Hey, y'all! I've posted two chapters today. Be sure that you have caught up with Chapter 20, No Hard Feelings before reading this chapter! Thank you again for everyone's continued support! I love you all!

Updated 12/31/2018

"Johnny, don't you think you've had enough?" Nadi asked exasperatedly as he watched his best friend throw back his sixth shot of vodka. Johnny cringed as he swallowed, wiping the dribbles from the corners of his mouth.

"Nah. I'm good," he slurred, slamming down the shot glass. "Rae, my good man, can I get another one of these fine little shot glasses?" Raeger raised his brow, picking up the clear glass from the bar table. It was nearing midnight and most of the customers had already gone home, leaving the three of them in the quietness of the small restaurant.

Nadi made eye contact with the chef, mouthing silently at him, "Water. Just water." Raeger nodded his head in agreement, pouring water from the pitcher while Nadi distracted Johnny. "Hey, man, I know it's really hard seeing her again, but that's no reason to get blasted," Nadi said as he patted the blonde on the back, knowing full well that it was a perfectly good reason to get shit faced. In fact, Nadi himself felt as though he needed a drink just thinking about the shit show of a morning.

"She looked good," Johnny said, leaning back in his seat. "I thought – well, you know how it is. I thought when I found her she'd at least look … I don't know." He sighed, "I thought maybe she'd look like she was struggling, coming from a family like hers, that is." Nadi shrugged his shoulders,

"I mean, she's not doing great," He frowned, glancing towards Raeger for any sign of help. The chef rolled his icy blue eyes,

"Who? Minori?" He asked, "She can't remember anything. I wouldn't call that doing good at all." Raeger said, leaning up against the bar table, "I don't see why that matters. You're a brain surgeon, right? You can fix it … Right? It's a good thing that she's not looking as bad as you thought she would?" Nadi pinched the bridge of his nose, forgetting that Raeger hadn't been present for most of the conversation. He'd been too busy serving other customers in the bar to hear Johnny's story.

"No, I mean, yes. Minori," Johnny said, scrunching up his nose as he said her name. "What kind of a name is Minori anyways?" Nadi sighed, here we go again, he thought to himself. For a moment, he was sure Raeger had gotten him off the subject, but now it didn't even seem like that would be an option.

Johnny had been torn up about the whole situation ever since he met Minori again and Nadi wasn't quite sure how to handle it. When he first became friends with Johnny, he knew there was this girl that he had known his whole life and had fallen in love with, but he never got the chance to meet her. They were just roommates for awhile and then Nadi did some yard work for his family, but they hadn't spoken to each other since Nadi's parents passed away and he couldn't make it to the wedding.

But, how was he supposed to feel about everything anyways? Was he supposed to hate Minori? Was he supposed to feel betrayed? Johnny didn't act like he was heading toward that way of thinking, but he was really upset about it and Nadi wasn't sure how he could make things any better – if there really was a way to do that. Personally, Nadi guessed that he would have left the moment he saw his ex-fiancé. There was no need to drag anything out.

Than again, Minori is in need of a doctor. So, it's possible that he feels obligated to stay. On the other hand, Johnny also never got any closure and he might stay just to have some answers.

"I think it's a nice name," Nadi said. "It's pretty and don't you think it fits her personality a little better?" He asked, trying to steer the conversation away from becoming a 'bash Minori/Annie' fest.

Raeger raised another brow, "What are you talking about?" He asked, "Did you … Do you know Minori personally?" Johnny looked up from the table,

"She's my fiancé."

Raeger's eyes widened as he stood up, taking a step backwards. "What?"

Nadi held up his hands, "Whoa, whoa, Johnny, you can't just announce those kinds of things to people when they don't know the whole story," he shook his head in frustration. "You can't drop bombs like that — especially to people who are Minori's best friends."

"Would you stop calling her that?" Johnny snapped, glaring him down, "That's not her name!"

"I understand that you're pissed, but don't take it out on me," Nadi said, crossing his arms. "I know it's hard to hear this, but you have to face the facts."

Johnny scoffed, "Yeah, well it's easier to say that when you weren't the one left at the altar."

"Minori left you at the altar?" Raeger asked as he wiped the bar table down, getting ready for closing time. Nadi watched as the chef calmly went about his business, listening as Johnny opened his mouth to explain the situation.

