-Misty's P.O.V.-
"AND MAKE SURE YOU BRING YOUR FRIENDS! NO MORE EXCUSES!!" I pulled the telephone away from my ear due to the yelling coming from Aunt Jacqueline, her demand to have my friends come over for the 15th annual Paul Family Summer BBQ coming up in a couple weeks. I use to come alone or from time to time I'd be Chrishell or something, but now my Aunt figured out I had more friends than her and she was literally forcing me to bring them.
"DO YOU HEAR ME MISTY LOUISE PAUL?!" She said.
I squirmed at the phone. "Yes, I hear you...no need to get excited." I said to her.
She huffed. "I don't have a choice these days, it's like pulling teeth with you sometimes...even worse with your mother." She said.
I arched my eyebrow, "You plan on inviting her?" I asked her.
"Is she not our family?" She asked me.
I made a clucking noise with my mouth, "It doesn't seem like it most times." I replied.
She sighed, "Misty...please hold your tongue if she does show up, I just want a happy family reunion alright?" Aunt Jackie said to my helplessly.
I bit the inside of my cheek. "I'll try...it's going to be hard, but I'll try for you." I said to her.
"Thank you." She said. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Misty be safe love bug." She said.
"You too, love you." I said.
"Love you too." And she hung up the phone.
I threw my cellphone somewhere on my bed and went back to what I was doing before my Aunt called me and demanded my friend's presence at the BBQ. I was trying to figure what songs I wanted to put on my upcoming album. It was crazy thinking that I was already going to be putting an album out, when It felt like not too long ago I just became an artist on Diwali Records.
My single released a couple of days ago and I couldn't tell you how fast it blew up. Everywhere I went from the mall to the grocery shop I heard my song playing on the speakers, and not too far away I'd always see someone mouthing or singing the song along with the radio.
I felt happy. I was ecstatic that people loved hearing me, I loved seeing the smiles on their faces as they sang. My heart would just get this feeling like my heart was going to stop or something but it just began beating fast and I felt like I could do anything.
The mere thought brought shivers to my body and I smiled to myself as I continued looking through my book filled with songs that just needed to be heard. The sad part to these songs is that they needed really good beats to go along with it, I mean I couldn't just go acapella all the time.
As I continued thinking to myself and sorting through my music, someone came through the door and shook my out of my zone. I looked up realizing that it was Tess. I nodded towards her, she had her arms folded over her chest and I gave her a confused look.
"What's up,Tess?" I asked her curiously.
"Did you forget that you have a job to go to?" She said to me.
"Shit. I forgot." I closed my song book and threw inside my nightstand and quickly threw off my shirt and pants. With all this music and school work and having going to back and forth between both parties, I totally forgot that I did have a job here in Indiana.
"Hey, when did you get a tattoo?" Tess said walking up behind me.
I threw on some jeggings, it was getting a little bit too humid for jeans, but I didn't want to pull out the booty shorts just yet.
"I got it a couple of weeks ago when I was in L.A." I replied to her.
After the tattoo finished healing, I took a good look at it in the mirror and I loved it. No regrets. I honestly felt like a new person when I got this tattoo. I was contemplating getting another one.
"It looks cool." Tess complimented me.
I nodded. "Thanks." I said throwing on my shirt, shoes, and I grabbed my bag before I headed down the stairs with Tess. Once we got to the bottom I didn't even notice some of the guys that were here. Wes, Chase, and Jayden. We all waved and said hi, but knew if we stopped to say anymore we'd be late for work. We headed towards the door and that's when Chase stopped us...or really just Tess before we really left.
"You're not staying?" Chase asked her.
She shook her head. "Work." She said pointing to both me and her.
Chase nodded. "I'll see you around, I guess." He said.
"Yeah." Tess agreed before she pulled my hand and we left the Zeta house. It wasn't until we were halfway to work that I began to say something to Tess.
"So...are you talking to Chase again?" I asked her.
She seemed to be shaken out of her thoughts when I spoke. "Hm? Oh Yeah...I finally talked to him, we're on some sort of common ground now." She responded.
