Thick and Thin

A week had passed and luckily I had no run ins with Eli. Unfortunately, Sara wanted to have a nice dinner with all of us at a really nice restaurant in town. She wanted to go over everything with Adam in person and show him all the stuff we had worked on.

I put on a black halter dress that came up to my mid thigh that had a silver belt around the waist and I also wore black heals. Of course, I tripped every third step so I walked slowly with caution. Sara wore a beautiful red dress that showed her curves and wore red heels. I left my hair down and curled it and so did Sara.

"The guys will be here, will you promise to be nice?" She asked looking at me through the mirror reflection while she tried putting her silver earrings in. I nodded and saluted her.

"I promise." As I said that a knock rapped on the door. Sara took a deep breath and went to go answer it, walking flawlessly in her heels. I heard Adam compliment her and heard their footsteps walking in. I took one more look at myself, remembering how in high school I promised I would never dress like this. It was funny how things have changed.

I sighed and straightened the wrinkles out of my dress. I turned to Meike, who was laying on my bed, and she started wagging her tail causing a "thunk" sound on my bed. I kissed her forehead and was careful not to get dog hair on my dress.

I took one last deep breath and walked slowly out into the living room. I was trying to be quiet and walk in casually but my heels clanked loudly on our wooden laminate floor. Eli was sitting on the love seat, the same spot as the last time I saw him. He was messing with his phone and didn't even notice me. Thank goodness.

"Our ride awaits," Adam spoke in a fake English accent, standing up and bowing holding his hand out to escort Sara.

We took the elevator since I tripped, literally, five times just walking to the door. Taking steps would be deadly. Sara and I gasped as we saw a limo waiting for us, the driver holding open the back door. Light started to light up the sky and the smell of rain was strong.

"Hurry up before it starts raining," Adam urged and we all climbed in. There were drinks and crackers and lights along the ceiling. There was also a sun roof and a personal radio for just us in the back. The leather seats started sticking to my legs so I sat up and tried pulling my dress down further. I looked to my left where Eli sat and he turned away quickly. I rolled my eyes and continued to try and fix my dress.

Not much later rain started pounding against the limo. I looked out the tinted window and saw lightening flashing violently. I loved storms, but since moving here I started to get paranoid about hurricanes.

We arrived at the restaurant, running as fast as we could to get out of the rain. We sat down at our table, Eli next to me and Sara in front of me with Adam by her side. She had our planning book laid out and she was going over what we've been doing for the past few years.

"The reception will be in this pavilion which is right by our ceremony so we can all just walk over there. I also got some white flats to wear so we can dance! And the bouquet will be thrown here," and she went on and on. I could've sworn I saw Adams eyes glaze over.

"Sounds good, baby," he would say every once in a while.

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked. He had dark brown hair that was slightly messy from product and blue eyes.

"I'll take the steak special with coleslaw and green beans," Adam started.

"Chicken salad please. Grilled, and is the dressing on the side?" She asked. The waiter nodded and she went on, "Italian please."

"I'll take was he's having." Eli said when the waiter looked over at him. He turned to me and smiled.

"And what about you, gorgeous?" I felt my cheeks blush and I smiled.

"I'll have what she's having, but with balsamic vinaigrette please." He took the menus, flashed a smile at me and turned back to the kitchen. Sara nudged my foot under the table.

"Someone wants in your pants," She smiled sipping on her water. I blushed again and started twirling my straw around the ice in my soda and rubbed the back of my neck.

"He just wants a tip," Eli muttered, typing on his phone. I rolled my eyes and started to look at the drink menu.

"I think I'm going to try a strawberry margarita," I announced. Sara looked at me with a shocked expression.

"Why? You never drink," Sara said. I shrugged.

"It looks good and I've been a little stressed. I deserve to try one," I defended myself. When the waiter came back with some bread sticks and butter I ordered my drink.

"I'll have that right out," he smiled. I heard Eli scoff and when I looked at him he was rolling his eyes at Adam. My face started burning in anger.

This is about Sara and Adam, I reminded myself. Don't snap. That's what the drinks are for.

