her after giving the driver our destination. 

"We worked together."

"Are you a veterinarian too?"

"No, not yet at least. Maybe one day." 

"How is school going, by the way?"

"Better than the last time I saw you. The sorority was a good move."

"I told you so."

"And I told you Harry was shady as fuck." she shoots back, sticking her tongue out at me.

We spend the rest of the cab ride catching up on hospital gossip and explaining inside jokes to Vera. Once we've arrived at the hotel, Mariah follows me to my and Harry's room. Harry is standing right inside the entryway, appearing to be waiting for my arrival.

"Can I have a word?" he asks me, glancing at Mariah.

"We'll be right back." I tell her walking with him out into the hallway. 

"Is that your friend from the hospital?"

"Mariah? Yes."

"She doesn't like me."

"She's coming around." I reply. "What did you want to talk to me about."

"I saw Lucy today, " he starts. "and you remember she said the district attorney was pissed."

"Yes?"

"Well now he's only agreeing to five years, all served in prison. I would only be charged with armed robbery. No drug charges, and no felonies on my record, but-"

"Five years?" I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me. "That's a long time." That's double than what they told us before. 

"I know." he replies, solemnly. "Listen, I understand if you don't want to get married now."

"What are you talking about? Of course I still want to get married."

"We can talk about you living closer to me, but I'm still really worried about you being alone here."