part of him wants to know what word she would use to describe him in this moment , pitiful , miserable , worthless . it's a depressing narrative that runs through his thoughts before he can even stop it . he hadn't meant to hold on so tight , all they were now was a memory now , and yet he clung to it . just enough to hold some form of hope that maybe , just maybe something would bring them back together . perhaps it would be smart for her to say no , to tell him to get lost , and yet , he doesn't want her too . for a minute of something close to what they had was worth a lifetime of pain . " it never came up . " he lies , because it did , his mother always asking how she was , when she was coming by , gushing about how adorable they were , he couldn't break her heart . so he let his own shatter that little bit more with every smile and lie he told his mother , that sylvia was still there . " i appreciate it , sylvia , really . "

for a long minute, she stares at him, trying to make sense of the lie she can see flickering behind his words, the same way she used to read him when they were still an us. it's instinct to catch the small tells: the shift in his tone, the way his gaze falters a tad, and god, does it makes her heart hurt in a way she's tried to stifle for months. she should call him out on it. say something along the lines of, you didn't tell them because you couldn't stand the thought of them knowing we're not anything anymore. but she holds her tongue, instead letting out a breath that sounds similar to defeat. "you don't have to thank me," she shakes her head. "i'm not doing it for you." that's not true, and they both know it. she's doing it because part of her misses his family, the warmth of his mom's hugs, the smell of the food they used to cook together, and maybe, just maybe, the version of herself she got to be when she was still loved by him. her hands unclasp, falling to her sides as her blue eyes lift up to find his again. "but after this, we don't fake it anymore, okay? not for your family, not for anyone."

hazy mind finds his answer sufficient enough , shrugging despite the fact that he wasn't looking at her . " why come if you're not going to enjoy yourself ? " but as she speaks , she moves , lip between teeth as she finds a place on the floor with him , body laying in the opposite direction , head finding space between his own and his shoulder , as toes point towards the door . " oh , everything stopped spinning . "

"good," he says after a moment. "would've been a hell of a thing if you passed out next to me." his arm shifts slightly, enough to keep her hair from brushing his cheek, but not so much as to put distance between them. "as for why i came… habit, i suppose. got the invite and didn't have much else to do on a friday night." truth be told, aiden hadn't put too much thought in the matter. he tended to go with the flow with most plans. he tilts his head toward her, catching her profile in the fluorescent light. "what about you?"

nothing about their situation amuses her , not like it does him . clearly , and right in this very moment , it's as if he's been put on earth to frustrate her . fingers press into eyes , pushing against them in hope that it was a dream , but as she pulls back , she's left with nothing but dampened fingertips as his words strike a chord and she tries not to take it too harshly . it's not that she wants to be married , or rather , it's not that she wants to stay married to him , but that whole thing , marriage , families , white picket fences all felt like some race she was losing as she watched all her friends go through it . " clearly you were in enough of a right mind to discourage it . " she huffed , as if it were all his fault , but if he was telling the truth , then she was the catalyst . why didn't anyone stop them ? without meaning to , fingers twirl the ring on her finger , and a second passes before she realises and slips it from her finger . " uh i don't know if you bought it or it's yours but , yeah . " awkwardness seeps in as she places it in the space between them before turning to the case of the floor , pulling her little medicine bag from it . she moves around without much of a glance , pain killers and a bottle of hotel water offered to him before she's sitting on the edge of the bed , back to him . the fire he started slowly disappearing , a pounding in her head as she absentmindedly scratched at her collarbones . " i don't know how any of this stuff works ? do we head to the chapel or the court house , is there like a timeframe we have to wait before she annul it . " she rambling , though not really seeking the answer from him .

eyeing as she moves around the room, the frustration still rolling off her in waves, and for once he doesn't bother trying to mask the small grin that merges onto his lips. "you give me a lot of credit, you know that? if i had been sober enough to discourage anything, we wouldn't be having this conversation." he notices how she fidgets with the ring before taking it off, the slightest hint of a feeling that resembles disappointment rising in his chest, catching him off guard. but instead of replying, he pockets the band without a word. "thanks," he takes the painkillers and water from her hand, downing them both in one go. "just so you know, you picked it out. told the jeweler you didn't want anything too flashy because 'you're a simple girl at heart' ." there's a trace of teasing in his tone, but it softens when he notices the way her shoulders sag. "look, it's vegas. this kind of thing probably happens every weekend. we'll get it sorted. court, chapel, whatever the hell they need from us. i'll take care of it." he sits down on the bed next to her, careful not to sit too close. "hey," he says after a prolonged pause, losing the edge to his voice. "it's a shitshow, sure, but it's not the end of the world."

