Count Me the Hours

Waking up the next morning, in Josh's bed, was the strangest thing. His arm was simply draped over my bare waist and there was space between our bodies. I overlooked the differences and I stretched and yawned quietly.

"Good morning," he said quietly, eyes still closed. He opened them and smiled at me.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked, scooting closer to him.

He shrugged. "Ten minutes maybe," he said, kissing my bare shoulder. "You smell like chlorine."

"Yeah, because some nut case made me go swimming with him last night. Then he kissed me. He took me back to his room too, and we had some great sex," I teased.

"Very funny," he said, kissing my shoulder again. "You don't sound very appreciative."

"Oh, I am," I said with a giggle as I drapped an arm around his neck, pulling him down to me. He pressed his lips against mine firmly, sliding his tongue over my bottom lip.

Forty minutes later, Josh was laying on his side, watching me as I tried to locate my clothes from the night before.

"So how's this gonna work?" he asked, as I walked around the room.

"How's what gonna work?"

"Us."

"There isn't really an 'us,' Josh," I informed him, stepping into my panties and hooking my bra.

"Well, I don't know about you, but that was the best sex I've had in a while. I would not mind trying to continue our...courtship," he said, trying to figure out the right word to use. He left the bed himself and stepped into a pair of boxers.

"The sex is great, yeah," I said with a little bit of a nod. "But once I give him time to cool down, I'm going to try to get back with Garrett."

"Typical," Josh said with a quiet scoff.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I finally find a decent girl, and she's already in love with some one else," he explained with a hint of a smile. I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn't love Garrett, but he stopped me. "You love him, trust me. It's obvious."

A blush crept up my neck and I didn't respond.

"Josh, I-" I started to apologize, but he cut me off.

"It was good while it last," he said with a shrug. "Garrett's one lucky bastard." Blushing, I pressed my lips together and looked down at my bare feet.

"Thanks, Josh," I said quietly.

"No problem, babe," he told me with a wink, swooping in to kiss my cheek. "Want me to go get your suitcase so you have some clothes to put on after you're shower?"

"Yes please," I said, a small smile on my lips. I sat on the edge of the bed as he left the room. He returned a few minutes later with my bag and I grabbed some clothes out of it before tip toeing to the bathroom.

After my shower, still ringing out my hair, I made my way into the kitchen, hoping to score some coffee. Dree was sitting at the table, sitting Indian style in her chair.

"How was your night?" she asked, looking up a me over the rim of her coffee mug.

"What you wanted to happen happened," I said, pouring myself a cup of coffee.

"Who'd you fuck?" she questioned as I sat down at the table across from her.

"That's confidential." I shrugged, setting my cup down on the table.

"Okay, so now you hold out on me?"

Before I could answer, the front door opened, and Sarah walked in. Her hair was wet and she was wearing what she'd been wearing the previous night at the party.

"And where have you been?" I asked her, grinning smuggly.

"Somewhere," she said with a little bit of a smirk.

"Jesus Christ, I'm like, the only one who didn't get laid last night!" Dree said, sounding rather outraged.

"What do you mean, I thought you and Stephen fucked like rabbits," I joked. She looked unamused.

"Him, John, Eric, and Kennedy played a drinking game last night. I don't even remember what it was, but Stephen lost. He was up most of the night, getting sick. He slept on the floor of our bathroom," she explained, pushing her hair out of her face. I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling.

"Wait, you got some?" Sarah asked, turning to me. I blushed, giving her the answer she was looking for. She shrugged, holding her hand up for me to high five her.

We drank our coffee in silence for a while until Dree's phone buzzed.

"Seriously? Jesus fucking Christ." she muttered, staring at the screen.

"What is it?" I asked, looking at her before taking a sip of coffee.

"Mila just texted me to tell me that we have our final dress fittings this afternoon, then tonight there's a 'mandatory' wedding party dinner," Dree explained, rolling her eyes as she used air quotes.

"This will be fun," I said with an annoyed sigh. "What time is the fitting?"

"Two thirty, and don't be late," she said, mimicking Mila's voice. I couldn't help but smile.

"God, tonight is going to be awkward." I licked my lips, downing the rest of my coffee.

"With Garrett being there and everything?" Dree asked and I nodded in response. She made a face and nodded as well.

"I, for one, am excited to meet these people," Sarah interjected with an excited smile.

"She's going get along great with Pat," Dree commented, giving me a glance. I laughed, knowing it was true. "It's almost eleven, so I figured we could leave around one forty-five."

"Works for me," I said with a shrug.

"Alright. I need to go peel my boyfriend off the floor." She stood up and put her mug in the sink before leaving Sarah and I in the kitchen.

When we showed up for the dress fitting a few hours later, Sarah in tow, Mila took one look at the her and decided she'd found her fourth bridesmaid. Instead of ordering a custom fitted dress, they simply ordered by size so it'd be in for the wedding, which was in one week.

Mila and I barely said two words to each other. As always, we had a silent reconciliation followed by time to slip back into our normal routine.

