April 28, 2020 (1 Year Prior)
"Hey babe, did you get all of the invitations done?" Ben asked me as he walked through the front door of our house. To my right sat a neat pile of invitations ready to be mailed out, and to my left sat an invitation that I couldn't bring myself to fill out.
It was Ross's.
"Yes, they're right here. I'm going to get Jenna to drop them off at the post office tomorrow so they can be mailed out." I said, walking over to Ben and kissing him gently. "How was your day?" I asked, and he shrugged. Ben was an accountant, so most of his days were extremely boring and tiresome. "It was a day. How was yours?" He asked. "It was fine, just meetings about tour. Oh, and my manager told me that the tour sold out." I beamed and his eyes went wide. "Laur, that's amazing! A sold out world tour? Congrats babe." He said, wrapping me in a hug.
I smiled into his chest, but stopped as soon as I remembered the invitation sitting on my desk. I had invited Rocky to the wedding, and Rydel. It only seemed fitting to invite Ross. Ben had said it was perfectly okay, since he thought Ross was a pretty chill guy.
Here's my questions though, why am I still thinking about him a year after we called off our relationship? Well, since he called off our relationship.
I can't get him out of my head. Especially since he's everywhere I look. He's made it big as a solo artist and I can't help but feel happy for him, but at the same time extremely annoyed. And part of my heart is still reaching out for him every time I see him. It's killing me.
So, naturally, I can't help but feel as if I'm supposed to be marrying him instead, like it was always supposed to be, before he walked away.
"You okay?" Ben asked me, pulling away from our hug. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just going to go tidy up the office." I said. "Sounds good, I'm gonna take a quick shower, then we can grab some dinner?" He smiled. I nodded.
As I walked into the office, I felt like fate was willing me to take care of the situation. It felt like if Ross was supposed to be the guy I was going to end up with, then a serious act of fate would need to prove that to me.
And then it all made sense. There was something I could do that would end up showing me whether or not I should completely let go of Ross.
I would fill out the wedding invitation, telling him that the invitation I'm sending him isn't supposed to be given to him directly. He isn't supposed to receive this invitation and then show up to the wedding, that's not what I'm going for here.
I'm going to write him and explain that if this invitation ends up in his hands because of some sort of act of fate, then he should not come to the wedding. In fact, no one will be coming to the wedding, because I'll cancel it.
If Ross gets this letter, I'm done chasing anyone else. I'm not going to marry Ben, I'm not going to walk down the aisle and I'm not going to live my happily ever after.
I'm going to walk away from this and follow what fate has set out for me. This decision is out of my hands now. It's up to fate. If Ross gets this letter, then I end everything. I end it all, and I follow my heart and pursue what I lost so long ago.
So I picked up the pen and began to write exactly what I wasn't sure I ever wanted Ross to read.
Ross
This is supposed to be your invitation to my wedding on June 28th, 2021. It feels a bit weird inviting you to my wedding since the last wedding I planned was ours. I sat here for hours debating whether or not to ask you to attend. Isn't it funny? After all this time I still think about you. So, instead of an invitation, I decided to do this instead. If this somehow made it's way to you before I asked you in person to attend, or if this is in your hands because someone else gave it to you and not me, then please, do not come to the wedding.
I say this only because there shouldn't be one. If this letter gets to you through fate, then it should be known that I shouldn't be marrying someone else. It should be you.
I don't know if I even want you to get this.
This is incredibly stupid, but so am I.
Part of me hopes you never get this. Part of me hopes you do. Either way, I guess I'm going to find out.
-Laura
April 28th, 2020
I let go of a breath I didn't realize I was holding in, sealed the envelope, placed the envelope on my bookshelf, and went to get ready for dinner.
I wouldn't be sending the letter to Ross, but part of me hoped that someone else would.
___________
Present Day, April 28th, 2021
Ben
Laura left for the studio an hour ago and she phoned me because she forgot her songwriting journal, so I had to speed over to the studio to drop it off. I had the day off so it wasn't too bad.
We were getting married in 2 months and I couldn't be more excited. Laura is the love of my life and I'm ready to have a life with her. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me. But when she forgets stuff, it's damn annoying to go and dig around her office looking for it.
