lady_noctambule

You could tell from the noise and whirring that you were in a car. Or rather in the minivan from earlier.

The two people from earlier had plainly and simply kidnapped you.

In a flash, you remembered the woman missing an arm mentioning her boss. So they were working for someone, who sent them get you because they thought you could… help them.

Pieces were starting to fall into place.

Being a Kiramman was the only reason you could think of which could justify kidnapping you. Now either they wanted to demand a ransom that your parents might pay, which meant you weren’t in immediate danger, or they had a personal vendetta against your family and you were screwed.

You wanted to eavesdrop on any possible conversation between your two kidnappers but unfortunately, all the emotions from today, the soothing sound of the engine and the impossibility to do anything else than close your eyes led you to fall asleep.

It must have been a much deeper sleep than usual because you didn’t even stir when you were pulled out of the minivan and put on a chair in the basement instead.

“You told me you hadn’t hit too hard…” snarled a new voice, which you registered amidst your foggy mind.

“I didn’t. She should’ve been awake for two hours now.”

“So what, she’s just taking a nap?” she retorted sharply.

You kinda were, actually. In a split second, the unknown woman’s voice went from a few meters away to right next to you. A smell of metal and burnt sugar hit you. “But I think our guest is awake now so let’s ask her directly!”

Your blindfold was untied in a heartbeat. You squinted your eyes, trying to get used to the return of light. When your sight adapted to the luminosity, you saw a blue-haired woman hovering over you.

“Heyyy, how was the nap, sleeping beauty?” she greeted mockingly.

Your breath hitched in your throat as you recognized here. Now you knew for sure who your captor was. Jinx.

You were so screwed.

“I have a plan”

Ekko groaned into his mug of coffee in response to his best friend’s announcement. He was positive 7 a.m. was too early to do this. But Jinx had intruded into his place ten minutes ago, barging in without so much as knocking – yes, he regretted giving her the keys – and taking him by surprise as he was about to get breakfast.

At least he had been awake already, he could only think of a handful of things worse than getting woken up by Jinx, especially when she was like this.

Talking of Jinx, she suddenly snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention. “Hey! Are you listening?” she huffed, pointing her finger at him, her sharp nail only two centimetres away from his face.

“Yes, I am listening. I’d be listening even better if it wasn’t so early, though. And you could’ve texted me to let me know you were coming over, at least.” He replied with a sigh, putting his mug down. Jinx stole it to take a sip, grimaced dramatically and put it back down.

“Don’t you like seeing me in person?”

“I do. I’d just rather get a warning beforehand.” Ekko argued, although his expression was resigned. He doubted Jinx was going to change her habits now, after half a decade of showing up at his place whenever she wanted.

His friend rolled her eyes and jumped on the counter to sit from where she’d be taller than him. She did that a lot, look at things from higher up. “Stop whining if you want to hear about my amazing plan.”

“Do I?” He replied playfully, glancing down at his coffee mug and shrugging before finishing it. Jinx glared at him wordlessly until he sighed “Go on, tell me about your idea.”

Ekko was actually curious, since he had no clue what this was about. Knowing Jinx, it could range from an artsy project to something fully illegal. It might even be both at the same time.

Jinx grinned widely as soon as he gave in, jumping off her perch to sit on the chair facing him instead. “Sooo… there’s big guy’s wedding next month, you know?”

“Are you asking me if I know about the wedding of one of my best friends? For which I’ll be a witness?”

“Would you stop being so sarcastic for a sec? I’m trying to have a serious conversation, here.” Jinx said, as she popped one of those acidic sugary candies in her mouth, pulling it from god knows where.

“I can’t believe you’re a real adult.” He commented, watching her with a mix of bewilderment and worry. She kicked him in the shin under the table in retaliation for that.

Then, satisfied with his shocked face, she picked up her explanation. “Since I’m gonna be there too, mixing and all, I thought you could bring a plus one… For me.”

“What makes you think I don’t already have a plus one?”

Jinx stared at him, unimpressed, as she leaned back on her chair. “I’d know if you were seeing someone, little man. Have more faith in me, won’t ya?”

“Fine. I’m guessing this has something to do with my cousin?”

“Congrats! It does, indeed.” Jinx confirmed, her previous enthusiasm deeming slightly. She didn’t like being predictable too much. Surprising people was way more fun, but then again she did ask Ekko for your phone number, some months ago.

No, she hadn’t been thinking about you since the wedding in May (the 2nd one). She had originally intended to reach out to you but that turned out to be more difficult than planned so she had given up.

And then Jinx had simply moved on, like a normal person. It's not like she’d searched for your profile among Ekko’s followers on Instagram and stalked you on the internet since, or anything.

It was only when Scar had announced he was getting married that she had thought of you, which made complete sense because you had been there at the last two weddings she had been hired for. Thinking of you, how well you two had gotten along and failed to do anything about it, her mind had logically come up with the genius idea of getting you to be there this time too. So she could finally get lucky, both literally and figuratively.

“Well, thank you for your help, I’ll leave you to your boring day!” Jinx announced, practically leaping out of her chair.

“I didn’t say I would do it.” Ekko protested, crossing his arms over his chest. He knew he’d bend to his best friend’s will, especially since he could see her genuine interest in his cousin. He liked you and he thought it’d be nice if the two of you started dating, somehow.

Jinx ignored him, waving good bye as she walked backwards to the door. “You’re the best, see ya!”

The door slammed closed. Ekko shook his head with a fond smile, he’d have the last word, someday.

You were a little surprised when, mid-November, Ekko sent you a text to ask if you’d accept to go to his friend’s wedding with him.

Now this was an unexpected invitation because Ekko and you weren’t all that close. You weren’t actually blood-related because he was an adopted child and to be honest, you weren’t even sure where his father was located in the family tree, if he even was actually part of it. You just knew that he’d always been there for big family gatherings, during which you’d often play together as children or talk, as you got older. You did appreciate his wit and lack of hypocrisy so you’d easily put him in the bearable category of your otherwise shitty family.

The other unusual thing was the record number of weddings you’d been to lately. Nothing for years, and suddenly everyone was getting married. Of course three wasn’t that big of a number, but compared to zero, it was still a significant increase.

Anyway, you were free that day, liked some good food, and if Ekko was desperate enough to ask you to be his plus one, then you didn’t see why you’d decline.

You sent your positive reply, thanking him for thinking of you and asking for a few details like dress code and location.

Obviously, your quick answer had nothing to do with the hope to see Jinx again. Although she was Ekko’s best friend so her presence at the wedding would make sense… You didn’t dare let yourself hope too much.

Just in case, you made sure to pick an especially nice outfit for the event. At least your cousin wouldn’t be embarrassed of his partner for the night.

