Nothing to say in my absense except for that I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)
Chapter Nine
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
3. (used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like)
Ian groaned and slumped forward into the back of the seat in from of him. Inspired by Sasha, Ian had looked up the definition of love and this is what he had found.
A term of endearment? Of course that would be there, it was logical it would be! But why would it bother him so much? It wasn't as if the first two applied to him….as far as he knew. Stupid, stupid, stupid, Ian groaned to himself in the car. Diana was busy texting Zay, who she had claimed to be her "bestest friend in the whole entire world" though she wouldn't let on anymore than that.
But Ian had his suspicions. It seemed impossible, but the name sounded oddly like Xavier's. It wasn't, of course, but since he was engaged to be married Ian's head couldn't help but stray to the worst possible scenarios.
XAVIER! Ian texted him angrily.
It took a while, but he responded. May I help u?
Yes, actually u may. What are you doing right now?
Again, the reply took some time. My girl is coming to meet me right now… So siked!
Ian felt his blood boiling. That was enough for him to gather what he needed. Zay was obviously Xavier. Diana was obviously cheating on him with his best friend. But why did something feel as though it was…..missing?
Shaking his head, Ian glared at Diana. She didn't notice, giggling at something she had read from Xavier.
THAT ABSOLUTE JERK – HE'S BEEN MY BEST FRIEND FOR NEARLY SIX YEARS! WHAT RIGHT DOES HE HAVE TO DO THIS TO ME! ESPECIALLY SINCE HE'S THE ONE WHO TRIED TO TALK ME OUT OF THE ENGAGEMENT! HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?
His face was red with rage and he went back to raging on in his head. "Hey, Diana."
"Yeah?" she asked, looking at him. She took in his slightly flushed face and frazzled expression in his eyes. "What's the matter?"
"How come you never mentioned Zay before now?" Ian growled out, running his fingers through his hair in exasperation.
Diana's puzzled expression grew as she replied, "I thought you would like to be surprised. I've been trying to come up with a right time to meet up with all of us, but it's hard since our schedules are so different. You of all people ought to understand."
Ian couldn't believe his ears. "Yes, I do." And he did. Xavier's schedule as a play boy rich kid must be absolutely grueling.
After a nerve wracking twenty minute drive from the beach to the meeting-place the car finally pulled up to an unfamiliar shopping center in town. It was relatively dingy for Los Angeles and Ian knew that his ex-friend Xavier would never be caught there if he could help it. He was a snobby, self-centered, conceited, play-boy, backstabbing, jerk!
Not waiting for Amy to open the door for him, he threw it open himself, stepping out into the sun. A chain of stores surrounded him and the sun beat down. It wasn't a very nice place by any standard, and for Ian, it was practically a land-fill.
Amy let Diana out on the other side, wiping a hand across her brow. Her gaze was directed straight towards the ground which was emanating heat like an oven.
Not surprising, Ian thought. Neither of us have been the kindest to her.
"So where is he?" he snapped at Diana, feeling about ready to launch himself at any male to come near his bride-to-be.
She turned her eyes on him, narrowing them in anger. "What did you just say?"
"I said, 'where is he'?" Ian explained, crossing his arms. Diana's brow furrowed and her hands were clenched at her sides.
"Him? As in a guy?" she growled, looking extremely angry.
Ian rolled his eyes and said, "Of course. Xavier most certainly isn't a girl." He felt very pleased with himself to come to that conclusion. Across from him, Amy's eyes widened and she shook her head as if to warn him.
Diana, on the other hand, looked like she was about to punch him. In the face. With the limo. "What are you talking about?" she shouted, stepping closer to him.
"Well, obviously, you're here to break it to me that you've been cheating on me with Xavier!" he yelled right back, getting in her face.
His fiancé gasped and yelled, "How dare you? I have been nothing but faithful to you since the day we started dating, you jerk! I am not cheating on you! Especially not with your best friend!"
Ian's mouth suddenly seemed very dry. As he was about to answer, there was a very feminine squeal from behind him.
"Dia!" it shrieked.
Diana shoved Ian to the side and grinned broadly, immediately plastering a fake smile on her face. "Zay-zay!" she yelled, holding out her arms. Ian turned and had to stop himself from gaping.
A pretty girl with pin straight black hair was waving from the curb. "Oh, darling, it simply has been too long!" she giggled in a fake British accent that had Ian cringing. I do not sound like that.
"Why, ma'am, I do agree!" Diana bubbled right back, throwing her arms around the girl. Then, she turned her gaze sharply on Ian.
"Ian, this is my friend, Eliza Henkel. I call her Zay for short." She paused, lifting an eyebrow.
Hands clammy from anxiousness, Ian shook Eliza's hand. "Please to meet you," he said courteously.
Eliza giggled to Diana and said, "Dia, I had no idea your fiancé was British!"