I nodded. Glad the awkwardness and tension that resided with Tess and Chase was gone.
"That's great...so are you considering getting back together with him?" I asked her curiously. She gave me a look and then shifted her eyes. Before she spoke I could see the internal struggle going on in her head as she shook it fiercely and then settled with a sigh and a shrug.
Tess stopped in her step. I followed in pursuit.
"Mist...let's be honest, this is not like the movies...it's not like the books. I'm not obligated in what way ever to get back with Chase. You ever felt..I don't know...happy that something like this happen because it sort of gave you an excuse to get rid of someone." She looked at me seriously and then shook her head again.
"I probably sound like an asshole." She said beginning to walk again.
I still remained standing. "You don't sound like an asshole...as a matter of fact I agree." I watched as she stopped and turned looking at me with an arched eyebrow, like 'how in the world could I understand?'.
"You do?" She asked me.
I nodded. "I mean you know...Jayden and I." I said to her.
Tess crossed her arms over her chest. "I knew something was up with you guys...but I'm not here to judge, it's my fault anyway." She said turning around and continuing to walk towards the coffee shop now coming into view. I began walking as well.
"How is it your fault?" I asked her.
She shrugged again. "Aren't I always bringing the creeps, introducing them and stuff?" She confessed to me.
I scrunched my face at her. The only time she brought home creeps was that one time when we were freshman and a little bit naive, but we all learned from that mistake. I didn't really consider the guys mistakes that Tessly's brought home, we had our differences here and there, but that didn't make them mistakes. Each of them had their redeeming qualities that separated them from the bunch of people we met in the past.
"Tess...you didn't bring creeps, did they not end up being our boyfriends at one point?" I asked her. By then we were at the coffee shop. Tess held the door open for me allowing me to pass and we made out way to the back of the shop and threw on our work attire.
"I mean yeah but-." She started but I cut her off.
"But nothing! Alex and Wes are still together and so are Ron and Chrishell. Just because out relationships didn't work doesn't mean it falls on your head. It was between the people who are in the relationship." I said to her.
She nodded listening to me intently. "You're right, I guess I'm just over thinking it." She said. We both walked out to the registers and got started on taking orders and making coffee. Tess and I didn't get a chance to speak to one another for about another hour and some change.
"So how's life in L.A. Treating you?" Tess asked.
I smirked. "It's cool, there's a lot of work...that and my song keeps playing." I said acknowledging my song that came on for the third time since we've been working. Tess laughed.
"They can't help it, you happen to be amazing." She gushed.
I rolled my eyes. "I don't really think so but I'll go with whatever anyone says." I replied.
Tess lightly shoved me. "Misty, you're so modest honestly you do sound beyond fabulous." She complimented me.
"Thank you." I thanked her.
We were silent for a moment.
"Hey, Misty do you mind coming with me to my brother's dinner rehearsal?" Tess asked me suddenly.
I arched my eyebrow. "What are you scared of messing up or something?" I teased her.
She shook her head. "It's just that Asher is going to be there and I don't want to look like a fool or anything, plus Colet and Tristan really like you." She said trying to persuade me.
Key word: Trying.
I laughed and shook my head. "I'll go with you on one deal." I said to her.
She listened closely. "You have to go to my family's annual barbeque coming up." I said.
She shrugged. "Is that all you got, I can get the whole crew there." She said.
I patted her shoulder. "That would save my life." I thanked her. "So when is the rehearsal?" I asked her.
She smiled nervously. "Tonight." She said.
I frowned. "Tonight?!" I said a bit shocked.
"Hey! No take back-give backs!" She said signing, sealing, and delivering the fact that she was not taking back the deal we made. I shook my head. Tess was really something else sometimes, I wondered about her.
I took a deep sigh. "Fine...I'll go." I said.
She squealed and squeezed me into a hug.
"It's gonna be great!"