You prayed there wasn’t some secret scheme behind this invitation. You weren’t sure you’d like pretending to be Ekko’s girlfriend the whole evening. Perhaps you were reading into it too much, you always had a bubbling imagination after all.

During the following month, you did your best to forget about the whole thing, pushing your lingering hopes at the back of your mind. On the D-day, Ekko had told you he’d come pick you up at your place in the middle of the afternoon. 

You weren’t surprised when you heard a knock at your door, right on time. You went to open up, greeting your cousin with a warm smile.

“Hi, how are you doing?” You said as you let him in, noticing his impeccable suit and immaculate shirt.

“Great, thanks. You look gorgeous, little cousin.” He replied, hugging you briefly.

You scoffed, hitting his shoulder playfully. “I’m only six months younger than you, Ekko. But thank you, you look good too. Nervous?” He did seem a little tense. You went to the open kitchen to make him something to drink. “Tea or coffee?”

“Coffee, please. I mean, I’m not the one getting married but I want it to be perfect for Scar. As his witness I kinda feel responsible for making everything go smoothly. We’re gonna be there earlier than most guests, by the way.”

“In case you have to stop him from running away?” you joked, bringing him his coffee, your own cup in your other hand. You might need it not to get a little dozy during the ceremony, it hadn’t happened before but as they say, better be safe than sorry.

Ekko shook his head with a chuckle. “He’s not that kind of guy. But I still want to be there for him.”

You nodded with a smile, understanding the feeling. “I’ll be fine waiting around a little, don’t worry. And I’m sure everything will go perfectly today.”

“Unlike your mother’s wedding, you mean?” he teased, hiding his grin in his cup as he brought it to his mouth.

“Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad.”

The reference to that night brought thoughts of Jinx back to the forefront of your mind. You didn’t ask Ekko though and he didn’t say anything else so you both just finished your drinks in an unusually awkward silence.

At the venue, everyone seemed to know Ekko. You crossed path with a few people, who all embraced him warmly, and some of them were definitely from the family and not his group of friends. He had a knack for making people feel comfortable around him.

At some point, he abandoned you to go check on the groom, apologizing for leaving you alone. You told him to go already, you’d be alright.

You didn't even get time to feel lonely.

“Hello there…” said a voice from behind you, clearly coming from just a few feet away yet you hadn’t heard its owner get so close. You were smiling before even turning around, identifying the stranger worryingly fast.  

You weren’t mistaking, Jinx was standing there, her smirk softening when your eyes met hers. She looked as attractive as ever, showing more skin than you’d seen before which allowed you to appreciate her lean musculature.

“Hi… Surprised?” you asked, almost subconsciously taking a step closer.

Jinx’s gaze detailed your appearance, visibly appreciative, going as far as circling you to get a good view of everything. She was like a cat, and you a very willing mouse. “Not really. I haven’t been at a wedding where you weren’t in a long time.”

“Same. Are you a guest today or…?”

She stopped right behind you, leaning in to whisper directly in your ear, her breath hot against your skin. “I’ll be mixing a little, but don’t worry, I intend to get my payment tonight.”

You chuckled as she moved to stand in front of you again, watching your reaction closely. “Do you think it’ll actually work this time?”

Jinx shrugged, switching to a much more casual tone. “I’ll leave the music to Ekko if necessary but I’m gonna get you alone.”

“Are you saying you’d commit desertion for me?”

“Honestly, at this point, I’d do far worse just to finally get my hands on you.”

Someone walked by at that moment, he had definitely heard at least Jinx’s last sentence but he didn’t even seem taken aback, sighing as he walked by. One of Ekko’s friends, undoubtedly.

Jinx snickered and flipped the guy off. Then she turned back to you, linking her hands behind her back. “So, where were we? Did I tell you how edible you looked yet or not?”

You shook your head, smiling. “No, but please tell me more.”

She gladly would have, if Ekko hadn’t called you to inform you the ceremony was going to start soon so you should go take your seat.

You were going to say you’d be there in a second when Jinx stole your phone to tell her best friend he was ruining all her fun. You didn’t hear his reply but you clearly saw the woman grimace at it before hanging up and handing you your phone back with an unapologetic “Sorry”.

Jinx’s seat was two ranks behind yours but you could feel her eyes on you the whole time. She even got a note relayed to you by a few people, during a moment a bit more boring. It was one of these questions with multiple answers and you had to tick a box.

Do you wanna sleep with me tonight?

Yes

Answer a

Answer b

(PS: no but fr, you can say no if u don’t want to)

Someone was obviously second guessing her rather direct approach so far, as you hadn’t actually agreed to anything yet. You turned around as discreetly as possible and mouthed ‘yes’.

Jinx beamed in answer, turning her head away a second too late to hide her obvious enthusiasm. You chuckled quietly, her smile turned softer, almost surprised at your genuine amusement.

You might’ve looked hot scowling at your mother’s wedding but this radiant version of you was by far her favourite. She noted how much more light-hearted you seemed when not surrounded with your family. 

A sweet exchange of vows and a kiss later, you were dancing with Ekko, along with most of the guests. He was good enough at it not to step on your feet, which you appreciated.

The room’s theme wasn’t quite typical but the atmosphere was pleasantly warm and festive. It didn’t feel fake or soullessly expensive but rather personal, a true reflection of the newlyweds’ personalities. There weren’t a lot of guests either but all of them looked genuinely happy to be there.

“Thank you for accepting my invitation.”

You snapped out of your thoughts to smile at your cousin. “I’m really happy I did, you know. This is better than whatever else I could’ve done tonight. We should meet up more often.”

“I’d like to.” He replied, and you had no doubt he meant it.

Someone suddenly cleared their throat right next to you. Jinx, of course.

“Sorry to interrupt.” She didn’t look all that sheepish as she grabbed your hand and grinned at her best friend. “Mind if I still your partner?”

Ekko chuckled as he stepped away. “Would it change something if I did?”

“Absolutely not. You can go replace me, thanks.”

You waved at him as he walked away, an amused look on his face. “Scream if you need me to save you from her.” he told you before turning away for good.

“Freaking saviour complex…” mumbled Jinx under her breath.

You resumed dancing, with your new partner. It wasn’t the same, her grip a lot firmer and the rhythm less regular. You were a lot more focused on her too, but not as much as she was.

“You know, it’s gonna be disappointing someday when I’ll go to a wedding and you won’t be there.” You started, observing how the coloured spotlights made her look a bit like out of a psychedelic dream.

Jinx tilted her head, seemingly thinking about it for a second, then her grin came back as she found the answer.

“Easy, you just have not go anywhere without me.” She said as a joke, making you spin unexpectedly. You were both much closer when you faced her again.

“Yes, that would work, I guess. But that means we’d be seeing each other outside of just weddings. I’m not sure if I’m ready for that kind of commitment.” Your tone was playful as you frowned exaggeratedly, pretending to be preoccupied by the matter.