it was selfish of him to keep up with the lie that he was dating someone else in hopes that she wouldn't feel bad for cheating on her significant other with him knowing that he was doing that same. . . but the more time they spent together? the harder it was not to fall for her, especially when she asks about his day like she was interested in it. how she allows him to stay over, even though they weren't a thing. light chuckles escapes his lips, "i kicked you one time and now you won't let that go? it's not my fault i had a nightmare! the ghosts were after me!" he exclaims, arms wrapping around her waist, as he tugs her onto the bed with him.

it's so easy with him... too easy, and that's what scares her the most. she leans into his touch, back resting against his chest as his arms stay firm around her. "maybe you should stop watching horror movies before bed," she jokes with a faint grin, wanting to forget every reason they shouldn't be doing this. it's not supposed to feel like this: comfortable and safe, akin to home. but it does, and she hates herself for craving it. "i'm starting to think you just like having an excuse to keep me in bed with you," she comments, keeping her tone casual, testing him, and maybe testing herself. tracing lazy circles on his arm, she looks up at him, a tentative look before the question runs away from her, "was it hard? breaking up with her?"

sucks in a breath, before blowing it out slightly. "ooh, yeah -- sorry about that. . . i did warn you that i was bringing a friend over. has anyone screamed like that with you?" a part of her did it on purpose to get under his skin, pushing to see if he'd do anything about it; missing the envy in his tone completely. "because knowing her it'll get weird and she'll start catching feelings and if you don't feel the same way it'll put me in an awkward place and no living situation." but in reality, her stomach twists at the thought of him being with any of her friends.

his neck nearly snaps as he turns to face her, double-taking at her words, sprung so casually on him that he's sure he must've misheard her. "...i didn't realize you were so curious about what goes on in my bedroom," he teases, a slight smirk curving on his lips. "right, yeah. it's probably for the best. but don't hold me accountable if i accidentally try to hook up with her when i'm drunk." he's pushing her buttons, wanting to rile her up, sure there's more to the story than the logistics of him being with her friend.

she's suddenly very aware of what she must look like , foot stamped and wrapped in a hotel sheet . but there's something about the way he speaks , or maybe it's just the tone of his voice , dipped in derision and mocking her almost that has even her teeth on edge and ready to fight , ready to smack it right out of his mouth . she chooses to ignore the empty bottles and thank whatever lucky star she had right now that they'd ended up back in her own hotel room . that was something at least . " yes rude , don't laugh at me . " she wasn't used to these situations , she could barely keep a date and now she was married , this wasn't how this weekend was supposed to go . " bullshit . " she snaps , tongue wetting lips before teeth sink in , because the sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach comes with the sudden hazy flashes of memories . fingers tangled together , wild laughter as she pulls him towards a brightly lit chapel , some mechanical elvis poised on the sign . shit . " clearly i was drunk and didn't mean it , are you clearly that desperate that you had to wait for some random girl to marry ? " she was scratching , scraping at whatever dig she could grab to bury her own embarrassment . she wasn't this girl . she wasn't the girl that got drunk , she wasn't the girl that married strangers , hell , she was even the girl to kiss a stranger . " i'm not your sweetheart by the way . " it sounded far to condescending on his lips .

he watches her spiral with this mix of incredulity and amusement, arms folding over his bare chest as she throws accusation after accusation like any of this had been part of his grand plan. if he wasn't so hungover, he might have found it hilarious. "me, desperate?" he echoes, a short laugh slipping out that only seems to piss her off more. "the only thing i'm desperate for right now is a glass of water and some painkillers." he pushes himself off the bed, ignoring the dull pounding behind his eyes as he takes in the disaster of the room. "look, i'm not saying it makes sense, but it happened." a shrug follows, shoulders loose in a careless way that only seems to irritate her more. "believe it or not - you were the one dragging me into that chapel, laughing your ass off about how it'd make one hell of a story. all i did was go along with it." there's something like a smirk that pulls at his lips, teasing without trying too hard. "and you don't have to worry, sweetheart." the pet name is deliberate this time, a small jab just to get a reaction out of her. "trust me, you're not my type either." he bends down to grab his shirt off the floor, tossing a look over his shoulder. "now, unless you want to stay my wife, i'd suggest we figure out how to get this thing annulled."

