Make You Feel My Love

Tonight was Michelle’s last night of freedom. In two days she would be walking down the aisle with her lover and finally marry Brian. The brunette was bouncing in front of the body mirror, looking at her orange metallic maxi dress that was held by thin straps. Her back was exposed, and on her feet was a pair of black patent leather pumps that Jade had picked out for her.

“Sweet, are you ready?” the bride looked at her best friend, who had been awfully quiet during the entire evening.

Jade was wearing a pink metallic slip dress. Everyone at the bachelorette party had been told to wear something metallic, as it had been Michelle’s idea. The dress Jade was wearing went halfway down her thighs, and really complimented her sun-kissed skin. Her hair had been tied into a high ponytail, and she was currently touching up on her lipgloss.

“Soon.” Jade mumbled back.

Michelle pressed her lips together. Something was going on with her best friend. Jade had been so distant lately – she’d been working a more than usual, and it seemed as though her entire life consisted of sleeping and working. She had ditched their yoga classes several times now, and the only explanation she gave was the fact that she was tired after her shift.

Is something going on between Will and Jade? Have they been fighting?

The ideas that circled Michelle’s head terrified her. Even though Jade often liked to appear as a woman who wasn’t sensitive, Michelle knew better than that. She could still remember the stressful phone call between the two of them when Jade had told Michelle that she’d fought with Brian back in high school.
The poor brunette had been completely heartbroken, and that was the state she had been entering now.

“I’m ready.” Jade announced, pressing her lips into a weak smile.

“You look really great,” Michelle smiled, bringing her arm around her woman of honour. “Brian and I appreciate you so much, you know that, right?”

“Yeah,” Jade said, a lump stuck in her throat as she spoke. “I love you, Michy. You’re my best friend.”

“I know, sweet,” Michelle smiled brightly at her. “We’re gonna have the best night of our lives tonight!” she promised.

“Especially you!” Jade wiggled her eyebrows, her chest still aching, as the two women made their ways towards Jade’s car.

They soon arrived at the bar, and was then greeted by their friends, who had all managed to follow the dress code. Leana was wearing a soft pink metallic cowl slip and black strappy heels. Next to her was Lacey, who had gone for a tight metallic pencil skirt and a black satin bustier top. Her hair was held up and around her neck hung a marvelous golden necklace.

“You look stunning!” Michelle exclaimed, pulling both of her friends in for a hug.

“And so do you, DiBenedetto!” Lea announced back. “Come one! Gena and Val are waiting inside!” the brunette told the bride.

The women paddled into the bar, everyone receiving a mark on top of their hands, before they spotted the two women, who had already made sure the table was decorated with lots of booze.

“Michy!” her twin yelled at her, the woman soon raising to her feet and walking over to her sister.

“Val! You look gorgeous!” Michelle announced, linking her arms around Val’s neck and pulling her in for a hug.

Valary was dressed in a hot pink silk-blend dress that looked very similar to the one her sister was wearing. Her hair had been styled with tight curls, and on her feet was a pair of dangerously high heels.

“Baby!” Gena squealed from her seat, trying to stand up without exposing too much skin.

Gena had gone for the shortest dress tonight, as it was a sleeveless pink dress that barely covered her ass. The print on the dress stole a lot of attention, and her hair had been pulled backwards.

“Yall look amazing!” Michelle exclaimed, before they all found their spots and grabbed a shot from the table.

It felt as though the drinks never stopped coming, as Michelle was digging into her fourth cocktail, watching as laughter and joy filled the entire table. The taste of whiskey sour filled her mouth, and the thoughts that had been bugging her earlier slipped into the back of her head.

The women were playing a drinking game. Michelle had to drink every time someone answered right on a question about the bride, which happened a lot, considering Valary knew almost everything about her sister.

“I won’t be able to remember my wedding if we keep playing this game!” Michelle whined out loud.

“Okay, Val, you’re out,” Lacey said. “Go order more drinks.” she smiled.

“Already on it!” Val sniggered, as she slipped out of the booth and walked over to the bar.

Jade was still working on her second cider, not really in the mood to get drunk tonight. She was feeling so bad for what had happened between her and Brian, and it just got worse by the thought that she couldn’t talk to anyone about it either. All of her friends would abandon her if she uttered a word, and William would lose his shit if he knew. She was all alone, and it petrified her.

“J! You need to drink up!” Gena exclaimed, having watched the brunette for some time now.

“Yeah, you’re way behind!” Lacey joined.

“I’m sorry, guys,” Jade muffled, a weak smile playing on her lips. “I’m just not really feeling it tonight. I don’t wanna get too shitfaced.”

“Babe, this is a bachelorette party! We drink in order to forget!” Lea announced.

“Yeah, are you still feeling hungover after last week?” Val teased.

Jade felt like vomiting by her words.

“You went out with the guys, right? I was so tired after work,” Michelle quipped from her seat. “Brian told me he crashed at your place. He said that your couch is a lot more comfortable than he thought.” she chuckled.

