To Sweden With Love

It was close to one o'clock in the morning by time Patric made it to pick me up. I felt bad for him having to go out of his way.

"I'm sorry for making you come get me," I apologized.

"No worries," he said tiredly.

"I don't really want to bother you about this but Adam contacted me again. He said we 'needed to talk.' I don't know what to do."

He sighed. "Ellie, please just block his number. He'll get the hint when you don't answer him."

"I know I'm stupid."

"You're not stupid."

But I am.

I stared out the car window in silence the rest of the drive home.

---

The next morning I borrowed Malin's car to drive myself over the Olivia's house.

I let myself in and ran upstairs.

"Good morning, future Mrs. McDowell!" I exclaimed as I jumped on her bed.

"Too loud," she rubbed her head.

"That's your fault, princess. Do you even remember last night?"

I pulled her out of bed and helped her get ready for her hair appointment. Then, we met the rest of the bridal party at the salon.

We all joked and clapped for her when we arrived at the salon.

"Thank you, thank you. Here's to hoping history doesn't repeat itself tonight," she joked.

I was up first to get my hair done. "Well, let's hope I don't ruin this before the wedding."

As I was having my hair done, my phone buzzed. It was Derick again.

I'm sorry for bugging you.

I sighed and replied.
It's okay, I've just been mad busy. My best friend gets married today.

Oh, best of luck to her.

But we can talk later. I haven't stopped thinking about your offer.

---

An hour later, we were getting ready to help Liv put her dress on. I couldn't believe my best friend was about to get married.

Olivia pulled me aside and asked me if her phone rang whenever we got back to the hotel last night.

"Uh, yeah. Carl called you asking if you were okay and wanted you to call him? Did you call him last night?"

She shrugged.

I lowered my voice. "Liv, is there something going on between the two of you?"

She bit her lip. "We kissed. Twice."

"What?!" I exclaimed, not realizing how loud I was.

She explained to me what happened after her fight with Michael. How no one answered their phones, and she ended up at the rink with Carl. And then when she disappeared at her bachelorette party.

"So why are we still here?"

"Because I love Michael," she sighed.

"Look Liv, I believe you, I do. But do you believe yourself?"

It was time to help her put her dress on. Putting on her veil, she looked like a princess.

I hugged her before walking out of the room. After I was out of the room, I waved for Patric to go ahead in.

After he came back out, I went back over to see if she was ready.

"You ready?"

She gave me a smile and I went out to the church to get the show started.

---

About twenty minutes passed before we had officially started. We all got down the aisle and into position for our lovely bride to make her entrance. Michael was anxiously waiting for his future wife to appear in the doorway.

The wedding march blared from the organ, echoing off the walls.

Something was wrong.

She wasn't in the doorway.

I took off up the aisle to see what was going on. Michael and Patric followed behind me.

We got to the bridal room and....

She was gone.

---

Between Michael and I, we both tried called her multiple times, but it went straight to voicemail each try.

"Michael, I'm so sorry." I hugged him. "But I can't let all this alcohol go to waste!"

I made my way to the bar in the reception hall. I ordered myself a cocktail: vodka and cranberry.

Patric joined me with a beer in his hand. "You know, I don't know what I would have done if Malin fled on me on our wedding day." He chuckled. "I was nervous enough when I proposed to her."

"Love makes me wanna vomit," I took a sip of my cocktail. "Now that she figured out her actual feelings, we can go on about our lives."

"Shouldn't you be a bit more concerned?" Patric questioned.

"Nah, I knew this was going to happen," I finished my drink. "Another one please?" I ordered another drink.

The bartender handed me my next drink and took a drink. "Also, I knew I should have made a bet. I would have won it."

Patric elbowed me. "You're terrible!"

I downed that drink and then shouted, "If we're going to all be gathered here, we might as well make the best of it."

More people gathered to have a few drinks. Might as well, right?

I finished my second drink and went for my third.

I took out my phone to text Derick.

About that offer...

The DJ started playing some music so it wasn't so dead quiet in the reception room.

Needless to say, I did feel bad for Michael. I could have warned him that this might happen. But I didn't want to be the one who ruined it for him.

Derick text me back.

I'm in Pittsburgh; just tell me where to be.

I threw back the rest of my drink.

Double Tree. Room 317.

I had a few more drinks before Patric decided that I had enough. Who does he think he is? Cutting me off like that!

"I'm going to call an Uber for you to take you to your hotel," Patric insisted.

"Fine, I'm sleepy anyway."

---

I was in my hotel room, alone when I heard a small knock on the door. I abruptly opened it to find Derick.

He smirked. "Just as I remember you." He shut the door behind him and pushed me against the nearest wall and kissed me hard: his hands on both sides of my face.

"Derick. I need to get away from this place," I said as he kissed my neck.

"Come to New York with me," he suggested, picking me up and throwing me down onto the bed.

"Let's do it. Tonight."

"After we do this. We have to make up for lost time," he said pushing up against me.

Having him here made me forget about all the bad that has been happening to me lately. I forgot what he felt like. What he smelt like. Everything started flooding back into my memory about that night we met.

I just lay there, letting him take control of my body.

After a few minutes, I got up and made myself look decent: as decent as I could get my drunken self. He was drunk, too. He was drunk on me.

We headed to the airport where he bought us both tickets: a one-way to New York City.

My hand in his as we boarded the plane.