Devotion

35

"Geez, kids," Bee said. "I can't even picture that right now. That seems like a million years away. We should seriously all plan to have kids at the same time. They can all grow up and be best friends too."

"I'm not even dating anyone," Melissa said.

"It sounded like Matt wanted to change that," Jen said.

"Matt isn't interested in a relationship. He just wants s*x. It seems like that's all anyone ever wants with me. Tyler and I lasted for like 5 seconds. I don't even know how to be in a relationship anymore. I really liked him. I thought...God I don't know what I thought. He was such a nice guy. And even he just used me. I'm such an idiot."

I knew that Tyler didn't use Melissa for s*x. He did like her. He just didn't love her. It still hurt to think that Tyler wouldn't be at my wedding tomorrow. And it hurt to know that he was hurting and Melissa was hurting and it was all because of me.

"I'm so sorry," I said. "Melissa, I know you said you didn't want to talk about it, but..."

"I'm not mad at you. It's not your fault. It's me. Everyone always leaves me. I have some internal flaw that disgusts people or something."

Daphne laughed.

Melissa glared at her.

"I mean, Melissa, I know I don't know you very well. But couldn't your flaw be that you expect everyone to leave you? So maybe you push them away a little bit?"

"I don't think I do that. Do I do that?" she looked at me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. Do you?"

She bit her lip.

"I'm sorry," Daphne said. "It's just that I've always been terrified of losing people. So I stopped getting close to people. And if you're doing that too, you should stop. You're going to miss out on someone great if you don't."

"Maybe I push people away. I don't know if it's that exactly. I don't mind being alone. I'm kick ass at being single."

"Here's to that," Jen said.

"I'm just worried about getting hurt. I'm defensive. I hate feeling like I'm not in control of a situation."

"Sounds pretty similar to me," Bee said. "I think you should give Matt a chance. I know him better than you guys because he is literally at our apartment all the freaking time. He has a sweet side just like Rob. You just have to dig a little deeper."

"I think that's true," Daphne said. "Obviously I don't know him as well as any of you. But Rob told me that Matt gets sad at weddings. Because it reminds him that he's alone."

"Matt seriously said that?" Melissa asked.

"That's what Rob said."

"Hm."

"Who's turn is it? Jen?" I asked.

"Guilty," she said.

"Dare Melissa to hang out with Matt tomorrow."

"Too obvious," Jen said. "I'm pretty sure she's going to do that anyway now that she knows he's not a mindless s*x robot."

Melissa laughed. "Yeah, maybe."

"Do you want a dare?" Jen asked.

"Sure, why not?" Melissa said.

"Okay. Then I dare you to go find our Porter's first name. And do whatever it takes." She winked.

"I'm not going to give the security guard a blowjob to figure out his first name."

"Oh, please, Melissa, I'm dying to know!" I said.

"Ew. Then you go blow him." She tossed a pillow at me.

I laughed. "I'm going to go tell him to come in here."

"Don't you dare!" Melissa shrieked when I stood up. "I'll go out there and ask by myself. No s****l favors. I'm just going to ask."

"At least pull your shirt down," Jen said.

"And your shorts up," Bee added.

Daphne laughed. "I'm so glad I keep picking truth."

Melissa opened up the hotel door and stepped out, closing it behind her. We all watched the door, especially after a few minutes had passed. Finally she came back in.

"Did he tell you?" I asked.

"Maybe."

"Shut up, he did not," Jen said. "I swear the only person that knows is James. And I guess Porter's mother."

"You're right, he didn't. And just for the record, I was very flirtatious."

"Fine. I guess you met your dare." Jen laughed.

"Truth or dare?" Melissa said and pointed at me.

"Now I kind of want to pick dare just to see what you'll come up with. But I'm going with truth because I don't want to do whatever crazy thing you would come up with."

"So lame."

"Fine, fine. Dare."

"I dare you to go up to the roof."

"Of the building?"

"Yeah."

I laughed. "Why?"

"I don't have to have a reason. It's a dare."

"Can you even get on the roof of this hotel? I told James I'd stay in the room."

Melissa started making chicken noises and flapped her arms.

I laughed. "You look ridiculous. Come on, just make me do something else."

"The dare has already been announced," Bee said. "Technically you have to do it now."

"Will you guys at least come with me?"

"Nah," Jen said. "You got this."

"I'll come if you want," Daphne said.

"Thanks, that would be..."

"Nope," Melissa said. "You have to go alone."

"Why?"

She laughed. "Sometimes you're so clueless. It's exactly midnight. All of us are trying to get you to the roof. And we're all refusing to go with you. Think about it." She winked at me.

I smiled. "James is up there?"

"Don't tell him I ruined it. Blame it on Daphne."

"What? I didn't even know." She laughed.

"What's he doing up there?"

"I don't know. He just sent us all a text a half hour ago about how we needed to get you on the roof at midnight. And I didn't want to risk going up there with you in case he's naked or something. Not that the sight wouldn't be great. It would just be hard to hang out with him after I saw how he was hanging."

I laughed. "He's very well-endowed."

Jen put her hands over her ears. "Gross! Stop talking now."

I laughed.

"It's very tempting to text Ian while you're gone." She reached over and grabbed her phone off the nightstand. "But someone should probably stop me because I am officially drunk."

I grabbed her phone and tossed it at Melissa. "I'll let you guys handle that while I'm gone. I'll be right back." I tied the sash around my new robe and walked over to the door. Bee had given it to me right when we got to the hotel. It was silky and said bride on the back. It was the most comfortable thing ever.

"Sure," Melissa said. She stretched the word out tauntingly. "You're never right back when it comes to James. And if you two uncontrollable love birds are banging, it'll be like an hour."

Jen put her hands back over her ears as I stepped out in the hall. Porter immediately stood up from the chair he was sitting on.

"You don't have to get up," I said. "I'm meeting James on the roof."

"Yes, ma'am. He asked me to escort you."

"Oh. Okay, then. Thanks, Porter."

He nodded.