-
Since we got off of work a bit late, we had to go home get dressed formally and then as a result arrived to the dinner fashionably late. We walked and there were a lot of unfamiliar faces in the crow, but that had to because I didn't know anyone here besides Tess and Asher.
"Dad!" Tess said leaving my side for a moment and running over to embrace a tall and big figure over by the edge of the room. I followed her since I didn't want to be left standing around in the middle of the flock of people I didn't know.
I waited not interfering with Tess's greeting to her father and just admired the really nice features of the restaurant like the large and crystal featured chandelier and the clear and shiny marble floor of the room.
"Dad, this is Misty one of my best friends." Tess said pulling my arm out of my dazed admiring thoughts and over to her father, who I politely shook hands with. Tess's father heavily resembled her brother Tristan. Her father had sandy-brown looking hair like Tristan, but their father shared the same icy-blue gaze that both of them wore proudly.
"Nice to meet you, Misty." He said giving me a warm smile.
"You too, Mr. Novak." I said just as nicely.
He nodded letting go of my hand and pulled his daughter towards him and giving her a fatherly nudge. "I hope you've been taking care of my little muffin here, since she's been at college." He said.
Tess made a face at the little kid reference he made to her and her father chuckled.
I nodded, "I try my best." I said staring directly at Tess and sending her telepathic messages that I was laughing at her internally and I think she had an idea that I was because she narrowed her eyes but her gaze was short-lived because Colet tapped her glass and they were going to continue the dinner.
Everyone found their way back to their seats and Tess and I snuck and found seats beside Asher who smiled at us gently...or maybe Tess, but I was going to pretend it was for the both of us so I didn't feel left out.
"Thank you all for coming today, let's get started." Colet said.
They began to do whatever it is they did at dinner rehearsals and it was pretty sweet and simple. Soon enough it came the time for us to leave that and I was getting tired and I had classes in the morning. As we were leaving Tristan and Colet saw us off at the door.
Colet hugged me. "Thanks for coming, Misty it really means a lot to me." She said.
I smiled, "No problem. Anything for you guys." I said.
She nodded.
The speakers from the restaurant began a new song and I instantly recognized the voice the minute the first line of the song came on. Colet clapped happily and immediately began dancing coming out of her collected and quiet manner as quickly as a snap of a finger. Tristan shook his head and Tess giggled.
"I love this song! Lazaro is like my all time favorite singer!!" She said.
I smirked, "Is he?" I asked her.
She nodded enthusiastically. "If he could sing at my wedding I think I'd die right there and then." She said in a dreaming like way.
"You know Misty knows Lazaro." Tess pipped in again revealing a part of my life I meant to keep quiet for the time being.
Colet stopped swaying and with wide eyes almost tackled me. "Do you really know him?!" She asked me. She grabbed onto my tightly and I clenched my teeth at how aggressive she became in that short amount of time. I casually glanced over to Tess and again sent her a telepathic message reading: I will kill you when we get home.
"Yeah! Misty's even sang with him in that song One more chance. They even knew each other before he got famous." Tess spluttered out as well.
I hissed.
She laughed nervously her eyes shifting gaze towards the door and back to me a couple of times before she decided on walking closer to her brother who gave her a curious look but said nothing. Colet was still holding onto me tightly and after Tess telling her all that information she held on me tighter.
"Wait. You're that Misty? OH MY GODDDD! So it's true! Can you sing for me?! OH MY GOD!" She jumped frantically over me.
If a camera was pointing directly into my face, it would have said it all: HELP ME.
"Colet...let go of Tess's friend, please." He said coming over to his fiance and relieving me from her deathly grasp. I was a little scared now I sort of backed away from her and everyone else.
"Maybe some other time." I said backing out of her request. I wasn't nervous about singing I just thought it was a bit creepy that I was going to start being recognized now thanks to Tess and her big mouth. So far, I've had no encounters but maybe that's because I've been held up in my room most of the time I have been in Indiana.
Colet pouted, "That's too bad." She looked down for a moment and then her eyes popped up. "Do you think you can get Lazaro to perform at my wedding for me? I'd love you forever." She inquired.
