like tension you can cut with a knife,

like a wedding ring that never fit r i g h t . . .

〰️〰️〰️

"I told Valerie like, eight times that I wasn't paying for a hotel in the city I live in. It's fucking stupid; I already spend enough money to live here as it is. You know what she told me? Then I guess you're not coming. I said, Valerie, it's my goddamn sister. This is Sutton we're talking about. She will personally perform a slow and painful death on me if I do anything to sabotage her wedding, and that includes any and all pre-wedding bullshit. I swear, these girls have no common sense. Like, thank God I'm not maid of honor but if I was, this wouldn't be happening. Am I wrong? I'm allowed to be pissed off about this, no?"

Collin looked at me from where he sat on a stool on the other side of the island in my kitchen, his lips flattened in thought. He raised his copper mug full of the Moscow mule I'd made for him and took a slow sip.

"No, I think you're right. It doesn't make any sense," he said, shaking his head. "Why couldn't you guys agree on a plan that worked for all of you?"

"Because I'm surrounded by fucking idiots. I'm just 'one of the bridesmaids'. I'm nothing. I have to go along with whatever Valerie says because she's in charge," I explained while wildly waving my hands around in frustration.

"Hearing you talk about this wedding makes me never want to get married. I'm honestly only looking forward to being in Hawaii for a couple days out of this whole thing."

I rolled my eyes a tad too hard and took a heavy gulp from my own mule. "How do you think I feel? Especially that after this, everyone is gonna expect me to be the next one. We've all kind of accepted that Duncan will never get married. Which is fine, as long as he can stay civil with his ex for the sake of Madelyn and be able to keep supporting her. Asher has plenty of time before people start bombarding him about getting married. That leaves me, and just thinking about it is making me itch."

Collin grimaced, which was exactly how I felt too. He took another mouthful from his drink and finished it off, so I grabbed it from him and started to make us a second round.

"So what's the plan now?" He questioned.

"Well, we're supposed to go to some 'Ladies Night' at this bar in Center City tonight. I think tomorrow we're shopping, then doing karaoke and BYOB at some sushi place later on, and Sunday we're doing brunch before they all head home," I told him, snatching a ginger beer out from my fridge so I could make the drinks.

I set the mugs on the island and started mixing the vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice as Collin watched me.

"Okay, 'Ladies Night' sounds like a nightmare," he chortled.

"Don't remind me," I groaned, squeezing half of a lime into each of our drinks. "Some girls dig that whole male stripper thing, and I'm just like... why?"

"Should be interesting."

"Yeah, that's one way to put it."

I stirred both cocktails one more time and then handed Collin his mug. We toasted to the absurd weekend that was ahead of me, even though Collin had nothing to do with it and came over after I got done work merely for moral support.

Sutton's bachelorette party had gone from a simple girl's night out to a whole extravaganza that I clearly had no vote on. Thanks to Valerie being the authoritative maid of honor and the remaining spineless bridesmaids following along with whatever she said, they'd come up with the spectacular idea of renting a hotel in Philly for the weekend. This worked for all of them because no one lived near the city. I, for one, was not about to pay for a hotel in my own damn city.

I'd had words with Valerie over it; she couldn't care less. The last I heard, they were still staying in the hotel and I would just meet them there before we went out each night. I dropped out of the conversation the minute they went through with the hotel room.

Everyone was excited for the couple of days away from real life for a girls-only getaway. Everyone that was, but me. Quite frankly, I was over celebrating things, but as a bridesmaid and Sutton's sister, I had to power through.

As soon as I lifted my mug to take my first sip from my new mule, my apartment buzzer went off.

Collin and I stared at each other, then looked over at the door.

"Who's that?"

"I really have no idea." I stole a swig from my drink and then trotted over to the buzzer on the wall. Clearing my throat, I pressed on the button before uttering a curious, "Yeah?"

"Bayla, it's Sutton. Buzz me in."

Now, there were only a few things in life that could render me absolutely speechless. An unexpected call into Donatella's office, the look my mom would give me whenever I did something wrong, and out of the blue visits from family. Especially those from my sister.