I let myself in and walked over to the bookshelf where she said it was. Damn she had a lot of books, so it was going to require some searching. She said it was a red leather journal, and as soon as I found it I pulled it off the shelf. Something else fell to the ground at my feet and I frowned at it. It was an envelope that looked exactly like one of our wedding invitations. Ross's name was on the front. It was dusty and a bit crumpled.
This must have been forgotten here, she must have dropped it when she sent the letters out and it never got delivered.
I need to get this to Ross as soon as possible. I'm sure Laura wants him at the wedding, after all, they've known each other for years. She'll be devastated to find out that he didn't receive his invitation. I put it into my coat pocket and walked out the door, heading for the studio.
As soon as I pulled up I walked inside and down the hall towards the recording area. I saw Ross's blonde hair near the vending machine and stopped in my tracks so I could give him the invitation. Laura had just texted me a picture of a bottle of Gatorade with the caption 'feeling kind of dead.' She must have just been here. Maybe he knows where she went.
"Hey man, did Laura go by here?" I asked, his back still turned to me. Ross turned on his heel and looked me. He looked kind of shocked but a little pissed at the same time. I wonder what about?
"Ben. What a nice surprise. Yeah, she was headed that way." He said, pointing towards the recording area. I nodded in thanks. Then I remembered the invitation. "Thanks, oh and, I don't know why Laura didn't send this, I found it in the house, she must have left it sitting on her desk or something, but it's your invitation to the wedding. Just RSVP soon, since you're getting it kind of late. Sorry about that man." I said, handing it to him and then walking out of the room.
I walked into Laura's recording studio but she was in the booth, so I just gave her a thumbs up, listened for a little, and then placed the book down on an open chair before walking back out towards my car.
Ross was still standing by the vending machines so I popped my head back in to see if he could make it.
"Ross, can you make it?" I asked him, and he jumped a little. I must have startled him. His eyes looked confused but also hopeful. "I'm sorry man, I can't make it," Ross stated, "I'm on tour." He explained. "Bummer man. Sorry you got it so late. I thought Laura sent them out way earlier. I guess she missed yours," I said before digging out my car keys, "Well, see you around." I waved to him and then headed home.
__________
Laura
"Ben? I'm home. Wow, that smells amazing." I said, walking through the front door. I entered the kitchen and saw him making steak, one of my favourites. "Ben, I love you. I'm so hungry, I haven't eaten anything good all day. You're a life saver." I said, kissing his cheek. He chuckled. "It's no problem, babe. Hey, so the weirdest thing happened today." Ben said as I sat down at a bar stool.
"Yeah? Like what?" I asked, interested. "Well, when I was getting your song book," Ben began and I nodded, urging him to continue, "a stray wedding invitation fell off your bookshelf. You're not going to believe it, my punctual, super organized fiancé forgot to mail an invitation out to someone." He teased and I felt kind of worried. I forgot to mail an invitation? Weird.
"Who was it for?" I asked casually, eating a strawberry. "It was for Ross! Crazy, right? I knew you'd want him there so when I brought you your book I ran into him at the studio and handed him the invitation." Ben laughed, like it was nothing.
My heart stopped.
"He read it and all that, but he said that he couldn't make it because he's on tour. So, I guess after all the commotion we don't need to worry about fitting him in at a table after all, hey babe?" Ben teased. I couldn't breathe. I felt sick.
Ross followed my instructions. I remembered what I wrote in that letter.
That was no invitation.
That was the one letter that had the ability to change my entire life. I had forgotten about it until now.
He got it. And of all the people, it was Ben who gave it to him.
"Laur?" You okay?" Ben asked, wiping his hands on a tea towel. I shook my head.
"No, I'm not." I said, and his eyes looked at me, concerned. "What's wrong?" He asked, reaching for my hand, but I pulled it away. I looked him in the eye and swallowed my tears. "Laura, what the fuck is wrong?" He asked, and I felt my entire world crashing down.
"We're over." I breathed out.
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BACK to BACK updates.
this one is crazy.
hope things make more sense now.!!! if you have any questions, comments, or opinions please comment and I'll respond!!
things are about to get very interesting ;)
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haileexoxo