"Oh, yes," she murmured. "He's quite the charmer." Diana grinned viciously.
Eliza pulled her aside and started talking animatedly, waving her hands around much like Diana tended to do. She was dressed much like Diana as far as status went in a hot pink dress and gold flip-flops. Ian could make out the Gucci symbol and knew where he had heard the name Henkel before.
The famous movie director Tobias Henkel, of course. Diana had that acting class a few months ago in Hollywood. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Ian leaned against the car, closing his eyes. Then, he rolled his head in the direction of Amy who was staring at him with an odd expression on her face that Ian couldn't quite make out. "Yes?" he asked, closing his eyes again. The sun warmed his face, making him feel tired.
He heard the clicking of Amy's high heels as she walked towards him. "You know, you seriously screwed up."
"And what else is new?" he groaned, fluttering his eyes as a shadow loomed over him, blocking the sun.
"Good point," Amy replied. "You know, Ian, sometimes people jump to conclusions. You've done, Diana's probably done it, Dan's done it."
She paused and let out a breath. "And looking back on a few things, I've probably done it too."
Silence. Ian had absolutely no trains of thought in his brain. And then, it exploded.
What does that mean? Could she be saying she jumped to conclusions about me kissing that girl? Or is it something totally unrelated?
A wonderful feeling in Ian's stomach replaced the cold, hard, feeling that had once been there after mistakenly accusing Diana of cheating. She forgave him! She must have! Otherwise, why on earth would she even mention that? Finally, after five years of waiting Amy had forgiven him! Yes yes yes yes yes –
"I guess I really should let Dan know that I'm sorry for blaming him about stealing my diary. He was protecting it from Natalie all along."
Crash. Ian's internal celebration crumpled into a pile of shattered dreams and conclusions. The happy smile that had been making his way across his face immediately fell into a frown. His eyebrows furrowed, but he kept his eyes closed.
He could hear as Amy walked away. Click, click, click.
Crap.
He was such an idiot.
~lovelovelove~
Amy was simply astounded with the stupidity of the world. First, with herself. Second, with Ian.
Honestly – why the hell – would he jump to the conclusion of Diana cheating on him? Why? That was the quickest route to unhappiness in couples – trust issues. And boy did Ian have a lot of them with Diana. Amy wondered why this was, as Ian and Diana seemed so….perfect for each other! Both stuck-up, snobby, brats.
Somewhere, in the depth of her heart, Amy felt terribly horrible with herself for thinking such a thing. In all honestly, Diana wasn't so bad… her parents had passed away and she had been brought up in a very high end class. To top it off – she had been spoiled rotten by Ian for the past few years. All in all, Diana wasn't a bad person, and obviously very in love with Ian.
Or, at least, she had been.
Ian then had to go and screw it all up by accusing his fiancé of cheating on him, a mere month before the wedding. She wasn't going to lie – Amy had had her own suspicions when she had seen the picture on Diana's phone, and the incessant texting, and the constant talking to this mysterious Zay who turned out to be none other than the daughter of Tobias Henkel.
She was also amazed at her own stupidity. Amy couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that she had actually believed for just a second that Ian still cared for her in any special way. He was obviously over her, as was she.
Good. She thought to herself. I guess we're both well off then. Just gotta suffer for a few more weeks.
"Do you three want to go somewhere?" Amy finally asked, after a long moment of standing by the limo in the hot sun, tapping her fingers on her arms.
Diana and Eliza turned around from where they were talking and squealing about the wedding. "Um, I don't think we can," Diana admitted, giving her friend another hug.
Eliza wiped her eye as though she was tearing up – what a drama queen – and simpered, "I just have to be there for the wedding! Call me soon, Dia!"
"Bye, Zay!" Diana called as she stalked menacingly back to the car. "Amy, drive. And Ian – don't speak to me. I need to call my aunt and ask about the flight on Sunday."
Ian nodded and sat on the opposite end that Diana got in on. Amy rolled her eyes as they shut the doors, taking her own place in behind the wheel. It was late in the day, and she drove back to their house slowly, not really thinking about much of anything. Ian was an idiot. Diana was an annoying princess. Zay was a girl. Xavier was not cheating on Genni.
They arrived at the house. Without paying much attention to the bickering couple behind her, she opened the doors and made her way up to her room. The heels she had been wearing were killing her and her black skirt was starting to ride up. Amy unceremoniously grabbed a pair of stretched out cotton shorts and a tank top, lacing up her sneakers for a run outside.
Amy immediately broke into a around the mansion as she finally found her way outside. The beach was directly behind the large house, with the golden sand and cerulean waves. Gulls flapped their wings and cawed in three part harmony as they flew over the water. It was very serene, making her think of the warm summer strolls she and Ian used to take.
It was night, but it was warm. Fireflies lit up the navy sky, twinkling and glowing brightly. Trees swayed beneath the gray clouds as cicada bugs buzzed good-naturedly. Beside Amy, Ian smiled. He entwined their fingers together tighter.
