How To Ruin A Wedding

Chapter 21 - A Creative Title That Includes "Four" and a Birthday Phrase

I couldn't help the feeling of dread. I knew that I faced Kendra on a daily basis, but my birthday was one of the days she messed up for me, like Valentine's Day and Christmas. I didn't hate my birthday. I just loathed seeing Kendra on my birthday. It was a problem that I hadn't dealt with in the last six years. Now she was waiting downstairs where I'd see her in the next four seconds.

I felt Alani touch my bare shoulder. She gave me a soft smile as the numbers counted down above the elevator door. She had seen first hand how blatantly Kendra ignored my birthday.

Birthdays were supposed to be the day where you felt special, even if it is just a little bit. To Kendra, other people's birthdays didn't exist, and everyday was Kendra day. Self-centered bitch.

I breathed deeply, preparing myself for Kendra. She didn't do anything particular to me on my birthday except for once changing my birthday cake to say "Kendra is beautiful" and throw away all my cards while taking the gift cards. I put that all in the past though.

Andrew, who was standing on my other side, sensed my tension. His way of comforting me included him putting an arm around my shoulder and smiling at me. Then, the doors opened to the lobby floor. "I don't know what's got you suddenly freaking out-" He started to say as our friends exited the cramp shaft.

"I'm not freaking out." I told him with a pointed look.

"Slightly freaking out." He replied with a smirk. "You shouldn't worry on your birthday." He continued to talk as he and I walked out of the elevator with his arm around me. "We'll have a great dinner, I'm staying for the week, and I have the last part of the gift. You can stop knitting your eyebrows together." He said before kissing my temple, which caused me to close my eyes and relax a little. "Kevin will scold you if you start getting worry lines." He chuckled under his breath.

Kevin had impeccable hearing, and I suppose that was why he was the center of gossip in our little group. "I heard that." He said and looked back from where he was walking with Kim.

"Come on, hurry up. We're gonna be late for the fancy dinner." Alice whined. How she skipped in heels made me question whether or not she was some supernatural being that chose my life to curse.

We walked towards Christian who eagerly greeted us because he was now not alone with Aiden and Kendra. Aiden and Kendra were talking not quietly but just loud enough to hear some of the conversation.

"When are we leaving?" Kendra complained to Aiden, who surprising had great patience. If I were him, I would've up and left her to go talk to Christian. "Who are we waiting for?"

Aiden continued on unfazed while he talked to his fiancé. It was like he was the parent that was used to it and Kendra was the little kid that always asked the same questions. "Jordyn. It's her birthday, remember? That's why we're going out in the first place." Aiden really knew how to handle Kendra, but it was Aiden who deserved someone good for him.

I snorted and continued to frown. Andrew spoke to me as we passed them. "Smile." He nagged me. "You don't have to pay for dinner." He joked.

I rolled my eyes. "Let's just go already. Sooner we go, sooner it's over." I sighed as we joined the group of waiting people. Andrew's hand had settled on my shoulder, and I wasn't really complaining. He had been doing it for six years.

Aiden tried to smile at us, but it got lost somewhere in the quick scowl he also attempted to hide. "Happy birthday, Jordyn." He greeted me once again.

"Who are all these people?" Kendra asked as she looked around at my friends, who were talking happily away from us. They were all excited to eat somewhere fancy. Between two accountants, a small shop-owner, a nurse, a customer service representative, and only one lawyer, we didn't eat fancy food much. Andrew even just preferred to eat pizza instead of snails and frog legs.