Say I do

chapter 2

The flight back home did not take as long as it should have been. She texted her parents that they would be landing in the airport in a few hours before she had to turn off her device. Their families lived on the coast of Maine, close to the border towns that bordered Canada.

Both she and Tiff were flying in from their home in Louisiana to come visit for the wedding. While she was having a silent nervous wreck, Tiff lied asleep in the seat next to her complaining that it was because of the last minute packing, but truth be told, her friend was somewhat excited to leave Baton Rouge to come home with her.

As they landed, they waited to grab their luggage and then flagged down her parents who were waiting in front of the airport illegally, getting threatened by airport security that if they stayed any longer, they would either get their vehicle towed or a ticket.

The two women jumped into the car as fast as they could so that her mom would not do anything more crazy and get them all arrested. "Hi honey" Her dad greeted to get the hectic scene out of their minds. Lia smiled and hugged her father from behind his driver side seat. "I missed you daddy." She told him.

Tiff greeted her friends parents before she looked at Lia's mom and they gossiped as if they were both in high school once again. Lia shook her head at the two women's antics before she turned back towards her father. "How is everything dad?" She asked, leaning back into the seat for the drive back to her parents home.

"Everything is great. Nothing has changed since the last time that you had visited." He replied back to her. She was not sure if she should be surprised or glad that nothing worth mentioning happened the last time she came to visit on Christmas close to half a year ago.

Lia shook her head at her father then tried to eavesdrop on what her mother and Tiff were talking about. "Sweetheart, guess who is going to be the best man?" She asked her as if she could not already guess the answer. He would most likely pick someone who knew him best besides her and that would be his broth-but before she could finish that thought her mother said," Felicity's younger cousin." Her mom told them as she shook her head in dismay.

That had gotten Lia's attention. "Really? Why?" She asked her mom, her interest peaked.

Her mother only shrugged her shoulders showing how she did not like the idea. "Poor thing. Lets the bride of his choose everything exactly the way that she wants the wedding to go and the thing too is that her parents are offering to pay for all of it. She is not exactly cheap." Her mother encouraged to the gossip.

"What happened to Jonny?" She asked already wondering what he had done to piss off the bride to the point that she chose her family, possibly a virtual stranger to Ben, to be his number one. But then again, Jonny didn't have to try hard to piss anyone off.

Her mother shook her head in obvious dismay again before speaking, "Nothing. The bride rather wanted her family than the groom's sibling. Jonny is fine with it though, the poor thing." She said feeling pity for the older brother of the groom. "No one really knows why and everyone is too afraid to ask the obvious."

Lia thought of Jonny. Jonny loved his brother, that fact was obvious. She had half a mind to text Jonny as to why he was not in the wedding. If she had to be one of the bridesmaid, she wanted someone that she knew, even if they still did not agree on some things.

The rest of the ride was about Tiff and her mom being the jerks that they were, gossiping about who slept with who as if her friend had lived in the neighborhood all her life, her mom just kept Tiff up to date with the what-was-happenings in their community. She felt that it was her family's way of keeping in touch with their daughter's life as Lia was busy with school and she didn't keep too much contact with her family.

"How are you holding up sweetie?" She heard her mom asking her again.

At Lia's confusion, she said to her," Look, we all know that you harbor some feelings towards little Ben. It was not news to anyone. Heck, half the community knew you had some young affection towards the boy. Tiff tells me that you are or was, still hung on him. Are you okay?"

Lia could only stare at her mom in horror and then through the rearview mirror at her father who was nodding his head as if he knew the whole time as well that she had a crush on Ben. Her mouth was open and her cheeks felt slightly hot. That was not embarrassing at all, she thought to herself. Did she look that desperate?

Her father had pulled into the driveway of her childhood home and Lia sent a text out to Ben letting him know that she was in town. She wanted to avoid him and his bride but she knew that sooner or later she would have to face the couple. From the looks of it, his mother and the bride were way over their head in planning a wedding that was less than a few weeks away and they sounded like they sure needed help.