" you can say it as many times as you want . " he already knows how pathetic it is , he doesn't need to be told . but the thought of telling his family , a family that adored her , that they'd broken up , well it'd created a pit of heartache in his chest . he knew it was pathetic , to let them think she was still around , he knew it was pathetic to just not correct them , but in the quiet moments he let's himself believe that she's still around , still his , they're still happy . not broken , ruined and gone . " but please , just do me this one favour , it's my lolas birthday , i said you'd be there months ago , she's really looking forward to meeting you , and i just , yeah ... i get it , it's pathetic , just this once , please , help me out ? "

"pathetic isn't the word i'd use," she replies quietly, even as her arms cross over her chest - a poor defense against the pull of old habits, of falling back into the rhythm they always had. it's ridiculous, the idea of pretending again, but she can already picture it: his hand on her back, his family asking how long they've been together now, and the whole facade of them being a happy couple. she should say no. tell him that pretending would only make it worse, that she's barely managed to stop checking her phone for his name some nights. but the look on his face crumbles her resolve before she can even form the words. "you really haven't told them?" she asks, unsure of why that sparks the smallest embers of hope (which is idiotic, to say the least). her mouth parts, on the border of telling him that this is too much, but the words never come. instead, she sighs, "fine. just this once. for your lola."

this couldn't be happening , this wasn't some stupid movie plot . this couldn't be her life . and since when was she fucking stu price , of all movie characters . despite the pulsing in her head , thoughts raced , unable to stop the onslaught of them . plastic cock shaped straws , white glitter encrusted cowboy hats , heels that were far too high . bright pink shots at every club , hands that shouldn't be touching doing just that , it hazed together in one alcoholic fever dream but the evidence that it was real was now sharing a bed with her . she jerks upwards , sheet pressed to chest , hand outstretched in front of her , lips parted as eyes blink . " this has to be a fucking joke , the universe has got to be laughing at me . " she groans , mortified that it appears to be that she married a stranger . an absolute stranger , and one that with one sentence was already annoying her . " you're rude . " she scoffs , turning on him , messy , tangled curls whipping against her shoulders as she did . she stands , ensuring the sheet is wrapped around her , tugging it purposely away from him . " i think i'm going to throw up , just at the thought of being married to you . "

this was not how vegas weekends were supposed to end. hangovers, sure. maybe a few embarrassing texts, a dent in the bank account. not a marriage certificate and a stranger calling him rude before breakfast. his first instinct is to argue, remind her that she's the one who coaxed him into the chapel if his foggy memory serves right, but his mouth stays shut. too early for that, too much headache. he sits up slowly, running a hand through his disheveled hair and wincing when he spots the empty bottle of tequila on the nightstand. "rude?" a brow raises as he looks at her in disbelief. "i wake up with a ring on my hand and a stranger telling me she's going to puke at the sight of me, and i'm the rude one?” it would almost be funny if it wasn't his life. there's something painfully endearing about how indignant she looks wrapped in the hotel sheet, curls wild, eyes wide with panic, like she's the only one trying to piece together the wreckage of last night. he can't help the laugh that escapes him, "you really don't remember, do you?" he shakes his head, voice dipping into a near smug tone. "you're the one who proposed, sweetheart. i just said yes."

at first , it's the warm morning ( at least what she assumes is morning ) sun that wakes her . but as lashes flutter and blink away sleep , the assault is immediate . a heavy bass like pounding behind her eyes , a ringing in her ears and a blurred , almost spinning room has nausea kicking in to the point where eyes clamp shut once more . it was in that moment that she knew , and she knew very well that las vegas was not her friend . tulle and lace crowded the floor of the bed , she'd spotted that much as her head spun , there's a heavy weight pinning her side down that she knows isn't her best friend . after all , she knew what the bride to be was like , and that heavy weight couldn't be her . hand reached upwards , the back of it dragging across her face until a sharpness scratches at her cheek . " ow . " confusion sets in , eyes opening once more , one eyed squint at the ring that sat almost delicately on her finger . her ring finger . on her left hand . " the fuck ? "

the first thing he feels is cotton, way too much of it. sheets wound around his legs, suffocating warmth that doesn't feel like his own bed. the second thing is noise: a groan that isn't his, sunlight stabbing through a gap in the curtains, and the dull throb in his head reminding him that he likely said yes to every shot that was handed to him last night. vegas. that much he can piece together. the rest? not so much. he moves around, trying to stretch, only to realize his arm is anchored beneath someone. someone soft, and warm, and very much there. a wave of déjà vu and dread wash over him simultaneously. he blinks until the blur starts to make sense: the bare shoulder, and a mess of blonde curls that belong to a girl he definitely doesn't know but somehow feels like he should. then his gaze snags on the ring glinting on her hand... and the matching one on his. "oh, you've got to be kidding me." his voice comes out hoarse, a groan and a laugh in one, because what the hell else can he do. he rubs his temples, trying to replay the night. bits and pieces flash through his head: dancing, shots, a chapel sign, her daring him with that smug little grin he already wants to wipe off her face. "please tell me this is some kind of joke," he sighs, finally turning toward her. "because if i actually married you, i think i might need another drink before breakfast."

