Heartless

Chapter 87

I looked at the text and blinked. Why did TJ want to see me?

"Uh, guys, I gotta run out for a bit," I said. "I'll be back soon." I grabbed my bag and ran to my car. I made my way over to the little coffee shop we used to hang out at. TJ was standing there, leaning against the wall.

"Hey, look, she made it!"

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "What's up?"

"Remember our unbreakable vow?"

- - -

I got back to the compound to hear screaming and arguing. I sighed, wondering what fight I would be walking into this time. I followed the sounds to the lounge, where Kate and Nat were standing in the doorway. Kate held a finger up to her lips and gestured to the guys on the couch.

"HOW ARE YOU BEATING ME? YOU WERE FROZEN WHEN VIDEO GAMES WERE MADE!" Sam yelled. The guys were playing Mario Cart.

"TAKE THAT BLUE SHELL, FUCKERS!" Steve yelled. "ON YOUR LEFT, SAM."

"STEVE LANGUAGE!" Tony said, jerking his arms around as he controlled his car.

I looked at the girls. Nat was holding her phone up, recording the event. Wanda had a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"YES!" Steve yelled as he won the game.

I walked into the room and jumped over the back of the couch, sitting in between Bucky and Tony. "Hand me a remote."

"Whoa, Monica, when did you get back?" Tony asked.

"Not important. Gimme a controller." Tony tossed me one and I caught it, fastening the strap on my wrist. "Let's go."

"You're gonna regret it, Mon. I'm about to wipe the floor with you," Steve taunted.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," I muttered as Sam selected a track. I cracked my knuckles and gripped the controller. The race started and I focused completely on kicking Steve's ass in this game.

"JAMES!" I yelled at Bucky when he got me with the plant. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING DESTROY YOU!"

Bucky just laughed and continued on. I clenched my jaw and focused on winning.

"Monica's terrifying when she's competitive," I heard Wanda whisper to Nat and Katherine.

"I know." Katherine said. "That's why I don't play Monopoly with her anymore."

"YES!" I yelled as my cart was the first to cross the finish line. "TAKE THAT, SUCKERS!"

- - -

We sat around the table for dinner. Clint ordered us pizza and I ordered myself French fries. Thor, being the Asgardian he is, bought us a lot of beer.

"I crushed you in MarioCart, Steve. Deal with it," I said, taking a piece of cheese pizza out of the box.

Steve rolled his eyes. "Only because Sam kept sabotaging me."

"Uh-huh, sure. I think someone's just a sore loser."

Nat chuckled. "As entertaining as this is, can you pass me the box?"

I slid the box across the table as my phone buzzed. I slipped it out of my pocket.

TJ: purple or royal blue?

Below was a picture of two ties, a deep purple and a royal blue. I chewed the inside of my cheek while I thought.

Me: royal blue.

"Monica?" Tony said. "Earth to Monica."

I snapped my head up. "What?"

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

Tony looked at me over his glasses as I slipped my phone back in my pocket. "Fine." He turned to Peter. "How's school going, kid?"

"Uh, okay, I guess. I got an A on my big term paper."

Thor slid a beer across the table to Peter. "Congratulations, man of spiders."

"Thor, no, he's 15," Tony said, sliding the bottle away.

"Oh!" Thor said. He slid two across the table. "You are a growing boy."

"Thor, no," Tony said, pushing the bottles away. "He's not having any alcohol."

I took one of the bottles. "But I am." I popped the cap off and took a sip. "So, I'm gonna need to take the week of December 29th completely off. I need to go off the grid for that day."

"May I ask why?" Steve asked.

"I'm going to my friend's wedding. I'm his Best Woman."

Steve raised an eyebrow at me. "Oh?"

"Yeah, so that week is last minute planning. I need to go off the grid for that week."

"Mon, that's not for another 11 months," Tony said. "We don't know what's gonna pop up."

I closed my eyes and focused on that date. "On that Tuesday, Peter is going to face something that kinda looks like a giant rabbit. It's a genetically modified hamster."

"Are you kidding?" Peter asked. I held up a hand to shush him.

"On Friday, a guy hits on Wanda in a bar. He'll be very persistent. And drunk." I opened my eyes. "That's it."

Nat had her phone out and was putting the dates in. "Got it."

"So, where's the wedding?" Bucky asked.

"Teej doesn't know yet. Somewhere with a good heating system. He's letting me pick out the color palette."

"Ooh, what did you pick?" Kate asked.

"Well, his tie is going to be royal blue. His husband is going to wear a green one. I was aiming for a peacock theme."

"That sounds pretty," Wanda said. "Send us pictures."

"Well, there's still a lot of planning to do. They only just got engaged three weeks ago." My phone buzzed again.

TJ: FaceTime?

"I gotta go, guys," I excused myself. "Decisions are happening after dinner."

- - -

"So, you're okay with him being there?" TJ asked me after telling me that my ex would be attending.

I rolled my eyes. "Teej, as long as he stays away from me, I'll be fine."

He smiled. "You sure? I won't send the invitation if it makes you uncomfortable. You're the second most important person that's gonna be there."

"Timothy Jones, I will be fine," I stressed. "I'll just have to stay on the other side of the room. Still can't believe he broke up with my so close to that dance. The jerk." I muttered.

"He also tried to kiss another girl," TJ said.

"Yeah, I remember," I growled. "And he said he wanted me to see what it was like to be with a girl," I said with finger quotes.

TJ's eyes glanced up to the corner of his screen. "Mon, I gotta go. My phone is at 32 percent.

I put my bottom lip out. "Aw, okay. Love you, bro."

He smiled and said, "Love you too." He hung up the phone and I flopped back on my bed.

Someone knocked on my door. "Come in," I groaned. Bucky, Steve, Kate, Wanda, Nat, and Tony filed in. "What do you guys want?"

"Caden's gonna be there?" Kate asked. "You sure you'll be alright?"

I groaned and covered my face with a pillow. "As long as he stays away from me, I won't deck him in the face."

"Are you allowed to take a plus one?" Nat asked. I nodded, the pillow still over my face. "Bring one of us with you."

"I'll think about it," I said, my voice muffled. "Now, please get out of my bedroom."