A/N: Don't hate me. Actually, you're probably all going to be happy. xD Nevermind. If all goes as planned, I'll have the next part up either later tonight (at some ungodly hour, since I'm going out) or sometime tomorrow.
::Naomi::
DAY TWENTY-SEVEN (The Rehearsal Dinner)
Oh no. No. No, no, no, no, no. Emily coming to the dinner? Fine, I hardly expected her to go out to eat when there's free food here and she's a wedding guest. Sitting at the same table as me? I never saw that coming (although since Mum invited her I should have). I certainly couldn't have predicted my reaction to how she looks either. She's not exactly revealing anything, but it should be against the law for something that simple to look that sexy. Rinry stomps on my foot, making me jump slightly and quickly look away. Shit. Fucking... shit. Wait, where's the open sea- oh fuck. Rinry notices as well and slides her hand possessively up my leg to rest on the top of my thigh. I avoid her death glare and try as hard as I can to keep myself contained to the small space I have around my chair. It doesn't help that I can smell Emily's perfume and fuck, it's the same kind she wore in college.
I can't even think about the food I'm putting in my mouth, let alone taste it. Plus, Rinry's nails are digging into my leg and it really fucking hurts. I glare at my mum, who just smiles at me and places her hand over Emily's wineglass when the server goes to fill it again.
"She's had enough for the night. Just an ice water, if you please," she says in a low tone.
When Rinry speaks, looking straight into my eyes, I know she means every word that slips past her lips with all her heart. I practically have to force everything out, my throat tight and my tongue feeling thick and clumsy in my mouth. I'd blame the alcohol, if I'd had anything more than a couple glasses of wine. I feel horrible, because this is the woman I love, the woman I'm planning on spending the rest of my life with. In the end, I chalk it up to my problems with public anything when it comes to love and relationships, even though I got over that years ago.
The backs of Emily's knuckles brushing against mine feel like fire against my skin and I can't help the curse that escapes my mouth. So I follow Rinry, partly because it's what I'm supposed to do, and party because I can't stand being around Emily for a second longer or I might do something extremely stupid.
"What the fuck is she doing here?" Rinry spits at me as I follow her into our hotel room and try my hardest to not slam the door behind me. "Why didn't you tell me she was coming!"
"To avoid this!" I answer, motioning violently to both of us with my hands. "Because my fucking mum invited her and I didn't think we'd even run into her."
"I thought we were okay!"
"We are okay!"
"Then why the fuck couldn't you just have been honest with me from the start, Naomi! I'd probably would have, no, I know I would have taken this a lot better if you'd just fucking told me!"
"Her and I are history, Rinry," I say as calmly as I can manage as Rinry storms into the bathroom to take her earrings out and wash off her make up. I lean my shoulder against the door and cross my arms over my chest, watching her face in the mirror. "Why are you getting so jealous? I know I should have told you yesterday when you came home, but we'd just stopped fighting and I didn't want to ruin it." Rinry plants her palms on the edge of the porcelain counter and ducks her head, sighing loudly.
"I knew you'd seen her before I asked," she admits quietly. "I saw the paper in a shop when I was out. I didn't say anything because I trusted you to tell me if you ran into her. You wouldn't have said anything if I hadn't asked, would you?" It's more a statement then a question.
"No." Rinry turns around and looks up, her eyes red. She closes the short distance between us and takes my face in her hands, stroking my cheek with her thumb.
"Tell me you love me," she demands gently, her gaze fierce. I search her eyes and tilt my head forward to kiss her. She turns hers to the side, and my lips meet her cheek. "No, say it." I straighten up.
"I love you."
"Don't lie." Frowning, I push her against the counter, placing my hands beneath her thighs and lifting her up onto it, moving to kiss her. She doesn't turn away this time.
"I'm not lying," I whisper, sliding my arms around her waist as she wraps her legs around my hips. I hold her against my body, stroking my fingers along her spine.
"I believe you," she replies softly against my neck, her voice thick, pulling back to kiss me so tenderly my heart begins to ache. "Now get. I need to shower."
The nightmare about Effy returns, but I guess I don't thrash around because Rinry's still sleeping when I wake up. I sit up and pull my knees to my chest, resting my elbows on them and rubbing my face with my hands before fisting them in my hair with a sigh. Once my heartbeat returns to a semi-normal pace, I carefully slip out from beneath the covers and smoke on the balcony until my body stops trembling.
DAY TWENTY-EIGHT (Two days to the wedding)
Rinry's still in a bit of a huff, understandable, but she's mostly back to her normal, perky self. She kicks me out at an unreasonably early hour (okay, it's like, noon, but I had a rough night) because Mary is coming round with Lotte to make sure that the dresses still fit properly and I'm not allowed to see because it's "bad luck". I scoff, but roll my eyes and agree, pulling on jeans and a t-shirt and leaving just as her mum and Maid of Honour bustle into the room.
It's cloudy, and the air's a bit nippy, but it's not raining, so whatever. There's a security guard in civilian clothes following me about a good distance behind. Thankfully, he blends in pretty damn well and if I don't think about it, it's almost like he isn't even there. Almost. I'm on my fourth cigarette, I think, and I'm nearly out (I've only been out here for an hour, too). I stop as I walk past a small shop on the corner, peering in the windows. The packs of fags lined up behind the counter are enough for me to pop in.
I don't expect to see Emily there, and certainly not with some tall, gawky-limbed brunette. I fight the jealousy that wells up deep in the pit of my stomach, because, honestly, what the fuck? They only look friendly, and even I can sense the awkwardness there. Emily looks just as surprised at least, her eyes flitting back between me, the brunette, and the items in her hands. On closer inspection, she's got fags as well, and what looks like some sweets. The brunette's eying me curiously.