"Colet." Tristan warned her.
I waved my hand. "No, it's fine...I'm not sure if he'll be available but I can try. When is the wedding again?" I asked them.
"The last Saturday of May." She replied to me.
"That was exactly a week and a half from now, which was also convenient because the family BBQ was on that Sunday. So I decided to put two and two together. Getting Larz down here in Indiana could be a challenge though, but I didn't know for sure.
"I'll see what I can do." I said calculating everything in my head.
She clapped again and broke free from her fiance's grasp and tackled me in a hug.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She said to me.
I patted her back still not used to the frequent physical connection she kept showing me but I somewhat tolerated it. She let me go at one point and Tess and I really did leave this time but not before I slapped her arm.
"OW! What was that for?" She asked me her eyes furrowed in concentration as she rubbed her arm where I had hit her.
"You're just going around spreading around my business like peanut butter and jelly on bread!" I said to her.
We headed into Alex's car which we borrowed for the night since she was just hanging out with Wes at the Zeta house and made our way home. Tess shrugged and turned up the radio volume in the car.
"Sorry...I didn't really think it was going to be some secret or anything. You're pulling a Hannah Montana or nah?" She laughed to herself at the tiny joke she made and I shook my head. This girl was giving me grays right now.
"It's not that...I'm just not the bragging type, I'm still trying to get this thing figured out, Tess." I sighed deeply.
She stole a glance at me over by the car with a look of sympathy on her face. "You don't have to do it, if you don't want to." She said.
"Do what?" I asked her while I brushed some hair out of my face with frustration.
"Bring Larz down here, don't feel obligated for Colet she kind of manipulates people through her emotions...it's not intentional and I'm not sure if she notices it, but she doesn't mean to force you." Tess said, she tapped her hands lightly on the steering wheel.
I stood silent.
"So...are you coming to the wedding?" She asked me.
I quirked my eye brow. "I didn't know I was invited." I said to her.
Tess shook her head, "Of course you're invited, everyone is I just asked them earlier because you were in L.A. Doing your thing and all." She said.
"Oh...yeah, I'm coming." I said to her.
She nodded. "Cool." That was pretty much the brink of out conversation in the car. We arrived to the house maybe a minute or two after and headed in our own paths to bed. Instead of going to bed like I initially planned, I took a shower, slipped into my nightwear, and grabbed my cellphone dialing Larz's number and waited.
It took two rings before he answered.
"Misty?" He sounded like he just woke up or something, his voice was deep and sounded a bit dazed when he answered and I felt a little bad that I was going to be asking him favors when clearly he sounded exhausted.
I was thinking so hard on the line that I forgot that I had called him in the first place and I was silent. I snapped out of it the second time he called my name.
"Oh, hey Larz." I replied into the phone.
I heard some shuffling in the background of the receiver and closed my eyes, it was already dark in the room since I didn't even bother turning on the lights.
"Mist, are you okay?" His voice sounded more alert than he did when he picked up the phone. I hated that I was making him worry as soon as I call him, I already was giving him enough grief as it is. I was such a bad caller, I already knew it.
"I'm fine, Larz...did I wake you up?" I asked him.
"Kind of, I was in the middle of a work nap thing." He said.
"I feel bad now, I call you some other time." I said ready to hang the phone.
Larz chuckled. "Mist, you're such an awkward person on the phone sometimes." He said.
I pursed my lips. "I'm trying to hard right now." I confessed.
"I know, I can tell." he said. "So what's up?" He asked me.
"Nothing...I wanted to ask you something." I stated.
"Oh?" He asked me curiously.
I thought to myself how exactly I was going to fraze this, but thought that I was taking too much time to actual tell him what I needed so I just said what I had on my mind.
"I kind of need a favor of you." I started.
"What kind of favor is it?" He asked me seriously.
"The kind that involves life and death." I teased him.
I could almost see him rolling his eyes over the phone and that brought a smile to my face. "Really." He pleaded with me.
