My Peeps, how I've missed you. Here's the next chapter. Hope ya love it, I do. The next chapter is already a work in progress, I'm gonna try to get the next chapter up before the weekend. As always, Read, Enjoy, and Please keep the reviews coming!!
Chapter 10...
5:15 P.M.
"What happened?" Lianna and Cory rushed into the bridal suite. Norah sent them both a 9-1-1 text message.
"This happened," Jessica stepped out of the way, allowing them to get a good look at Viveca. She was still in her robe, her hair and makeup done, veil on. And her skin was covered in bright red blotches.
"Oh my God," Lianna said before she could stop herself.
Viveca's lips trembled and then she broke into sobs. Norah put her arms around her and Jessica walked up, speaking in hushed tones, "She's been like this for the last half hour. We've tried fans and giving her water, it just gets worse and worse. Where have you two been?"
"Trying to prevent this," Lianna pointed.
"V, honey, what's wrong?" Cory asked, walking over and guiding Viveca to a chair.
"I don't know," Viveca said. "I'm freaking out. I cant talk to Jeff, I don't know what's going on out there. I cant find my shoes. It's like the god damn desert outside."
"Okay, you need to calm down," Cory knelt in front of her. "Take a deep breath, you getting all worked up, plus this heat, is probably what's making your skin get like this."
"I look like a cherry tomato," Viveca said angrily. "How am I supposed to calm down?"
There was as knock on the door and Lianna opened it, breathing a deep sigh of relief as Lorraine entered the room.
"I had a feeling this would happen," Lorraine sighed, a warm smile on her face. She wasn't at all surprised by her daughter's nervous state. "When she was a little girl, she would break out in hives whenever something important was going to happen."
"Mom, this is not embarrassing memory lane time," Viveca cried.
"Ladies, can you give us a few minutes alone, please?" Lorraine asked.
Everyone left and Viveca looked at herself in the mirror, sobs starting when she saw her skin.
"I just want this day to be perfect," Viveca cried. "That's all I wanted."
"Viveca, sweetheart," Lorraine sat beside her daughter. "I want you to take a deep breath and listen to me, okay?"
Viveca nodded.
"I understand why you're worked up," Lorraine insisted. "I was the same way when I married your father. But what you need to remember is that what you and Jeff have is forever. Your wedding day is a beautiful day and it's a day you'll remember forever but…Vivie, marriage is full of beautiful days that will tattoo themselves on your brain for the rest of time."
The corners of Viveca's mouth twitched up but tears were still streaming down her face.
"When I think back to my favorite times with your father…our wedding day is pretty low in the top 10. Don't get me wrong, it was amazing but I have so many more amazing memories."
Lorraine put her arms around her shoulders, "I just want you to relax and enjoy this. Your wedding isn't something to stress over this way. You're treating it like it's some sort of ending that has to be absolutely spotless or it will ruin your life..That's not what this is sweetheart, it's a beginning. A wonderful beginning."
Lorraine stood up and pulled Viveca up, turning so they were both looking In the mirror. Her skin was slowly starting to return to normal and, fortunately, her makeup was still in tact.
"You are a gorgeous bride," Lorraine said. "An incredible daughter…and you're going to make a great wife."
--
"Don't worry," William said as he and Jessica walked through the garden. "My mother can calm her down. I assure you, the woman has words of wisdom for any given situation."
"I hope so," Jessica said. "Because there's no way she's coming out here in hives."
"Probably not," William laughed, looking over at her, trying to discreetly admire how good she looked. Viveca had chosen a very simple pale pink dress for Jessica. It was strapless with a flowing skirt that stopped at her knees. Her dark hair was curled very loosely and swept over her shoulder.
"You like the dress?" she asked, turning around in front of him. "V would not stop complaining about how hard it was to find the right dresses for big boobs."
William laughed, "Well I'd say in your case she did a very good job."
"I think so too," she smiled, stopping to admire the garden. "This place is really beautiful."