“That would be two of us, then.” Jinx replied almost quietly, like she had actually thought about it.

Her change of attitude also made you turn more serious. Whatever the sparks between you meant, it was worryingly not casual enough. It felt like something threatening to grow into a terrifying feeling. “And maybe tomorrow we’ll be totally over it, finally hooking up could totally get this whole thing out of our systems.

It might even be disappointing. Like when you wait for something so much that when you get it, it’s just… Not that good.”

Was the thought reassuring or scary? You couldn’t tell.

“Right.” Jinx agreed like she was trying to convince herself. “It’s probably not going to be up to the expectations, yeah?”

You nodded as your gaze unfortunately wandered down to her lips. God, her lips…

“It’ll be just like all these things that aren’t up the hype.”

Subconsciously or not, Jinx was pulling you closer, until your bodies were flushed against each other.

“Yeah, there’s no way it’ll be as good as we’ve imagined it.”

You watched her lips move as she spoke, almost entranced. “You imagined it?” you whispered, your mouth just a few inches away from hers.

“Hell yeah.” Jinx’s answer came right before you both leaned in simultaneously, your lips joined in a kiss that felt like a test. The next one was more heated, making your head spin in a way that meant nothing good.

It was a little past midnight when you stumbled into your place, making out in the hallway for a while before finally making it to the bed.

The next day, you shared coffee in your kitchen, not daring to take a look at the time and realize how late it was.

You sighed, glancing at her and smiling at how cute Jinx looked now, hair tousled and nose wrinkling as she took a sip of her coffee.

“So…” You started, making her look up with cautious interest. “It wasn’t actually disappointing.”

Her lips stretched into an amused smile. “Not really, no. What do we do, then?”

“Get married.” You replied, deadpanned.

Jinx froze in the middle of drinking from her mug. Then she barked out a laugh, almost choking on the coffee. You chuckled as she coughed dramatically.

“Don’t die in my kitchen, please.”

“Of course, wouldn’t want for my death to be of any inconvenience for you.” She said mockingly, gesturing widely with her mug in hand, almost spilling it.

“Anyway, since we can agree that last night wasn’t quite enough, we could start with exchanging phone numbers.”

“Oh, I already got your number.” Jinx let the information slip without thinking about it, too busy stirring more sugar in her coffee. Then she realized and paused, glancing up at you as though hoping you hadn’t noticed.

Unfortunately, you had. “How did you get my number?”

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she looked at anything but you. “Hum, Ekko gave it to me, for some reason… I have no idea why because I absolutely didn’t ask for it, no that’d be ridiculous, right?”

You shrugged, pretending to believe it. “I don’t know, I think it would’ve been sweet. But since he just gave it to you for no reason…”

Jinx glared at you, picking up on your little game. “Fine, I did ask him.”

“Text me when you wanna hang out again, then.”

“Sure.”

You smiled at her and she let herself smile back, the sun peeking through the December clouds outside.

In that moment, Jinx thought you’d never look better. But then again that’s what she thought every single time she saw you. She had good intentions of making this one-night stand an all-nights stand.

Starting with sending you a text from the entrance of your apartment building on her way out.

Summary of the 3rd wedding: that’s finally a well-deserved win. Or is it?

You stood in front of the mirror, your brain struggling to link this perfect-looking bride in her stunning white dress and yourself. Yet she was you and you were her.

You smiled at your own reflection, like you had practiced ever since realizing the pictures taken today would be some of the most important in your life. You felt nervous, almost nauseous if you had to be honest. Thankfully you hadn’t eaten much so there were little chances of you actually throwing up. You fidgeted with your engagement ring as you kept staring at your reflection, almost hypnotized by the sight, like a deer caught in the headlights.

You flinched as someone knocked at the door. You took a deep breath, trying to calm the tremors in your hands as you invited them to come in.

Ekko walked in, in his spotless suit and varnished shoes. You assumed they were new, since they were different from the last ones you’d seen him wear at a wedding. It must’ve been Scar’s…

You shook your hand and forced a smile. “Hey… Looking sharp, cousin.” You complimented.

He brushed off the comment. “Are you kidding me? You look like a literal goddess. Next to you, I’m like a peasant or something.” He looked at you more closely and his expression turned sympathetic. “A nervous goddess, though.”

He was right, even though his relaxed demeanour appeased your own nerves.

“It’s that obvious, huh? It’s just… It feels so big, you know?” You tried to explain how you felt, your hands abusing some poor cushion which had the misfortune of being within your reach.

“I get it, it’s perfectly normal. But hey, I just saw your bride, she’s ready and she looks great, I mean not as good as you, but still.” That got a chuckle out of you. “You two are the most beautiful and annoying couple I know so relax, okay?”

You nodded, grateful for the support. “Thanks.”

“No problem. And if you suddenly feel like saying no, my car’s ready for a grand escape.”

“Really?”

From playful, he became more serious. “In a heartbeat.” He paused, observing your tensed shoulders and the latest victim of your fidgeting. “I’m serious, you don’t have to do this. Being a bit scared and emotional means you’re doing this knowingly, that’s good. Now if you’re scared of stopping everything, then we cancel it all. I can’t tell you how you feel so it’s up to you.”

You thought about the woman you were going to marry and a small smile appeared on your face. “No, it’s alright. It all downed on me like that so I just got a little overwhelmed but I love her.”

That wasn’t what Ekko meant. Yet it wasn’t his place to make you doubt if you were sure of yourself. He left the room with a reassuring smiling in your direction.

Suddenly your phone rang, you looked around and found it on a chair.

The screen read: Alexandra.

“Hey babe.” You said as you picked up, starting to pace around the room.

“Hi, love. I know we can’t see each other before the wedding but I’ve missed you so much, I feel like it’s been an eternity since we woke up. I wanted to hear your voice.”

You knew her, she liked to check on people and always talked about her feelings, expecting the same from others. You two had met her over five years ago, even though you had only started dating three years ago because… well, because you had had a relationship with someone else before that.

“I miss you too. I can’t wait to be there.”

It was only half-true. You wanted to get this waiting over as quick as possible because you were worried your nervousness would only get worse with time, but you also feared the moment you’d walk down the aisle with all these eyes watching you. You reminded yourself they were familiar eyes, those of your closest friends and family (not a lot of people in that second category). You also knew and appreciated all the people Alexandra had invited so there was nothing to be so scared about.

No big deal.

Just a marriage that should technically last for a lifetime.

No pressure at all.

You reassured yourself with the thought that many couples get divorced nowadays so it was not really a permanent contract anymore.

Eventually, your godmother – your father’s best friend until his passing – came to tell you it was time. You linked arms with her, holding your flower bouquet tightly in your hands. It was made of white chrysanthemum, soft yellow butterfly weed, white jasmine and zinnia flowers.