I took a deep breath, "My friend's sister-in-law is getting married in a week and she really loves you like...a lot and she kind of figured out that I know you and now she wants you to come and sing at her wedding. Really bad." I said putting emphasis on the really.
He was silent for a moment. "Are you going to be there?" He asked.
"Yeah." I responded.
He sighed. "Then I'll do it." He said.
I took a silent release of breath before I spoke up again. "Thanks." I said to him.
"It's cool." He replied to me.
"Oh one more thing!" I said remembering my last request.
"Does this involve me singing again?" Larz asked sarcastically.
I rolled my eyes this time. "No...I wanted to invite you to my family's barbeque, it's the day after the wedding." I said to him.
He seemed interested about that. "Now...weekend in Indiana sounds more appetizing to me, you mind asking me that again?" He said.
I giggled. "Larz, will you spend the weekend with me in Indiana, how about that?" I asked him.
"Much better." He sounded pleased with himself.
"So you'll do it?" I asked him.
"I said yes already you know." He said.
I blushed. "I know, I just wanted to make sure." I said to him.
"Would you like for me to air it on national television so you know it's real?" He asked.
"Haha, you're so funny." I said sarcastically.
"Aren't I?" He said conceitedly.
"I've never met your family before, what are they like?" he asked me seriously.
I thought to myself. My family was pretty big as far as I was concerned on my mother's side there was my mom and Aunt Jacqueline's younger brother, Uncle Tyler who was the comic of the family, but I only saw him on special occasions like reunions and stuff. Then there were my cousins, there were a whole bunch of them, some on Tanya's father's side, then there was the distant cousins, and the family friends.
The point of the barbeque was that there was going to be a lot of people there, that's why we had to rent out a huge piece of the park to get the whole thing done.
"Diverse...I got a lot of family members I'm not sure if I can even explain them in a sentence, you'll know when you get there." I said to him leaving his excitement get the best of him.
"Now I'm anxious, thanks a lot." He said.
"It's always my pleasure." I said sarcastically.
There was the sound of talking in the background where Larz was but I ignored it.
"Is you're mom going to be there?" He asked me curiously.
I clucked my tongue. "If she decided to grace us with her presence." I rolled my eyes.
Larz chuckled. "You should have a little more faith than that, Mist." Lazaro encouraged me.
"Easier said than done."
-
-1 week and a half later-
"Can ya'll hurry up why are Misty and I the only ones ready to go to the church!!" Chrishell complained as we stood in the hallway of the house waiting patiently for Alex to come out of her room. Tess wasn't here since she was part of the wedding party and needed to be there earlier to get dressed and get her hair done. We on the other hand were getting rides for the guys over to the place, and they weren't even here yet.
Why was everyone always so late when there was a wedding to go to?
I wasn't as impatient as Chrishell but I was anxious, I wanted to see Larz really bad but I knew he wasn't going to be at the physical wedding only the reception because he had work and could make it at this time. Then he was spending the rest of the weekend with me. So I was more of the silent impatient than the outspoken one Chrishell was.
Her lips were pursed and she was tapping her foot impatiently. "Alex!" She called out.
"Wait a damn minute, Chrishell!" Alex hated to be rushed whenever she was doing her makeup so this was what we were getting, whether Chrishell like it or not. Chrishell narrowed her eyes and began marching up the stairs toward Alex's room just as the front door bell rang and I walked over to the door and pulled it open.
Ron was at the door with a handsome looking suit on and when he saw me he smiled and gave me a small kiss on the cheek. "You look beautiful, Misty." He complimented me.
"Thanks, You don't look too bad yourself." I looked down at the outfit I had chosen to wear. It was a pretty classy looking, peach colored dress with lace at the top crowning at the chest and over by the sleeves of the arm, the rest of the dress was a plain white pencil skirt form with a tiny platinum gold bow in the middle holding the dress together. On m feet I wore some matching heels with gold straps at the ankles. My accessories consisted of two tear drop pearl earrings, and a lace clutch. My hair was in a half up and half down style that was formal but casual at the same time.
