Smiling In Everything

"Jack?" I call out, shutting the front door behind me. I drop the bag from the department store on the ground, feeling dirty just looking at it. "Are you home?" I hear some movement upstairs.

I slip off my shoes, pulling a hand through my hair. The entire time I was out shopping with Rein, they couldn't stop talking about Alex. Alex this! Alex that! Oh, Alex is the sweetest! Alex is the perfect boyfriend! I am so excited Alex finally asked you to marry him! It started driving me crazy about five minutes in, and never stopped.

I had a throbbing headache and not even the company of Zack helped it at all.

"Hey babe," Jack's voice pulls me out of my daydream. I smile as his arms wrap around me, pulling me into his chest. I would always be able to have him to comfort me, at least. "How was the dress shopping?" His lips make contact with my forehead.

I tuck my head against his collarbone. "It was fine. We found a couple of dresses but Rein hasn't made up her mind yet." My headache was moving to the front of my head.

"So what's in the bag?" he asks.

"She found the shoes she wants," I answer, burying my face in his delicious-smelling shirt. "So we all got them." We stayed quiet for a few moments. "What are you doing today Jack?"

He shrugs. "I was planning on cuddling with you. Why?"

I couldn't help but blush at his cute little comment. "Oh, well, it's just that, Alex wanted to hang out with me today. Rein is gonna be out planning the wedding all day and he didn't want to be lonely. He said he would take me out." I felt bad for canceling Jack's couple-plans, but a part of me was ecstatic to spend time with Alex.

Jack pouts. "Alex is just stealing my lady," he jokes, sighing. I refrain from scrunching my nose. "I guess you can go. I guess I'll invite Rian over to cuddle with."

I laugh, pecking his lips lightly. "Thank you. I'm gonna go shower."



"Sadie!" I hear Alex call from downstairs. I had literally just finished applying my eye-shadow and I was ready to go. "Could you fucking hurry up? I'm starving!"

I laugh, walking out of my bathroom, flipping the lights off. I do the same with the hallway lights, Jack leaving to go watch a game at Rian's house. Alex was downstairs, digging around for some food in my refrigerator. I got a memory of when we had been throwing food earlier in the week; but I whisk it away just as fast as it came.

"Took you long enough," he complains, shutting the fridge. He was holding a sandwich in hand.

I roll my eyes. "A girl always has to look her best."

Alex chuckles, walking over to me. "Whatever. Girls are ridiculous," he says, pulling me into his side for a hug. I feel a faint brush of his lips on my head, but he was moving away before I could register it. I felt frazzled as he opens the front door for me.

"So, where are we going?" I ask as we get into his car, half of his sandwich in his mouth.

He starts up his Audi, pulling out of my driveway. "We need to stop at a bar before we go to the zoo. I have to pick up the receipt. Something for the wedding. I don't know. Then the zoo."

The way his voice got flat at the end seemed like he was displeased. Is he tired of talking about the wedding? "We're going to the zoo?" I ask happily, deciding to not elaborate on the wedding. "I haven't been there in years!"

He grins. "I thought you would be excited."

I sit back. We arrived at this bar in ten minutes, Alex's sandwich now completely gone. The name of the bar was Mo's Bar and Grill. It was small, kind of a hole-in-the-wall. I wondered what Rein could have possibly been using it for the wedding for.

We got out, Alex opening the door for me. I smile to myself, feeling red on my cheeks. If he saw this he didn't say anything, just walking up to the counter to talk to the tender.

I look around the bar, my eyes landing on a couple. They were in a booth, the man's arm around the woman's shoulder. He was about thirty or so, she was about my age. She was giggling as he whispered something in her ear. I cock my head to the side. I shrug as I walk up to stand beside Alex, who was still talking to with the tender.

"I need a receipt," Alex says blandly. "Under the name 'Rein.'"

The tender nods and goes over to the register, searching the cash box. As he searched, I hear the bar door open. I look behind me, curious, to see a woman of about 29. She was looking around, seeming paranoid.

And then she glanced over at the couple I had seen earlier. Her eyes widen, and she stomps over. The sound of her heels even brought Alex to look over.

"What's going on?" he whispers. I shrug.

I watch as the woman stops in front of the couple. The man gazes up, and his eyes snap out of their lusty state from before. "I KNEW IT!" the woman screams. "I KNEW YOU WERE CHEATING ON ME!" The younger girl the man was with looked shaken, as if the woman, who was clearly the man's wife, was about to hit her.

"Wait, honey!" shouted the man as she began to run out of the bar. He ran after her, the other girl sitting there, unsure of what to do.

And even though this was a sad story, Alex and I laugh.

"What an ass," he chuckles, shaking his head. The tender comes back over and hands him the receipt. "I hate guys like that. If you no longer are satisfied with your present woman, then at least have the dignity to say something."

"So true," I sigh as we walk out to the parking lot. "I swear, if Rein ever cheated on you, I'd be the first person to knock some sense into her."

Alex grins. "I'd do the same with Jack."

I smile back as we get into his car, driving toward the zoo. I look over at Alex, watching as the wind blew back his hair from the open windows. He looked happy. And I couldn't ever ruin that for him.