alice was aware she could get ahead of herself, but the way she'd viscerally reacted when she saw solid proof of amelia being into someone else had taken ahold of her before rational thought could kick in. she regretted it now, absolutely, though there was a part of her that couldn't back down so easily. she refused to be a dog with it's tail tucked between its legs. "then why lie to me about it? why did you feel the need to hide something like that? i mean, you're single and you're beautiful, of course people are going to ask for your number. why wouldn't they take a shot if they got the courage?" something alice lacked when it came to her friend, having spent ages hiding her true feelings behind shared touches whenever they both got a bit drunk. "no, nah, i don't care," she tried to shrug it off, her pout saying otherwise, "there's not a big deal, honestly. i freaked out for a moment but it was probably just initial shock that you're into marisol, the barista, and i had no clue."

she sighed, the sound shaky, her fingers playing at the hem of her sleeve as she searched for the words that wouldn't make things worse. "i don't know why you're making it sound like i committed some crime," she countered. "i didn't tell you because... well, it didn't feel like something that needed explaining." she rubbed her temples, avoiding alice's gaze even though she could feel the intensity of it. "it was just a conversation, a number. nothing crazy." the longer she spoke, the less convincing she sounded, and she knew it. "it's probably not gonna turn into anything." amelia swallowed, finally meeting alice's eyes. "besides, it's not like we've ever defined what we are to each other. so how was i supposed to know something like this would matter?" even as alice walked back on her words, she could tell the other cared more than they let on. "you wouldn't get jealous over something that doesn't exist, right?"

"i just told you, james, he did come at me!" maude snapped, panic saturating her voice as she stood firmly in her defense. "he ran towards me when i threatened to expose him to all of our friends, to his family. he just freaked! i told him to stop, but he wouldn't hear reason, calling me all sorts of names and threatening me." maybe some of it was overexaggerated, sure, but that didn't mean maude wasn't telling the truth, and she hoped james still had enough faith in her to believe that. "he'd never laid hands on me before, but i- i don't know." her own hands lifting to rub sore spots on her arms. "i was scared, i grabbed the first thing i could to defend myself. i wouldn't do this on purpose. i'm not a killer!"

his hand raked through his hair from sheer distress, pacing once before stopping to face her again, the disbelief and horror in his eyes barely reined in. "do you even hear what you're saying?" he hissed, keeping his voice low though his heart felt like it was trying to break free from his chest. "if this was self-defense, then why the hell are you still standing here holding the murder weapon instead of calling the cops?" his hand motioned toward the blood-slick scissors on the floor, and he flinched at the sight. "christ, you should’ve called me right away. or anyone. now it just—" he exhaled, his voice catching on the tail end of the sentence, "it looks bad. really fucking bad." he wanted to believe her, but every inch of the scene screamed otherwise. the scattered glass and overturned chair. the tremor in her hands that could've been fear or guilt. "i know you, maude," he said finally, softening his voice a notch, though his expression was still etched with panic. "you do stupid things when you're angry, but this... this is something else." his gaze moved toward the door, then back to her. "you have to tell me everything, because if there's even a chance someone else finds you like this before we figure out what the hell to do..." his voice trailed off, the unspoken consequences of what this could end up being too much to be spoken aloud.

the air grew thicker by the minute and eleanor knew the delicate dance they'd done for weeks now had come to a head, both parties well aware that tonight they'd either make a mvoe they could never take back or forget this ever happened altogether. go back to their spouses and their lives and pretend like their evenings together and meal exchanges never existed, if only to preserve what they'd both almost bartered. but nell didn't want to forget it, to forget him, she wanted to be greedy for once and take it all. so, she stood, setting her own drink down and approaching where he was bent over, only brave enough to take those few steps across the sitting room to meet him. "don't go back," the blonde urged, confession breathless as she coaxed him towards crossing that line with her. "i've spent endless nights dreaming about this moment, miles, and i still enver imagined it may be dangled before me. but i... i want you. i want to know what your lips taste like, and- and what those hands that make such delicately crafted food might feel like holding me, and if you'd take as much care with me as you do all those meals you insist on bringing over just so we have an excuse to say hi to each other. i want to steal a piece of you for myself, and i know, i know it's wrong, but i feel like we passed wrong ten exits ago, and if either of us were going to give up hope, it would have happened long ago." and there she stood, bearing all of herself to him, wondering if this was the moment miles would decide to turn and run.