He smiled, "You know I try for the ladies." He said cocking his collar up.
I scoffed. "Don't get crazy." I said flicking my hair in his face.
He laughed. "Are the girls ready?" He asked me.
"Shhhh...if you listen closely you can hear the sound of fighting girls in their natural habitat...its extraordinary." I said in a fake Australian accent. Ron busted out laughed and I shook my head, we waited a few more minutes before Chrishell and Alex finally came down reaching a compromise with Alex making sure everything on her was fixed perfection.
"I'm ready!" She cheered.
"There is a God." Ron muttered.
I nudged him and we all walked out towards the two cars parked out in front of the house waiting for us. In the first car Jayden and Chase, in the second car was Ron and Wes. Alex went into that ride and Chrishell and I stepped into the other.
"Ladies! Looking good!" Chase complimented us as entered the car one by one. We both were in the back seat since the guys were up front so we could spread out all we wanted. I shut the door behind me since I was the last one in and buckled up.
"Thanks, Chase." We both replied in synch.
He smiled and began to speed off to our destination.
It was about a 20 minutes drive and Chrishell was singing to herself and occasionally looking down at her phone. I was looking down at my phone as well but I was keeping myself preoccupied until we got there. I looked up occasionally to see where we were at times and my eyes randomly focused on the rear view mirror.
Jayden was looking at me. My eyes focused on him, I didn't know whether or not to do or say anything to him so my eyes remained glancing at him for a moment before he himself turned his gaze away from looking at the mirror.
I hoped and prayed Jayden wasn't going to make it awkward for us at this wedding because I just really wanted to enjoy myself for once. I think part of him was still in this mode that we were going to get back together, and even though I didn't know the answer to that myself I wasn't going to keep my mind busy with the thought.
I was young and I didn't need to be making decisions right on the spot. I needed to take my time and think things through.
~
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony....." The priest's voice echoed all throughout the church.
Tess's family members were smiling proudly, others were crying out of happiness but my gaze was focused on Colet and Tristan. They looked so happy and in love with each other it was mesmerizing. It was refreshing to see something like this, it reminded you that there was still a chance for everyone to find their "one." even if it wasn't now, they'd find their missing puzzle piece.
"Do you Colet Britt take Tristan Novak as your husband to have and to hold until death do you part?" The priest asked Colet.
She head tears in her eyes threatening to fall out of her eyes if she let them.
"I do." She smiled.
"And do you Tristan Novak take Colet Britt as you wife to have and to hold until death do you part?" He asked Tristan.
He smiled at Colet. "I do." He agreed.
"With the power invested in me I now pronounce you man and wife...you may kiss your bride!" The priest announced.
We all watched as Colet and Tristan both leaned into each other and shared a love-filled kiss that showed how much passion they shared for each other. I looked over to Tessly who was bawling tears out there but she looked so happy for her brother and she didn't care.
"I now introduce to you Mr. & Mrs. Novak!" The priest cheered.
We all clapped and rejoiced as we watched Colet and Tristan make their way down the isle now as husband and wife and I couldn't help but stare in awe how amazingly perfect they looked together. I obviously didn't know them as much as Tess did but I could tell they they were made for each other.
The rest of the party followed behind them as well as Asher and Tess who walked down arm in arm, Tess quickly turned to me for a moment and winked before she headed down into bright burning light of Indiana.
After the wedding finished there was about an hour in between of break time before we headed over to the reception place for the cocktail hour and then the actual party. We chilled for a little before we went to the party by then we got to see Tess, Colet, and Tristan and congratulated them on being official now and you could just tell they were beaming and glowing like I've never seen them before.
A little bit into the party the girls and I were having some drinks by a table and chatting as we watched people get down on the dance floor. There was some great music playing and I swayed a little as I listened to Tess tell us about the hell she was going through in the dressing room with the bridal party.
"They were all running around like chickens with their heads cut off, now look at them." She pointed some of the bridesmaids dancing like they had absolutely no care in the world. I laughed to myself, weddings just brought out so much emotions in people. It was like everything had to be perfect.