"Yeah it is," he nodded. He wasn't a person who was touched by the idea of weddings, he didn't get tears in his eyes or anything but he was happy that his sister was going to have her dream wedding and he hoped the fact that he and Jessica were set to walk down the aisle together would give her a few ideas. They'd become friends. His attraction to her had evolved from a purely physical thing to a genuine fondness for her. She was smart and funny and very easy to be around. They went out quite a bit but they were rarely alone. They spent a lot of time with Cory, Mark, John, and, of course, Hunter. He liked them all, even Hunter, but it was getting frustrating. He couldn't believe she'd managed to resist him for this long.
"Hey, I was just looking for you two."
William closed his eyes for a second to keep from rolling them when he heard Hunter's voice. He opened them just in time to see Jessica's face light up as if she were a bride seeing her groom.
"Well here we are," William smiled.
"Cory's mom said everyone should start heading back toward the house, the guests are almost all here so the ceremony is gonna start pretty soon."
"Okay," Jessica smiled, taking William's hand. He felt a smile start but it fell when her other hand grabbed Hunter's as the walked back toward the main house.
He shook his head, wondering if he would ever get past this hump.
--
"Hello Mr. Cena."
John turned around, to see who was talking to him. He was somewhat surprised to find Adelle in front of him. She was dressed to the nines as usual in a red strapless dress and probably more diamonds than the bride. He hadn't spent a lot of time around her while everyone was staying at the Biltmore and he had a feeling he wouldn't regret that. He'd met two of her children and had barely ever heard a good word about the woman.
"Please, call me John," he smiled. "Even my dad doesn't go by Mr. Cena."
"John," she smiled brightly. "I've been looking for you."
"Really, why's that?" he asked.
"I know that you've been a very big help to my daughter during this trying time in her life and I want to thank you for that," she said.
"You really don't have to thank me," John said. "Cory's one of my best friends. I'm always gonna be there for her."
"How sweet," Adelle tilted her head, smiling. It was the same smile that Cory had when she was lying.
"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked.
"Not exactly," she said. "You see John, I just..well from what I hear you're a very nice person and I wanted to warn you."
"Warn me?" he smirked. This was sure to be good. "About what exactly?"
"I'm sure that after spending so much time with Corinne you've probably developed some..feelings, correct?" she sipped from a glass of champagne.
John didn't answer. Adelle simply shrugged, "I just ask because it's not in your best interest to thinkt hat you can ever have anything meaningful with my daughter."
John wasn't sure what to say. He just stood there, waiting for her to elaborate.
"Cory is..fickle," Adelle drank more champagne. "She's easily roped in by handsome, blue collar charmers like you but she's just as easily bored. She's gotten everything she ever wanted her entire life and though she'll never admit it..She's just as spoiled as her mother. She may slum it with men like you for a time but if you allow yourself to fall for her…I guarantee you'll get your heart broken. You're not the type of guy that can keep her forever."
John felt the muscles in his neck growing tense. He couldn't believe that someone like Cory could be the spawn of a woman like this. He wasn't really offended by the little shots she'd taken at him. He didn't take 'blue collar' as an insult. But the implication that Cory was anything like her…that bothered him.
"Now that I've let you speak..may I?" he asked.
"Absolutely," she smiled.
"With all do respect ma'am…From what I hear, Cory was raised by her step-father, her grandparents, and nannies. I don't think you know her well enough to make judgments like that."
Adelle's jaw clenched and one of her brows just barely lifted.
"I don't know what type of guy Cory was with before and, frankly, I don't care. I know she's spoiled but I also know that she is nothing like you. Whether I have feelings for Cory or not is none of your business, that's between me and her. But…thanks for the warning though. I'm sure that came from the heart."
She was about to respond but then John heard a voice calling his name.
"She's got great timing doesn't she?" he smiled at Adelle when he realized it was Cory. He smiled when he saw her, waving her over. She stopped, giving him a look when she saw who he was talking to. Before she could get away, Adelle spotted her and smiled.