After the fitting, Sarah, Dree, and I made a quick Starbucks run before returning to Dree's to change for the group dinner which started at six. By the time we got back, it was four thirty.

Stephen was asleep on the couch, sleeping off what was left of his hangover. Dree rolled her eyes and sat on his stomach until he finally agreed to wake up and get ready.

After knocking once, I entered Josh's room. He was playing Xbox and looked over at me when I entered.

"Hey, where have you ladies been?" he asked, returning to his game.

"Dress fitting," I said with a sigh. I lifted one of my suitcases onto the bed and unzipped it. Moving around the piles of clothes, i sighed, pulling out a suitable dress. "Don't turn around," I told him, turning my back to him.

I stripped off my shorts and shirt and changed my bra, putting on a strapless one. I pulled the dress on and adjusted the belt on it, working with the top.

"You can turn around now," I told Josh, shoving my discarded clothes into my suitcase.

He looked over his shoulder and me and nodded appreciatively. "You look nice."

"Thanks," I said with an awkward laugh.

I left the room, heading to the bathroom to try to do something with my hair. I straightened it a bit, smoothing the waves and boosting the shine. I removed my make-up and started from scratch. I borrowed a pair of black pumps from Dree and returned Josh's room to pack my purse.

"You look really good," he said, looking me over very obviously.

"You can tone it down, bro," I said, tossing my wallet into my bag.

"Give me your phone," he said, holding out a hand.

"Why?" I asked skeptically.

"I'm putting my number in in case you need me." I sighed, handing him my phone. He fiddled with it for a moment before handing it back to me.

A moment later, my phone buzzed and I discovered that I had a new text from "that hot guy I fucked the other night." Laughing, I opened it.

From: That hot guy I fucked the other night
You look hot.

I pursed my lips. "And what did you put me under in your phone?" I asked, curious.

He smirked and held his phone up for me to see. Dat Ass was clearly displayed over my number in his contacts.

"Change it," I demanded, putting a hand on my hip.

He laughed. "How about you make me," he said rather smugly. I smiled widely, reaching around him for his phone. He dodged me, taking a step backward. "You're going to need more skills than that," he gloated.

"You better watch your back," I warned, raising an eyebrow.

"Wow, that was actually really scary!"

"Really?"

"No," he said, completely deadpan as he shook his head.

"Asshole," I scoffed, pulling my bag onto my shoulder.

"Dat ass," he joked, winking at me.

"You wish," I wispered to him before walking out of the room. He was a pain in the ass but dear god, was he attractive.

"Ready?" Dree asked, when I made my way into the kitchen. She was dressed chicly in an expensive looking dress and silver ankle boots. Stephen cleaned up rather nicely as well.

I nodded, looking around. "Where's Sarah?"

"Brian picked her up a few minutes ago," Stephen said as Dree searched through her bag for her keys.

"Oh," I said, rather surprised.

"Let's roll," Dree said, jingling her keys. We climbed into her car and I called shotgun before Stephen even thought about it.

Dree had somehow figured out that it was Josh that I'd slept with the night before, so the twenty minute ride to the restaurant consisted of her grilling me for information.

"Dree, it was a one-night stand kind of thing...well, one night and one morning, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to try to talk to Garrett tonight and hopefully, I don't know. Hopefully, things will be back to the way they were before we fought," I told her with a sigh.

"Personally," Stephen started from the backseat, "You and Garrett are as cute as two baby ducks or baby bunnies or whatever, but you and Josh, I just kind of see that working out more in the long run. But that's just me."

"You're not really helping, babe," Dree said, glancing at him in the rear view window.

"I'm just being honest," he said with a shrug.

"Thanks for the input," I mumbled facisiously as Dree pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. Stephen beamed and I caught a glimpse of Garrett's car in the parking lot. My heart skipped a beat and a knot tied tightly in my stomach. "Let's do the bitch," I said with a sigh, stepping out of the car.

Inside, Dree informed the hostess that we were part of the Bishop-O'Callaghan party. She led us back to the banquet room and when we stepped inside, my breathing ceased.

Garrett was sitting in the back corner away from from the rest of the group. Sitting beside him was a petite blonde. Her hair was in perfect ringlets of curls and from what I could see, her eyes were dark blue. She was very pretty and wearing a pale green dress.

It wasn't the fact that he was there with someone else that shocked me. It was the simplicity of their actions. They were sitting close, to the point that their knees were touching. Garrett was telling her something and she was smiling softly, listening. She looked up at him and he smiled, pushing a stray ringlet of hair behind her ear.

Seeing them felt like a kick to the gut, a stab in the back, salt in a fresh wound, and putting my heart in a blender, all at once.

"Oh, fuck no," Dree said, her eyes following my gaze to Garrett and the other girl. "Time to cut a bitch."

"Dree, just don't," I said, tears stinging at my eyes. I turned on my heel and pulled my phone out, scrolling to Josh's number. I pressed send and it rang a few times before he answered.

"Josh's dungeon of sweet, sweet love, how can I help you?" he answered in a seductive voice.