I drank three of the margaritas, regretting it until I was buzzed. I was drunk, but not too drunk that I didn't know what I was doing.

We walked back outside in the rain, me looking at a piece of paper the waiter gave me. It was his phone number.

"I got it," I slurred. Sara laughed. "I still got it." I stuffed it in my clutch and took a sip of my water I got from the mini fridge. "I'm tired of rain," I whined, leaning my head against the cool window.

"This is the first time it's rained in weeks," Sara laughed. I looked up at her, trying to focus better because the limo was tilting slightly. I smiled.

"You are so right." I laid my forehead back down on the window, making a loud "thunk". "Ow." I whined again. I started rubbing my forehead.

"Here," Eli started, reaching over to the mini fridge that had a bucket of ice and wrapped some around the towel. I pushed his hand away.

"No."

"Come on, there's going to be a bump."

"No." I sounded like a little kid. "NO!" I shouted this time. He set the ice in my hands and turned to look out his side of the window, arms crossed. I scoffed and shook my head.

We finally made it to our apartment. They paid the limo driver and helped me into the shower and left me to do my thing. I stumbled out in my boy short underwear and a baggy t shirt that Eli had given me back at home. He looked over at me, surprised .

"You still have that?" He asked. I nodded and rubbed my eyes.

"Of course." I plopped on the couch and Meike ran up to lick my face. "Doggy," I whispered, scratching behind her ears.

"Alex, put some shorts on," Sara walked up to me holding short grey shorts and started putting them on my legs. Thunder vibrated the apartment. I smiled and stood up, holding out my arms.

"I love storms," I told Sara. She nodded.

"I know."

I laid back down, then sat back up. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I felt numb, great. I wanted to run around outside and play in the rain.

I stood and headed out the door.

"Where are you going?" Sara demanded.

"I just want to stand outside for a while, I'll be back, I promise you." Adam was leaning against the counter, laughing uncontrollably. I smiled and turned down the stairs and stood on the sidewalk. My hair was already dripping wet, but my once dry clothes got completely soaked in seconds. Lightening lit the sky left and right and I twirled around letting the rain hit my face.

"You'll catch a cold."

I looked down from the sky and saw Eli standing there with his shirt unbuttoned, revealing a white shirt underneath. I glared at him and marched up to him.

"You."

"Me?" He asked, raising his eye brows. I took a deep breath and grabbed his shoulders to prevent me from falling, him steadying me by holding my elbows. I jerked away.

"You have no right."

"What are you talking about?" He squinted his eyes from the rain and from being confused.

"You come here acting like nothing even happened! It's like you don't even care! Like you erased me from your mind! Why? How!?"

"Are you forgetting that you were the one that ignored my calls? My texts? I didn't forget, Alexis. I never forgot. I heard how bad you were hurting and I've been hearing about it since the day I left!" He was shouting now, and I wasn't sure if I was starting to cry or if rain was getting in my eyes.

"You...you broke my heart," I whispered, looking down at my bare feet. "And you come back like it was nothing!" I shouted. I pushed past him and went back into the apartment, slamming the door then slamming my bedroom door, jumping on my bed.

Why was everything going so wrong for me? Sara's life was falling into place perfectly. Yes, her and Adam would have the occasional fights, but nothing close to breaking up. She's never been cheated on, she's never been lied to, she's never been truly hurt.

I just got out of a two year relationship that wasn't even honest for the past year. I had problems with Eli and before him I had Zack. Nothing was going right for me, and I was ready to give up. What was so wrong with me? What did I do to make guys do this? I wished I knew so I could fix it, fix me.

I buried my face in my pillow and screamed. I heard my door open every now and then, but I stopped the crying long enough for them to think I was sleeping. The final time it opened, I felt my bed sink in behind me and a hand running through my hair and rubbing the back of my head.

"I never meant to hurt you," he whispered. "You meant everything to me and I fucked up." I felt him kiss the top of my head and he closed the door behind him.

I rolled on my other side, clutching my pillow, and eventually drifted off to sleep, tears still dripping down my face.