Cory reluctantly walked over and John took her hand, stepping back to look at her, "Isn't it considered disrespectful to look this good at a wedding?"
She looked absolutely beautiful and the look on her mother's face was priceless. This was going to be an interesting night.
--
6:15
Lianna pulled the veil over her sister's head, smiling through tears.
"What are you crying for you big baby?" Viveca smiled, tears filling her own eyes.
"You look so beautiful," Lianna sniffed. "And my big sister is getting married, I'm entitled to some emotion."
"I wouldn't have made it through this day without you," Viveca smiled as Lianna handed over her bouquet.
"You aren't done yet V," Liam walked up, extending his elbow. "Time to get out there. You ready for this?"
Viveca smiled, nodding, "I've never been more ready for anything."
The music began and Jeff's six year old cousin Lily and Mick Foley's son Michael, the flower girl and ring bearer walked down the aisle together, followed by Norah and Jason, Jessica and William, then Cory and John. Matt offered Lianna his arm and she looked over her shoulder, winking at her sister before making a face at Matt and looping her arm through his. They began their walk and then Liam offered Viveca his arm.
"This is us," he smiled.
She took a deep breath and everyone's eyes turned to her as they started down the aisle. She smiled at a few people before looking straight ahead. When she saw Jeff standing there, her breath caught in her throat. Tears filled her eyes again but for the first time that day, she didn't feel like she was going to panic. This feeling was the most amazing calm she'd ever felt. She was about to become Mrs. Jeff Hardy.
--
Jeff could feel his palms getting sweaty and he looked nervously at Lorraine, who was seated next to his father. He and Viveca had decided against having separate sides for their families. His father smiled at him and he tried to smile back before giving Lorraine a questioning look. The wedding was supposed to start 15 minutes ago and now Jeff was getting nervous. What if she changed her mind? What if she decided she couldn't do it?
Lorraine gave him a warm reassuring smile and he tried to push all negative thoughts out of his mind. He jumped when the music finally began and when Lily and Michael walked down the aisle, Lily tossing flower petals every which way, Jeff felt a smile spread across his face. Each of his groomsmen patted him on the shoulder before taking their place. When he finally laid eyes on his future wife, butterflies filled his stomach. But this wasn't the same as the nerves he felt before. This was a good, hopeful feeling. The only thing he was nervous about now was figuring out how to be the best possible husband once this day was over. She smiled at him and he probably wouldn't admit it later but his eyes felt a little misty. She looked gorgeous in a strapless white dress with a full skirt. Her hair was flowing in loose waves under her thin white veil and when she stopped in front of him, he felt his heart trying to beat it's way out of his chest.
"Hi," she smiled.
"Hey," he smiled back at her. "What took you so long?"
"Long story," she laughed. Then she frowned, eyeing his face, "Are you wearing makeup?"
He smirked, "Long story."
--
"Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please?" John smiled, standing on the stage.
Viveca frowned at her friend. She'd instated a strict no karaoke policy and informed all of their friends about it. What was John doing?"
"As many of you know, I am John Cena, also known as the Doctor of Love… and I'm here to introduce to you…back for one night only, to sing a special song, to a very special married lady..Give it up for Jeff Hardy and the Chair Shots!"
Viveca burst into laughter as Jeff, Hunter, Cory, Jessica, and Randy complete with long brown wig came up onto the stage, all trying to look serious. Unchained Melody began to play and Cory took one look at Randy's dancing and started laughing so hard she nearly had to leave the stage. Jeff started singing to Lorraine, who was standing near the stage, laughing and shaking her head. Viveca shook hers as well, drinking the rest of her champagne.
"Can I get you another?"
She turned, smiling quizzically at Adam. She and Jeff made the decision to invite him but neither of them actually thought he would attend.
"Good show," he nodded to the stage.
"It is," she nodded. "Did you enjoy the ceremony?"
"It was nice," he said, looking away. He looked down at his glass and then back at her face, "As nice as it can be when you're watching someone you love get married."