“You father would be proud of you.” Your godmother said, her eyes suspiciously watery. You loved her but you wished it had been him in her place.

Walking down the aisle wasn’t as bad as you had thought. Actually, it felt like you were just a witness in your own body, watching yourself move without being in control. It must have been the emotion.

You did notice how gorgeous Alexandra looked. As soon as you were standing next to her, you felt her presence grounding you. You were more relaxed, calmer.

You went through the ceremony with no further trouble, just a comfortable serenity. This was what you loved with your newly-wife, she made everything easy, simple. When you put the wedding band on her finger, it fit perfectly. Thankfully there was no Freudian slip, which you had been afraid of, for some reason.

Alexandra and you exchanged a chaste kiss when told to, smiling to each other before turning to your clapping guests.

You saw Ekko standing to applaud, and your great grandmother not too far from him. She looked… old. She hadn’t really moved or said anything since your godmother had gone to drive her from her house to the city hall. It wasn’t very surprising since she was a few years past 100 years old now.

You felt Alexandra’s hand grab yours, you squeezed it like a reflex, glancing at her flawless makeup and shiny hair. Some people in the audience were crying, but neither of you seemed to be overcome by that kind of feeling. You always thought seeing the bride cry was weird anyway.

Then everyone went to get in their car and drive to the actual venue. In the car, Alexandra and you talked about the last organizational details to arrange like her cousin needing a place to stay tonight, the caterer forgetting a vegetarian plate and the plumber calling that morning about the leak in our kitchen.

You had carefully planned your marriage of course, during several months, but there was one thing you weren’t prepared for and that was seeing Jinx standing behind the mixing table. Her hair was cut shorter than the last time you’d seen her and you couldn’t help but notice that her eye-bags weren’t as marked either.

You were positive you hadn’t invited her and you certainly hadn’t hired her either. So what the hell was she doing here?

You excused yourself, taking advantage of your wife getting congratulated by her parents, to go ask your ex-girlfriend directly.

You unceremoniously walked to her, told her to follow you and led her to the first room that looked like it was empty. It was a small space with dust-covered boxes and a weak flickering light but it would do.

“What the fuck, Jinx?”

She crossed her arms over her chest but didn’t deflect with a nonchalant smirk, as you had expected. “I just… Wanted to see you.”

That wasn’t a satisfying explanation to you. “What?! How did you even replace the DJ? Does Ekko know?” You interrogated, suspecting the woman’s best friend to had had a role in this.

Jinx winced, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “He does. But he told me not to do it. I didn’t listen.”

“You never do.” You commented bitterly. “So why did you decide to crash my wedding, exactly? You didn’t ruin me enough last time, you had to come and finish the work?”

She had the decency of looking affected by your sharp words. “No! I mean, I don’t make good decisions, you know I don’t. Ugh, that’s not…” she cut herself off, fingers flexing like she was aching to tug at her hair maybe, as you remembered her doing when she got overwhelmed. You pushed the memory away.

“What are you doing here? I want one sentence only.” You snapped, glaring at her.

She swallowed, staring at you like you were the one who had broken her heart. The audacity. “I just needed to see you.”

You stiffened, jaw clenching. Jinx kept going.

“And you look breath-taking.” She whispered.

You sighed, the anger drained at out of you and turning into weariness. “There, you saw me. Now can you leave?”

Jinx looked like she wanted to reach out for you but thought better of it and fidgeted with her rings instead. “I changed, you know. I’m better now, I take a whole bunch of new pills. I even go to therapy, ha! The guy is like super weird, says almost nothing, it’s unsettling. I got a job too. I do art classes, I like it.”

“Why are you telling me all this, Jinx? Congrats, you’re doing fine without me.”

“But I don’t want to do it without you.” She admitted, honestly. You had rarely seen her so open and willingly vulnerable. Turns out therapy actually works. It didn’t change that she was totally out of her mind.

“I’m married! And even if I wasn’t, after what you did to me…” You shook your head, the memories resurfacing.

“I fucked up, I know! We were so good together, I panicked. I was happy and doing so much shit I’d never done for anyone before, I came to think it wasn’t really me you were dating, okay? I started feeling like you didn’t love the real me because you only knew that version of me and you’d hate me if you saw me for who I actually am.”

“So you sabotaged us just to prove your point?”

“Yes, in a way. I pushed you away until all you could do was let me. That felt more like something that would happen to me than a sweet relationship.” Jinx seemed conflicted as she confessed that, her gaze alternation between going to the ceiling, the floor and you, like she couldn’t look away from you for too long.

“I’m married…” you repeated, as if it was a shield between you and everything you had felt for Jinx, lived with her and dreamed of doing with her.

“She doesn’t love you like I do.” Argued the blue-haired woman, her voice firmer.

“How would you know?”

Jinx scoffed. “Because she actually looks sane, normal. I’m neither of that. I don’t love you like that.”

“Maybe I want exactly that.” You retorted, only half-believing it yourself. Your heart was pounding in your chest, as it had been ever since you’d noticed her.

You were starting to see it now, your heart beat faster for that blue-haired girl than it ever would for any Alexandra. But perhaps it wasn’t a bad thing, not to feel something so strong, vibrant and overpowering for someone you did love, just enough to know you could leave a peaceful and stable life with her.

You had gotten to that point in your thinking when the sound of people running in the hallway caught your attention.

“What is it now…?” you mumbled as you turned away from Jinx, opening the door to see what was going on. Ekko was walking by hurriedly. “Ekko!” You called out, growing worried.

“Great grandma is dead.” He announced, his expression preoccupied.

“Oh god…” You stayed stunned for a second, realizing the significance of that sentence.

Then everything blurred together. You saw her on her chair, the ambulance arrived, everyone was talking about dispositions for the corpse, then they left and before you knew it, you were in your bed alone, Alexandra gone with her grand-father or something because he’d done a panic attack over this whole thing.

The only good thing about all this is that you had gotten no time to think about your discussion with your ex-girlfriend. You quickly fell asleep, going from a state of stupor to a dreamless unconsciousness.

Summary of the 4th wedding: if that wasn't a complete distaster, then it looks a lot like it

The funeral happened five days later, under a uniformly grey sky. After dressing in all white last Saturday, you were now wearing only black. Unlike for your wedding, this time you cried, as they put the casket in the ground. You wouldn’t miss the unresponsive woman of the past few years, but rather the quick-witted great grandma from twenty years ago, the one you’d run away from when you were a child and doing stupid things with your cousins. You hoped she was getting the rest she deserved, after living longer than a century. You couldn’t imagine making it to that age. It was time for her to leave this world behind.