I was stammering to find the ability to speak while Collin was choking on his drink somewhere behind me.

"W-what?" I managed to spit out.

"Sutton, your sister. Can you let me in?" She laughed gracefully, her voice crystal clear through the archaic speaker.

"Uh, okay." I obeyed regardless of my confusion and let her in my building. For as long as I could remember, my sister had this controllingly gracious aura about her. It made people absentmindedly do whatever she said. I never questioned it, because it made Sutton, Sutton.

Walking back to my spot at the island with Collin, he asked, "What is she doing here?"

"I-I don't know. It's only six o'clock. I was told they were checking into their hotel around three, then we weren't going out until closer to eight," I said, gazing vacantly down at my mug. "What the fuck?"

He didn't have an answer for me – just an equally perplexed expression that matched mine.

My answer was my door being kicked open and my sister charging into my apartment.

"Hi!" Sutton caroled with the volume of a full choir. Her voice cut through my soul just like my mother's, forcing my skin to crawl and my eyes to widen at the fact that she was actually standing before me. "My God, your elevator is so fast! I feel like I got up here in two seconds."

"Yeah, you sure did," I wheezed when I noticed the pearly white suitcase she was rolling behind her.

She flung my door shut, sauntering over to hug me with her glowing grin still in place. Ziggy was trailing behind her, attempting to greet her and get her attention, but she didn't seem to care.

Her arms crushed me as she squealed, "Collin, hi! I haven't seen you in a long time! How are you?"

"I'm just swell," he replied flatly.

I had no patience for small talk. I had no patience for her.

"Sutton," I said, and she released me from her suffocating hug, "What are you doing here?"

Her smile softened a bit, blue eyes blinking back at me like she didn't comprehend the question. "Valerie didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" I tried not to make it obvious that I was gritting my teeth as I spoke. Of fucking course Valerie was behind this.

"She cancelled the hotel rooms. When she told me that you weren't going in on it – which I totally get – I said change of plans. My sister has to be involved in the whole bachelorette weekend. So here I am!" She chirped, arms spread wide and her grin even wider now.

"Here you are!" I mocked her excitement and pose, not in the least bit genuine about it. "So where the hell are you guys staying?"

She just about inhaled and I could already tell what she was going to say from the look on her face.

"Well..."

"Oh no." I shook my head over and over.

"I was thinking we could stay with you!"

"Sutton are you f-" I stopped myself, smothering the urge to knock my sister into a coma and took a deep, deep breath. With my hand over my mouth and my jaw clenched, I said, "You have got to me kidding me."

"What? I thought it would be fun!" She pouted.

"Okay but here's the thing. I am in a one bedroom apartment, and there are seven of us all together. Not to mention, Gus lives here too, so I don't know where you expect everyone to sleep. I can't accommodate this many people."

"We'll sleep on the floor, or the couch! Plus, we'll give you money for whatever you need. Food, electric, it doesn't matter. Everyone is already on their way here. Come on, it's gonna be fine."

I scoffed, "It is not fine! You can't spring stuff on me like this!"

As if me putting up a fight mattered. Sutton would get her way regardless of how pissed off I was, but I had a right to defend myself in my own home.

"Please, Bayla? If we don't do this, we have nothing. I was just looking forward to spending more time with you since I don't get to see you all that often," she begged me, a frown replacing what was a face of pure joy just minutes ago. "Please?"

She was guilt-tripping me and I knew it. Sutton had mastered that skill over the years, which I'd fallen victim to time and time again. She was cunning in every sense of the word. Truth be told, anyone that came in contact with the girl was swallowed by her silver tongue. It had gotten her a lot in life, and in one way I had to respect her for knowing what she wanted and getting it no matter what.

I knew I wasn't going to like the outcome, but I also knew it'd be my head served for dinner at her wedding reception alongside fresh pineapple and a four-tiered cake.

A ragged sigh escaped me as I looked up at the ceiling. I could feel Sutton's eyes sizzling through me the longer I waited to answer her. Out of spite, I pretended to keep thinking about what I was going to say until it came out weak, just like me.

