SO sorry everyone, this chapter should have been uploaded 2 weeks ago! But when you're Maddy, you can't go to another country without leaving your laptop charger at home... I didn't get to upload the Christmas chapter I was planning on uploading, but that's okay..
I was also having a great holiday (I hope you guys did!) and then something happened and it just sucks! Haha, so I'm happy to be uploading again and getting back into the Celebrity Bride world xo
Hope you enjoy and again, sorry this is late!
Happy Reading x
P.S. Has anyone read the book The Duff?? And if so, can you explain to me why someone had to make it into a movie but change the whole plot?! I'm so annoyed! :')
~Chapter 17~
Tessa's POV
I'm dreaming about Stefan and I in Paris, having a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower and something wet touches my ear. I jump awake and push away Sam, who has stuck her wet finger in my ear. I rub my ear with my t-shirt in disgust, while Sam smirks and wipes her hand on her pyjama pants.
"You're gross." I frown and get out of bed, still feeling ridiculously giddy from my oh-so cliché dream featuring Stefan.
"Yeah, well I had to wake you up somehow. We're going out today, remember? You, me, Tia and Britnee. We're even allowed to dress ourselves today and we still get to wear the cool tv show clothes!" Sam claps excitedly and I smile, determined to be happy for a whole day. I put on a bra quickly and Sam and I go downstairs for breakfast. The table is quiet, with only 16 girls left, and one gone on a date with Matt, and we can enjoy our food in peace. My eyes droop as I eat my coco pops and I yawn loudly. Last night I was up late, writing lyrics to a few new songs I've been working on. I went to the unlocked music room so Sam could sleep. I jump a little when Sam puts a mug of hot coffee in front of me and sits down.
"I could hear you yawning from the kitchen. Bad sleep last night?" I shrug.
"Got to sleep later than expected." She nods and I take a sip of my coffee. Immediately I feel the caffeine moving through my body, waking me up and keeping me awake. After a very uneventful breakfast, we have our showers and head to the prep room to get ready. Tori is hovering over me and I can tell she's just dying to help me put on some clothes, but I won't relent! I end up putting on a pale blue sun dress and Tori insists on putting some mascara, eyeliner and red tinted lip balm on me, which I allow. She sprays some vanilla perfume around me and hands me some white flat sandals. I leave my hair down, but I put some sea salt spray to texture my hair, like I'd seen in a Youtube video once. As I wait for the others to get ready, I hear barking and I race to the front door to see Walt walk in with Buttons. He sees me immediately and runs to me, jumping up and licking me.
"Naw, hello Buttons! How are you? You're a cutie, yes you are!" Walt closes the door, turning to me exhausted.
"You can take that little bugger out with you guys today, he's a pain! Ruined my beautiful European pillows."
"Sorry Walt, we'll definitely take him." I stifle a giggle at the way Walt said 'European pillows' and he hands me Button's leash. I put him on his leash and take him to the prep room. Tia freaks out, in a good way, screaming with delight and looking at Buttons in awe. I laugh and we grab our bags, ready to go. Stefan isn't coming with us today, so Roger and another camera man, Nick, are coming. They said they'll film a few bits and then give us our privacy for the rest of the day, which we're fine with. We hope into the car, a fricking convertible, and head out into the city.
"Where to first?" I say, grinning. We go all around California, taking numerous selfies in between lunch, looking at tourist attractions and driving. We visit the Hollywood sign, this would be my third time, but I don't care because I'm glad to see it with my friends. We go to Yosemite Park and admire the scenery, eating ice creams and just talking about stuff. We drive around, getting food from a cute little cafe that lets us sit outside with Buttons. We talk and laugh some more as we eat our giant cheeseburgers. I only eat half of mine and start feeding bits of meat to Buttons when I think no one in the restaurant is looking.
"See this is what I'm definitely going to take away from Celebrity Bride. The friendships I've made. Even if I don't win, or any of us, we can always look back and remember moments like these." Britnee says and we all go silent, looking at her appreciatively.
"That's so true." I say, nodding. Sam grins and holds up her glass of lemonade.
"To Celebrity Bride. And friendships." We all clink our glasses together in cheers and start laughing again. We go off and look at more sites and eventually end up at a giant local skate park near a huge water fountain in the afternoon, yet I'm still thinking about what Britnee said. It really is true though, if there's one thing we contestants can all look back on at the end of this, it's that we have made some good friends and that this was an experience of a lifetime, even if we didn't get to be with Matt. Tia's bubbly voice interrupts my thoughts.
"Oh my gosh, so many hot guys!" I laugh and look around, keeping a good grip on Button's leash in case he causes a crash with a skateboard or two. Roger and Nick have gone now, to give us some privacy and to get a slushy each, so they'll be back later. I hear the strum of a guitar and I turn to my right, seeing a boy near the water fountain, playing the guitar and singing. I can see his guitar case open, he must be busking, but he doesn't look any older than 14. I move closer, listening for a bit and I quickly pick up that his guitar is really out of tune. I walk over to him, frowning.
"Excuse me? Hi, great guitar, but it's out of tune." I say in my kindest voice, a voice foreign to me. He looks up at me, shocked.
