I finally emerged from the bathroom almost twenty minutes after everything had happened. I didn’t want to be rude and stay cooped up in my room for the entire day when everyone had come to see me.
“Sarah!” I smiled as my twenty-two-year-old sister, Casey, ran over to me. We were mistaken for twins, most of the time. Same hair color, texture and body build. The only difference was that Casey’s face was covered in freckles from being in the sun way too frequently. “I am so, so sorry.” She whispered as she pulled me in for a hug.
“I don’t want to talk about that right now,” I whispered and continued to allow her to embrace me. Her hugs were always so great and made me feel better. “We’ll have plenty of time to cry over ice cream and chick flicks tonight.” I winked and she nodded.
“Sarah! I am so glad you’re home! Mom and dad were about to drive me crazy!” Allison, my nineteen-year-old sister rushed over and threw her arms around me. Allison, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Casey and me. While Casey and I spent our younger years playing sports and camping, Allison was the type that jumped into cheerleading, gymnastics and dance. She was blonde, like our mother, and was stick skinny. But she was also one of my best friends.
I laughed and hugged her back. “You’re the one that decided to live at home for college. Casey and I both warned you that it was a bad idea.” I smiled.
“Yeah, but normally I’m never home. I’m usually at your apartment or Casey’s apartment. But Casey’s been having her summer exams and won’t let me sleep over,” a small pout folded over Allison’s lips. I rolled my eyes and put an arm around each sister.
“Sarah?” I heard from behind me. I was pissed to turn around and see both Nick and Amanda standing there. How dare they approach me again? Did he not realize how crushed I was the first time I had to see him? Nick licked his lips and sighed. He looked almost as uncomfortable as I did. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure,” I nodded and excused myself from my sisters. “What’s up?”
“Well,” this girl named Amanda started. I cocked my eyebrows at her. “I know what a good friend of Nicky’s you are and I was wondering if you’d like to take part in the wedding?” She smiled a toothy grin. I wanted to vomit. Be a part of the wedding? I wondered if she realized the only part I wanted to have was the part of the bride.
“O-Oh…” I stumbled over my words and glanced up at Nick. He nodded with a solemn expression. Why wasn’t he more excited about the situation? This was his wedding, for Christ’s sake. “Um…like, be a bride’s maid?”
“Yeah!” She nodded excitedly. “Nicky is having the boys all be groom’s men, along with his brother, so we figured we’d have five and five.”
“And you don’t want one of your other friends to do it?” I frowned, completely not understanding this woman. She didn’t even know me! Why in the world would I be one of her bride’s maids?
“Well,” she sighed and glanced up at Nick. Just from the looks the two of them exchanged, I could tell she agreed with me. “Nicky here really wants you to be a part of the wedding…” she began. Nick cleared her voice and she quickly tried to correct what she had said. “And I do too! I would love to get to know you better.” She was so fucking fake it was almost humorous to watch.
“Well,” I sighed, as well. I watched Nick. He was practically begging with those bright blue eyes of his. “I would love to.” I lied. I’d really rather kill myself. I muttered to myself. But it meant a lot to Nick, I could tell.
“Perfect!” Amanda exclaimed with the superficial tone I had already been able to detect. “Well, since I’m leaving tonight, I’ll call you when I get back in the states so we can get together and go dress shopping with the other bride’s maids.” Leaving town? What?
“Where are you going?” I frowned, the nosey side of me coming out.
“Italy,” she beamed. “I’ve always wanted to go and so my father’s taking me for my twenty-first birthday.” I tried to keep my eyes in their sockets as she said that. Twenty-one? This woman wasn’t even legal to drink yet. Why did he like her so much?
“How…fun,” I smirked. “Listen, thank you so much for allowing me to be one of your bride’s maids. I have to go greet some of the other guests…have a nice trip.” I tried to squeeze out of that conversation. I made my way into the kitchen once more to see my mom talking to my Aunt Mary and Uncle Doug. They weren’t my Aunt and Uncle by blood. They had been friends of the family since before I was born, and I had always called them my relatives. “Aunt Mary! Uncle Doug!” I smiled and nearly jumped on them.
“Hey sweetheart,” my Aunt Mary smiled. She kissed my cheek and pulled back. “I am so proud of you.” She put her hands on either side of my face and kissed my cheek.
“Aw, thanks,” I blushed and hugged my Uncle Doug, as well.
“I brought the tent for your trip,” he smiled at me after I pulled away from the hug. A frown creased over my brow as I tried to think of what he was talking about.
“What trip?” I asked, glancing around the room at my parents and Aunt and Uncle. Suddenly, it hit me. “Oh crap, the camping trip.” I mentally slapped myself. Every year since I was ten, my family would go on a camping trip. I had invited Nick the first year and ever since, it became an annual thing. We would leave the fourth of July and be away for two weeks. “Uncle Doug, I don’t think I’m going this year. I mean, tomorrow’s already the fourth and I just got home.”
“Nick’s going, though,” he frowned. “I told him you were going.”
“Nick’s free to do whatever he wants,” I said. “I just don’t think I can go. You all will have just as much fun. Take pictures for me?” I kissed his cheek and excused myself once more. There were still rounds to make. I almost bumped into Nick and tried to hurry away from him, avoiding all conversation.
“Nick! Sarah!” Uncle Doug wouldn’t give up. I sighed and turned around, plastering a smile on my face. “Nick, Sarah said she doesn’t want to go this year on the trip…”
“What?” Nick frowned. God, sometimes he was such a dumbass. “You always want to go. Sarah, we’ve been taking this trip since we were kids. We’ve been doing this for fifteen years.”
“Yeah, I know,” I sighed and folded my arms across my chest. “It’s just that I just got home and I have so much unpacking to do and I’d really like to get settled and try to find a job.” It was then that it hit me I still wasn’t receiving income. I had quit my job months ago before I left for Africa and was temporarily living with my parents again. “I really want to move out and back in with Andy.”
“You can…after the trip,” Nick made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. “Amanda’s leaving tonight for Italy and your Uncle Doug and I have already packed up the jeep with a tent and everything…” I rolled my eyes and sighed. Why was this a big deal? “Please, Bear?” Sarah Beara was a nickname my Uncle and Dad gave me when I was little and it stuck with Nick.
I folded my arms across my chest and laughed at the pout I was receiving from the twenty-five-year-old. “Fine.” I rolled my eyes. “I’ll go.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks for the reviews!! Please keep them coming. I know right now the story line might be a little confusing -- it's weird to think Nick's engaged after only 3 months. I won't be explaining it here, but in the chapters to come you'll see how it all unfolds!!