The park path was like a beam of moonlight on the dark ground as Ian said, "Nights like these were never quite the same back in London." Amy raised an eyebrow as they meandered along the well-worn stone path, street lights letting out a faint glow.
"What do you mean?" she asked, giving his hand a squeeze. "I thought England was the most amazing place on earth." Her tone was teasing, though as soon as she said it, Ian's whole demeanor changed.
"Well, you know my mum," he replied, his amber eyes sparkling. "We never got to do things like this."
"I'm sorry," Amy whispered, looking down at the ground. She never knew what to say when his mother was brought up. "Do you ever miss her, Ian?"
The question hung in the air for a short moment before he said, "You know, Amy, sometimes I think I do. I think I do and then I remember where she is right now. She may not be in a better place, but she's definitely surrounded with people like her. I hear Hell is a wonderful place to meet other devils."
Amy flinched. Did Ian really think that lowly of his mom?
Ian seemed to sense the tense situation as he laughed lightly. "Let's not talk about that, love. I have a much more special place for us." He tugged her hand along the path, where it opened up to a small cove of trees with a picnic table.
"Ian, it's beautiful!" Amy gasped, smiling as she sat down.
"Mots or Adam and Eve, miss?" Ian asked in a French accent, taking out two bottles of sparkling juice. Amy just laughed.
By the time Amy snapped out of her reverie she had made it farther down the beach than she had expected to. Waves lapped at her ankles, cool and refreshing after a taxing day. She thought back to the confrontation Diana and Ian had had earlier, along with the fight Ian had with Amy. It just is not a good day for him, is it? She thought to herself, shaking her head.
As she turned around to stroll back to the house, which was just a small square in the distance, she noticed a familiar silvery blue car driving down the road.
"Ryan?" Amy asked herself aloud, raising her eyebrows. The car sputtered to a halt, letting out puffs of gas. It stalled loudly, causing whoever was inside to get out and curse loudly. Amy would recognize that voice anywhere.
"Genni!" Amy yelled, waving her arms. She ran towards the rotting wooden fence that blocked the beach from the road, flailing her arms to get Genni's attention.
"Amy? What are you doing here?" Genni asked, bewildered. As Amy got closer her eyes widened in surprise.
Genni looked like a mess. Her golden curls were in a messy ponytail with hair sticking out in every which way. Eyeliner smeared and staining the area around her eyes, she looked as though she had sunk into a deep depression, a look not suited for her. She even had a black line of car grease painted across her cheek that clashed horribly with the bright red party dress she was wearing.
"What happened to you?" Amy asked, unable to believe it. Genni was far too detail obsessed to let something like this happen to her.
"Why don't you ask your brother?" she growled, pulling a wrench out of the trunk of the car and waving it at the car angrily.
"Dan?" There was a sudden yelp of shock as the passenger door to the car opened, revealing Dan Cahill, dressed in a tuxedo and sneakers, also looking worse for wear. The duo looked as though they had both walked out of Dinner Party From Hell.
"Uh, hi, Amy," Dan said, waving at his sister sheepishly. "What's up?"
There was a flash of red that Amy couldn't quite make out, but before she knew it, Dan was on the road, sprawled out with a slap mark on his face.
"Owww," Dan moaned, sitting up and looking at Genni. "I told you I'm sorry!"
"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Genni snarled, twirling the wrench and stomping to the front of the car. Amy watched with a sort of detached air of confusion as she yanked open the hood and stuck her head in. "Explain what happened to your sister!"
Dan stood up with a little support from Amy and mumbled something unintelligible.
"What?" Amy asked.
"I kind of ruined her second date with Xavier," Dan muttered, hanging his dirty blonde head.
A moment passed as this news sunk in. Then, Amy socked Dan on the arm and yelled, "You idiot! Why would you do that!?"
"I…" Dan shifted awkwardly. "I wanted to make sure he wouldn't hurt her."
"Oh, sure!" Genni cut in slamming the car hood down. It seemed as though whatever she had been working on was finished. "You just wanted to ruin my day! I bet it was to get back at me for telling your last date you had food poisoning, wasn't it? Well that's just low!"
Amy smiled internally as the two fought. "Guys, as entertaining as this is, you need help. Ian's house is only a few yards down the road. We'll just have to walk."
Genni glared at Dan before linking arms with Amy and asking, "So how's life with Princess Snob and her Prince Not-so-Charming?"
Amy sighed. "Well, Genni, a lot has happened today…"
So yeah, sorry for the suckish ending, but I wanted to throw Dan in there sooo badly. Tell me, did anyone see that twist with Zay? I thought I was being pretty obvious but... XD
Reviews are love! Oh, and if anyone can tell me where I got the name Tobias Henkel from, I'll give you a prize! ;D
~Dani :)