Viveca scoffed, "Adam..don't go there."
"What? You didn't know?" he asked.
"I loved you too," she said.
He looked surprised and she put up a hand, "I loved you as a friend. The same way that you loved me. You were never in love with me, if you were, you would've tried before I started seeing Jeff. You did what you did because you felt like you lost. You felt challenged."
He smiled wistfully and shrugged, "Maybe you're right."
They stood in awkward silence for a few seconds before he spoke up, "So…is there any hope for us..as friends?"
Viveca wanted to say yes but then she looked up at the stage at her husband. He was sharing a mic with Randy and when he saw her looking, he blew her a kiss and mouthed 'I love you'.
She felt like the luckiest woman in the world to finally be his wife. Because of Adam's jealousy, she'd almost lost Jeff.
She sighed, shaking her head, "I'm sorry Adam..maybe someday but..not anytime soon."
--
"He's been over there too long," Lianna glared a hole in Adam's skull. "We should do something."
Matt laughed, handing Lianna a glass of champagne, "I think we can let V take this one herself. We're off duty for the night."
"Five more minutes and we do something," she said, downing half the glass.
"We'll see," Matt smirked.
She looked over at him, frowning. He'd been at her side for a good portion of the night.
"Don't you have a date you should be getting drunk?"
"I came alone," he shrugged. "You?"
"I had so much to do, I figured there was no point in having a date," she explained.
Matt smiled, "So in other words, nobody asked."
She rolled her eyes, "I will have you know I had a very tempting offer."
Matt looked surprised and Lianna gave him a smug smile.
"An offer from who?" he asked.
"None of your business."
--
"Have I told you how good you look tonight?" John asked.
"A few times, yes," Cory nodded. She heard loud laughter and rolled her eyes when she spied her mother dancing with Jeff's father. "You seem to do it whenever my mother is nearby. Why is that?
For months, John and Cory had done their best to convince everyone, including themselves, that they were just good friends. She aggravated her previously injured shoulder during a match and while she was out of commission, Vince had asked her to do some promotion overseas. She talked to John almost every day, the few days he had off, were usually spent with her. But they were still only friends. At this point, Cory was so afraid to lose him as a friend that she wasn't sure if they'd ever be more. She didn't know what she wanted and he didn't seem to either. But for the past few hours, John had been all over her, but only when Adelle was in earshot.
"Oh is she around?" John looked around.
"You're a bad liar John," Cory smirked. "Why are you flirting with me?"
"Do I need to have a reason?" he asked.
"No," she shook her head. "But I think you do."
"Well isn't this a nice couple?"
"Saved by the bell," she smirked at John as they pulled apart when they heard Vince's voice.
"Mr. McMahon," Cory smiled.
"Please don't call me that," he waved a hand. "You two enjoying the party?"
"Absolutely," John nodded. "You?"
Vince nodded, "It's great to see those two so happy."
They all nodded and then Vince lightly touched Cory's arm, "May I borrow you for just a few minutes?"
"Fine by me," Cory shrugged.
Vince looked at John who shrugged, "As long as you bring her back."
"I'll try to remember that," Vince laughed, leading Cory away.
Cory smiled and waved at a few people as Vince led her to a table where Stephanie was sitting, sipping champagne. Stephanie smiled, standing up and giving her a hug.
"You look great," Cory smiled at Stephanie.
"Thank you, so do you," Stephanie smiled as they all sat down.
"Cory, I know this may not be the best place to talk business but Steph and I were hoping we could make an exception," Vince explained.
"Sure," Cory shrugged, a little nervous. "What did you want to talk about?"
"First, let me commend you on all the PR work you've been doing," he explained. "Between your work with Make-A-Wish and all the European promo work..you've really done an incredible job representing the company."
"Thank you," she smiled.
"Now, with that said, as of this week, you're medically cleared to return to the ring," Vince said.