He didn't reply back soon enough and she was glad for that. Grabbing her luggage, she headed inside the home with Tiff on her heels.

An hour later, Ben replied to her telling her that he wanted to meet at a bar so that they can talk in person and for her to re-meet his bride-to-be. She took a shower, applied light make up then waited for Tiff to get her fancy self ready before they borrowed her mother's vehicle and headed into town.

Tiff whistled at the bar that they were supposed to meet at and then giggled. "It doesn't seem so bad. Let's just hope that the alcohol tastes a whole lot better than what the building looks." She commented on the fancy looking bar that they were entering. In fact it looked more like some fancy rich-ended restaurant that would charge you just to look at. She just hoped that this wedding didn't rob her bank account too much.

It seem that they had made it to the bar before the couple so they sat at the bar and ordered some light drinks to loosen herself up with. Tiff had ordered them both a shot and she purchased herself a simple margarita. Her friend was already on her third shot when a man stood at the bar next to Lia.

The stranger ordered himself a whiskey on the rocks. Man this man was not playing when it came to alcohol she thought as he put his order in. She tried not to look at the man just in case he started a conversation with her and she really didn't feel like conversing with strangers.

Tiff was having another drink that someone had purchased for her and she had to give her friend some props, if Lia could get men to purchase drinks for her like that, she'd go out more often, instead of worrying about money as often as she did.

Shaking her head at her friend, she turned just in time for the bartender to place her drink in front of her. "Wait, I didn't order this." She told the bartender as he was walking away to help another person. Lia was not paying for a drink she didn't order. The bartender only smiled at her then pointed to the person that was seated next to her. Oh heck no, if this was some old man trying to get her drunk, she was not playing that game.

Turning to face the stranger, Lia was met with a buttoned up, navy blue chest. Her eyes went up the rest of the way to find his face and was about to tell the man her mind when she paused. A flash of recognition hit her almost too slowly. "Jonny?" She breathed out in disbelief.

It looked as if the man aged well in the past six years. There was a maturity that surrounded him and well, he looked good. Johnny smiled at her and went in for a hug before Lia could even think to move. He had to bend to hug her right and she got a whiff of his aftershave, some spicy, fresh scent.

He smelled damn good. Woah, where did that thought come from? Pulling back she suppressed a smile. "Oh my god, it's been too long." She said not even remembering that she could barely stand the guy when they were younger. He smiled and the crinkles around his eyes were faint but there, the crows feet doing his face some wonders. He definitely looked more mature than when she last saw him. A twenty one year old, college jerk who was...annoying.

"It took you long enough. You know, you should really be more aware of your surroundings." He told her as he took a sip of his whiskey. Lia only shook her head at him, "Really, not even one minute and you're already annoying me." She told him in a half sarcastic, half annoyed tone. Lia turned and motioned to Tiff, "This here is my friend. Tiff this is Jonny Kellar, Ben's older brother." She introduced the two.

Tiff was slightly tipsy and she shook Jonny's hand as she was saying, "Well hello muchacho. No one ever said how handsome you are." She smiled at him in a halfway to drunk movement of her lips. Lia pulled her friend away from the man and apologized, "I'm sorry, I should warn you that this one doesn't have filters. So where is the newlywed to be?" She asked looking around. They were already half an hour late.

Jonny only shrugged. "Ben said to come at this time so I even showed up late, yet they're still not here. Maybe they're getting...frisky." He laughed as he drank some more of his whiskey watching to see if Lia gave a reaction to his words. Lia only blushed at his comment. "You're not still in love with my brother are you?" He asked her as she grew quiet and didn't reply to him.

It was Tiff who decided she was talkative and answered for Lia, "You have no idea." She said before Lia gave a look that might have sobered her friend up instantly, if Tiff had any real emotions. As Lia was trying to think up an excuse or say something to defend herself in some way, the couple finally showed up as if the angels have sent them to aid her in her embarrassment.

Jonny was downing his whiskey just as Lia was finishing her concoction with gusto. He had to raise an eyebrow at her and then tipped their bartender before going to sit at a table with his brother. Let all hell break loose tonight.