At 6 pm and seven missed calls from Demi and one from her mother, she rolls out of bed and gets dressed. She checks the itinerary and dinner says casual dress, but she has to wear that stupid Stetson so she shoves it on her head and walks out her door. "What the fuck is that?" Louis says from his patio. "You look like a fucking idiot," he adds.
"This coming from the man watching a romantic sunset on his honeymoon all alone?"
"Below the belt - but tuoché," Louis says lifting his cocktail. "Hey, this whole wedding shit is crammed with family shit. I don't want to suffer alone, wanna put that co-dependant relationship to the test?"
"Not particularly, no."
"You selfish bastard. I had to listen to you weep like a schoolgirl all afternoon and I didn't bang on the wall once to shut you up."
"This is a co-dependant relationship with a sprinkling of 'I don't give a fuck' in it. Go away now so I can wallow in self-pity, Lux."
"Want me to bring you back a meal?"
"Yeah. Steak. A big one. My ex was a vegan - we were vegans."
"Again, you didn't see the psychotic signs before slapping a ring on it?"
"I did. I just ignored them...love is blind and all that shit."
"Love is stupid and so are you!" Lux throws over her shoulder as she walks away. The restaurant is not at the resort so she has to grab a cab and make a twenty-minute trip into town. It's a nice drive except for Demi's constant ringing. She gets to the restaurant at 6:30 pm, groaning when she sees a stressed-looking Demi standing outside on her phone. "I am here, Demi," Lux says climbing out of the cab. "Lux!" Demi squeals and then bursts into tears as she flings her arms around Lux. Oh, she was not expecting that. "Demi...are you ok?" Lux asks softly. "It's just been so stressful and you have always been there for me. You always kept me calm so with you not around I have been a bit of a mess," Demi sniffles into Lux's shoulder.
Lux feels like shit with a side of guilt. She and Demi had been close once - Lux pulled away to deal with her shit and left Demi to fend for herself over the years. It's a bit fucked up. It's also annoying that a six-month relationship that had disaster written all over it from the start has left such a huge impact on her life - that's another reason to hate Austin, fucking asshole. "Look, I am here now and I am all yours for the next week. Ok?" Lux says softly. "I know. It's not on the itinerary, but I have an activity just for you and me, and one with my fiancee and our immediate families - I want you to like him. He is the best!" Demi says with a big smile now as she pulls Lux into the restaurant. Great, Lux can't express how super duper excited she is about that.
The restaurant is packed. Demi had booked the whole thing out and with their family and Demi's fiancee's family, there must be close to seventy people milling around. "Finally," Lux's mom says as she walks up to her. "Hey mum," she says hugging her. A few aunts and uncles and a sprinkling of cousins come over and pat her back - she is not a hugger so they know to limit their physical contact with her. She hugs Demi and her mom because Demi has no boundaries and her mom broke her vagina bringing her into the world so the occasional hug is only fair.
"You had your sister stressed out, Lux," her mother chastises her. Lux looks at her with raised brows. "So...just Lux being Lux then?" her grandmother comes up beside her with a glass of wine the size of a basketball. "Hey, Lori," Lux says to her grandmother. She would die if any of her grandchildren called her Gran. "Could you be nice and social for once - this is important to Demi," her mom says. Lux rolls her eyes and shrugs - it's easier than getting into a heated argument with her.
"Come on, come meet my soon-to-be hubby!" Demi says dragging her away and deeper into the restaurant. Lux's stomach drops though when she suddenly hears that fucking laugh. What the fuck is Austin doing here? Trust him to gate crash a fucking party he has no business being at. What the fuck is she supposed to do now? She sticks close to Demi and looks around carefully, the restaurant is crowded and dimly lit so she can't see much. "Oh! Rich!" Demi says suddenly and Lux turns her head to see who she is calling. Oh, fuck off. It's the old guy from the reception that she had run into. Demi is marrying a man older than their mother? No wonder the wedding is rushed.
"Rich, Jody, this is my sister, Lux. Lux, this is my fiancee's parents," Demi says. Lux lets out a sigh of relief then wants to run away when Rich and Jody pull her in for a hug and greet her happily. "Oh, she is not a hugger," Demi says but she is too late. "Hey, I met you at the reception - the tired girl. You all rested up?" Rich asks. Fuck he reminds her so much of Austin. She hates him. "Yes," Lux says. "Come on, it's time to meet the man of the hour," Demi says pulling her towards the bar. Lux follows but keeps scanning the restaurant carefully for Austin - she needs to get away before he sees her, she does not know what she is going to say to Demi to get her to let Lux go.
"Baby, this is my sister, Lux," Demi says. Lux turns her head forward and then stops breathing as she watches Shawn, Austin's Shawn, turn around slowly. He is smiling at first but it drops real quick when he sees Lux. "What are you doing here?" he asks, he is not happy. "She is my sister, silly. The one I have been telling you about...do you know each other?" Demi asks, confused now. "We met a few years back, but we were never friends. I just knew her," Shawn says, still not happy. "Wow! Small world and now you will be family!" Demi says excitedly. Shawn's face softens and he pulls Demi closer to him - oh, the boy is all starry-eyed.
