'Cause Baby I'm a Dreamer for Sure

"You look amazing!" Lacey and Julie exclaimed excitedly.

"You look beautiful." My mother said walking up beside me. I was standing on a platform in front of several mirrors admiring the perfect dress. I had been searching for weeks to find the dress that topped all others and here it was. It wasn't anything huge and poofy, it was elegant and completely me.

"Do you think Brooks will like it?" I asked quietly as I continued to admire the dress. I noticed his mother walk up to me in the mirror.

"Brooks will love it as long as you do." She said with a smile. "My son is crazy about you and he probably wouldn't care if you came down the aisle in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt as long as he could marry you."

"But he'd rather you come in that dress instead of jeans." Julie added earning a smile from everyone.

"Yeah if he saw you in jeans he'd still love you and marry you, but when you come wearing that he's going to think you're the most beautiful girl in the world." Lacey added.

"Thanks, but Lacey I think he already thinks that." I said with a smile as I looked towards my maid of honor. She just stuck out her tongue and smiled back at me and we both started laughing at how childish she could be. "Now I have to figure out bridesmaid dresses." I said as I stepped down from the platform and began to make back to the fitting room.

"That one should be a bit easier to do." My mother said with Monti agreeing.

"Let's hope so." I said disappearing behind the door and changing out of the dress and back into my clothes.

We spent most of our day picking out dresses, but finally I decided on the perfect one for my bridesmaids and we were able to leave. My mother left with Monti to go back to her house where my dad was hanging out with Patrick, Brooks' dad, and helping Brooks out with what the guys needed to get ready. Julie, Lacey, and I went to meet Lauren, Jess, and Ashley at a restaurant.

"I still can't believe Brooks chose Derek to be the best man rather than Alex." Lacey complained.

"Oh c'mon Lace you'll get your wedding soon enough." Julie said pointing out the fact that Alex finally proposed to her at the end of our last tour.

"Yeah, besides Derek and Brooks have been friends for the longest time, you can't blame Brooks for choosing him." I said defending my soon to be husband. "Do I need to change my maid of honor to Julie, just so you can walk with Alex?" I asked knowing I wouldn't change anything.

"No, I'm good." Lacey said finally becoming quiet about the choices. I had a hard choice for my maid of honor, because Julie has been my best friend for years, and Lacey and I have become practically sisters while living and traveling together. I talked to Julie about it and she said as long as she was a bridesmaid and I was happy, she didn't care, and she truly meant that too.

We finally made it to the restaurant and noticed Lauren, Jess, and Ashley waiting by the door. I parked and we all hurried to them, only to find the guys heading their way as well. I said hey to everyone as I walked up to Brooks and gave him a kiss.

"We have our name written down and it should be a few more minutes before we're called." Lauren said taking Grey from Derek. I had just noticed that Grey and Bailey were here too, and Bailey had gotten Derek to pick her up after he handed over Grey.

"So how was dress shopping?" Ashley asked with a smile.

"It went well; I think y'all are going to love your bridesmaid’s dresses." I said returning her smile.

"Yay! I can't wait to see them!" Jessica exclaimed clapping her hands together. "Sorry I couldn't come with you." She apologized as did Ashley.

"No worries, I know you had other things that came up, I'm not mad or anything." I said and meant it. I knew they had something planned already and weren't able to come, I understood that, I was just happy Lacey and Julie could along with Mrs. Betts and my mother.

"Yeah I would have come too, but I didn't think bringing two children along would be a good idea and then once Derek got home I had to run some errands before coming here." Lauren said.

"I completely understand y'all don't have to keep apologizing. As long as you’re still my bridesmaids, I'm happy." I said right before they called Lauren's name over the loud speaker.

"Well that's us, let's go eat." Lauren said and we all headed towards the door.

The place apparently didn't have a table long enough for a group as large as ours, because we were sat at a bunch of tables pushed together, but we didn't care as long as the food was good. They had a couple of waiters take our drink orders and said they would come back to get our food orders. As I was looking at my menu, I had the feeling that I was being watched, but I just brushed it off and decided what I want to eat.

When the waiters came back, gave us our drinks, and took our orders, the feeling remained. Again I brushed it off as Jake began telling some story from tour, about a prank someone pulled. Halfway through the story, I couldn't shake the feeling any longer and stole a glance around the room, that's when my eyes landed on very a very familiar face, one that I thought was gone from my life.

"Oh no." I mumbled when I saw him stand up as he spoke to his friends, my thoughts being he was going to come over here.

"What's wrong?" Brooks asked placing a hand on my leg. I didn't respond right away just watching and gave a sigh of relief when he walked away to the restrooms.

"Ben is here, I thought he was about to come over here." I said and then noticed how quiet everyone was as they looked at me.

"You don't think he'd try to break you and Brooks up again do you?" Julie asked worry seeping into her voice.

"If he tries, I'll kick his ass." Jake said taking a sip of his drink.

"It doesn't matter, he's not going to ruin our relationship, and I love Brooks too much for that to happen." I said looking at Brooks who smiled at me and gave me a light kiss in response.

"And that's the way it's supposed to be." Lacey said and then saw our food coming. "Yay food!" She exclaimed happily, Alex just smiled and shook his head at her.

When we began to eat I noticed Ben walking back to his table, but instead of sitting down he said something to them and began walking towards us. He looked a bit awkward standing before a group of people he knew had such dislike towards him.

"Hello Annie." He said softly scratching the back of his neck.

"Hi Ben. Hope you’re not here to try and tear me away from Brooks again." I said bitterness seeping into my voice.

"I'm sorry about how things ended with us, I was wrong to hurt you and this time I really mean it. I was just jealous before and I let that get the best of me, and I shouldn't have. I just felt I needed to let you know." He said and there was such sincerity in his voice that I knew he meant it.

"Thank you Ben." I said unsure of how to respond, especially when I was rude to him before.

"I heard you and Brooks are getting married?" He asked and I shook my head a smile playing at my lips. "Well then, I wish you two the best. You've got a great girl, Brooks, one of the best, and I know you'll treat her well. I made the mistake of not respecting her like I should and I lost her, I don't want to see that happen to you as well because that means she gets hurt too."

"No worries, I make sure to keep her safe and treat her right." Brooks said "and thank you."Ben nodded and began walking away, but turned back around.

"Oh and maybe I'll see you at one of y'all's concerts. I have a new girlfriend now and she loves to listen to you guys." Ben said leaving before anyone could respond. I just stared after him as he left the restaurant with his friends. I guess out of everything that's happened between us, happened for the best. It has definitely made an impact on Ben and deep down I know it affected me as well.