"Emily. Hi." She babbles wordlessly for a second before smiling.
"Hi," she rasps. "What are you doing here?" I motion uselessly to the rows of cigarettes.
"I'm just... buying... some fags," I supply, slipping my wallet out of my back pocket and doing just that. I can feel Emily's eyes on me, her scrutinizing gaze making my hands tremble as I hand my money over and accept my new box of cigarettes in return. "Just out for a day on the town, then?" I ask in a poor attempt to make small talk.
"Yeah. Look, I'm sorry about last night. I was a bit drunk, and, well, bit unexpected as well, to be honest."
"I acted like a bit of a tit as well," I confess, fumbling with my fags. "Right, well, uh, see you tomorrow, then, yeah?" Emily cocks her head to the side slightly, then abruptly surges forward to give me a swift hug, earning a startled reaction from my bodyguard. "For fuck's sake," I yell, glaring at him. "She's giving me a hug, not stabbing me with a fucking knife, or injecting me with some deadly poison or whatever. She's a friend. Could you fuck off, please?" He gives me a stubborn look, but takes a step back and leaves the shop. I pat Emily on the shoulder, then, once, because I can't stop myself, I thread the fingers of my other hand through her hair. I feel her eyelashes flutter against my neck, and the barely perceptible intake of breath. She pulls away first and gives me an awkward smile.
"Sorry, I just... friends hug, yeah?" I nod and smile. Or try to. My lips don't seem to want to work properly and I end up with this odd half grimace on my face instead. Friends. Okay. That's what I want, isn't it? "I'll see you around," Emily says, catching my attention again. "Your uh... security guard's not going to body slam me on my way out, is he?" I shake my head quickly.
"No, no, he knows better than that. You just startled him, is all. He's new." Emily laughs, low in her throat, her dark eyes twinkling briefly. I eye the girl standing with her, immediately disliking her.
"Well, we'd best be off then."
I don't get out my goodbye until she's out the door and down the street. The man behind the register gives me an odd look, which I respond to with my infamous Campbell glare before quickly leaving the shop.
I realize later, still strolling around the streets of Dublin, that I forgot to ask Emily if she was coming to my bachelorette party or not and without her number I have no way to contact her. I could find her room number, but as I think about it, decide I'm better off not knowing.
Outside a small coffee shop, I pick up a newspaper from the stand on the corner of the street, browsing the front article announcing my wedding. With a sigh, I lay it back down. It seems that I've been wondering a lot lately why I bothered becoming Prime Minister when I value my privacy so much.
"Mum, did you have to sit Emily next to us?" I ask when I finally find her after a good hour or so searching the hotel and Kieran having no clue where she is. Mum sips at her tea, gazing at me innocently.
"Have a seat, dear," she says, motioning to the empty chair across the table from her. Rolling my eyes, I obey, resting my elbows on the table. "I personally invited Emily and Kieran and I are the only people here she knows besides you. I wasn't going to make her sit with people she's unfamiliar with. I assumed you'd tell Rinry."
"And I assumed that we wouldn't run into her. Rinry didn't know she was coming. She's still upset about it. Not exactly the best mood for her to be in right now."
"Well, you should have told her the truth. I've always told you that honesty is the best policy." I sigh.
"The next time I plan to take a spontaneous trip to Cyprus, warn me against it."
"I think that trip was a good thing."
"You would," I reply with a roll of my eyes.
"She was good for you, Naomi. She made you into a better person. There's no reason that the two of you can't at least be friends," Mum tells me, still smiling.
"Rinry is good for me, too. Stop trying to break up my marriage, if you don't mind."
"I just want you to be happy, love."
"Rinry makes me happy," I mutter. Mum raises an eyebrow, making me realize that I don't sound very convincing.
"Whatever you say," she tells me. Well, what the fuck am I supposed to say to that?
"I'm going to go see if I'm allowed back in my room yet," I say under my breath, feeling Mum's eyes on my back as I walk away. Her and her fucking meddling. Will it ever stop?
I see Lotte and Mary on my way through the hotel, although the hostile looks they both cast me prevent me from saying hello, and actually make me shy back a little (just so you know, there is nothing more terrifying than the upset mother and best friend of the bride). They pass by me, stunning me into silence with their glares. Jesus, what did Rin say to them? She seemed cheerful this morning. I swipe my card through the lock to let myself in to see Rinry dabbing at her eyes. She jumps when she sees me, eyes widening in surprise.
"Alright?" I ask, shutting the door behind me and leaning against it. Rin nods, smiling slightly.
"Yeah, startled me. I didn't think you'd be back until later." I eye her cautiously, frowning now.
"Thought we could have dinner together," I tell her. "Maybe go out; I saw a couple nice looking restaurants on my walk around the city. Or we could stay in and get room service and order a film to watch." I shrug. "Whichever you like." Her smile brightens slightly, as do her eyes. My stomach squirms slightly.
"Can we stay in? We don't get to spend the night together tomorrow, after all."
"Okay."
We order dinner and settle into bed once it arrives, Rin curled up against my side with the remote in her hand as she starts the film up. When she sets it down, she lays her fingers on top of my hand, resting against my leg, and strokes it gently.
"I'm sorry about last night," she whispers against my neck, kissing it tenderly. I sigh and set my fork down. I pull away from her so I can set the dishes to the side and run my hands over my face.
"It's not your fault. You're right; I should have told you and I didn't and it was stupid."
"I thought we were past all of this, Nai. The lying, the running. You're shutting yourself off from me again."
"Guess I'm just getting cold feet," I say quietly. "You know how much of a change for me this is." Rinry shifts on the bed, wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her head between my shoulderblades.
"Are you sure it's not Emily?"
"Yeah." Except I'm not. And I hate it.
