Cry

“You need to help me,” Brian told his friend Matt when they were having lunch together.

“Not this again, Brian,” Matt groaned. “Can’t we just hang out without talking about this?”

“I need to win her back and I need your help. Don’t you want us to get back together?”

“I want to stop being in the middle. Don’t you want her to be happy? She gave you up, so you could be happy with Amanda—the one you destroyed your marriage for. Brian, do you honestly think you deserve any kind of forgiveness now?”

Brian looked away from his friend. He hated to think about it that way. He knew what he did was so fucked up. He just shouldn’t expect Sophie to drop everything and return to him.

“She won’t return my calls. What if she’s in love with Captain America already?”

“Then you lost your chance,” Matt retorted. “Let her be and things will work themselves out.”

“I can’t risk losing her.”

“Look at it from her point of view. What if she cheated on you, left you for another, and then suddenly wants you back? You put her through hell with the divorce and another woman moving into her house. Put yourself in her damn shoes and think!”

Brian frowned knowing his friend was right. He was going to have to suffer for who knew how long. “What if he propose and she accepts?”

“I’m not saying don’t fight for her, Brian. I’m saying don’t think it’s going to happen overnight. It will take time for her to heal. She was already on her way to accepting she lost you for real and then you want her back again. You broke the trust she had in you.”

Brian felt his eyes burn a little and he knew it wouldn’t be long before he started crying. He held back the tears and cleared his throat. “What would you do in my shoes?”

“I would fight, but I wouldn’t badger her until she gave in. If someone else made her happy because of a mistake I did, then—I would let her go.”

“This fucking sucks,” Brian grumbled. “So I have to just stay back and watch someone else take her?”

“If it’s meant to be—“

“Yeah, yeah, it’ll happen. So how is your wedding coming? Is Arianna still okay with it?”

“Yeah,” Matt smiled. “In a year and a half we are getting married. I wish it was in six months or tomorrow, but I don’t want to scare her again.”

“She’s the one then,” Brian laughed.

“She has been since I met her. Just scared to admit I had fallen so quick and fast.”

“Are you sure she loves you like you love her?” Brian knew a secret about Matt that most of their friends didn’t know. Sophie didn’t know and Arianna sure didn’t know about it.

“She’s marrying me.”

“She fled first and then agreed to marry you. I’ve always thought you were more into her than her into you.”

“Who the fuck are you to nitpick my relationship?” Matt growled and stood up from his chair. “From what I remember I’m not the one who cheated and then moved in with the mistress only to break it up with the mistress.”

Brian narrowed his eyes. “I’m not the one who lied about sleeping with other women so my ‘fuck buddy’ didn’t think I was in love with her. You knew she was sleeping with other dudes and you still kept going back.”

“Because I fucking love her and I knew she loved me. Yeah, it was my fault to suggest the fuck buddy system and should have just told her I wanted to marry her right away. I know for sure Arianna is the one and no one is going to come into my life that will change that.” Matt threw two twenty dollar bills on the table and stormed out of the restaurant.

Brian groaned. He should have kept his mouth shut. Now Matt would probably be mad for a couple of days. Brian paid his part of the bill and then left. A nice glass of scotch sounded real good.

**

[Two Months Later]

Sophie walked out of her shower and couldn’t help but smile when she walked into her room and Chris was choosing which tie to wear. It was Arianna’s and Matt’s engagement party. Sophie and Arianna had spent the last month planning it and it was one of the most fun Sophie had with her friend. Arianna had been there for Sophie’s wedding planning to Brian. Sophie couldn’t believe just how much had changed since her own engagement party. Arianna thought Matt was just a fuck buddy and now they were going to tie the knot. Sophie thought she was going to marry the love of her life and he cheated, got divorced, and now wants her back.

She used to have doubts about Chris, but when he surprised her by coming home early, dinner he made himself, and they watched movies together she knew he was too good to let go without giving him a chance. Brian still gave her calls from time to time, but she never returned the calls. Brian was one of the reasons why Sophie rarely hung out with the boys anymore. He was always around and she always avoided him.

“Is your ex-husband going to be there?” Chris asked Sophie when she was putting on her earrings.

“Most likely because we’re all friends. Is it going to bother you?”

“Not me,” he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her and placed his chin on her shoulder. “I’m worried it’ll bother you. Are you okay with it?”

“It’s my best friend’s engagement party. I’m not going to miss it because of Brian. I’m okay with it.” She had to be okay with it. It was like she said; she wasn’t going to miss the party because of her ex-husband. It wasn’t long before she was ready and they got into his car and headed to Huntington Beach.

“So how long have Arianna and Matt been together?” Chris asked when they were just about a few miles from Beach Blvd.

“Officially?” Sophie thought about it. “As you know they were friends with benefits at first, but then got together-together when they were twenty-two, so almost four years together now.”

“Nice. They make a great couple,” he said.

“They do,” she replied. “I’m just glad that my failed marriage didn’t hold back Arianna. It almost did.”

“What do you mean?”

“I never told you?” she smiled. “It’s sort of funny. The night Matt proposed she ran away because she was afraid he was too good to be true. Arianna’s parents are divorced, her aunt is divorced and then Brian and I got divorced. She just had bad examples in her life. I guess it doesn’t matter whether you have good or bad examples. My mum and dad are still in very much in love. They have their fits, but they’ve never come close to divorce. I think that says a lot about a couple.”

“I agree. My mom and dad also have their fights, but always work through it.”

“I think Arianna and Matt will be like that. She’s not like me who tries to protect people’s feelings. She just speaks her mind.”

