Jesse knocked gently, unsure whether he wanted Beca to answer or not. But before he could make that decision, Fat Amy opened the door to the house.
"Good God son, you're a mess", Fat Amy said without greeting.
"Don't call me that".
"Sorry. Come in, come in, I want to hear all about this messed up shitstorm that is your life".
Ordinarily, he'd object to her describing his life as a shitstorm, but at that moment in time she was right.
"Beca's not home, is she?"
"No, it's Wednesday", she reminded him. "Memphis has swimming lessons".
(He didn't know how he could forget that, she was his kid too.)
"Tell me what happened". And Fat Amy led him into the kitchen, offering him a beer. He accepted, cracking it open and taking a seat at the table.
"Right. So I'm sure you heard all about the bridal shop".
"Dude everyone heard about the bridal shop! Good work, man".
"Please focus".
"Right. Continue".
"I slept with Beca".
"I know". Fat Amy grinned.
"And I told Aubrey".
"Hallelujah! About bloody time you ended it".
"There's just one teeny little minor setback".
"What?"
What could possibly be the setback in that? He told Aubrey, he ended the relationship from hell. Simple.
"She's okay with it".
"She's- what the fuck?"
What kind of crazy bitch was she?
"She thinks it's just cold feet".
"Your feet were definitely not cold, my friend. So, what now?"
"She's moved the wedding to Saturday".
"Jesus", Fat Amy breathed, trying to recover from the whirlwind of emotions she had just experienced. She had said it was a shitstorm, but she hadn't realised how screwed up the situation was. "Right", Fat Amy said, trying to get it all straight. "So you told Beca that you loved her".
"Yes".
"You then had sex with Beca, told Aubrey, and she's okay with it? What kind of messed up fucking situation is this?"
"I know".
"And not only did Aubrey blame that on cold feet, she moved the wedding".
"Yes".
"Good God boy". Amy ran a hand through her hair, breathing out a lungful of air. "So you're only marrying her because she's pregnant?"
"No, I'm not marrying her. It just means I'll have another kid in the same situation as Memphis. I mean, that's a pretty screwed up life but we can work with that. I can work with that".
"Memphis is perfect", Amy objected.
"I know, Memphis is perfect but her life isn't. I don't want to do this to another kid, Amy, but it looks like I've got no choice. I'm not going to marry Aubrey". Jesse shook his head firmly.
"Does Beca know this?"
"That's what I'm doing next".
Fat Amy snickered.
"Very mature Amy, thank you".
"Jesse!" Stacie almost purred, coming in the front door. "You and Beca, hey?"
"Oh my God!"
"Donald told us", Fat Amy shrugged.
"So did Beca", Stacie said, plopping down on the chair beside him. "So, when are you ending it?"
"Tonight", he said firmly. "I just need to speak to Beca".
"Good", Stacie said firmly, nodding. "You've hurt her so many times, Jesse. If you hurt her again, I can guarantee she won't come back".
"I know", Jesse said.
And that was what terrified him.
Beca was pleasantly surprised when she saw Jesse pull up later that evening, long after Memphis was asleep. She was on the front porch with her laptop, the summer breeze blowing her hair back.
"Hey", she said, closing her laptop and scooting over on the loveseat.
"Hey". He smiled at her a little nervously, sitting down beside her.
"How did your talk with-" Beca didn't even get to finish her question before Jesse took off with a nervous spiel.
"I talked to Aubrey and tried to take care of it but then things went in the opposite direction and well things escalated from there. I tried to clean it up Becs and end it before I came but I realised that if I didn't get to you first she would and we all know how it went the last time she delivered news", Jesse blurted out, talking so fast he stumbled.
"Jesse-"
"And I'm sorry this is so crazy and confusing and I'm sorry I've strung you along this whole time-"
"Jesse!" Beca put a hand on his chest, his ramblings confusing her and making the whole situation worse.
"Sorry".
"What for this time?"
Jesse would have laughed, if the dig hadn't hit the nail right on the head. He'd screwed up so many times he'd lost count.
"I told Aubrey everything".
"Well- uh- what did she say?"