You sat on one of the cemetery’s bench, lingering behind as most of the other guests went home to enjoy the quietness of the place. You heard Jinx coming before seeing her. She sat next to you wordlessly, at first.

You watched a crow peck at the gravel of the path.

“Where is she?” Jinx asked after a while, obviously not talking about your late great grandmother. She kicked a pebble, making the bird a few meters further fly away.

“She is with her family. Her grandfather has become completely paranoid since the wedding.” You explained laconically. Since the wedding, you hadn’t seen your wife much and you couldn’t help but have the feeling that you were both a little relieved about it. Your great grandmother’s death had had for only advantage to give you time to think, about Alexandra and mostly Jinx. Now the latter wanted an answer.

You had to admit it to yourself, you were as over Jinx as you had convinced yourself of. You still harboured feelings for her, that much was obvious. Although, were they worth ruining your relationship and recent marriage with Alexandra? You loved her too, just differently.

To be frank, life didn’t have the same savour or the same colours, without Jinx. Moreover, she did seem to have found a kind of stability since the breakup, more poised, with a sort of confidence that wasn’t just a shallow armour. Three years was a long time to heal and grow, and despite how things had gone the first time, you found yourself wanting to believe her. Jinx was obviously hesitant about how you felt but not at all about how she felt towards you. You had missed her terribly, missed the way nothing was ever boring by her side, the high of loving with passion and intensity, the late-night laughter and early-morning cuddles. Every room was emptier without her there lighting it up, sometimes literally.

“So, still married?” she wondered, sounding both hopeful and resigned.

You simply nodded, still not looking at her.

There was a moment of silence before Jinx spoke again, her tone almost casual. “Haven’t you heard? I don’t do weddings anymore, only divorces. And bar mitzvahs.”

You finally turned to face her, your gaze retracing the features burned in your memory, registering the slight changes that made her look healthier, if not more beautiful, before landing on her mouth. You looked back up. She smiled at you hesitantly, careful. In that moment, it became obvious that there only one option worth considering. You took a deep breath before talking again. “Do I get a special discount?”

Jinx’s face lit up, making you smile faintly. “Of course. I’d even let you pay in kind.” She confirmed immediately.

“Well then… It’d be a pity to miss out on this offer.”

You knew Alexandra wouldn’t be heartbroken over your divorce, and none would be all that surprised to see your marriage end so soon. After all, someone dying during our wedding was no good omen.

From threatening, the weather changed to rainy, and soon it was pouring down on you both. Your hair was quickly getting damp, clinging to your skin.

You frowned, getting a weird déjà vu impression. “Doesn’t this remind you of something?”

You caught Jinx staring at you unblinkingly and chuckled. “No?”

“No.” she brushed off before pulling you in and crashing your lips together. It kept raining on the two of you but you didn’t care. You were right where you wanted to be, in a cemetery, kissing the love of your life until your lungs burned.

Sure, weddings were nice, but funerals had their appeal to. No that you had any intention of going to either of these events any time soon.

The day was beautiful but you wished it had rained.

Despite your best efforts, the bride’s gown wasn’t all that ugly, not even remotely close to how horrifying it should’ve been. And even the stupid bridesmaids looked cute.

Who would’ve thought sabotaging a wedding would be so hard?

Yet you had done your worst : pointing at whatever most ridiculous option your mother was hesitating over (turns out her new fiancé had better taste than she did, that literal motherfucker), giving half the guests the wrong date (which had barely caused some confusion for your great-aunt), hiring some probably catastrophic DJ friend of a second cousin twice removed or something like that, even going as far as picking a menu with nuts, knowing full well she was allergic to them (not deadly so, you weren’t a murderer yet). It was no use, the wedding was actually decent and all your plots had failed so far.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. You still had one trick left in your sleeve, even if it was admittedly a little immature. Surely you had reached the bottom by now anyway.

A glass of champagne in your hand (your fourth), you were moping in a corner of the reception hall. You had successfully avoided being on much pictures so far, scowling when you couldn’t escape it.

Everyone had noticed your blatant unhappiness, pretending not to while avoiding you. So now you were both pissed and lonely.

It was still early, you and a few other people were meant to be making sure everything was in place for when the wedding would actually start. First, all the official part was happening five minutes away, then everyone would get here to celebrate. This was going to be a long day.

You swallowed the rest of your glass when your uncle told you it was time to leave. He chuckled and mumbled something like “Ah, a little liquid courage to face this moving day…”

You sighed and followed him like you would’ve followed your executioner. You’d never been hanged before but you might start consider it before midnight. You didn’t give this farce longer than two hours before you reached your limit.

“Your parents are going to have a lovely wedding.” He said joyfully as you both walked to the parking. For some reason, he seemed to think that would cheer you up. You had no doubt stupidity ran in that side of the family, even though you liked to think you hadn’t inherited that gene.

“They’re not my parents. My dad is dead.” You corrected coldly, for what felt like the hundredth time since people had decided that whomever got in your mother’s pants was automatically your father.

Your uncle cleared his throat, his bold head turning an impressively red colour. “Right…” he muttered, pretending to look for his keys in every single pocket of his clothes (between his pants, jacket, you counted six of them) before leaving you to rush to his car with a quick “see you there!” that he certainly did not mean.

Maybe you were wrong. This day wasn’t going to be long, it was going to be never-ending.

At least you looked good, you told yourself. If you were going to make your feelings about this wedding known to everyone, you might as well look pretty while you glared daggers at the happy couple.

Sure, you could’ve simply not come, you even thought about it as you got in your car. But then there would’ve been nothing and none today to remind everyone here that your dad had existed, and married that bitch of a woman who had given you birth. So now you had to get through this torture.

You took your seat in the first raw, only a few meters away from where the groom was already standing, waiting. If someone called that man your father one more time, you didn’t feel above biting. Or throwing one of the decoration candles. Maybe even both, depending on how much you felt like overreacting.

Suddenly, all the guests turned to look at the door and make stupid comments about your mother, who was no doubt walking down the aisle. You felt nauseous as you glanced at her, smiling happily like she had any right to. You averted you gaze quickly, clenching your fists until your nails sunk in the skin of your palms. It felt too warm in here, too crowded with people you’d rather not spend a second longer with.

The ceremony went on, but you seized the occasion to escape as soon as it appeared in the form of your godmother’s dog needing a walk, since the poor thing was getting agitated from staying put.

Once you were outside, holding the pet’s leash, you finally took a deep breath of fresh air, relaxing a little. The tiny Yorkshire terrier seemed happy to be out of there too, sniffing everything around. You held your phone in one hand, replying to the few texts you had received. You were in no hurry to go back, so you continued walking until you reached the venue. You stayed in that street for ten more minutes before heading back, retracing your steps with a pace as slow as possible. You observed a cat lazily basking in the sun on a balcony, helped a blind man to cross the street, among other things. Your mother must’ve been exchanging vows with your late father’s replacement by now.

