Wedding Bell Rush - A.U. (H.S., Z.S.)

Chapter 9: Lila

30 minutes before we got to the cabin, Harry woke up. We started talking about the drive and what we were going to do when we saw Lila.

We just thought it was best to just walk up to the door and knock. What a plan, right?

We were getting closer to the cabin. "Even at night, Tahoe is gorgeous. I can't believe we drove all the way here," Harry said, looking out of the window.

We parked in front of the cabin, and I couldn't stop sweating. My vision was blurry, and my hands felt numb. I stuck my head in my lap. "I can't do this," I loudly mumbled.

"What was this trip for, then? She's your friend. A lousy bridesmaid wouldn't drive all this way just to turn back," Harry said to me, rubbing my back.

I sat up. "Is the light on in the cabin?" I asked, not opening my eyes.

"Yup," Zach said, confirming she was inside. "Her car is here, too."

"Let's do this."

We all got out of the car. I started tearing up. I needed to know she was all right and safe. Why did she leave? I needed to find all of this out.

Zach walked in front of Harry and me. Harry was rubbing my back the entire walk there.

Zach knocked on the front door, and my heart felt like it was vibrating. "What if she's mad that we're here?" I blurted out.

"She won't be," Zach calmly said.

We heard footsteps going to the wooden cabin. The cabin was half on land and half hanging off in the lake right behind it. It was about two stories tall with a large attic space. The entire cabin was made from wood, but it didn't look well kept. Random weeds and grass was growing against the walls and some lights outdoor was flickering.

The door unlocked, and I felt my knees buckle. Harry held me up and rubbed my shoulders.

Lila cracked the door open, suspicious at who was at the door, but when she saw the familiar faces, she threw the door open and started crying.

She threw her arms around all three of us. Her hair was soaking wet and she was just wearing a large t-shirt as a dress. Heat was coming from the cabin, and I realized that the fireplace was lit.

Lila sobbed into my shoulder. "I love you guys."

After a few seconds of us asking how she was, she dragged us inside. We sat in the living room, which was steaming hot.

We all started taking our jackets off. Zach, Harry, and I sat on the largest sofa while Lila sat in am arm chair facing us. No one said anything for a while because we were waiting to see if one of us started talking.

I decided to face my fears and speak up. "Are you mad that we came?"

Lila shook her head and smiled. "I'm really happy. I didn't think you guys would come."

"Of course we did. We love you so god damn much," I said. "Well, I don't know about Harry. I basically dragged him here."

Lila put her hand up. "I know for a fact Harry cares." She looked at Harry, and they both smiled. Harry blushed and put his head down.

"Am I missing something?" I asked, looking at the both of them.

"I'll tell you later. I'm just so glad you guys came. I probably scared you guy. I'm sorry. I just needed time to myself," Lila said, pushing the subject aside. "I'm surprised my baby brother came to see me though," she said, her hand reaching out to Zach.

Zach blushed and covered his face. "Let's not make this a big deal. They basically threw me in the car."

"So what happened? Why did you leave?" I said, trying to get the real answers.

Lila's face fell, and she bit her lip. She looked at Harry, and he nodded at her, almost like he was giving her approval. "Well, right before our dinner, Harry told me he had to talk to me. He told me that in college, Hunter um," she cleared her throat, trying not to tear up. "He told me that during out first year in college, Hunter cheated on me."

My jaw dropped. One look at the couple made it seem like they were meant to be. I always had a weird feeling about the guy, but I was angry that I was right. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. Well, when Harry told me, I didn't believe it. I was mad he was telling me now, but he explained that he didn't know we were still together until he was invited to the wedding. I'm still mad, though," Lila continued the story. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to go through with the wedding and had to take time to myself, which was why I was acting all weird at the dinner. I just took a long bath and questioned everything. Hunter wasn't in the room that time because he was with his family. I thought that I had to leave. I wouldn't be able to see him after hearing that news. That's why I'm here. I feel better, but I'm still confused and hurt."

"Lila, you were the one that taught me that even in the messiest situations, you could always learn from those mistakes and make something beautiful. Recently, I had to be reminded of that story," I said, looking at Zach. He smiled at me. "So, whatever you decide, I'm with you."

"I taught you that? Really? Call me best babysitter of the year, then!" She joked.

"I'm serious, Lila. You have the power now. You tell me what you need, and it's done," I said.

"We're not killing Hunter, Andrea," Zach said.

I turned to him. "I know we're not going to kill him! I'm just saying if she wants to call off the wedding, I'll be there for her. If she wants to go through with the wedding, I can put on a happy face."

He put his hands up. "It just sounded like you were willing to kill him."

Harry shook his head and laughed. "I had to sit through this for more than seven hours," he said to Lila.

"I had to live through it my entire life," she said, trying to compete with Harry.

We had a small conversation about the drive over. Later, the two guys hugged Lila and went to claim their beds. I stayed behind because I wanted to talk to Lila.

"Are you really okay?" I asked her as we sat on the sofa together.

She nodded, but I could see her heartbreak in her eyes.

I gave her a hug and she collapsed into tears.

"All my life I've been sure of all of my decisions. I look at everything from both sides, and I always go with my brain. So why did both my heart and my brain fail me this time?" She cried out.

I hugged her tighter. It felt nice being her support. She was always my support, and I felt like this was barely covering what she had done for me growing up. There was nothing to say. I wanted to support her in anyway, but anything I would say wouldn't matter anyway. She knew what she needed to do, that was always who she was. She just needed to see things clearly.

"Everything, Andrea, everything was based on this lie. Harry told me he was faithful after that first year in college, but how would I know? This isn't even about Hunter anymore. What if I'm failing myself? Am I a bad person if I stay? If I leave? How can I ever trust myself anymore?"

I realized this wasn't even about Hunter anymore. She already knew Hunter loved her and she loved him, but she didn't know what to do about herself. "We always fail at some things. No one is made flawless. Your brain failed you because your heart was singing. Now, you have a chance to think about where to go from here. You know what your heart wants. Trust your brain."

She hugged me tighter. "I'll see you tomorrow." She got up from the couch and walked upstairs while Zach and Harry walked downstairs.

"Is everything ok?" they both asked me.

I nodded, even though I was nervous at what Lila thought of what I said.