[A/N- Hey guys! First of all, thank you for everyone who's reading this story and voting/commenting because I love all of your support and feedback and it gives me life <3. Sorry that this chapter is trash and that I haven't been updating but I'm about to graduate high school and idk if it's the same where ya'll live but it's a crazy busy time so I haven't been able to write as much. I might not be able to update every day like I want to but I WILL finish this story so don't think you're getting rid of me yet lol. But anyways, thank you so much for reading this story and I love all of you. Alright let's got on with this garbage chapter 😂]
"You know what I think is funny?" Estella asked me as she poured herself another glass of wine. We were sitting on the couch in their hotel room, drinking and listening to her records.
We'd finished the wedding stuff hours ago, and Estella insisted that we hung around and chatted before I headed out. I was going to say no, I really was, but then she pulled out a bottle of wine. And how could I resist wine?
I think she really wanted me to like her. And to be honest, I really did want to like her. Deep down, I think I did, actually. But for obvious reasons, I just couldn't warm up to her.
"What?" I asked, taking the bottle from her and filling up my own glass.
She took a drink and smiled playfully. "I think it's funny how you and Alex have never been a thing."
Oh shit. Here we go.
I laughed awkwardly. "Yeah. Weird."
She laughed along with me. "I mean, you've known each other for song long. But I guess just because I'm in love with him and stuff it's so hard for me to understand how everyone else isn't in love with him, ya know?"
Oh, I knew.
I shrugged, trying to stay casual.
"So you two have never fooled around?" she laughed. "Not even when you were kids?"
I almost choked on my wine.
"Never," I croaked, trying to catch my breath.
This was heading straight into dangerous territory and my mind desperately spun, trying to come up with something else, anything else, to talk about.
But before the conversation went any further, Alex and Miles suddenly burst through the door in a mess of loud talking and laughter. They both kind of stopped when they spotted us.
"Dav," Alex said to me, his eyes passing from me to Estella. "I didn't think you'd still be here this late."
"Well," I said, I clearing my throat awkwardly. "Surprise."
Estella stood up, crossing the room to Alex. I looked away right as she pulled him into her arms.
"I gotta hit the road," I said, standing up. As much as I loved being around Al and spending time with Estella was okay, I didn't want to stick around to watch the two of them pollute my air with their happiness and love. Frankly, I had better shit to do.
"Are you going to walk home?" Estella asked, turning around to look at me. She was still too close to Alex for my liking.
"I mean, unless you want a DUI..."
"Shut up," Alex laughed. "I'll take you home, you git. I'm meeting Matt at the Hellcat, so I'm headed that way anyway. You wanna join?"
I shook my head. "I have writing to do."
I'd kind of made a silent pact with myself to start avoiding the deadly mixture that was alcohol and Alex. I mean, separate they're fine, but together...
Bad shit could happen.
He nodded for me to follow him, walking to the door to get his keys.
"Before you go," Estella said to me before I'd even taken a step toward Alex. "I wanted to ask you something. And I think now is the right time since we've gotten to know each other better over these past few days."
I could feel my stomach start turning.
"What?"
She put a hand on my shoulder and looked at me with eager eyes. "Would you be one of my bridesmaids?"
Shit.
I was honestly still kind of contemplating going to the wedding at all, but to actually be in the wedding? How the fuck was I going to survive that?
But how could I say no to her face? And in front of Al and Miles?
So I did what I had to do, even though there wasn't a single part of me that wanted to.
"Of course I will."
She squealed, jumping up and down before pulling me into a hug. Miles caught my eye over her shoulder, stifling a laugh. I gave him a look as Estella pulled back.
"I'm so glad you said that," Estella exclaimed. "I'll text you later tonight with some more details, including your dress and such."
Great.
"And the wedding rehearsals start on Monday," she continued. "We're giving everyone a room here at the hotel for the week leading up."
"Wedding rehearsals?" I asked. "As in plural?"
Alex gave me a look that seemed to say "Told you it was a big thing."
"You have the kind of money to house everyone for a week?" I questioned.
"Well, I mean, you'll be rooming with a few other people. I just think it's more convenient to be staying here when there's so much for the whole wedding party to do."
Fuck. What had I agreed to?
I contemplated changing my answer, but Alex jumped in before I could.
"Let's go, Dav," he said to me. "I wanna get out on the road before the traffic gets bad."
I couldn't leave fast enough. I followed him out the door as Estella chattered on about more wedding stuff that I couldn't care less about. I felt bad, really. Estella seemed to be the only one who gave a shit about the wedding at all.
Once Al and I had escaped, he gave me a look I couldn't decipher. We raced for the elevator button, and this time he won.
"You know," I said to him as we stepped onto the elevator. I pressed the button for the first floor and he looked over at me as the doors began to shut. "You don't seem to be excited about your own wedding."
"I'm not big on stuff like this," he said, looking away. "Especially when all the focus is on me."
We didn't say anything for a while but then suddenly he turned to face me. His quiff was falling out and his hair was tumbling down into his eyes.
"Dav," he said carefully. "What you said at the party the other night... did you mean that?"
His words were so abrupt, and I could tell that he'd been pondering them since the party.
"I said a lot of shit," I told him, but I knew exactly what he was talking about.
"It was what you said when we were arguing."
"Al-"
"You told me to go back to my perfect life and perfect girlfriend and leave you alone."
"Well obviously I didn't mean it, you git," I said. "I'm here, aren't I? I was just tipsy is all."
When had I become so good at lying?
He nodded slowly, looking away for a moment. "I just didn't know you felt that way, Dav."
"I don't feel that way."
He put his eyes back on mine, giving me a stern look that said "Really?"
"You don't talk to me anymore," he said. "And when you do, I feel like half of it is a complete lie."
Okay. Well maybe I hadn't become a good liar.
"I don't lie-"
"Save it," he said. "You were just complaining to me the other night about how you can tell when I'm lying so there's no use. It works both ways."
Fuck.
I scrambled to come up with some kind of excuse. But the way his eyes burned into mine, waiting for an answer, I thought that maybe it was time to just tell him. Maybe it was time for the truth.
But before I could say anything, the elevator doors dinged open. We both just stood there, our eyes locked, before Alex broke away and stepped out into the lobby. The brief intermission was enough time for me to get my head back on straight.
"I guess I'm just jealous that you have your life together," I said, following him through the lobby. "You have it all figured out, and I just don't."
He looked down at me. "And that's all it is?"
"That's all it is," I repeated.
And for some reason, I kind of hoped he could tell that I was lying.