The Things I Love About You Part 2 (Completed)

C h a p t e r T h i r t e e n

"So, yeah. We're just really happy for them, that they could finally tie the knot. Mitch and Scott, if you're watching this, we love you!" Jake says.

"How the hell...?" I mutter, grinning. "Scott, c'mere!"

"Hi, right here." He jumps onto the bed and sits behind me, wrapping his arms around me as his attention turns to the TV.

"I didn't think they were actually gonna do that." he laughs.

"You knew about that?"

"Yeah, Alex called me yesterday and told me they were paying someone important to let Kyle be the newscaster for tonight so they could give us a shoutout."

"Wait, so are they here? This is the local channel."

"I guess so."

"Where's my phone?" I look around frantically and spot in behind Scott, nearly tackling him to get to it.

"Ow!" he says jokingly when my elbow lands lightly on his chest. I lay draped over his lap, not bothering to move as I dial Jake's number. On the TV, I hear him say, "I guess you're watching it." He picks up.

"How the hell did you get here?" I scream, laughing uncontrollably.

"I took a plane, dumbass." he says, laughing too. Tears start streaming down my face as my laughter picks up when I hear his voice echo from the TV to my phone. "We brought someone else, too. Look at the TV." I turn around and watch for a second before Peyton comes trotting on screen, waving his arms wildly and yelling, "Hi, Uncle Mitchy!" Kirstie walks up behind him and blows a kiss.

"How much did you pay for this?" I ask Jake.

"A lot. But you're worth it." A second later, Scott's parents and sisters join the forming crowd and say, "We're so happy for you guys!"

"How does everyone know? We only told Kirstie." I wonder aloud.

"She can't keep her mouth shut." Jake says, jabbing Kirstie lightly in the side. I grin even wider than I knew possible when Todrick and Dominic shove their way into the middle of the group.

"Mitch, I brought Kevy but he didn't want to come on camera, but he's here. I promise." Todrick says, glancing away from the camera for just a second.

"How many people did you bring? Give the phone to Alex. I wanna talk to him." I watch as Jake hands the phone off.

"Surprise."

"No shit."

"There's only one more person, I swear."

"Who's left? You brought everyone already."

"Not everyone." He motions for someone to come and my heart stops when Anna pushes her way to the middle of the group, so that she is directly in the middle of the screen. Scott wraps his arms around my waist, seeming to know that it is what I need at this moment.

"Oh. You brought Anna." I say quietly, my smile now gone and all the joy drained from me.

"Yeah. She somehow found out that we were doing this and..." I stop listening to what he is saying and focus on my sister, how much different she looks than the last time I saw her. How much older. She looks like life swallowed her and then spit her back out again. As I stare at the screen and the sudden calmness of everyone waiting for her to say something, do something, I see tears collect in her eyes as she raises her hand in a slight wave.

"Al." I cut him off.

"Yeah?"

"Give her the phone."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? On TV?"

"You're the one who brought her here. Just do it." I watch as Alex hesitates to hand Anna the phone.

"Hey little brother." she says with a small smile, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.

"Hey."

"I just...I wanted to say that I'm happy for you."

"So I'm not a 'disgusting piece of boy-loving trash' to you anymore?" I say quietly, regretting the words as soon as they come out. I always tried not to hold resentment against her for saying that to me all those years ago.

"I'm so sorry. I was just mad. I was scared, and I acted on instinct. I was just reacting. It was my mom's birthday and I was just so sad and you were there and I just had to take it out on someone. I'm so, so sorry. Please." I have only seen her cry once, and it was when she thought we were gonna be split up. Now she is crying harder than I have ever seen anyone cry in my life.

"Anna." She sniffles and wipes at her tears again.

"Yeah?"

"It's okay. I forgave you a long time ago." Scott hugs me against his chest as I start to tear up, too. "Well get through this together, okay? We can be close again."

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I love you, Mitch." I sigh, taking a long time before answering.

"I love you, too."

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