The wedding planning is officially in full swing.
It feels like everything happens in a blur. I'm running around town to help out as much as I possibly can, though it seems like there's still so much to do. It's not even my wedding, yet I'm as stressed as Mia is. Maybe that's a little bit of a stretch, considering I don't think I've ever seen Mia McHenry anywhere near as stressed out as she's been lately.
Due to the wedding planning, I get to see Blake more often than not. However, it's always brief encounters, quick run-ins were we smile and exchange greetings that become words of departure in seconds. When I see her I am always reminded of the mistake I made in leaving all those years ago. A mistake I'm never going to stop trying to make right.
My suit has already been fitted, along with the suits of the other groomsmen. I still have to buy all of the other necessary accessories, like shoes and a tie and cufflinks. I spend a lot of time trying to help Mia out as well, a task that proves to be more difficult than I previously thought it would be. I've learned that Mia prefers my help over Thorne's, a suspicion of mine that was confirmed when Mia asked Thorne if he thought peonies complimented her rose bouquet, to which Thorne responded: What the fuck is a peony?
As of right now, I'm sitting in Thorne and Mia's living room, waiting for the rest of the wedding party to appear. The engaged couple that it would be fun to throw a little get-together before the wedding rehearsal to see everyone, as it's been a while since we've all been together.
If I remember correctly, it's been a few years since any of us have even seen most of our closest friends.
I still remember the story of how I came to know Mia and Thorne, which I must admit is a story I'm not very proud of. I'd known Wells—one of Thorne's closest friends since elementary school—distantly for the majority of my life, as we'd both into the whole party scene back when I was in high school. We met at a party and frown pretty close, hanging out every now and then. One fateful night—when I'd been high and wasted—I'd stumbled into Wells, who introduced me to Thorne.
Thorne had been completely sober that night. I'd spoken to him for a few minutes before running off with Wells to take shots. One thing led to another and somehow I ended on the balcony of the home owner that threw the party, where I ended up running into Thorne again. Though I'd been out of it, the two of us bonded. I met Mia shortly after, and she didn't hesitate to take care of me while I was completely trashed.
The two of them took me in that night, inviting me into Thorne's home when I'd been too wasted to get home. Mia helped me get comfortable on the couch after giving me Advil and making me drink a glass of water to cover up, setting me up for sleep with a pillow and blanket. That was the beginning of a friendship that has yet to stray, and deep down I know that I will never be able to repay Mia and Thorne for taking care of me that night no matter how hard I may try.
My thoughts wander to our mutual friends, trying to remember what they've all been up to in the time we've spent apart. I know that Wells attended the local community college a little while after graduating high school to obtain a degree. Surprising everyone, he majored in business. It's no secret that Wells is a pretty easy-going guy, tending to choose the party lifestyle and live with no boundaries or taking anything too seriously. However, he has matured over the years, yet he never lost that spark of mischievousness that initially draws people toward him.
Another friend of Thorne's, Jay Ward, began attending community college at the same time Thorne enrolled. However, what no one expected was for him to excel in his classes and soon be gifted with a scholarship to Princeton University, where he transferred and began studying to become a lawyer. He's been dating Haley Rutherford for a few years now, a girl he met at school, and I've heard that things between the two have gotten pretty serious.
Asher Owens is a friend of Thorne's whom I know distantly, though I've somewhat kept up with what he's had going on over the years. He used to be involved in a street gang with Thorne, though he's since cleaned up his life after breaking free from illegal activity. He moved towns to attend university, but remained in state. I recall that he used to date Mia's high school best friend, Emmie Miller. However, their relationship didn't make it past a year of college. They had a falling out after realizing that they were on two different paths of life, and I'm not sure if they've kept in contact since parting ways.
I know Emmie vaguely, but in the time I've spent with her I have gathered that she's a rather vivacious personality. Emmie and Mia became close through their childhood, their friendship lasting into adulthood. Emmie attended the local college (the same school Blake attends and Mia graduated from) before she transferred to a university in New York after she and Asher broke up. Shortly after graduating, Emmie was offered an internship with Vogue, which soon blossomed into a full-time job. She went from unpaid intern, to writer, to editor in the span of months.
Charlie and Violet Adams have been married for a few years now, and they're the only two of Thorne and Mia's friends that still live in town. After getting married, they settled down together and bought a house. They recently took in a German Shepherd, and he looks vicious but he's really a big softie.
Today is the day all of us finally come together again, and I'm anticipating the gathering in excitement. Now that everyone is graduated, they'll be staying in town until after the wedding before returning to their respective homes.
After me, Charlie and Violet are the first to arrive. Mia answers the door and grins the instant she sees the two girls standing in her doorway.
"It's so good to see you!" Charlie exclaims as she enters the apartment, throwing her arms around Mia. Although she has matured throughout the years, Charlie still appears relatively the same as when I first met her. Her long black hair cascades over her shoulders, her gray eyes gleaming brightly to match her smile.
"You're getting married!" Violet cries as she joins the hug. Violet's short dark hair is tinged with purple hues, and she's dressed as exuberant as her personality.
"We're getting married," Thorne corrects Violet as he strolls not the room, casually wrapping an arm around Mia and pulling her close before kissing the top of her head, gaze soft as he glances down at the girl in his arms.
"Well, look at you," Charlie teases Thorne. "All grown up and engaged. I'm so proud." Charlie ropes Thorne in for a hug, ruffling his hair playfully.
"What?" Violet taunts. "No hug for me?"
"It's good to see you too, V," Thorne murmurs as he embraces her, clearly happy.
