"I assure you, Zane won't be there. I overheard Yasmin mentioning that Milan and Zane are heading to Pennsylvania," Angelica said confidently.
I narrowed my eyes at Angelica, trying to discern if she was telling the truth or making it up just to get me to accompany her to brunch. "You're not fabricating this just to convince me to come along, right?"
It had been three days since I last saw Zane outside the restaurant. I had made a promise to myself to keep my distance from him, to only engage in necessary conversations.
But if my friends continued inviting me to events where I knew he would be present, keeping that promise would become increasingly challenging.
Angelica bit her bottom lip, avoiding eye contact with me. I could tell she was hesitant.
I knew it.
After a moment of silence, she finally spoke up. "Well, I didn't exactly hear about them going to Pennsylvania. But I caught snippets suggesting that they won't be at brunch."
I let out a deep sigh and got up from my bed. "I can't imagine why my brother would leave town so close to his wedding, but... fine, I'll go to brunch with you. Just give me a moment to change into something more presentable."
I had been lounging in my pink unicorn onesie, even though it was already past ten in the evening. Being in New York without the constant weight of work hanging over me felt blissful. I could sleep in until noon, something I hadn't done in ages.
Angelica beamed with delight. "Great! I'll wait for you downstairs."
I made my way to the bathroom to freshen up, taking a shower and brushing my teeth. I tied my hair into a messy bun and slipped into a pastel-colored jumpsuit I had purchased during a shopping trip with Angelica.
As much as I loved makeup, there were days when I preferred to go au naturel. Today happened to be one of those days. I couldn't be bothered to put on even a drop of foundation. I was feeling too lazy, and on top of that, I was already running late.
Instead, I simply applied some chapstick and deemed myself ready to go.
When I descended the stairs, Alex and Angelica were already waiting for me. Angelica gave me a once-over and smiled in approval. She always did that, as if I had terrible fashion taste.
Me? Amari Vasilios? With bad fashion taste? Never. "Beautiful," Angelica said, grabbing her clutch from the coffee table. "Let's go."
I asked as we walked outside, where Alex's black Mercedes Benz was parked, "Where's Yasmin?"
"Yasmin already went with Ava," Angelica replied as she got into the car.
Ava was Yasmin's best friend and the maid of honor. She was a stunning girl with a down-to-earth personality, hopelessly crushing on Ivan Preston, the heartbreaker.
Meanwhile, Ivan seemed oblivious to Ava's feelings.
"Ava... Ava..." Alex mumbled as he drove out of the driveway of my parents' mansion. "Is that Ivan's girl?"
"No, because that jerk can't take a hint," Angelica said, frustrated as she struggled with the seatbelt.
"What do you mean he can't take a hint? The feeling is mutual."
I stared at Alex in disbelief. "What did you just say?"
"The feeling is mutual. Ivan can't stop talking about her. I think that guy is smitten," he chuckled, making a sharp left turn.
"Alex!" I yelled, nearly hitting my head on the window. "Why do I still accept your offers to drive me around when this isn't the first time you've nearly killed me?"
Alex laughed. "Because you love me. Plain and simple."
"Tell him to show his feelings!" Angelica screamed, disregarding the fact that her boyfriend almost sent us to heaven. "He acts so cold toward her. The poor girl thinks he's not interested."
"Geez, baby, calm down. I'll pass the message along to him," Alex said, looking at Angelica with a small smile. "I'll do anything for you."
He then glanced at me through the rearview mirror. "What about you? Should I pass a message to Zane?"
My mouth hung open, and without thinking, my hand smacked the back of his head.
"Ouch," Alex rubbed the spot where I hit him and turned to glare at me. "What was that for?"
"Keep your eyes on the road, dumbass. And no, thanks for the offer."
I heard him snicker as he continued driving. "The offer will always stand for you. Just give me a call. You know I hate seeing you two bickering, right?"
I rolled my eyes and remained silent.
I hate it too.
I hate fighting with him.
I hate pretending to hate him when I actually want to be close to him.
I want to hear his laughter, his stupid jokes, his mischievous plans, and learn about the big goals he set for himself.
Did he achieve them? Did he face any setbacks? What has he been up to?
I want my best friend back.
But can I endure the same pain I went through five years ago?
Can I?
Can I witness him with another girl?
Can I see him choosing me over someone else?
I can't.
I fell in love with him.
And that was never part of the plan.
"The place is so crowded. Goodness, will you manage to find a parking spot?" Angelica's voice brought me back to reality.
"I hope so. I'll drop you two off here so you don't have to walk too far in those Louboutins."
