Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Heart... In Pieces

Miss?" I heard my voice being called distantly by some stranger.

Married? How? Why? None of it really made sense but some part of it did. I don't really know which part since i had just fallen on the floor and hit my head but still. I wonder what she is like if he's going to marry her. There must be a good reason.

"Ava?" I heard Justin call.

I groaned started to feel some of the pain to my head....

When I opened my eyes two nurses and Justin were standing over top of me. At first I thought I was dreaming but the look on Justin’s face proved to me that I wasn’t.

After the nurses examined me and told me to wait ten minutes for the doctor to come in they told me I was free to leave. They explained that my passing out was due to stress and I was perfectly fine, just worked up.

When Justin and I were alone in the room together he just shook his head. “First day home and you’re already causing a scene,” He laughed lightly.

“Shut up,” I shot him a glare and he put his hands up in defense.

“I told you I’m getting married and you decide to go pass out on me… you always have to beat me out don’t you?” He joked. The word married came out so easy for him; it made me feel as if a knife was stabbed brutally into my stomach. I’m unsure if the uneasiness was visible on my face as it was brewing inside every inch of my body.

“So when can I meet her ? I asked him.

He looked at me and arched an eyebrow… she was the last person on this Earth I wanted to meet right about now.

“After you go home and rest, your mother is expecting you home soon. That woman needs to learn to relax,” he shook his head in the way only he can. He always shook his head in such an easygoing manner and it was so relaxed that no one could do it quite like him to me.

“You told my mother?” I asked.

“Well she knew I wanted to tell you when I saw you so she called me to see if I told you and I can’t lie to Beth! You’re mom like draws the truth out of me like a magnet…” He said just as the doctor knocked.

My own mother knew and didn’t tell me. That felt like someone punched me in the gut, on top of the knife that was already stabbed in the stomach…

~*~

At home I went straight to my room and slept. I wanted to rest and then go see Deb more than anything… I came here to see Deb and I’m failing to even do that simple task. But how could my own mother know and not tell me? My mom is not one to keep secrets from me at all.

I felt a sense of nostalgia as I laid in bed and when I slipped into my subconscious I was reminded of another dream, a memory… more Justin.

-Memory-

Justin and I were sitting on the hood of his car watching the sun rise on the dirt road where we used to race most of the weekends in high school until we got caught our junior year. His hand held my hand perfectly. His palms touched mine just the right amount and I could feel all the tiny lines mesh together with the maze of lines on mine. The sun was rising, everything around us was out lines so dark but the sky lit up bright orange and we just watched it. We knew summers didn’t last forever, but those moments were never ending.

-End of memory-

The next day my mom was out of the house by the time I got up and my father had already left for work. The only place I wanted to go was to see Deb and nothing was going to stop me today. I still felt like my body was heavy and my eyes did have bags under them even though I slept for quite sometimes.

On the way over in the car I figured I’d call Layla.

“Hello?” A groggily voice answered.

“Layla. Emergency.”

I knew she had woken up because she never silences her phone and she would be pissed if it weren’t something important. The thing about Layla, she loves her sleep more than anything.

“What could be so important you’re calling me at 10 o’clock in the morning?!”

“Justin is getting married.” There goes that knife again.

“I’m sorry but I just woke up and I seem to be hearing things… what did you just say?” She asked me.

“Justin. Is. Getting. Married.” This knife will kill me one day.

“WHAT THE HELL? TO WHOM MIGHT I ASK?! WHEN?! ARE YOU OKAY?!” She was yelling now… typical theatrical Layla.

“To some girl Missy in a few weeks. Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked swallowing the lump in my throat as I pulled up outside of their house.

“No, I’m just wondering.” The word wondering came out like she was hinting at something else.

“I’ve got to go, I’m outside of his house about to go see Deb,” I told her.

“Okay, call me later? Give everyone my love and Deb a huge hug from me!” She said.

“Will do, love ya.”

“Love ya too!”

Then I hung up and got out and noticed my mother’s car in the driveway and walked into Justin’s house.

I could hear small chatter in the living room and when I walked in I saw my mother sitting in the recliner, Mark was sitting on the love seat, Justin was on the couch, and next to him a petite and angelic looking blonde sat.

Everyone acknowledged me right away.

“Is Deb awake yet?” I asked.

“Not yet, but I want you to meet somebody…” Justin started and he stood up and the little one followed.

Please don’t be Missy. Please don’t be Missy.

“This is my fiancé, Missy Pendergram,” He introduced and she smiled at me a really scary, big smile. “Missy, this is my best friend in the whole entire world, Ava.”

“I’ve heard so much about you!” She said with a cheery falseness to her voice that not many people would catch, but I pick out every little thing.

“Same,” I said unsure.

I felt someone put a hand on my shoulder and I almost jumped out of my seat. It was Deb. Tired looking and fragile Deb. But she still managed radiated a room.

I wanted to hug her so tightly but I was afraid that I might break her. She hugged me and before I knew it she was crying a bit.

“Come on,” She nodded toward the kitchen where her and I would have such deep conversations sitting at her island.
When we comfortably sitting she looked at me.

“So breathtaking,” She said to me. “So grown.”

“I’m still the same,” I smiled at her.

“But something is different…”

She smiled at me, this warming smile that comforted me.

We sat and talked for only a few minutes because she needed to get back to bed and I needed to collect my thoughts. She promised me we’d talk more tomorrow.

As I walked out of the house everyone was scattered now, no longer in the living room. I peaked out the front window and realized my mother’s car was gone.

Before I could walk out I came face to face with Missy who was at the bottom of the stairs.

“It was so nice meeting you,” she said pulling me into a hug and I saw Justin standing at the first landing smiling down at us. “I’d watch out and stay away from Justin,” She said through her teeth just low enough for me to hear.

Justin still stood their smiling, oblivious to his fiancé’s words of ‘endearment’ toward me.

Oblivious to how torn up I was.