I wondered if I was going to be like that on my wedding day. God, I hope not.
As we spoke I could hear a commotion behind me but I didn't turn around because I thought it was just people dancing crazily or something, but as I was speaking to my friends I watched their eyes start unfocused on me and begin to widen. I scrunched my eyes and before I could turn around I felt a pair of warm hands cover my eyes.
I was shocked and my breath caught in my throat.
"Guess who?" Larz's familiar warm soothing voice whispered in my ear.
My heart began thrashing in my chest, literally I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I held onto the hands covering my eyes. "I'm going to take a wild guess...Santa Clause with the Jordan's I requested since last year." I said sarcastically.
"Wrong, I was going for the amazingly awesome and handsome Lazaro but I guess Santa Clause too." He said letting go of my face and allowing me to turn and look at him. I immediately wrapped my arms around his body glad that he was finally here. Beside him was Red and Brendan who were cheesing really hard at us.
"Angel voice you look stunning!" Brendan came over pushing Larz to the side and taking the opportunity to spin me around viewing my entire ensemble I had going on.
"Thanks Bren." I said to him. He let me go and Red approached me giving me a tight squeeze.
"Been missing you for a while, Mist." She said to me.
"Same." I agreed with her.
Alex cleared her throat which reminded me of their presence and I turned to them quickly refreshing Larz's people to my people.
"Um...guys you remember Larz...Red, and Brendan." I said pointing each of them out.
They nodded coming over to shake hands with everyone.
"Alex, Chrishell, and Tess." I said re-introducing them.
They all greeted each other and Tess was the first to speak up. "You really came." She said.
He smirked and brushed his dark hair from his face. "Yeah...Misty said your sister-in-law wanted me to sing for her wedding so I'm here." He said.
Tess smiled and looked at me with wide eyes and mouthed to me: This guy is hot.
I bit my lips and pretended I didn't see her just do that.
"Well thanks for showing up m-." Tess's sentence was cut short with the sound of a high-pitched scream coming from across the room. We all had that look on our faces like what the hell was happening until we saw Colet running across the room with her heels and her dress holding them high up in the air heading straight for Lazaro.
He was already bracing himself for impact and when Colet made it to where we were standing she collided with him. Luckily for her Larz was pretty strong and he held her upright when she was basically stuck to him now arms around his body and everything.
Larz gave me the same look I pulled a week ago when Colet grabbed my arm aggressively.
Help me.
I stifled a laugh and by then we already drew in a crowd of people gathering around us including Tristan who quickly walked over to his new wife with apologetic but impressed glance at Larz and I.
"Colet, please let go of the poor man." He said gently trying to peel her off of Larz.
"My life is complete." She whispered.
Tess was literally dying of laughter behind her brother tears were pouring out of her eyes and eventually she had to go sit down and have a drink of water she was so red from laughter.
The teenage girls that were here were not too far from where Colet was drooling from their mouths that Lazaro was here, the were all jumping up frantically and hugging their notepads and pens in their hands tightly just waiting for their moment.
"Colet." Tristan said desperately.
She looked up at Larz. "Can you sing for me, please?" She asked.
Larz looked over at me and I looked back at him not revealing a god damn thing in my gaze. I watched him sigh and then nod his head.
"Sure." He agreed.
Colet let out a piercing scream again and I covered my ears, man did she love him or what? Tristan finally got Colet off of Larz and Larz straightened up in his pretty formal looking attire, he headed towards the stage along the way he grabbed my hand pulling me with him.
"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked him.
He stopped by the stage letting go of my hand and asking the DJ for two mics.
"You're singing with me." He said handing me a mic.
I gave him the most dumbest looks ever and he just smiled.
"You said this was a favor for you, you never said under what conditions...you're singing." He said.
"Uhh..uh..." I was staring into space now.
"You'll be fine, come on." He hopped onto the stage and pulled me up with one of his arms by then everyone had formed a mass group around the stage with awe struck eyes at what was about to happen.