A silhouette on the other side of the street, walking the opposite way, caught your attention. She was pale, dressed in a large t-shirt that had probably never seen an iron but still looked good with all the accessories and the black pants. Her hair was messy and strikingly blue. You realized you had been staring when she glanced over her shoulder curiously and met your gaze. You turned your head immediately, calling the dog like it was wandering too far to try and act natural. After that, you walked a little faster, the pet looking at you like it could sense your embarrassment.

When you made it back to your starting point, people were spilling onto the street which meant the ceremony was thankfully over. You gave her dog back to your godmother, who didn’t dare tell you what a pity it was that you had missed the vows and the ring exchange.

Everyone got in their car to drive the same route you had done three times already.

After that, it was time to take official pictures, everyone lined up and smiling at the camera. You stayed for one, then left quickly before anyone could call you for another one. You hid in a corner until this whole thing was done.

However, when you walked in the venue with the other guests to find your seat, your gaze fell on the woman standing with her headphones on behind the mixing deck. You immediately recognized her as the attractive stranger in the street earlier. Just your luck. You’d need her help, if you wanted to carry out your plan. Today was definitely not your day.

But for now everyone had to watch the first dance with fake admiration. It was so painful you couldn’t bear to actually look, your eyes wandering around the room and often going back to the DJ. Unfortunately, she noticed every single time, grinning with amusement.

Now you definitely needed a little more of ‘liquid courage’ as your uncle had called it, so you got yourself a cocktail, and then another one, just in case.

Between the bride and groom’s disgustingly loving gazes and all the alcohol you had drunk, it’d be a damn miracle if you didn’t get sick before leaving this hell.

Anyway, you had a plan, and now enough alcohol in your veins to find it in yourself to go talk to the DJ. You barely avoided crashing into whoever’s kids were running around, and walked over to the mixing desk where the blue-haired girl was busy doing her job. She hadn’t noticed you approaching yet. She did feel your gaze on her once again though, as you were a table away. At least it spared you the awkwardness of trying to get her attention among all the noise and the loud music.

With her eyes on you, for some mysterious reason you felt grateful for the effort you’d put into getting ready earlier.

“Hey…” she greeted as you finally stopped a few steps away from her. “What is it?”

Straight to the point. At least that didn’t let you too much time to overthink it further.

You flashed her your brightest smile, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to lean into a little flirting to be more convincing. “Hi, I’m the bride’s daughter.” You introduced yourself, since it was a key element to justify your unusual request.

“Jinx.”

You took a good look at her, from head to toe, now that you were facing her properly.

In all honesty, you hadn’t expected this when you had told your mother that your cousin knew a good DJ. It had been a lie at the time, because you were convinced the guy would be terrible. Jinx was anything but terrible, so far. Especially visually-speaking, if you had to be honest.

You cleared your throat and unlocked your smartphone. “I would like you to put this song, at some point.” You finally asked, showing her your phone screen opened on the Spotify app.

 “You want me to play illicit affairs.” Jinx stated flatly. Then, she tilted her head curiously. “Why not another more fitting Taylor Swift song?”

“Because my mom is a cheater. She was already seeing this asshole she’s marrying before divorcing my dad. He had a cancer relapse after that.” You swallowed with difficulty, a lump forming in your throat. “He died two years ago.”

Jinx barked out a laugh, which made you flinch a bit. “That’s hilarious.” Upon noticing your taken aback expression, she shifted tone. “Not the part when you’re dad died, of course. I mean that’s not funny… Like, you must be sad and…” she started blurting out before cutting herself off to stop making it worse.

You quickly recovered from your initial surprise and chuckled. This was better than fake condolences or irritating sympathy. “It’s fine.

And I can get you a bonus for my request, if you want. Because you’re probably not going to get recommended by anyone here after that.”

“No worries, I’ll do it. I don’t even do that many weddings anyway.”

You smiled at her, genuine this time, relieved that you hadn’t made a fool of yourself with this admittedly childish idea for nothing.

Jinx stared at you wordlessly for a beat too long then blinked a few times and waved you off to turn back to her computer screen.

You walked away, almost feeling like Jinx was watching you. You forced yourself not to look back to check.

A short while later, you heard the first few notes of the song you had picked and moved to just the right spot to see your mother’s reaction. When everyone started recognizing the song or understanding the lyrics blasting through the speakers, they turned to stare at the bride and groom too, confirming your suspicions that they all knew the timeline of their love story was shady.

You felt immense satisfaction as your mother turned a very noticeable red shade, hiding behind her glass, which she swallowed whole in one go. You glanced at Jinx and she winked at you, knowing.

After that, the mood was much heavier despite the general hypocrisy. Meanwhile you could enjoy the food with a lighter heart. People started leaving pretty early, which you took as a sign of your success.

Now there was only close family left, getting the leftovers in plastic boxes and collecting the few lost objects (among which dentures, surprisingly enough). You went back to the DJ’s spot, carrying a plate of food. Jinx was starting to get her things in her bag, she looked up with a grin at your arrival.

“Food?” you offered, not sounding as detached as you would’ve liked.

“Yeah, thanks.” Jinx took the plate and you noticed her chipped nail polish. She unnecessarily brushed your fingers in the process.

You were standing closer than before, only noticing her freckles now. She really was unfairly pretty. Among other qualities. You looked down at her DJ equipment as she ate.

“About my reward… Just for your information, I accept payments in kind.” Jinx said after a moment, leaning against the wall casually. Her gaze on you was a little intense and you felt your cheeks hit up the slightest.

Hopefully the bad lighting would make the blush on your face invisible. You doubted so as her grin widened.

“I’d love to…” You paused, almost getting lost in the blue of her eyes. “But I’m taken.” You finished, regretful. Cheating was obviously not an option, you weren’t like your mother.

A hint of disappointment flashed on Jinx’s face before her expression turned more neutral with a slight shake of her head. “What a pity.”

You refrained from agreeing. It would’ve been wrong. Still, you hoped your eyes gave the feeling away enough.

“Well, I’d better get going, then.” She concluded, finishing the food quickly. You took a step back, smoothing out invisible wrinkles on your clothes just to occupy your hands.

You watched her take a few steps away, getting the strange feeling that you shouldn’t be parting like that.

It was stupid. You weren’t free, you weren’t exactly sober, you’d met that woman only a few hours ago, and your emotions were all over the place because of this dumb wedding. Yet, you felt like spending the rest of the night with Jinx would’ve been the best thing to happen today. The only good thing too, probably.

“Wait!” you called out before even knowing what you were making her wait for. Jinx did stop in her tracks, turning to face you with a careful slowness. If you had been the optimistic kind, you would’ve even said she looked hopeful. “I… It was a pleasure to meet you.”