he felt her confession burrow under his skin and settle in places he hadn't permitted anyone reach in years. a pining that lived underneath the floorboards of his mind, unbearable once noticed. he had built his whole life around control, around boundaries that kept him from wanting what he couldn't have, but nell had begun to tear them down brick by brick with every soft smile, every "thank you for dinner," all of the reasons he found to come back. now she was asking him not to go, and he realized how long he'd been waiting to hear it. it was utter madness, and it should've sent him running straight home to his wife who was probably turning off the lights about now, assuming he would be beside her in the morning. but that life felt like something he was only borrowing... this one, the one in front of him, was the one he wanted to live. "you shouldn't have said that," he breathed out. "because now i don't know how to stop." he stood up from his seat before he could fully register what he was doing, closing the distance between them like gravity had decided for him. one hand came to rest against her cheek, callous from years in the kitchen, trembling slightly as his thumb brushed her skin. "we shouldn't be doing this," he said, but the fight in his tone was gone. another breath, closer now. "and yet, i've never wanted anything more." his hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her in before he lost the nerve, and when his lips met hers, it felt like coming home.

carter watched as the man looked him up and down before leaving, he could act, who knew? declan looked to the small woman who was still holding on to him and he just smiled and shook his head. "i'm just happy to help, didn't know i could be intimidating so that's good to know. i guess my height helps a little." he quipped as he looked down at the woman. she looked like she fit right in with the crowd her and he certainly did not. "nice to meet you leah." he said with a little nod of his head. "right, of course i'll date you for another five minutes before we break up. and i'll try to move on a little faster than your other ex." he joked with a boyish grin on his face. his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, he had no idea what arguing over the last stool or what a rideshare meant. "well considering i have no idea what those first two things mean, i'm going to go for the jukebox story." he said with a firm nod, a little embarrassed to be so out of place. "since we're still a couple for the next five minutes, can i ask you to be honest like girlfriends usually are. how out of place am i?"

she hadn't meant to drag a stranger into her mess, but there was something about him that made it feel like less of a disaster, more like a scene from someone else's life. one she almost wouldn't mind starring in. she still felt the phantom of her ex's eyes on her, even from across the room, so she kept her hand tucked through carter's arm and forced a smile that felt genuine the longer she looked at him. "honestly?" she said, as her gaze swept over him, the clean lines and calm composure, like he belonged in a glossy magazine spread rather than a place with worn bar stools and two-dollar beer. "you look like someone who wandered in from a black-tie event." the teasing came effortlessly, and she let slip a small laugh, shaking her head. "but it's working. people are definitely buying the story.” her tone softened, the corners of her lips lifting just slightly. "you play the part too well, though. makes me wonder if you've done this before... swooped in, saved a stranger from public humiliation."

scoff escapes his lips, "are you saying that it's not easy?" pushing it to the back of his mind was the only way things could play out. things were way too complicated, there were too many factors to account for and one little night of fun? it was now blowing up in his face. though the previous night that turned into something else, maybe their true desire feelings reflecting, however, he still had a stone-cold expression. heart pulsates irregularly for a split second from her her words, yet his features reflect none of it. instead, icy blue hues meet her gaze. "is that what you want to hear?" humorless chuckle escaping his lips while shaking his head, "it was nothing more than a drunk fuck, you really telling me that you're willing to throw away your whole boyfriend from just a night of amazing sex?"

her heart comes stuttering to a stop, hurt flashing across her face before she can reel it in. she doesn't want him to know how much he affects her - he doesn't deserve an ounce of her pain. but god, she can't fucking help it. "i should've known you were a nothing but an asshole. thank you for shattering the illusion. i needed that reality check." the words are scathing, but she just feels empty. she really risked her entire relationship, and for what? to be completely and utterly rejected. her taste in men was truly disastrous, and she wonders how she'll ever go to work in the same office as robert again. to have to face him, knowing she willingly slept with someone who didn't give a fuck about her. "good luck to whoever you date next. they'll definitely need it, considering what a class-a jerk you are. i almost feel sorry for them."