"I swear to God, if he yells one more time, I'm going to tear my hair out," Charlotte grumbled as we stole away from the spotlight for a moment, becoming wallflowers at our own event and sipping another glass of white wine.
"Fuck, you're telling me. He's pulled me away from every interview and interaction I've had tonight – except for when Zack was by my side. I'm nervous that he's gonna see his chance now and try to take it," I sighed in response. "And to think, nearly a year ago I was telling you I wanted to marry Larkin. What the fuck was I thinking?"
"Clearly, you weren't, because you were still smitten with Zack and trying not to show it," Charlotte responded without missing a beat. "Oh, come on, don't give me that look. You were asking me if it was closure you needed while I basically told you that you were still in love with him and you didn't wanna hear it. That's not my fault you can be immensely thick at times."
"Little harsh there, Charles..."
"Am I wrong?"
I shook my head. "I just needed to figure it out on my own."
"Clearly!" she laughed, "It took you what, four months before you made your move! Jesus...."
As if on cue, another reporter approached the two of us and we both plastered a smile onto our faces as the next round of questions began. We leaned into the reporter's Zoom recorder and tried to be a vibrant as possible – however, like a buzzard looking for scraps, Larkin set his eyes upon the two of us having a good time and zeroed in quickly.
I glanced around for Zacky, only to see his back turned as he talked with my older brother and father. By the looks on their faces, they were enveloped in a serious conversation, to which my father kept nodding every now and again as Zack continued on with what he was saying.
Erik, meanwhile, was behind the bar, to no one's surprise. We locked eyes as Larkin approached and he nodded once at me, signalling he was looking out, ready to pounce if I needed. For that, I was eternally grateful.
"Ladies, I do apologize but you'll have to excuse me so Andi and I can talk for a moment," Larkin smiled warmly at Charlotte and the man interviewing us. The reporter smiled back, saying it was no trouble at all, while Charlotte just glared.
Larkin took my arm and lead me away, behind the bar. I cast a worried glance to Charlotte – where she mouthed "I got this" before we disappeared behind the concrete wall, tucked away from the party.
"What is it now, Larkin? What do you want?" I snapped as I crossed my arms against my chest.
He stayed silent, pacing in front of me in the lowlight. His thick brow furrowed, shoulders slumped, the façade of cool coming down in that moment.
"Oh, don't play the silent brooding type now, asshole," I seethed. "You're wasting my time left and right this evening. Pulling me away from valuable clients, asking far too much over the listed price on my pieces, and interrupting interviews with people from the LA Times? Are you fucking joking right now? Either you take this seriously, and represent me like the professional I know your father taught you to be, or you can get the fuck out of my gallery. Choose wisely."
"Who do you think you are, huh?" He growled back, causing me to jump. "No really, who the fuck are you? Just some nobody starving artist, using her friend's for clout. Travelling the world to avoid her problems at home. Shacking up with her high school boyfriend because she's got an unresolved complex about herself. Get a therapist or form a drug habit like the rest of us and grow the fuck up, Andi."
"Excuse me?!" I roared, no longer holding back. "Do you hear yourself right now? Form a drug habit? Are you out of your mind? You're fucking psycho and I can't wait until tonight ends so I never have anything to do with you ever again! Get out of here!"
"I'm not going anywhere, Andi," he called after me, grabbing my arm so tight I was sure to have a bruise. I cried out in pain, but I knew over the buzz of the party, no one could hear. I felt my heart race at the thought of being left alone with him for another second, fear coursing through my veins at the prospect of his drunken nature taking itself out on me.
"And why not? All I have to do is say the word and we'll have you quite literally thrown out on your ass. Don't test me."
"You wouldn't dare," he seethed, squeezing my arm harder, tears pricking my eyes at that point.
"I would, you spiteful piece of shit. I hope you rot," I spat, wrestling myself free from his grip and stumbling back away from him. I turned my head, grateful to see Erik racing over liken a bat out of hell at that moment. I hoped Zacky wasn't too far behind at that point.
"You know what, Andi? Fine. I'll leave your pathetic little life for good," he called after me. "Just tell me this, okay? Why him?"
"I ... What?" I stuttered, turning on my heel to face him.
"What's so great about him that you're willing to throw away the last three years between us like it was nothing at all?" Larkin asked, sounding just as broken as he had when he broke into my house after the West Coast tour.
I ground my jaw then, trying to maintain my composure. "What's my middle name, Lark?"
"I—I don't know," he trailed off, just as I expected.
"It's Maria, Larkin. Maria! It's Maria!" I screamed out, letting loose once and for all. "I told Zack that once when we were 17 and he never forgot."
"What does this have to do with us?" he interrupted, and I shook my head.
"No. You're done talking, you stupid motherfucker. For once in your life, you're going to listen. And then, you're gonna take your pompous ass out of my life for good!"
He visibly swallowed, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Fine, I give. Talk."