Lame. That was just painfully lame.

Jinx’s face softened anyway. “Same. Pleasure to meet you, toots.”

Then she left for real, nothing keeping her there anymore. You almost didn’t notice how good she looked from behind.

After that, you considered taking one more drink to drown the disappointment but you had barely sobered up enough to drive now. Thankfully, you didn’t live too far away.

Summary of the day: not a complete failure. You did manage to sabotage the wedding as much as you could. Small satisfaction. Where was your dad when you needed him?

Well, you knew the answer to that.

Later, your mother sent you the link to the cloud with all the pictures from the event. You chuckled as you had the confirmation that all the pictures you were part of featured your scowl. All of them except for a single one. The photograph had actually managed to get a picture of you smiling, when you were talking with Jinx. That bastard.

You absolutely didn’t save that picture. And if you did, it was only because you looked real good in it.

Time passed and you forgot about the hot blue-haired DJ from your mother’s wedding, avoiding seeing said mother for most of the following year too (no you hadn’t made up, yes your relationship had gotten worse).

Wedding season came back, at some point. This time your aunt from whatever family branch was getting married, in the morning, which was a little unusual. You almost didn’t go, having other plans, but those got cancelled at the last minute so you did end up going, alone once again.

You’d have to find a plus one for next time or everyone was going to think your love life was miserable. It wasn’t. You just happened not to want to bring your partner to you-know-who’s wedding and this time you were single. They do say that weddings are good places to meet someone so you dressed up, hoping the groom’s side would have interesting people among its guests.

The signing part was done already so this was just the religious wedding and party. You didn’t mind the mass, it let you plenty of time to scrutinize all your options regarding who you’d spend the rest of the event with. When church would be done, there would be lunch, than things would go on until the late afternoon or beginning of the evening. You were open to making some new friend or just finding someone nice enough to chat with for a while. None among the guests looked too promising, though.

You frowned at the fur scarf of the unknown lady sitting in front of you. The preserved fox creeped you out, with its glass eyes wide open. You shivered, almost positive that the animal moved.

Suddenly, everyone stood up and you followed the movement, trying to ignore the dead fox watching your every breath.

The mass ended with a joyful song, each row walking out one by one with surprising order. The bride looked radiant, much more than the last one you’d seen, without being petty. Fortunately, she had beef with that very woman and hadn’t invited her, unlike you.

As you stood outside of the church, enjoying the warmth of the sun on your skin, a man in a blue suit approached you. You smiled back at him, albeit a little more politely and a little less flirtatiously.

“Hi, don’t think I’ve met you before. Are you from the bride’s side?” Typical question in the context. His blue eyes reminded you of someone but you couldn’t quite pinpoint who.

“Yes.” You simply confirmed, not wanting to give him hope. It wasn’t his fault he was missing an X-chromosome to be of any interest for you.

“I’m the groom’s best friend.” He informed you, invading your personal space a little too much for your liking. He smelled a little… iodic. Probably because of some soap called ‘Waves of the all-mighty ocean during a storm’ or something akin.

You nodded slightly in confirmation, pretending to observe the happy couple walking down the stairs with more attention than you would grant your own child if you had one. That should get the message across.

A second later he excused himself with a random reason and left you alone. You were grateful for the lack of insistence and hoped he’d find someone more fitting.

As you entered the venue, you hoped neither of the man from earlier and the fur-scarfed woman would be sitting at your assigned table.

You were looking around, searching for your seat when your eyes fell on the silhouette of someone you knew. Jinx.

You walked towards her with reasonable hurry. Much like last time, her gaze found you before you reached her. After half a second of surprise, Jinx smiled, the expression more spontaneous and genuine than the slight smirk you remembered.

“Hi, what are you doing here, Jinx?” You asked immediately, realizing too late that remembering so well someone’s name from a year ago might be a little embarrassing.

“Playing hockey, obviously.” She replied, sarcastic. Fair enough, your question was a little stupid considering where they were and the headphones she was wearing around her neck.

“You were hired to mix here?”

Jinx chuckled as she crossed her arms over her chest, her blue clouds tattoos faintly visible through the white shirt she was wearing (she had probably been given instructions about her outfit this time). “Don’t sound so surprised.”

You rolled your eyes at her even though you were smiling. “I mean, my aunt must have heard of the ‘incident’ at the wedding last time…”

“Maybe she’d like to know if she’s marrying a cheater. You tell me what song I should add to the playlist.” Jinx whispered, leaning in your space. You didn’t dislike it nearly as much as when that guy had done it.

“I don’t know for sure but I’ve heard the groom is a good guy.” You were about to add something when you were interrupted by the bride’s arrival.

You congratulated her and she thanked you warmly but she had some details to check with Jinx so you were forced to step back. This was probably going to take a while and you sighed internally, leaving to go find yourself a drink.

Soon after, there was the first dance. It was cute, honestly. The two lovebirds looked quite infatuated with each other as they swayed across the dancefloor. The sight made you smile fondly and you clapped enthusiastically with the other guests when the song ended.

You didn’t get the chance to talk to Jinx until a good while later, as different dishes kept being served one after the other. You did glance back to her every so often, and systematically found her already looking in your direction. You found yourself smiling all along, like drunk on Jinx’s attention.

She really had one hell of an effect on you. It was a wonder how you had declined her proposition, last year.

Finally, as everyone waited for the cutting of the wedding cake, you managed to make your way to the mixing desk. At least you started to, until a woman dressed in an elegant purple dress stopped you in your tracks. You must have outdone yourself with this makeup.

Alexandra, as you learned when she introduced herself, was a cousin of the groom. She was clearly interested and you had to say she was pretty damn close to the person you had hoped to find when coming here. She had a good sense of humour, a nice smile and she managed to distract you from your initial target for longer than you would’ve thought. Like, much longer.

At some point, she asked if you had any plans for the night. To be honest, you didn’t have any (yet). But in fact you did not have to be honest at all so you lied.

“I do have something after this, yes. I’m sorry.”

If you had to choose between hooking up with Alexandra and maybe spending the night with Jinx, then you’d rather pick the second option. Even if it was risky. You might end up alone after all, but right now, it seemed worthwhile.

You excused yourself politely to get back to where you were heading to in the first place. Jinx greeted you with a nonchalant nod which contrasted a lot with her attitude so far.

You offered her your glass, like you just wanted to make sure the DJ would stay hydrated. Well, it wasn’t water but whatever. “Can you drink while working?” you suddenly wondered as she accepted the glass.

“Yeah, I’m not a cop.” Jinx replied, her tone a little cutting compared to earlier. She took a long sip while keeping her gaze in yours. You swallowed as she did then looked away, your cheeks heating up once again. “Thank you for the drink.” She mumbled afterwards, softer.

