Chapter One
Amelia
I sat in a booth at the local bar called The Old Manchester. To most it might be defined as a dive but, I had fallen in love with the tiny bar my freshman year of college. I sighed softly sipping my ice cold beer. Freshman year felt like a lifetime ago. I felt like an entirely different person. In a lot of ways I was. Different clothes, different hair, different motives. Then all I cared about was getting the best job, marrying the best husband, and making the most money I could.
Then, I wanted attention. Loved the way men's gazes lingered when I wore a tight dress. Loved the way they would flock around me like crows to carrion. Offering to buy me drinks. Asking me to dance. Now, dressed in sweatpants and a tee-shirt men hardly even noticed me. When they did my heart would race but, not in the good excited way. Like my body was preparing for fight or flight. Hence the baggie clothes to hide my form and deter their gazes from lingering too long, creating an awkward situation.
It was odd. A few months ago, she would have walked into this bar and turned it upside down in seconds. She would have come in wearing some trendy, tiny dress. Her hair would have been freshly blown out. Flowing in beautiful blonde waves about her shoulders down her back. Her makeup emaculate. Eyes shining like two blue jewles glowing with mischief. In a split second the bar would have gone from quiet and dreary, would have come alive.
Now most men avoided me like the plague. My hair was tied up on top of my head in its now usual messy bun. The tiny bit of makeup I had worn two days ago was still smudged under my eye.
"So, do you think you'll go?" Markus the bartender asked casually walking over from where he usually stood filling orders. Markus is a nice guy but, he had on several occasions mentioned he was interested in me. Making their interactions afterward slightly uncomfortable. I told him he was insane. In the lat six months I had consistently come into the bar looking like hot garbage. Apparently he was attracted to garbage.
"Go where?" I asked playing dumb taking a big gulp of my ice cold beer. I knew what he was talking about. My sister Abbey had sent me an invitation last week to her wedding.
"Oh come on you know where. An all expense paid trip to Jamaica? I don't care what my family did to me. I'd be all over that in a heartbeat." He laughed with his wide toothy grin. Markus was right around my age and still had a boyish look about him. He was always there to talk whenever I got drunk and I had obviously told him a little too much.
Part of me did want to go. But, not because I was dying to go to Jamaica. Part of me wanted to go to see if what I had seen six months ago was true. The things my sister had said, the things my mother had said. They haunted me. It haunted me. Had they always been like that? Had I always been like that? What had happened to the cute little bucktoothed girl I had grown up with? Part of me wanted so deeply to go to the wedding and have everything go back to normal between the three of us. And part of me was terrified by the idea. That is what they I want, I know, they want me to pretend as if it never happened. Part of me wants to play pretend.
"It's not that simple." I told him.
"Amelia, you've come in here every single night for the last few months. You spend all your time here. And not that I don't enjoy your company but, I can see that you're down. Maybe this is what you need. Go and enjoy it like it's an all expense paid vacation. That they are paying for. For f*****g you over." he told me. Something about his words struck me. After everything that had happened my new objective, the thing that I wanted most was to live my life to the fullest. I had seen for myself the itinerary Abbey had planned. Though I knew she'd been too good for half the actives. Snorkeling, jet ski lessons, river rafting, swimming with dolphins. It was an opportunity of a lifetime. Especially now that I was living on a working salary, who knew when I'd get this chance again.
Just then, unexpectedly, a familiar face walked through the door. I looked up almost as if by instinct and nearly gasped when i saw my best friend Lizzie walking to my boothe. Lizzie was a dazzling red head with big green eyes. Months ago we had been part of the same sorority. She was the only friend I had kept after leaving. Mostly because she was the only one I knew was worth keeping. She was eccentric so a lot of the girls in the house stayed away from her. I however, had grown to love that about her. Not to mention, she was stunning. When all I had cared about were looks I loved going places with her, loved the way eyes would linger when we were together. Two beautiful women one fiery red, one pale blonde, both stunning. I loved the attention we got together. Though, the funest part of hanging with her were the strange looks she'd get from men when she dripped her lines on them. She loved to shock people. I love that about her.
"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." She greeted with her sly cheeky smile. The kind of smile that reminded me of the good times. The kind of smile that just made you want to get into trouble. Markus smiled at her before casually slipping away back to the bar. She was dressed like she had just come from her internship at the lawfirm downtown. She still wore her all black sleek pantsuit. It looked ill fitting on her. She was more at home, wearing bellbottoms and tube tops.
"What are you doing here?" I asked her.
"I came to try to convince you, one last time." She said slipping into the boothe, sliding an arm around my shoulders as she slid in next to me on the old worn leather.
"It's not going to work." I told her but, in truth I knew I was close to giving in.
"Please! Amelia you know I always say the wrong things at these types of events! I need you! You're my wingman!" She pleaded. I knew that was only half true. Though Lizzie was typically shy when first meeting someone it didn't take long for her to break out of her shell. She was a bit of an odd ball that didn't mean she couldn't keep a conversation going. Infact on the contrary I knew as soon as she felt comfortable it was hard to get her to shut up.
"You and I both know you won't need me. I saw Abbey's itinerary. She's got everything planned down to the tiniest detail. She's got you paired with one of the groomsmen. You'll be spending most of the week with him." I told her. "And I would have to spend most the week with a stranger."
"The entire bridal party was paired up for the scheduled events. You'll have a partner too, and besides there's group actives too! Oh Please! You have to come!" She begged gripping my arm with her skinny pale fingers. Finally I felt the wall inside me cave. I have to go even if I don't want to admit to myself. Even if it didn't turn out to be the vacation of a lifetime maybe, she could get some closure on what had happened to her.
"What time is the flight tomorrow?" I finally said begrudgingly. Lizzie squealed so loudly with excitement she drew several side ways glances from people seated at the bar. I raised my hand at them in silent apology.
"I'll meet you at the airport at five am." she whispered kissing me on the cheek already climbing from the boothe. "I've got to go finish packing."
Before leaing she turned back giving me her sly grin.
"Make sure you pack a sexy swimsuit. We are gonna show Skyler exactly what he's missing out on."