"Zack knows how I like my coffee in the mornings, and how seriously I take my time with the Mustang—it could break down at any moment but if I pray the right amount of time and sweet-talk that hunk of metal just enough it somehow always roars to life, and he never laughs at me for it. He asks me how my day was, and how my parents are doing not because he feels obligated but instead because he genuinely wants to know. He's such an attentive, incredible father and I always knew he would be, even if none of us pictured it happening so soon. He'll give away the last piece of clothing on his back if it meant he was helping someone else get by for another day. I see so much in him, and I just... I can't help but be in love with him. Because he cares about more than the money he's made or the clout that comes with it. He loves his friends, his family, and shows it every chance he gets. I know you don't want to hear this, but I can't wait to marry him. I really, truly can't, and I cannot say the same about me and you, Larkin. I feared marrying you. I feared you becoming exactly who you are right now. And I hate living my life in fear, and I refuse to settle. I deserve more than that. And I think you know it, too, Lark..."
"We could have had everything, Andi. If you would just let me show you –"
"No, we couldn't have! You stalked me, you called me disgusting, you degraded me and made me cry more times than I could count. You ruined my launch with that leak and yet you still stand here and pretend that you had nothing to do with it! I'm so sick of this! We're never getting back together, okay? Get it through your thick skull already!" I cried out, tears spilling over as I finally released the pent up resentment I felt for him for so long. "I'm walking away now, and for your own good, you better get the fuck out of here already. I'm done."
I turned on my heel again, seeing Zack weaving through the crowd at that moment and nearly crumpled in relief at the sight.
"Well, I'm not done here," Larkin grumbled, grabbing my arm again. This time, he twisted it just the wrong way to make me cry out loud, and both Erik and Zack leapt at the chance to pull me away from him.
"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Zack roared then, pushing Larkin back roughly, Erik hot on his heels. Charlotte caught up to the madness then and pulled me close, wiping away the tears falling from my eyes. "God, you never let up, do you? Let it fucking go, man!"
"Of course, she's the damsel and her knight is here to rescue her. God, I wish I never fucking met you, Andi. You ruined my life, you stupid fucking cunt!" Larkin barked out.
And next thing I knew, Zack hadn't hesitated to throw the hardest punch I'd ever seen, like a boxer taking his first swing at his fresh faced opponent. Charlotte squeezed me tighter and I turned away, unable to watch. Matt and Brian rushed by us then, and I heard the fire exit door open as Larkin continued to scream profanity and insults.
With a bone-chilling slam, the door echoed throughout the room, and I realized all eyes were on us in that moment. I searched the crowd for Alex in that moment, hoping he could somehow help me dig myself out of the scene we'd just caused.
And leave it to him and Jack to know exactly what to do. They ran behind the bar and popped more bottles of champagne into the crowd. And nothing like a wild excursion to set off both Johnny and Jimmy, gladly taking on the pretend waiter role and serving up glasses to passer's by.
I turned back to Charlotte then, worry panging deep in my chest. "God, I'm so embarrassed. I'm sure this will be the only thing people talk about tonight. Not my work, not your talents... Just this stupid messy detailing of my personal life coming to a head. He fucking wins!"
"No way," Charlotte shook her head. "Most of the reporters are gone, you know. The ones that are left are too drunk to care. Andi, it's going to be okay, I promise."
"And the guys! I just hope Zacky's okay," I muttered, choking down a sob. "What'll my Dad think of this? Oh, God –"
"Honey, your dad absolutely hated Larkin and adores Zacky. I think he's going to be just fine."
"Yeah?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Are you okay, though? Let me look at your arm..."
I extended my arm toward her, seeing barely-there bruises beginning to form between the numerous tattoos dotting my forearm. While she poked and prodded I stared off at the fire exit, willing Zack to walk back in at that moment, needing that relief of seeing him in one piece or else I think I'd crumble completely.
Thankfully, he did just that a moment later, looking only slightly disheveled as he practically ran over to me. He pulled me into his arms immediately and I buried my face in his shoulder, shutting my eyes tightly as the tears I'd been trying so hard to keep at bay started to fall freely.
"He left, D. Nothing else happened after we went outside. He shouted some more, we told him off, and he ran to his fuckin Benz and peeled out of here. I'm okay, the guys are okay, but are you okay?"
"Just a few bruises, but I'll live. I'm just glad you're okay."
"God, you're telling me," he murmured, pulling away slightly to get a good look at me. "It's over, babe. No more bullshit from him. Erik reminded him that if he tried anything we had everything he did documented on tape. We could press charges and Davis could nail him down –"
"I don't want to think about that now. Babe, I..." I trailed off, looking toward the floor then. "You know I usually hate promoting your reckless fistfights but –"
"I know," he cut in, tilting my chin with his finger to look at me again. "I know. He just... And then... I just couldn't..."
"I know," I echoed. "Thank you."
"Always."
I smiled in spite of the situation. "I pictured this moment at least a hundred times. I just can't believe it really ended this way."
"I know everything's still in full swing, but say the word and we can get out of here now, no questions asked," he reminded me, the hand he'd kept on my waist giving me a reassuring squeeze.
I looked past him, toward the party still on before us. Our friends laughing in the distance, Matt and Brian gesturing wildly – no doubt recounting what had just happened to those that missed out. My father and stepmother swayed gently together—seemingly unfazed by the shouting and wrapped up in their own world. Everyone seemed fine – no worried glances cast my way or pity for the girl embarrassed at her own party.
I returned my gaze to him. "I think I need a drink. Preferably from you, and pour it a little strong for me, would you?"
"Coming right up," he grinned, leading the way to the bar.
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epilogue is next. i can't believe the time has finally come... in the meantime, thanks again for reading and for sticking by this little story of mine.