"And we feel that you're most valuable to us as a performer. You're one of the most talented women we've
ever had and a shot at the women's championship is long overdue for you," Stephanie smiled.
Cory felt her heart flutter a little but she kept her expression reserved, offering a small smile and a nod as she waited for them to continue.
"I think we can all agree that Lisa has done a fantastic job playing the ultimate undefeated heel champ," Vince explained. "And now what we need is a great face to be a viable opponent, someone the people will wholeheartedly root for. We think you're the one to do it."
"Wow," Cory smiled. "I don't know what to say. Thank you."
"Now, we have an angle in mind," Vince said. "I stand behind it and I'd like to start as soon as possible. I'm
sure you know we already talked to Mark and he's okay with it but the most important thing is that you're
comfortable."
Cory frowned, confused, "Why would you have to talk to Mark?"
"He didnt tell you anything?" Stephanie looked nervous. She looked away, shaking her head.
Vince took a deep breath before putting his hand over Cory's, "This idea...it has to do with Dawn."
--
"Goodnight Jonah," Paula smiled, walking out of Taylor's room and closing the door. Jonah was sitting at the nurse's station and looked up when he heard Paula's voice. She was a good friend of Taylor's who visited at least once a week. Taylor had quite a few women who'd come to visit her, thanks to the company she worked for but there was something different about Paula. Fiona would laugh at Jonah because he would often be distracted when Paula came in. He couldn't help it. She was beautiful. But she never seemed to pay much attention to him. When she came in it was straight to Taylor's room, not that he could blame her. She was there to see her friend, not talk to some random guy.
"Night Paula," he waved.
"Goodnight Fiona," Paula smiled.
"Nighty night Paula dear," Fiona waved.
Jonah watched the way Paula's hips swayed in her short skirt as she walked down the hall to the elevator.
"Down boy," Fiona laughed standing behind him.
"Ha ha Fiona."
--
Mark looked around, finishing off his beer. He was grateful to have a few minutes to himself. It seemed that he was almost as popular as the bride and groom. Every time he turned around someone was in his face asking how he was doing or what he thought of the wedding. At first he was touched by his friend's concern but now he just wanted to leave. He was happy for Jeff and Viveca, very happy, but a wedding wasn't exactly his idea of a good time. Hard as he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about Dawn. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of wedding she would have planned, how perfect she would have looked. In the time she'd been gone, Mark had his ups and downs. Some nights, he managed to get to sleep pretty easily without being awakened by the sound of her voice or some dream of a madman kidnapping her. And some days he couldn't think about anything else. The past week had been a rough one. There was something weighing on him and he couldn't tell anyone about it yet.
"Mark."
He turned around and when he saw Cory standing behind him, eyes boring a hole through him, he could see things were about to get worse. He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off, "Why would you tell Vince you're okay with this?"
"He picked a fine time to talk to you about it," Mark shook his head.
"Mark, answer the question," she said. "Why would you approve this? What is wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me is that I would never deny you this opportunity," he said, taking her arm and pulling her aside so he could talk to her without interruption.
She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it, crossing her arms and looking down. When she looked back up at him, her eyes were filled with guilt and she shook her head, "I'm sorry Mark I just..I'm not okay with this. I don't wanna do it."
Mark pulled her into a hug and she rested her head against him. He hugged her close, looking up at the ceiling, knowing that there was something he needed to tell her. He just had to find the words to say it.
"I need to tell you something," he pulled away, keeping his hands firmly on her shoulders.
"What?" she looked up at him.
"Mrs. Psaltis called me about a week ago," Mark began.
Cory's brow furrowed as she waited for him to continue.
He knew that the only way to tell her would be to just spit it out. He looked away, "She wants to have a memorial."
He could hear her breathing stop and he closed his eyes, not ready to look at her yet. They'd only discussed the idea of a memorial once, when they were appearing on Larry King with Mrs. Psaltis. At the time, Dawn's mother said she wouldn't have one until she knew for sure that her daughter was gone. Mark had been shell shocked when she called to say she felt it was time.
