Vegas Wedding

Amanda’s hand was tightly clutching Brendon’s. She guessed she’d been too elated back at Brendon’s for real feelings to actually sink in, but here in the hotel lobby she felt panic and dread take over her heart. They were waiting for everyone to come down for breakfast. She’d already called Stephen and told him to bring everybody down.

“We should probably go ahead and get a table.” Brendon spoke to her softly. Seeing the beautiful girl look so terrified hurt him. He’d wished there was a fast forward button on this at least five times already.

“Yeah,” she nodded numbly and let him lead her toward the hostess. She gave the number needed and waited with Brendon while the young girl walked off to set up a table for them all. Amanda was almost positive nobody would actually be eating this morning anyway, except for maybe Bryan. She rolled her eyes as she thought about that.

“Manda!” It was her cousin that called her name from the lobby and then came running up to her, squeezing her in a hug. “I swear if you ever fucking do that again, I will have to murder you and then burn your body! What’s up with the no answering calls or texts? I was worried! Let alone everyone else.” He started to drift off as he noticed Brendon staring at him and standing oddly close to Amanda. “Uh, who’s this?”

“This is Steph, and Steph this is Brendon,” Amanda took a deep breath and attempted a full smile, “my husband.” Brendon was fighting to keep his grin at a reasonable size as he shook hands with Stephen.

“Oh dear god,” Stephen muttered in shock as he numbly shook the man’s hand. “This is not going to go well.” He warned as his eyes darted to Amanda.

“You think it’d be better if I yell surprise first?” She gave a half hearted laugh and Brendon felt himself fall for the girl a little more. Here she was, in the mist of chaos, cracking jokes that were actually quite funny.

“I think everyone should be sitting before you say anything, and uh,” Stephen gave Brendon another look. “You should probably hide him too. Neil’s going to freak.”

“You know, he doesn’t have the right to freak. I did find him cheating on me yesterday so this,” she motioned between her and Brendon, “has nothing to do with him. We were done the moment I slammed the door on him and that girl.” Fury was growing in her chest again. She could definitely handle telling everyone she was married now. She could probably yell a few indecent words at them all too with the way her hands were clenching at her sides.

“You’re table’s ready,” the perky little girl behind them chirped and then lead the three of them to an empty dining room. There were two tables pushed together and one chair added at the end.

“Alright, I’m going to sit here.” Amanda pulled out the chair at the head of the table and took a deep breath before she sat down. Anger and nerves were an unpleasant mixture in her system. She tilted her head back to look up at the standing boy beside her. “Would you sit here?”

“Sure,” Brendon didn’t even hesitate as he took the seat on Amanda’s left. It should have bothered him, but it didn’t.

“I’ll sit on this side.” Stephen sat at her right and then picked up his menu. “At least I get a free breakfast and trip to Vegas out of this whole mess.”

“Oh, you’re so lucky. Maybe we’ll get you a wife too, to take home.” Amanda let the sarcasm run off her tongue. It was second nature to tease with Stephen and she was thankful for some bit of comfort in it.

“Amanda! Where were you last night? You scared us!” An older woman, who Brendon presumed was Amanda’s mother, scolded as she came in and quickly sat beside Brendon.

“Is this about Neil? We can go home before you make that ring on your finger permanent.” Her father took the seat next to her mother. Amanda rolled her eyes and muttered a ‘too late’ under her breath before faking a smile at them both.

“Why don’t you look the menu over and I’ll tell you guys what happened once everyone else makes it down here.” Her parents grumbled in response but turned their attention to their menus. They didn’t even send a glance Brendon’s way which confused him and frustrated her. Stephen just shook his head.

“Cue the mass storm of drama,” he cleared his throat as the straggling four people entered the diner together and took spots. Shawn sat next to Stephen and Neil next to him and his dad next to him. Bryan’s girlfriend sat next to Amanda’s father and shot her a glare before taking up her menu. Through everything, Amanda had almost forgotten about Jess and her adventures with the hotels staff.

Amanda sighed and rested her head in her hands. “It’s nice to see everybody.” She yelled without raising her head. Brendon felt a pang in his chest as he longed to make this painless for her.

“Hey, you look really familiar.” Shawn acted like she hadn’t even spoken as he reached over the table toward Brendon.

“I’m Brendon.” He introduced himself and saw the women sitting beside him size him up from the corner of his eye. This was awkward to the max for him. Eight complete strangers and one beautiful girl with one hell of a bad conversation ahead was not how he’d been expecting to spend his weekend.

“What are you doing here?” This was the man Brendon took to be Amanda’s fiancé. He had short black curly hair and a beard, but it was the tattoos that gave him away. Amanda had spoken fondly of the tattoos and the piercings.

Before Brendon could reply, Amanda raised her head and spoke first. Her gaze mainly stayed on her parents. “I have some news!” She yelled and the chatter that had been going between her parents and Bryan and Jess stopped. Amanda took another deep inhale before deciding to jump in. “I’m married.” She grinned and waited.

Stephen shook his head and tried really hard to act absorbed in the menu. Shawn just stared at her, as did her parents with more shocked faces. Bryan spoke. “You mean, you’re going to get married.” Amanda flinched at the thought of marrying his son. Apparently no one had told him about her walking in on the latest cheating scandal.