"Can you come get me?" I asked, my voice quiet and uneven.

"What's wrong Lu?" he questioned, all of a sudden sounding serious.

"Josh, can you please just come get me?"

"I'm in a very intense game of Call of Duty right now, but maybe if I knew what was wrong..." he said, letting his voice fade out.

"Fucking A, Josh, really?" I was starting to get pissed.

"Just tell me what's wrong."

"Garrett's here with another girl. They're acting all couply and she's gorgeous and perfect, and I just can't deal with this. So please, just come get me," I said, my voice raising to a louder volume.

"Okay," he said with a sigh. "Where are you?"

I explained where the restaurant was and he said he'd be there within the hour. I walked back into the restaurant and took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink, then another.

Josh walked in, forty minutes after I called him, dressed in dark jeans and a button down dress shirt.

"Why are you dressed up?" I asked as he approached me. By then, my mind was a little fuzzy.

"It's your sister's wedding. You're not the one who should be leaving," he said, sliding onto the barstool beside mine. I pressed my lips together and nodded. I started to get off the barstool. "Hang on, if I'm going in there, I'm gonna need a drink."

We sat at the bar for a few more minutes before walking to the hostess and telling her what party we were with. As I walked to the banquet room for the second time that night, I took deep breaths. Josh glanced over at me as we walked and took my hand in his, squeezing it lightly.

"Before we go in there," he started, his voice low, "I just want you to know how beautiful you are."

Smiling, I blushed. "Thanks," I whispered back.

When we entered the banquet room, to my relief, not a lot of people paid a lot of attention. Mila glanced over and Dree and Sarah smiled, motioning for us to come over to their end of the table. Garrett on the other hand, glared at us. I met his eyes and the alcohol made me shrug nonchalantly.

As we talked and ate, I found myself smiling at Josh more and more. Sarah and Brian were across the table from us, and Dree and Stephen were to my left. The six of us talked mostly to each other.

When our plates were cleared, my phone buzzed in my lap.

From: Garrett
What the fuck are you doing here with him?

I didn't even look up at him as I typed out my response.

To: Garrett
What the fuck are you doing here with her?

Only once it had sent did I look up. I sighed.

"You okay?" Josh asked, nudging my arm lightly. I didn't say anything but I brought up the message Garrett had sent me and showed Josh. "Want to piss him off?"

"How?" I whispered, raising an eyebrow.

Josh winked and leaned in, kissing me softly, in plain sight of everyone. My eyes were still closed when he pulled away.

Blushing, I sat up a little straighter in my chair, looking around, gauging everyone's expressions. Some people (Mila, John, Eric, etc.) hadn't even seen it. Dree, Stephen, Sarah, and Brian all looked a bit amused. Garrett though...

While his date was completely oblivious, Garrett's hand, resting on the table, was clenched into a tight fist. His jaw was tight, his face red with anger. Looking away, I excused myself to go to the bathroom.

I didn't use the bathroom, I just kind of stared at myself in the mirror. I pushed my hair back, trying to regain my composure. After a few moments, I left the bathroom to find Garrett leaning against the wall.

"Why are you here with him, Tallulah?" he asked quietly, staring at the floor.

"Why are you here with her?" I returned. Just like the texts, he remained silent.

"You were with him yesterday too. Is he my replacement?" To my surprise, he was keeping his voice down.

"Gare, it's not like that." I paused. "I admit it, I shouldn't have left like I did the other night. I was upset and confused. I needed space. I came here tonight with the plan that I was going to talk to you and try to get back together with you, then I walk in and you're with that other girl. I called Josh to come get me and take me back to Dree's, but he said that it was part of my sister's wedding and I should be here for it. Sorry if I've had a bit to drink tonight." I sunk down onto the bench against the wall.

"You wanted to get back together? Even after I called you a whore and a bitch?" he asked, sounding rather incredulous as he sat down on the bench as well, leaving a foot of space between us.

"Of course. I had every intention of talking to you here, going to Dree's to get my bags, then going to your house. But that's not going to happen now." Tears were stinging my eyes now and I cursed myself for it.

"What, because I'm here with some other girl? What about you being here with Josh? You kissed him right in front of me!"

"He kissed me, Garrett," I said with a sigh. "I really don't feel like arguing about this. Obviously, I was wrong to have the hopes that I'd be back with you tonight. Just right now, I'm tired of this drama. I just want to spend my last week and a half here relaxing without having to worry about stuff." I stood up, starting to walk away.

"Just tell me something," he said as I started to walk away.

"Shoot." I kept my back to him.

"Did you sleep with him?"

"Garrett-" I started, turning back to him.

"It's a simple question, Tallulah."

"Yeah," I said, not even wanting to lie. I kept walking, back to the banquet room and took my seat again, staying silent.

An hour later, I was in the car with Josh, riding back to Dree's.

"What did he say to you?" Josh asked, glancing over at me.

"I did most of the talking. He asked if we slept together."

"Did you tell him the truth?"

I nodded and the rest of the ride was silent.