Soon enough, the group turns their attention to me. Charlie releases a gasp as she heads my way, gray eyes gleaming as she offers me a grin.
"If it isn't Noah Reed," Charlie teases. "It's been so long since I last saw you! How are you?"
"I'm doing good," I assure her.
Violet approaches me, gaze steely as she cracks her knuckles. Before I can register what's happening, Violet's fists collides with my arm, the impact bruise-worthy.
"That was for skipping town three years ago," she clarifies as I wince. She punches my other arm before I can even get over the shock of the first hit. "And that was for coming back and not calling." Hitting me once last time, Violet admits, "That one was just for fun."
"It's so nice to see you again, Violet," I mutter sarcastically, wincing as I rub my newly sore arms.
There's another knock on the door, and Thorne goes to get it. Wells soon enters the apartment, wearing a mischievous smirk, already in the mood for trouble.
"Long time, no see, huh?" Wells says as he pulls Thorne into a hug, patting him on the back before pulling away. He runs a hand through his golden hair before his amber gaze falls on Mia, and he greets her warmly. It's no secret that Wells is a flirt and that he used to have a thing for Mia back when they first met. They're obviously past that by now, but I still don't miss the way Thorne's gaze lingers on Wells when he pulls Mia in for a hug.
"Noah Reed!" Wells exclaims as he turns to me, grinning widely. "My man! How long has it been since I last saw you?"
"Probably the last time you were sober," I mock.
Wells rolls his eyes at my dig, then we perform a handshake that we came up with years ago when we were both so stoned the walls looked like they were vibrating.
Jay is the next to arrive, his girlfriend, Haley, along with him. His dark eyes are as warm as his chocolate-colored skin as he greets everyone, visibly content to be with his old friends. I'm introduced to Haley, and she's pretty, with dark hair that tumbles down her shoulders in soft ways, her eyes only a shade darker than her light brown skin that is ridiculously flawless.
Emmie appears shortly after. She's always been the kind of girl to walk into a room and command it, and that hasn't changed with time. The instant she enters the apartment attention is drawn to her, and if Emmie minds this then she doesn't show it. Her blond hair is long and straight down her back, her blue eyes bright and clear, attractive face adorned with a smile that shows off her dimples. She squeals when she sees Mia, hugging her tightly before pulling away to fawn over the ring that decorates Mia's left hand.
Thorne greets Emmie with a hug and kiss on the cheek, towering over her by quite a few inches. Emmie makes up for her small height with personality, thought. I don't miss the way Wells subtly checks her out, gaze lingering on the fit of her jeans before frowning and nodding to himself. Jay discreetly calls him out on this, slapping Wells on the chest before telling him to knock it off. Wells responds with a smirk and a sip of wine from the glass he holds in hand.
When Asher shows up, Then is clearly pleased to have his band of old friends together. I've never personally met Asher Owens, though I can tell from the moment he appears that his friendship with Thorne is different than the relationships Thorne has with anyone else here. It's not necessarily a closer friendship than it is deeper, as if the two of them have seen and experienced a lot of things that nobody else in the room has ever gone through. Asher's dark hair falls into his eyes before he runs a hand through it, his dark blue eyes calculating and observant, as if he's seen too much for his own good.
Asher greets the rest of us with a polite wave, exchanging hello's with Charlie and Wells. Knowing that Emmie and Asher used to date, I expect the two to be awkward around each other. Asher's gaze seems to avert from Emmie as he takes a seat on the couch next to Thorne. Emmie's eyes bore into him from across the room, masses of emotions running through her conflicted stare. She looks away from him after a moment, reaching for the wine glass in front of her and downing its content in seconds.
I get the sense that there is unfinished business between the two of them, and I wonder how that is going to end up playing out.
The last to arrive is Blake, and her appearance is the once I've been most anticipating. I don't know why I'm so anxious to see her, but after admitting to Thorne that I didn't want to lose her seems to have made the fact all the more real. It's now or never, and if I want to end up with the girl I love it means that I'm going to have to actually do something to fix things with her.
I try not to seem too interested as Blake and Thorne embrace, though he shoots me a knowing glance over his shoulder. Blake and Mia hug as she enters the living room. Besides Charlie and Violet, everyone else in the room are strangers to Blake. She's never had the chance to meet most of Thorne's and Mia's friends due to the fact that they all live elsewhere.
I notice Wells eyeing Blake as she introduces herself to Emmie, gaze wandering over her figure similarly to the way he'd been studying Emmie. I shoot him a glare before hissing at him to cut it out.
Leaning back in his seat smugly, Wells takes a sip of his wine before mumbling, "I sense an old flame has just entered the building."
I roll my eyes at his teasing. "Let it go, would you?"
"But now I wanna know what happened," Wells whines. "I mean, you've got to tell me how you got with her. And how things ended. Because, let me tell you, if I were hooking up with blondie over there, I would never be stupid enough to let her go. Do you see her—"
"Shut up," I cut Wells off before he can finish his sentence. "Let's just say I messed up big tie and now I'm paying the price. Is that good enough for you?"
Wells studies me for a moment, seemingly trying to decide whether to keep messing with me or move on. Something in my expression must give away the hostility I'm feeling, because Wells merely nods.
"Fair enough. You already lost one hot chick. I guess I don't need to make things worse for you."
"Gee," I mutter under my breath, watching as Blake takes a seat on the couch next to Mia. "Thanks."
Deep down, I know that there is partial truth to Wells's words. After all, I don't think there's anything worse than losing the person you love, especially when it's because of your own stupidity.
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a/n: i miss my family