“Nope, I mean I am married.” Amanda held up her left hand as proof and everyone’s eyes drifted to her ring finger. Brendon mentally cursed at the plastic ring that looked about to be cutting of her circulation. He was making a plan to switch it with his old high school ring and then imagining her face when he did, but that was cut short by the explosion.

“You eloped? Without us?” Her mother was the loudest, like usual. “I thought you wanted us here!”

“Do we at least have pictures to look at?” Bryan was taking this very laid back, but then again, he didn’t know about his son cheating.

“Who the hell did you marry?” Neil hissed the words through his clenched teeth as he engaged her in a staring contest. This question brought everyone to silence except for an ‘oh dear’ that was muttered low. Amanda stared back at her ex-fiancé with her lips pressed tightly together.

The dead silence lasted until a cheery girl, the same one that had sat them Stephen noticed, approached the table. She asked what everyone wanted but after getting no response and sensing the tension she backed up saying she’d give them a few more minutes.

“Who did you marry?” He repeated the question with just as much anger. Brendon’s own anger flared as the urge to protect Amanda flagged up.

Amanda ignored his question completely. “I came to tell you all that I will not be joining you on the flight home and that I hope you all had a wonderful stay in Vegas.” She stood up briskly and Brendon followed, again without much thought. He found it a bit weird how his movements around her just happened naturally. “And I would personally like to say fuck you Neil.”

Amanda pushed away her chair and took Brendon’s hand as she left the diner and the yelling behind her. She blocked out the voices best she could, but she could feel her heart cracking as she stopped in the lobby with Brendon looking worriedly down at her.

“I’ve got to go grab my bag from up stairs.” She mumbled and pointed her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the elevators.

“I’ll wait here for you.” He spoke softly and she nodded before turning. He could have sworn he heard her sniffle as she turned her back to him and walked away. He wanted to wrap his arms around her at the sound, but restrained himself. He still didn’t know that much about the girl and he was finding it stranger every minute he spent with her that his heart just seemed attached to her.

The crowd from the table entered the lobby and Brendon watched as they walked right by him and toward the elevators. He felt relief as the doors closed before they could reach her. “So, uh, are you two going to try the married couple thing?” The voice beside him scared him half to death. It was Stephen.

Brendon was at a loss for words. “I think Manda wants to annul it.” Stephen gave him an odd look, like the one he’d given him when he’d mentioned hiding.

“Do you?”

Such a simple question, but Brendon was still finding it hard to answer. He ended up shrugging and turning his full attention back to the elevators.

“Huh, well, I’ll just let you know that she was lying.” Stephen spoke confidently and Brendon’s eyebrows rose as he gave him a quick glance. “I know my cousin better than anyone and I can tell you that you just made her biggest dream come true. Getting an annulment would be like pulling that dream apart at the seams.”

“I guess we’ll see how it goes then.” Brendon coughed. Did he really want to stay married? He was only twenty three. He’d been talking it over with Spencer about continuing Panic with just the two of them. He had a nice, decent life. Amanda seemed to come with a bit of baggage, but then he did too, right? He’d lost his faith in love and such a long time ago, but maybe this was his chance to find it for himself. He was, without a doubt, attracted to her and so far her personality was addictive too. Maybe I should give this relationship a chance. Brendon shook the last thought from his mind as Amanda popped her head out of the stairwell. She looked around quickly and then jogged over to him with a duffel bag at her side.

“I didn’t think my mom could run that fast.” She panted and then laughed exasperated as Stephen joined her.

“You guys better get out of here before she makes it down the stairs then.” Stephen pulled his cousin into a tight hug and then pushed her toward the front doors. “Call me sometime!”

“I promise!” Amanda yelled over her shoulder and slammed her body into the heavy door to open it. Brendon chuckled to himself as he watched her struggle with it. “Well, that didn’t go as bad as I thought it would.” She still sounded a bit out of breath as they started down the sidewalk without a direct destination.

“I didn’t get punched.” Brendon added with enthusiasm and he expected her to giggle.

Amanda grimaced and her hand went to rub her head. “No, but I got shoved into a wall.” She muttered the words and then wished she hadn’t.

“He hit you?!” Brendon’s voice raised at least three octaves as he stopped walking and pointed back to where the hotel entrance was. His thoughts were focused on going back and punching Neil’s lights out.

“He didn’t hit me.” She said defensively and then sighed. “It was more like a small push when I bent down to grab my bag.” She crossed her arms and shrugged. “It’s nothing.”

“That’s not nothing.” Brendon was in disbelief. How could she willingly defend him? Brendon just couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

“It means nothing now. Can we please just go?” She blinked back a few tears but he’d already seen the blurry mist in her eyes and all anger faded.

“Yeah, you still want to catch some breakfast?” Brendon took her hand in his, surprisingly calm, and continued walking.

Amanda felt a warm bubble in her torso as his hand squeezed hers and she smiled. “Pancakes sound like heaven right now.” She leaned her head back and widened her smile.

Brendon choked on how dazzling she looked and gave her his own weak smile. “Pancakes it is then.”