"She moved the wedding".
Beca mentally kicked herself for thinking that Aubrey could not possibly find another way to surprise her.
"But I'm stopping it, Bec. I'm going to tell her everything tonight, I promise".
Beca was overjoyed to hear him say that, but she knew that Aubrey had a way of manipulating her ex, using his conscience against him.
"Beca I'm not going to hurt you anymore. i know you won't trust me after everything that's been happening, and I've been pulling you back and forth, but she's not going to rule my life any more. I let my guilt overrun me, but you and Memphis mean the world to me- you are my world. I'm not going to hurt you anymore".
"Jess-"
"I didn't mean to bring you down and upset you, but I had to tell you this. you'd catch on eventually after Aubrey calls asking you to bring MJ to the church, and we all remember what happened the last time Aubrey spilled the beans".
"I get it, Jesse, its just-"
"You think I'm gonna marry her".
"The last time I thought something happened between us you hit me with another bombshell", she reminded him.
"I know what I want, Beca".
"What?"
"You. You and Memphis. Nothing's gonna change that and nothing is gonna stop it, so you're going to have to believe me when I say it's over".
"what about Aubrey and the baby?"'
"I'll be there for my baby", he promised. "The same thing happened with us, an look how great Memphis is. Sure, she's got a temper and sides with our friends way too often for my liking, but I can learn from her". Beca laughed and he pulled her in, wrapping her in his arms. "I promise, Becs, nothing is gonna change for us. I'm gonna make this right. For you, me and Memphis".
Beca nodded as he picked a kiss to her forehead, finding it in her heart to trust him.
"Aw", Stacie whispered from the kitchen window. "You know what Amy?"
"I really think he's fixed it", Fat Amy said quietly.
Aubrey wasn't there when he got home that night.
And she didn't come home at all on Thursday.
He called her over five hundred times (looking way too obsessed and stalkerish) and received one voicemail. 'don't forget to be there for the rehearsal dinner on Friday", she'd said saccharine sweetly, and he had slammed his phone onto the counter.
If he had to do it in front of the entire congregation, he would. He wasn't going to hurt Beca and Memphis again.
Jesse gripped the steering wheel as he drove towards the church, each mile that ticked over reminding him that he was getting closer and closer to Aubrey. It wasn't that he was dreading ending things with the woman- he just felt guilty he had to do it in front of their friends and family. And while his friends and family would have no objections, it was the principal of the matter that made him feel bad.
He had tried calling Aubrey's mobile almost a hundred times that afternoon alone, but had been unsuccessful, reaching her voicemail every time. She was either frantically calling everyone they knew to inform them of wedding details, or was ignoring him. And he didn't even know. Jesse knew that at some point or another she would have to call Beca, to make plans about Memphis, and a small smile crept onto his face as he imagined their reactions. He wondered whether Aubrey would crack and hurl, and if Beca would play it cool.
His stomach did a flip as he neared the church- but it turned into confusion when he saw the rows of cars parked.
"What the hell?"
"Jesse, what the hell?" Stacie advanced towards him, Fat Amy trotting behind her.
"What are you guys doing here? Did Aubrey put you in the wedding?"
"Good god no, my support for the gruesome twosome stops here".
(Ordinarily he'd be offended- he was half of the gruesome twosome after all- but he wasn't.)
"Then what are you doing here?"
"We're here because Aubrey called and informed us of a change of wedding plans. What the fuck, Jesse?"
"Yeah, she bumped the wedding to tomorrow night. You knew that!"
"Then why did she call everyone here, just to tell us that?"
"It's not going to happen; I'm going to end it. I'm going to end it now".
"What?"
"You mean you've finally seen the light?" Fat Amy screamed dramatically, clutching her heart, and Jesse rolled his eyes.
"JESSE!" Benji ran through the car park, clad in a suit and tie, arms flapping. "Where the HELL have you been, we've been trying to call you for an HOUR!"
"What are you all dressed up for? The wedding's not until tomorrow night!"
"Don't you get it?" Benji panted. "This isn't a rehearsal, Jesse!"
"What?"
"This is your wedding!"