"I asked her to let me tell you," Mark explained. "She wants our help. She said that..she said you and I would know what Dawn would want. She wants us to speak."
He could hear that Cory had stopped breathing. He forced himself to look at her and he could see that tears were streaming down her face. She had a hand over her mouth and when he looked at her, she started vigorously shaking her head.
"Cory-"
"No," she finally spoke. "No."
He took a deep breath, almost regretting asking to be the one to tell her.
"I'm not gonna do that," Cory shook her head. "That's like giving up Mark. That's admitting that.."
She trailed off, looking away.
"Believe me, I understand what you're feeling," he said, holding onto her shoulders again. "But we have to respect her wishes. Dawn's her daughter. This is killing her too."
"I know that I just…" she trailed off again and looked like she was close to completely losing her composure. Mark pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly. He hated seeing her upset like this.
"I'm not giving up on Dawn either, Kid," he said. He pulled away, taking her face in his hands and looked her directly in the eye, "You listen to me…wherever Dawn is, I know that she wants you to take the opportunity Vince is giving you. She wants you to be the best, she always has. And I want you to do it. You're not disrespecting her, you're not giving up. You're doing what your best friends need you to do. You're doing what you need to do for yourself, Understand?"
She nodded, "Okay..I'll do it."
--
Viveca opened the door to the bathroom, she needed to check her makeup and she didn't know where Lianna was with her purse. She flipped the light on and jumped when she heard a shriek. Then, she saw two people pulling apart, scrambling to fix their clothes.
"Oh my God!"
"Norah?" Viveca stared at her bridesmaid. She didn't even know Norah had a boyfriend.
Then, the young man turned around and Viveca was the one to shriek this time, "Liam!"
"Vivie?" Liam stared.
"Oh my God!" Viveca exclaimed, shielding her eyes.
"V, just calm do-"
"Liam put your pants back on now!" Viveca ordered. He did as he was told and Viveca uncovered her eyes. "Oh my God..Oh my God."
"Viveca I am so sorry," Norah insisted, holding up the top of her dress.
"Excuse us for a second," Viveca said, grabbing her youngest sibling by the ear and dragging him out of the bathroom.
"V," he put his hands up when they finally stopped. "Before you freak out-"
"I asked you specifically not to have sex with anyone in Jeff's family," Viveca whispered angrily.
"It was an accident," Liam smirked.
"Oh you think that's funny, huh?" Viveca smiled.
"A little," Liam nodded.
"I'm telling Mom," Viveca spun on her heels, walking away quickly.
"Vivie, wait!" Liam followed her. "Come on..let's talk about this."
--
Hunter laughed as Jessica detailed the women's dramatic morning. He wasn't surprised at all that Viveca had freaked out the way she did. He'd known her for a long time and she was nothing if not high strung.
"So somehow, her mom calmed her down and the hives cleared up," Jessica said. "It was crazy."
"Sounds like it," Hunter smiled.
"Where's the happy couple?" Jessica asked. "I haven't seen them in a while."
"Me neither," Hunter looked around the room. He didn't spot Viveca or Jeff but he did see Cory. She was at the bar, just as she had been the last time he saw her, only this time she looked a lot more intoxicated. Her eyes and nose were red and she looked like she was having trouble focusing. To make matters worse, Adelle was sitting on the stool next to her, frowning as much as she could. Hunter was sure that conversation wasn't going well and he needed to find some way to help his friend.
"May I cut in?"
Hunter smiled when William approached as if on cue.
Jessica smiled apologetically at William but before she could turn him down, Hunter stepped away, "You guys have fun..I'll be back in a little while."
He didn't have much time to wait for a reaction. He walked quickly, trying his best to avoid knocking anyone over. He took long strides and in a few moments, he was at Cory's side.
"Well how are you lovely ladies doing tonight?" Hunter smiled.
"Oh I'm fantastic," Adelle said. "My daughter unfortunately hasn't learned that it's not in good taste to get plastered at a friend's wedding."