The rest of the drive was quiet. The engagement party was going to be at a hotel. Sophie and Arianna had spent the morning making sure that everything was ready. Arianna had a big family and though Matt didn’t have a big family he did have a lot of friends. It was going to be a big party. This was going to be the first party she was going to take Chris to that was something with her own friends. Normally she would go to the parties for his work and she didn’t mind because she got to meet amazing people.

She was personal friends with Scarlett Johansson. She had a good relationship. It was with someone she trusted and she was happy her life was moving on. She was glad that she gave Chris a chance instead of just breaking off things.

They reached the hotel that was by the beach. There was valet parking, so Chris and Sophie got out and Chris handed over the keys to his car. The valet boy definitely recognized Chris, but didn’t say anything. She smiled as she walked into the lobby and then they headed towards the right of the hotel where the ballroom was. She saw people already hanging out by the door. She recognized some of them as Arianna’s cousins.

“Hola, Chofis,” one of them said and Sophie recognized him as Roman and he called her by the nickname Arianna’s family gave her. “You looking good,” he winked. “Glad to see you’ve moved on.”

“Thanks, Roman. Are the couple here?”

“Yeah. My family is just ogling her big ass diamond,” he laughed then turned his eyes to Chris. “Hey, aren’t you Captain America?”

“Nice to meet you,” Chris didn’t deny it and held out his hand to shake and Roman took it.

“Man, you are so good! The Avengers is my favorite movie—hands down! When is the next movie coming out?”

“You can chat with him later, Roman. We should introduce ourselves to the married couple to be,” Sophie pulled on Chris’ hand and entered the ballroom. It was all beautifully decorated with white lights. The table clothes were white and black. It was simple, but so beautiful and sophisticated.

There were a lot of people. Sophie could see Johnny and Jimmy by the bar. Zacky was on the dance floor with a cousin of Arianna whose name she couldn’t remember, but Sophie knew that she was a good person. She was secretly looking for Brian, but he wasn’t anywhere she could see. But she did find Arianna and she was being flocked by the entire female population of her family, except for the girl dancing with Zacky.

“I should probably rescue Arianna from her family,” Sophie smiled to Chris and he agreed with a nod.

“I’ll go join Jimmy and Johnny by the bar,” he pointed towards the bar and then pecked her lips quickly. They headed in opposite directions.

Arianna somehow sensed her friend and Sophie waved her hand. “Sophie!” she broke through the crowd and revealed the beautiful dress they had picked a week ago for this occasion. Sophie still thought it was the perfect dress. It was sophisticated with a hint of slutty. Arianna wrapped her arms around Sophie. “Thank you for saving me. I swear I don’t think I’m going to go home with this engagement ring—or my finger,” she giggled.

Sophie saw her friend’s eyes shine and sparkle. It was the eyes of a happy woman—a woman in love.

“Can you believe it?” she squeaked. “We are at my engagement party! I never thought in a million years I would settle down.”

“Come on, you knew. You just needed to admit you wanted to.”

Arianna grinned. “Always right, Sophie. Chris?”

“At the bar with Jimmy and Johnny.”

“We shouldn’t leave them alone for too long. You know Jimmy can convince anyone to get drunk,” Arianna shook her head and they headed to the bar.

“Congratulations,” Sophie told her friend on the way. “You deserve happiness.”

Arianna stopped midway and twirled to meet her friend’s eyes. “I’m happy and terrified at the same time.”

“Matt is not Brian.”

“It’s not because of that,” Arianna chuckled. “I mean that I’m terrified this is as good as it gets. That once we get married we’ll… fall apart.”

“Fight for your happiness,” Sophie placed her hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. “If it’s him—if he’s the one—then you fight tooth and nail for him, Ari. I mean it, don’t let him slip through your fingers because of each other’s pride and stubbornness. You and Matt are strong, stronger than Brian and I were.”

“Sophie,” Arianna started her eyes filled with sympathy.

“Things happen for a reason,” Sophie wouldn’t allow her friend to be sad tonight. “This isn’t about me at all. This is all about you and Matt. Tell me, what did your mom think of your ring?”

Arianna’s eyes sparkled again. “She nearly fainted when she saw it.”

Sophie looked down to her friend’s left hand and saw the ring. It was a pretty one that was shaped like a flower. Matt knew that Arianna had a weakness for flowers. She pretended to be tough, but like any other girl she loved flowers.

“It’s gorgeous,” Sophie murmured.

“Just like her,” Matt appeared from behind Sophie and went to be next to Arianna. Her friend’s eyes came to life. Now they shined like a bright star about to explode. All of her body language screamed she was in love with Matt and Matt showed the same signs. “Good to finally see you in person, Sophie. You’ve been hiding.”

“Just working, Matt,” she sighed. “But I’m here.”

“You are the maid of honor, you should be,” Arianna giggled.

“Have you decided on a best man?” Sophie played with her fingers as a way to keep herself occupied.

“It’s going to be Jimmy,” Matt grinned showing his dimples. “He’s been my best friend since I was ten years old.”

“That’s a good choice,” Sophie told him. Arianna and Matt started to kiss and it made Sophie turn away at once her eyes went towards the entrance and her heart stopped when she saw Brian.

He stood at the entrance wearing all black with his hair pulled back. He looked good. He rarely pulled his hair back, but she always thought it made him look so much older. Their eyes met and her entire body froze and yet got hot at the same time. His eyes burned with determination, like he was telling her that she would be back with him. She gulped and knew that if she was alone with him she wouldn’t be able to resist. It took a lot of strength, but she turned away and went to find her good looking boyfriend Chris. He made her happy; she reminded herself. He didn’t cheat on her, divorce and moved in his mistress into their home. Sophie’s mission was to stay away from Brian for the rest of the night. She hoped it would work.