"This is Versace! I don't even like Louboutins. When will you ever get that right?" Angelica huffed, opening the car door.
"Sorry, babe. But I'm pretty sure it was Louboutins last week."
"That was last week, darling. I'm a completely different person now."
Angelica is so extra. Like mother, like daughter.
"Sure," Alex chuckled. "See you guys in a minute." He drove away, and Angelica and I made our way to the terrace where Yasmin and a few other girls were sitting.
Yasmin spotted us and stood up to greet us. "Hey, girls! I almost thought you guys couldn't make it."
"It took a little longer to convince this person here to come along," Angelica said, pointing at me as she hugged Yasmin.
Yasmin laughed and looked at me. "I was almost positive you wouldn't show up since you were still asleep when I left the house."
I chuckled. "Well, a certain someone can be very persuasive."
I took a seat next to Angelica. "Is this a girls-only brunch?" I asked, scanning the table. It was filled with girls wearing colorful summer dresses.
Ava shook her head and blushed, looking adorable. "The boys are inside getting us food."
"B-boys?" I stammered, realizing she used the plural form instead of singular.
"Yeah, Ivan, Milan, and... oh, here they come." Ava glanced behind me and a wide smile spread across her face.
I turned around, and my heart did a somersault. Zane, dressed in a white button-up tee and blue denim jeans, entered the terrace carrying a tray of food in his hands.
When his eyes met mine, they immediately lit up. "I brought you your favorite cake!" He grinned widely, placing a red velvet cake in front of me.
I stared at it in silence, shocked that he still remembered that I had a weakness for cake, especially red velvet.
"Thank you," I mumbled quietly. I looked up and noticed Axel, who had just walked up to the terrace, winking at me, likely having seen everything.
I turned to my left to look at Angelica, who simply shrugged her shoulders. Leaning in, she whispered in my ear, "I told you I only heard snippets." I let out a huff. "Yeah, right," I whispered back before turning my attention back to Milan and Yasmin.
"I'm so glad you all could make it," Yasmin said, smiling. "While we're having brunch, we'll go over some wedding details and discuss the bachelor and bachelorette parties."
"Have you already decided where the bachelorette party will be held?" Angelica asked curiously.
Yasmin gave her a mysterious smile. "Yes, I've already decided, but it will be a surprise for all of you."
Ava and Angelica groaned in frustration, earning chuckles from the guys and Yasmin.
Zane took a seat next to me in an empty chair. "I ordered avocado toast. Do you want that or fries?"
"Avocado toast sounds good. Is there apple juice?" I asked, noticing only orange juice on the table.
"No, we didn't order that because your brother was sure you wouldn't show up. Anyways... I'll get you some."
"No, Zane, it's—" I couldn't finish my sentence because he was already making his way inside.
Angelica poked me on the side and mouthed, "Prince charming," before taking a bite of her cheeseburger.
"Shut up," I whispered as my gaze landed on the couple in front of me.
I watched as Ivan fed Ava a piece of his chicken tender. It reminded me of the time when Zane and I went to a Thai restaurant, and he insisted on spoon-feeding me chicken curry.
"Apple juice."
I blinked, my attention shifting to Zane. That was fast. "Thank you," I smiled as I took the glass of apple juice from him.
Brunch went well. We discussed wedding details, and just thinking about the big day exhausted me, even though it wasn't my own wedding.
Zane remained mostly quiet throughout the brunch. He occasionally voiced his opinion, but that was about it. He tried to initiate conversation with me through Axel or Angelica, but I ignored him completely.
It was painful, but it's for the best.
-
Angelica burst into my room, causing my heart to skip a beat. "I can't believe you gave him the silent treatment!" she exclaimed.
"Jesus, girl! Can't you knock first?!" I screeched, hastily slipping into a pair of shorts. I had just stepped out of the shower when Angelica decided to barge in.
"I can't believe it!" she continued to yell, slamming the door shut behind her. "Give him a chance, for God's sake!"
I massaged my temples and sank down onto my bed. "Don't even try. It took me forever to get over him, and he wasn't even my boyfriend."
"And you're still not over him. Who are you trying to fool? Come on, Amari, everyone makes mistakes."
"Some mistakes are unforgivable. Zane hurt me once, and he will do it again. I fell in love with him, and I think you already know that. But the feeling is just not mutual."
"And how do you know?" Angelica asked, taking a seat next to me. "Did you ask him? He's a changed man."
"Yeah, right."
"Come on, Amari," Angelica sighed. "His parents are having an auction tonight. Your parents are going. I think you should go too."
"Why should I go?"
Angelica pulled out a red envelope from her purse. "Because he invited you. As his plus one."