"Fine. Let me go call Gus and make sure it's okay with him."

Sutton shrieked so loud I was sure everyone on my floor – perhaps in the entire building – heard it.

She wrapped me in another embrace that was certifiably life-threatening and screamed in my ear, "This is going to be the best weekend ever! Well, besides my wedding weekend. Thank you! Thank you!"

"This is so far-fetched, you have no idea," I muttered.

"I looove you."

"Just remember I did this for you." I meant it to be more of a threat than anything.

Sutton rolled her sparkling eyes and waved me off, prancing around the island to take a seat next to Collin. He shot me a quick, sympathetic look I'd seen too many times before that I just shrugged at.

I drug my feet into my bedroom and heard the two of them start talking as I shut the door. Sutton could babble on for days about nothing, borderline making you consider cutting off your own ears Van Gogh-style just so she'd shut up. The one person that had a chance of out-talking her was Collin, but only when there was a dire need for it.

He had the unbelievable gift of being super perceptive in almost every situation. He also had the gift of being a damn great friend to me. Knowing that I wouldn't want Sutton to overhear my phone call with Gus, he took on the responsibility of keeping her mind occupied and refusing to let a moment of silence pass.

My sister was nosy about my life, and my relationship with Gus was no exception. She didn't understand us. Because our love wasn't molded by the writers at Disney, or picture-perfect, or at all times totally magical, she didn't get it. Sometimes I didn't either, but it was my life and it was what I knew best.

I could've said the same about her soon-to-be marriage, but that'd cost me my trip to Hawaii and my life.

My shaky finger pressed on Gus' name in my phone as I paced around the room, my heart rate picking up every time he didn't pick up. Just when I thought it was going to voicemail, he answered.

"Hey," he crooned in my ear. The background noise of whatever bar he was at with his work friends almost made it impossible to hear him.

"Hi, I gotta tell you something."

I figured it'd be easier if I got right to the point. There was no use in buttering him up in a situation like this, nor would he want me to. He could see right through me since according to him I was the worst liar, and he'd notice it right away.

"What's up?" His tone instantly changed to concerned. I could picture him leaning his elbows on the table, eyebrows drawn together, mouth straight and stern.

"So, uh, Sutton just showed up at our place, 'cause you know how her bachelorette party is this weekend," I started off a little breathlessly. When Gus hummed so I knew he was following along, I went on. "Well, the plan was that everyone else was supposed to stay at a hotel for the weekend. But once Sutton found out I wasn't a part of that, apparently they cancelled the rooms."

"Okay..."

"She told everyone that they could stay with us," I winced, anxiously rubbing at my forehead before remembering I had makeup on and cursing at myself.

I heard him exhale rather loudly, which was a different reaction than I expected. "And how many of you are there?" He asked warily.

"Seven," I squeaked out the number.

"Fuck."

"I know, I know. This sucks. This wedding is the bane of my existence. But I mean, she did say they would give us money for anything, which was nice of her to offer I guess," I rambled off my feelings, hysterically marching around my bedroom again and yanking at my hair. "God, I wanna tell her no but I can't. I wanted to call you and make sure it was okay, even though it's definitely not. I don't know what else to do."

The only sound on the line was garbled noise at the bar on his end. My uneven breathing was all he probably heard from me.

We both sighed at the same time. Then he drawled out the last two words I thought he'd ever say.

"It's okay."

I practically gasped. "Are you sure?" I couldn't help but question if it was still Gus on the phone with me.

"Yeah," he replied, and I almost fainted. "Actually, you know what? I'll call Dean and see if I can stay with him this weekend. That way, you guys can have your 'girl time' and I'll be out of your way. Plus there'll be more room to sleep, too."

"You'd do that?" I melted at the offer, though there was a theory forming in the back of my mind that he'd handed the phone off to one of his work buddies and I was being pranked.

"Of course I would."

I collapsed back onto our neatly made bed from the morning, a relieved sigh parting my smiling lips. "Wow. You're the best. This is seriously saving my ass."