"Mother, if you don't like it, why don't you just go away?" Cory sneered.
"Because someone has to make sure you don't embarrass yourself," Adelle responded. "Or me."
"God forbid I do something to make you look bad," Cory rolled her eyes.
"Oh stop it Cor-"
"Mrs. Rutledge," Hunter put a hand up. "Why don't you let me keep an eye on Cory for a while?"
Adelle looked down at her daughter and then smiled graciously at Hunter, "I suppose if there's anyone I can trust to keep her out of trouble, it's you."
"Absolutely," Hunter nodded.
"I'll be back to check on you," Adelle said. "Try not to drink another bottle while I'm gone."
"Try not to get any botox on your way to the other side of the room," Cory smiled.
"Why don't you just do everyone a favor and go to your room for the night?" Adelle glared.
"Why don't you do your daughter a favor and mind your own business?"
Adelle rolled her eyes before walking away and Hunter rubbed a hand over his face to hide his smile at her comment.
"That was a little harsh," he helped Cory up.
"I cant stand her sometimes," Cory said, standing on shaky legs.
They walked until they reached a quiet spot in the garden. The music from the reception was faint and there was a nice breeze going by. She sat down, putting her head in her hands and he sat beside her.
"So..Is this all about her?" he asked.
She looked up at him and tears began to fill her eyes. She slowly shook her head, sniffing, "No…it's not her."
"What is it?" he asked, concerned.
She looked down and he took one of her hands in his, "You know you can talk to me. What's going on?"
She wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath, staring out into the night sky, "Dawn's mother wants to have a memorial..She wants Mark and I to help her plan it."
Hunter liked to think of himself as an articulate person but in this instance, he had nothing to say except, "I'm sorry."
"I told Mark I would," she wiped away a fresh set of tears. "But I just…I don't know how I'm gonna get through it."
"You know, I hate to agree with your mother but maybe we should go up to your room," he suggested.
"Considering what happened between us the last time I was this drunk, I think I should head up on my own. But thank you."
"Cory, you know that isn't gonna happen again," he insisted.
"I know I just..I think I wanna be alone right now. "Can you just tell Jeff and V I wasn't feeling well and I'll see them at breakfast tomorrow?"
"You sure you're gonna make it up there alone?" he asked.
She stood up again and her legs nearly gave out on her. Hunter jumped up, catching her before she could fall.
"Okay," she sighed. "Maybe I could use some help."
--
40 Minutes Later…
John loosened another button on his shirt as he walked down the hall after getting a very drunk Mark settled in his room. He felt like he'd just spent an hour in the gym. Now, he was on his way to Cory's room. He hadn't seen her since Vince took her away to talk. The rest of the night was spent stuck in conversations with various members of Jeff and Viveca's families, while he looked around for her. When he finally reached the room, he raised his hand to knock but before he could, the door swung open and Hunter walked out. Hunter looked at him and sighed, walking out, closing the door quietly behind him.
John felt his jaw clench. It seemed like they were finding themselves in this position a lot. One of them was with Cory and the other was trying to get in. They were both close to her and there was a part of John that liked knowing that if he and Mark weren't around, she had Hunter to take care of her. But there was another part of him that hated it. He and Hunter had been friends for a while, they never really had any problems but in situations like this, Hunter had a tendency to piss him off. Sometimes he acted like it was a competition, who could get Cory to feel better first.
"Listen, you should just go to your room," Hunter said. "This isn't a good time."
"Why not?" John asked. "What's wrong?"
"She's going to sleep," Hunter explained. "She just threw up a couple times."
"And you think we should just leave her alone?" John tried to walk around him but Hunter blocked him.
"Yeah, I do," Hunter nodded. "She's had a really bad night and she had too much to drink but she threw up, I stayed and made sure she took a shower, put some sweats on, and now she just wants to go to sleep."
"What was so bad about tonight? What happened?"
Hunter shrugged, "If she wants you to know, she'll tell you."
--