The music was loud, this close to the main speakers but somehow you could hear her slightly raspy voice as clear as if you were all alone in a graveyard. Not that you particularly wished to flirt with her while standing in the middle of tombs. Your brain was just working weirdly when you were talking to this specific insanely attractive woman.

“I owe you a reward, I believe.” You finally said, casually.

The tension you had perceived from Jinx disappeared in that exact moment, as she recovered the grin you were learning to associate with her. “Ditched the partner?”

“Yes. And please don’t tell me you are taken, now.” The joke was only half light-hearted, you almost crossed your fingers.

“Well, let me see…“ Jinx pretended to think about it while you couldn’t help but stare at her mouth. She was wearing a lipstick of a very nice plum shade. You were sure it would look great on you, like smeared on your neck. You snapped out of those thoughts when she finally came to a conclusion about her current status. “… Hm, no I think I’m single at the moment.”

You almost kissed her right there and then, you didn’t because you still had some self-control left. Emphasis on ‘some’. “Okay, cool.” You said instead. “This shouldn’t end too late, we can leave together if you want. I heard the cake was coming in a few minutes.”

“Fine by me. But I’m warning you, I’m taking interests for the delay.” Jinx’s gaze turned intense in that way you had noticed before when she looked at you, her smile taking an almost sadistic edge.

That sounded very promising.

“I always pay my debts. But what kind of interests are we talking about exactly?”

“Now let’s not spoil the fun.” She replied teasingly, which contrasted with the softness of her touch as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

You’d never looked forward to paying anything that much before.

With these exciting prospects hanging between the two of you, you left her to her job. People were going to notice if the DJ spent the whole party flirting with a guest.

The rapid pace of your own heart surprised you as you walked away from Jinx. You couldn’t believe you were getting this worked up over a woman you had seen twice and talked to for less than an hour total. But she had you hypnotized, and from the way she was watching you more often than not, it was a mutual feeling.

Alas, faith had other plans for the both of you this time around too.

You were talking to your neighbour at your table – and old man with an unusual passion for Pokémon – while mostly thinking about a certain DJ, when your aunt appeared to ask you to drive your great grandmother home.

Your great grandmother was so old none really knew her age, but somehow still standing. She had outlived all of her children and husbands, collected the most horrible fashion trends of the decades she lived through (they constituted the whole of her wardrobe) and was now surviving on wine and potatoes.

Anyway, she was getting tired of all the noise and agitation so she needed someone to bring her home and since you were there alone and you had a car… Well, you were automatically appointed to the job. It was unfortunate and very much not fitting with your plans. However you did like your great grandma and didn’t feel like declining a request from the bride herself. So you relented and took your ancestors arm so she could lean on you as you walked out of the venue.

When walking past her, you looked apologetically at Jinx who only shrugged dismissively in answer. For your own sake, you took it as her playing it cool.

Once outside, you settled the old woman in the passenger seat, making sure her belt was fastened – it would really be ridiculous if she had survived so long just to die from an accident in your car.

As you drove away, you felt the frustration down on you. This wedding turned out to be once again disappointing.

What were the chances you’d meet Jinx again? During another wedding? Surely there must be other DJs in the area. And why were you even so obsessed with her anyway? Of course she wasn’t like most of the girls you’d met before, but you were exaggeratedly affected by her. Perhaps it had something to do with the alcohol in your system both times you’d meet here. The ‘it was just the alcohol’ theory didn’t sound too convincing. You hadn’t even drunk that much today.

So why? Why did she have that much pull on you? Why did you want her so bad?

You had zero answer and way too many questions.

You sighed and focused on the road. As mentioned before, you’d rather get your great grandmother to her house in the same condition as when she was entrusted to you.

The drive went perfectly, and you parked your car in the driveway without any trouble. Then you helped her into her favourite armchair in the over-decorated living room.

“Do you need anything?” you asked, ready to bring her a magazine, another cushion or a glass of water.

She waved you off while muttering something you didn’t quite catch. You kissed her forehead as you were about to leave, knowing a nurse would be there in less than an hour to feed your great grandmother and put her to bed.

“You look good in blue.”

You stopped and turned to face the old woman with a confused expression, you weren’t expecting her to actually talk (you hadn’t been sure she was still able to). “I’m sorry?”

“You look good in blue.” She repeated in her trembling voice. You weren’t wearing blue, though. You blinked and pulled yourself together, smiling at her because you didn’t know what else to do.

“See you soon, I love you.” You told her as you left, still a little puzzled by the enigmatic comment made by your elder.

Meanwhile Jinx was just as disappointed as you were, if not more.

First, you’d caught her interest with your damn revenge plan on your mother, your stubborn character and alluring looks earning you most of her attention for the rest of the night. She would’ve loved to sleep with you that night – after all it wasn’t every day that a cute girl asked her for help getting revenge – but unfortunately you had declined. She hadn’t been rejected a lot in her life, but it made sense that you wouldn’t cheat with your history.

So Jinx had dropped the idea and moved on without trouble. She just thought about you once during that year, when she heard illicit affairs in a random social media video. Then someone from your family contacted her again for a wedding. That was unhoped for, after what had happened during your mother’s wedding. She had accepted the job immediately, a part of her hoping you’d be there.

When Jinx saw you walk in, she realized that not getting what she wanted last time had now heightened her desire to get over/under/inside/above you (not necessarily in that order).

But you had slipped through her fingers again. Obviously she had acted casual even though she was internally almost anything but.

So after a few days of mulling over it, Jinx decided this had last long enough and decided to contact you. Problem was, she had no way to. She did have both your aunt and your mother’s phone numbers but she couldn’t find any valid reason to ask them for yours. She had your name, but a quick research on multiple social media yielded no conclusive result.

Once she found herself out of options, she asked Ekko, her friend who’d recommend her to you for the first wedding. Jinx knew he’d have questions and would want to know everything to tease her about it but she had no better solution.

With your phone number finally in her possession, she sat with her phone in hand for a ridiculous amount of time, staring at the empty typing box. Then she paced for a good while, writing and deleting messages repeatedly. The shadows of late afternoon seemed to be mocking her hesitations, the sound of the clock hanging on the wall – a present from her sister to try to get her not to be late all the time – irritating her further.

Eventually, Jinx just closed the app and dropped her phone on the table, which landed with a loud noise. It had been two weeks since the wedding, for all she knew you might’ve been seeing someone else by now. Or forgot about her.

And maybe if every single time you ended up not making it to the next step, it was because you didn’t really want to and she should just drop it, leave you alone.

Yeah that must be it, Jinx convinced herself. It was easier better like that, she was just respecting your will by not contacting you.

And who knew? Maybe you’d meet again at another wedding. But with her luck…

Summary of the 2nd wedding: zero point for the two of you and one for your great grandmother.