Larz said something to the DJ who in return nodded his head and just like that our familiar beat came through the speakers blasting. I looked down at the screaming girls as well as Colet and couldn't help but notice the huge smiles they had on their faces it was almost magically. I forgot instantly that I was singing in front of a mass group of people and remembered that I was singing for people who wanted to hear the music that came from us. It was like making the song all over again.
I turned to Larz and began singing just like I was trained to do. He smiled at me all throughout the time I sang to him and sang with just the same amount of energy and passion. I saw the lightning and all the emotion run throughout the stage and dance across all the little heads of people cheering for us, it was like the time I got pushed onto stage with Larz it was like an adrenaline rush to me.
"One more chance." Our voices slowly drifted apart and ended the song which got an immense amount of clapping, hollering, and cheering for us. I smiled to the crowd and looked over at Larz, he was giving me that unidentified look again like he wanted to say something but just couldn't say it. Instead of mentioning it I let him take the rest of the stage and perform one his songs while he brought Colet up to the stage which I was pretty sure was going to die of a heart attack, she looked so red up there.
I stood off to the side where my friends came over and sandwiched me in a hug.
"Oh my God! You guys were so good!" Alex gushed.
"Misty...you were made for the stage, you just looked so natural like you belonged up there." Tess said.
"Flawless bestiee, flawless." Chrishell complimented me.
This was the first time my friends were seeing me on stage and I felt so proud of myself for not feeling the slightest of nerves up there as I sang with Larz. His power to keep me calm and in control of myself made feel like I was growing every single time I hit that stage. The thought of getting back up on the stage this time on my own brought shivers down my back, not out of fear but out of excitement.
"Wow, that means a lot to me guys...thanks." I hugged them back.
"Oh my God you guys! We have a famous person as a best friend." Alex jumped up happily.
I halted that. "I wouldn't go as far as saying that, I'm barley out my first single." I said to her modestly.
"Yeah, a single that's still charting number one on the billboard top 100." Chrishell said truthfully.
True but-
"Misty just be happy for yourself, this is amazing! I can't wait to see you on the red carpet twirling that designer dress like..." Tess turned around slowly like she was posing for a picture and I couldn't stop myself from laughing.
"Nice one, Tess." I said.
We all turned back to the stage where Larz was finishing his song to Colet and she happily wrapped him up in a hug again, thanking him about a hundred billion times before he finally got a chance to get off the stage. His eyes quickly glanced the crowd and when his eyes fell on me he walked over flicking his hair away from his face.
"I got to go now." He said abruptly.
I pouted. "Really, but you just got here." I said.
He smirked. "I know, but I just literally hopped off my flight I got to get to my hotel real quick now." He said.
I sighed a bit upset that he wasn't going to be staying but at the same time understanding the sacrifice he made for me. He really did care for me because he even bothered to show up.
From the corner of my eye I could see the guys approaching us from a far. In that group I could see Wes, Asher, Chase, Ron, and finally Jayden. I didn't dare look at him.
Larz's eyes followed up and saw them approaching as well. He cupped my face and bent down placing a small kiss on my forehead, I could hear the sounds that the girls were making behind me, embarrassing the shit out of me.
"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" he said to me softly.
I nodded.
He gave me one last look before he headed over to where Red and Brendan were standing. They both waved to me before they turned and followed Larz out the door.
The girls all jumped and shimmied their way back to me squealing in delight.
"OH MY GOD!" They yelled.
That seemed to be the only word they knew today.
"I thought ya knew each other but not like that!" Chrishell nudged me profoundly.
The guys stopped just shy of where were all standing all of them were a bit confused as to what was going on but most of all curious.
"Anyone want to tell me what that was all about?" Chase asked.
"You don't know the half of it!" Alex said.
The girls laughed and giggled like they were all in on one big secret and my eyes followed and focused on the conversation in front of me.
I didn't dare give Jayden a look, because if I did....
I'd know he'd break.