"Oh, I had no idea, I-"
"Here, let me tune it for you." I smile as he hands me the guitar, and I swap him Buttons. I crouch down next to the boy and strum on the guitar, tuning each string. Once I'm satisfied, I start playing a few chords and end up playing the tune for Wouldn't It Be Nice by the Beach Boys. I sing quietly at first, but soon get louder and close my eyes, listening to the guitar as I strum it and my voice as I sing, the skate park and fountain noises merely in the background.
"Though it seems the more we talk about it,
it only makes it worse to live
without it
but let's talk about it...
oh wouldn't it be nice." I open my eyes and freeze, looking around at the crowd that has accumulated in front of us. They're all clapping and putting coins into the boy's guitar case, praising me as they walk off. I hand the boy his guitar back and he stares at me. I clear my throat and stand up, and he passes me back Buttons, thanking me profusely. I smile sheepishly.
"No problem haha." I wave as I walk off and greet the girls, all of them smiling and clapping. I bow dramatically, my cheeks red, not comfortable with all the attention.
"Wow, that was awesome Tessa!" Britnee grins at me and I laugh.
"Don't you write songs T? And you never seem to sing them." Sam raises an eyebrow, smirking.
"Well, that's because they're more personal I guess, and they aren't that good." I say with a shrug. We decide to leave a little while later, to get back home and have a relaxing night to finish off the perfect day. Tia suggested we go out clubbing tonight, but we're under-aged for starters, and we're already too tired to go out again later. On the way back, Buttons snuggles up on my lap and falls asleep, and we laugh at him, taking heaps of selfies for Insta and Twitter. We spot a few videos online of me at the skate park earlier singing that are trending, but I'm not that bothered anymore, our lives aren't really private anyway. We pull up to the house by 5pm and all file inside, ready to relax for one more hour by the pool before an early dinner. We have a whole house "competition" day, or something, tomorrow so we have to rest early for that...
I give Buttons to Walt but he refuses, telling me to give him to Matt to look after since he was the one who bought him. I groan and walk up to Matt's room, we're I'm told he'll be. I knock on the door, a familiar voice telling me to come in and I open the door, walking into Matt's gigantic bedroom. It's pretty plain; a bed in the middle of the room against the wall, with plain black sheets, a few posters on the white walls, a tv across from the bed, a door in the corner to what looks like the en-suite and walk in wardrobe. But it still looks amazing. Matt is lying on his bed, reading a paperback cover of Pride and Prejudice. He doesn't look up at me when I enter.
"Walt called me while I was on my date today, so I set up a little area for Buttons over there, he nudges his head towards a small spot with a bed, toys and a water and food bowl that I didn't notice before. I take Buttons off the lead and he scoots up onto Matt's bed. licking him. Matt laughs and puts his book on his chest, playing with Buttons.
"Pride and Prejudice? Interesting choice of book." I say as I nod my head toward the book lying on top of him. It's not until then that I realise he's not wearing a shirt, his muscular stomach and chest visible for the world to see.. I struggle to focus on anything else, and Matt notices because he smirks.
"I didn't peg you for a book reader, actually." He shrugs, which moves his stomach muscles.
"I'm not, I just like Pride and Prejudice. It's the only book I can ever finish. And not because of the love story." I raise my eyebrows, taking my turn to smirk as I fold my arms across my chest.
"Then why?" He grins at me.
"Because Mr Darcy is a lad." I roll my eyes, but I can't wipe the smile off my face.
"Why are you so happy today? Usually you mop around like a sad sack, as if the world is turning against you." This time, my smile fades as I give him a look, but I laugh.
"I just had a really great day, that's all."
"Ah, your 'girls day out in the city' thing that you did. Right. Did you bond over how attractive and charming you find me?" He flashes me a smile and my stomach does a flip.
"Hardly." I shake my head, smiling. Matt stares at me for a moment, and I'm barely aware of Buttons destroying a toy in his designated spot in the room.
"Can I just put it out there that I really want to kiss you right now, because you're looking hot, you smell beautiful and I'm a testosterone filled hormonal boy with urges, so I would advise you to go have dinner before I jump up and pull you close to me." I blink at him a few times, taking in what he said. Then I rush toward him, putting his lips to mine. We crash together, and it barely takes him a second before he is in sync with me, grabbing my waist and pulling me closer to him. Our mouths collide and my lips feel numb, and I feel like I could stay like this forever. It isn't until Buttons jumps on the bed and tries to jump on me, looking for attention, that I we break apart. I look at him, panting, while he just grins at me, barely out of breath.
"I should-uh, um, I need to get dinner. Take care of Buttons." I say goodbye to my puppy and walk out of the room, closing the door behind me. My mind is swirling, and I probably have a headache coming on, but nothing is going to get to me now. I feel so happy. I feel giddy, and light.. The only thing that makes my stomach drop, just for a second, is Stefan. I can't think about this today, so I'll have to process it all tomorrow night. I can't ruin my good mood now. So with a quick look in a hallway mirror as I fix up my hair, I head downstairs for dinner, my stomach rumbling. You really are the definition of an idiot Tessa...