Lux suddenly feels a searing heat on her and she looks past Shawn. Austin is leaning on the bar behind him - he is not laughing anymore, in fact, he is now scowling and his scowl is directed straight at Lux.
Fuck.
Fuck!
"Oh! Lux! This is Austin, Shawn's brother! I think you two will get along wonderfully - you are both so similar," Demi says standing next to Austin, who by the way, is still fucking glaring at her. Brother? Fuck, she had just thought they were best friends - them being brothers is a big fucking problem.
Austin downs his drink, then stands up tall and puffs his chest out - making himself as big as possible. Lux knows, she fucking knows, whatever is about to come out of his mouth will be laced with venom. But, nothing comes. Instead, he grabs the beer from Shawn's hand, gives her a dirty look, and then walks away, disappearing into the crowd.
"Well, that was weird," Demi says, her face creased with worry. "He is normally so happy and polite," she says sadly. "Don't worry, baby - he is just out of sorts with his nerves. He will come around," Shawn says softly to Demi. "I better make my rounds. You two get to know each other. You are two of the most important people in my life and I need you guys to be best friends by the time we say our vows," Demi says kissing Shawn on the cheek and rushing off.
Well, fuck.
"This is fucked up."
"I agree. You have your claws in my sister. I fucking hope you are not cut from the same cloth Austin is."
"I could say the same about your sister."
"Watch your mouth about my sister, Shawn."
"Oh, what? Now you are all loyal?"
"I have always been loyal."
"Could have fooled me."
"What the fuck did you just say?"
Shawn takes a long sip of his new beer and then places it gently on the bar turning a glare on Lux which is almost as scathing as Austin's. Almost. "I said - you could have fooled me," he spits out slowly then turns and walks off to Austin who is now standing on the other side of the bar glaring.
Aww, fuck!
Austin and his little puppy brother are going to make her life a living fucking hell for the next week. If Demi didn't mean so much to her Lux would fucking hightail it out of here right now. Talk about holding a fucking grudge - you would think after ten years and a fucking marriage Austin would have moved on. "I thought you promised your mom you would be nice," her grandmother comes up behind her and leans on the bar, wine still in hand.
"I was nice, Lori."
"Then you want to tell me why the groom and delicious best man are glaring at you?"
"It's just a miss understanding, Granny. I will clear it up. Also, not delicious - average at best... bordering on plain."
"Funny...that's what you would say every time I had to sneak out and pick you up from the cop shop when you were a teen."
"I am older...wiser..."
"That's a lie."
Lux and her grandmother turn when there is a loud gong sound and Demi climbs onto a small stage. "My love," she says putting her hand out towards Shawn who is quick to pass his beer to Harry and then rush up onto the stage with Demi.
"We want to thank you all for joining us in celebrating this very special time. As we embark on our climb up this wise old tree to find everlasting love. Each of you is a branch that holds us up! You make us strong! We could never do this without you!" Demi says then looks at Shawn. Lux has to clench her jaw shut and cover her mouth to stop herself from groaning out loud - fucking Demi and her mushy shit. It's painful. "Like birds, you are the wind beneath our wings. We are nothing without all of you!" Shawn says. Lux hears a grunt and when she turns Austin has his entire fist in his mouth to stop himself from laughing.
"We want to acknowledge our parents for all they have done in our lives to prepare us so we can be the best partners. To our mothers, our life givers..."
Lux has to bite her tongue so hard to stop her snort - she thinks it's bleeding.
"Thank you for the milk that sustained us up till we found each other."
What the actual fuck?
"To my father," Shawn says, "may your seed of life forever grow within us."
That's not right.
Lux hears another grunt and when she looks Austin has hidden his face behind Harry's back his shoulders shaking.
"Now," Demi says, "We want to acknowledge two very special people. These people will stand beside us as we take our vows - we take strength from these two amazing people. My maid of honor and my big sister, Lux, come up here please," Demi says putting her hand out toward Lux as everyone starts clapping politely. Lux shakes her head but her mother starts rushing over so her grandmother hands her wine over to Lux who manages to take a big gulp of it before her mother grabs her arm and pulls her forward, and then pushes her up the stage steps - before she knows what's happening she is standing next to Demi on the stage. "And for me, my best man, best friend, and best big brother - Austin!" Shawn announces. Austin puts his hands in the air and makes a spectacle of himself as everyone cheers, whistles, and shouts. He runs on stage and the two brothers lock in a big over the top bear hug as they slap each other's backs.
"Austin and Lux, we chose you not only because of how influential you have been in our lives but we hope that you will carry us through hard times and good times - we trust and love you both so much," Demi says. "Of course!" Austin says loudly and pulls both Demi and Shawn into a tight bear hug as he throws his head back and laughs with them. Everyone turns to look at Lux then. Fuck. "Sure," she says with a shrug.
May she fucking die a thousand deaths right now?