"Uh huh. You just better save your ass for when I get home," he murmured with a clear smirk in his voice. Nope, definitely still Gus.

I was hoping he could feel me rolling my eyes through the phone.

"Thank you." I disregarded his comment and went for something sweeter. "Love you."

"Love you, too. Be careful this weekend, but try to have fun, okay? I'll stop by later after you guys leave to get some of my stuff."

We both knew it was a long shot, but I appreciated the support. I said I'd try anyway and our phone call was over.

I took a minute to relish in the serenity of my bedroom. The dusky light from the sunset outside was peeking through the Venetian blinds on the windows. It was golden hour, and with the muffled voices of my sister and my best friend on the other side of the wall combined with how damn tired I was now that it was finally Friday, I could've dozed off in a second.

A nap would solve my drowsiness, but it wouldn't solve everything. I reluctantly pushed myself up off of my bed, stopping by the door and savoring one last moment of peace. I asked any higher source of power to be on my side for the weekend, then I walked out to the kitchen where Sutton and Collin's gabfest came to an immediate end.

They looked right at me, one pair of eyes thirstier than the other's.

"Well, the boss said you guys can stay here this weekend. Hard to believe, considering you guys basically kicked him out of his own apartment, but whatever," I announced, rounding the island and reaching for my mule I'd abandoned earlier.

Sutton smirked and took a sip from her own drink I assumed she made for herself while I was out of the room. "Gus is so great. Tell him I say thank you," she cooed.

"I'll be sure to do that when he gets home on Sunday," I said, the hostility in my voice there to prove how much of a nuisance this was.

My sister chose to ignore it.

"Alright, well now that that's settled, help me pick out what to wear tonight," she rapidly changed the subject to be about herself, which I'd be lying if I said I didn't predict. She spun in her stool and skipped over to where her suitcase was lying in the middle of my living room, plopping down on the throw rug so she could sift through her clothes.

"And on that note, I'm out of here," Collin stated, his voice descending theatrically as he spoke. He lifted himself from his stool, giving me a mock-salute and a look that read good luck. "Talk to you later."

I barely got a word out before he was out the door, and my apartment was the crime scene of seven girls all trying to get ready at the same time.

〰️〰️〰️

By the time Sunday came around, I felt like I'd been hit by a bus. One that was driven by the likes of screaming, drunk girls in their twenties that had all the energy of a kid on Christmas morning.

The weekend went without any complications which was all I really asked for, but being around my sister and her friends was completely draining even if it was for only two and a half days. I was the youngest out of the bridal party and yet I felt the most decrepit. Those girls could drink, they could gossip, and they could spend money like no one I knew.

I was counting down the seconds until this bachelorette palooza was over. Having to be around these people and feigning praise for my sister all while being violently hungover was pure torture. All I wanted – other than a meal – was to be asleep in my bed with my apartment and my life back to normal. Somewhat normal, at least. I kept telling myself to stay awake long enough to last through brunch, and then the weekend from hell would be over.

So all seven of us were out to brunch Sunday morning, just like we had planned. Somehow, the weather decided to give us a taste of spring though our calendars surely said it was November. It was mild enough to sit outside at the restaurant Valerie had chosen to host our brunch, and although I wasn't a huge fan of eating outside in the midst of the bustle of the city on weekends, my opinion didn't really matter. Along the perimeter of the corner building, we circled our chairs around a tiny wire table that was filled to capacity with coffee cups, champagne glasses, and cell phones.

With my Ray-Ban's as my armor, camouflaging my puffy, makeup-free face, I sat hunched over in my chair because that was the best position my willowy build was capable of upholding in its crumbling state. My way of contributing to any conversation was a gruff hum or the pursing of my lips.

"How are you guys still drinking?" Camila, one of the bridesmaids, asked with disgust after the waiter had given everyone a refill on their mimosas.

Valerie took a sip from her glass, so poised and polished it made me sick. "Hey, they say the best cure for a hangover is to keep on drinking," she smirked.

"I'll drink to that," another bridesmaid said, to which they all delicately clinked their glasses together.