Jade couldn’t stand this talk. There she was, her best friend convinced that her fiancée had been sleeping on her couch, when the reality was that he’d been buried inside of Jade before they both dozed off.

*** FLASHBACK ***

A pounding headache caused the brunette to open her eyes. The room was blurry, and the warmness from the sheets comforted her. She could merely recall how she’d manage to get home, as well as how she’d managed to climb the stairs after the amount of alcohol she had had.

She soon shifted in the bed, realizing that the sheets seemed to tighten a little around her torso. She rolled over her, the sight making her wanna scream bloody murder.

There was Brian.

He was still fast asleep, one arm hanging over the edge of the bed and his heavy breath emerging from the tiny gap between his lips. The panic and the anxiety hit her hard, and Jade soon stumbled out of bed and all but ran towards the bathroom, barely able to shut the door behind her as she gripped the toilet and started to throw up.

Fifteen minutes later she was still sick by the nauseous feeling in her body. She felt dirty. She felt bad, and she really hated this sensation. The trembling sensation in her body was impossible to escape, and Jade grabbed the Valium she knew she had, swallowing it dry, and waiting for it to kick in.

She felt like she was about to lose her sanity. She paced back and forth in the bathroom, her mind trying to recall what had happened last night.

She could barely remember the kiss they had shared in the back of the cab, his fingers dancing over her skin, before they had unbuckled their seat belts, so caught up in one another that they almost forgot to pay the driver, before they made their way inside her house.

Her memory stopped there.

She didn’t want to think what had happened. She didn’t want to think about how she’d slept with another man in the bed she shared with the boyfriend she loved so much. She didn’t want to think about how that man she’d slept with wasn’t any man, but Brian Haner – her best friend’s fiancée.

Tears exploded in her eyes. She gripped her body, sinking her teeth into her skin and trying to hold back the moan that was trapped inside her mouth.

What the hell is wrong with me?

She sunk down against the wall, her knees brought up tightly against her chest, and her face buried on top of her knees. She had no idea what she was going to do. In a couple of days she would attend their marriage as the woman of honour, which was a big deal for Michelle.

How could I do this to her?

The guilt was pinned inside her body, and there was nothing she could do about it. She had crossed the line. She had slept with her best friend’s fiancée, and nothing in the world could make things okay again.

She soon paced back into the bedroom, a robe tighten around her waist, as sadness suddenly turned to anger. She clenched her fists, her teeth cutting into her bottom lip with so much force that blood soon filled her mouth.

“Brian Haner! Get out!” she all but yelled at him.

Brian’s eyes opened, and panic gripped him as well as he sat up in the bed, his hand digging through his messy hair.

“Get out!” she yelled again, collecting his articles from the floor and throwing them at him. “I want you out now!”

Brian took in his surroundings, and suddenly realized what had happened between them.

Oh fuck.

He threw the sheets off his body, and watched as Jade refused to look at his naked figure. He slipped into his boxers and then grabbed his jeans. Jade was furious as she kept barging at him, not giving him the possibility to speak before she grabbed the rest of his belongings and threw them at him.

“Get out now!” she yelled, tears soaking her cheeks, meanwhile the guitarist inhaled a sharp breath.

He had no idea how to wrap his hands around last night. He had no idea how the two of them could let this happen.

“Fuck." he grunted under his breath, hurrying down stairs and realizing that Jade was too upset to chase him out of the house.

What the fuck have I done?

*** END OF FLASHBACK ***

“Jade!” Michelle snapped her fingers in front of her best friend’s eyes, as the woman had been caught up in her own head.

“I’m sorry!” Jade half-choked, tears filling her eyes, meanwhile she stared at her drink, realizing that it wasn’t cold anymore.

“Baby, are you okay?” Michelle asked, genuinely concerned about her friend.

The other ladies had entered the dance floor, grinding their hips along to Jason Derulo, meanwhile Michelle had been left at the table, noticing how Jade looked utterly upset.

“Yeah. I just need to go to the toilet and then I’ll join you on the dance floor.” Jade assured her, pressing her lips into the brightest smile she could manage, before she slipped out of the booth and walked over to the toilet.

Jade could feel her hands shaking again as she shut the door behind her. The anxiety was all but boiling inside of her, and she soon realized that she had to turn to the toilet again. Her fingers gripped it tightly, her knuckles turning white, meanwhile she started throwing up again.

And again.

And again.

Jade was still shaking after she, ten minutes later, leaned back and felt her heart pounding against her chest. The room was blurry, and this time she was convinced it wasn’t due to the alcohol.

She knew she couldn’t leave. It was Michelle’s bachelorette party – the party Jade had promised would be an awesome night. She couldn’t just take off and tell her that she was feeling bad again. She had barely been drinking, and Michelle knew that her best friend would never dig into alcohol without eating first.

Jade locked herself out of the booth and went to wash her hands. The cool water managed to calm her down a little, but the awful taste still lingered inside her mouth.

Jade soon realized that she had no other option but to drink. A lot. The only way she could give Michelle the party she deserved was if she was so drunk that she couldn’t feel the guilt that pinched her stomach.

I can do this, Jade said to herself.

I have to do this.