"Back then her name was Annie Baldwin, but you know, you get the point either way," Johnny sighed as he rested his head on the table. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself properly earlier and Nadi has always been awful when it comes to introductions and talking to people in general."

Nadi rolled his eyes. "Sorry," He grunted.

Raeger waved his hand, "It's okay. It didn't take long for me to figure it out. Everyone around here already knows your name pretty well." Johnny raised a brow curiously,

"What do you mean?" He asked,

"Well, we were all hoping you would be able to fix Minori's – uh – Annie's memory problem," Raeger explained. "I mean, if you're not too pissed." He chuckled nervously, his hand on the back of his neck as he glanced up at the ceiling. Johnny nodded his head,

"Yeah. Of course," He said.

"Really?" Raeger and Nadi asked simultaneously, relief flooding their faces as they relaxed. Johnny shrugged his shoulders,

"I'm drunk and pissed, but I said I would do, it so here I am," He held out his arms as he pretended to bow in his seat. "It's the only reason I haven't left yet," Johnny said, shaking his head as he stood up. "And, I mean, I'm really pissed, but I'm not the type of person to refuse helping someone out. Besides, I owe this guy a favor," He sighed, patting Nadi on the shoulder.

Nadi smirked as he glanced up at his best friend. Even though it had been awhile since they had last spoken, they were still friends after all. Nadi supposed it was just one of those comforting things to know – even when it felt like everything was going to shit, at least they had each other. At least they were still friends.

Still, he had to wonder how Johnny felt after he had disappeared. After he never showed up to his wedding and after his fiancé left him at the altar … who was there for him then? Who was there to comfort the groom if the best man and bride were nowhere to be found? Did he — Was it possible Johnny resented him for disappearing for nearly a year without much of an explanation?

Johnny chuckled, placing his hand on the back of his neck as he began to sway, "Ah, jeez, Rae. Where's the bathroom in this place?" Raeger smirked as he nodded his head down the hall,

"Straight down the hall and to the left. Careful – if you're not back in ten I'll send Nadi in after you," Raeger said, watching as the drunkard stumble down the hall, searching for a door. The room fell uncharacteristically silent as Johnny left, leaving Raeger and Nadi alone. "Annie, huh? That girl sure is something special." He muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" Nadi asked, "You're not mad that she lied to you and everyone else?"

Raeger shrugged his shoulders, "People lie for all kinds of reasons, and well, everyone does it. Elise lied about her family for a long time. She lied about it being her forgetting to visit Minori that one day..."

"She did?"

Raeger nodded his head, "Yeah, it was my turn to get Minori up for the day and remind her of the accident. Fritz was right. I forgot to go."

Nadi shifted in his seat, "Why did she lie about it?"

"I'm still trying to figure that one out to be honest," He said. "Elise and Minori really aren't all that different you know?"

"Not really. I don't know either of them very well," Nadi replied, glancing down the hall, looking for any sign of Johnny. Raeger scoffed,

"Of course you do. You and Minori spend an awful lot of time together," Raeger trailed off. "I heard you spent the night there last night." Nadi's face flushed,

"What? How did you — who told you that?" He asked, lowering his voice as he leaned in closer. "Nothing happened! It was an accident. We were both drunk and passed out on her couch." Raeger chuckled,

"Elise told me."

"Dammit — Look, Johnny can't find out. It would — it would crush him. I'm sure of it," Nadi said worriedly, glancing over his shoulder once again. "The whole thing … it was nothing."

Raeger looked at him unconvinced. "If it didn't mean anything, then it shouldn't matter," Nadi leaned back, blushing furiously once again.

"Look, Minori is a good person. She may have lied to us about her past, and she might have left Johnny at the altar, but that doesn't mean that she's not good," Raeger explained. "And, honestly, I can't hold any of it against her. I'm sure she had her reasons for lying and I'm sure she had her reasons for leaving, but that doesn't necessarily make any of it okay, either." He shrugged, "I'm not going to be the one to judge — that's not my place. My place is to be her friend and help her through this time, because I know Elise is pissed and I know when Fritz finds out it's all going to go up in flames from there."

Nadi cocked his head to the side, "What do you mean?"

Raeger sighed, ducking under the bar to grab two tall glasses and filled them both to the brim with beer, "Here." He said, nodding to the glass. "Fritz is in love with Minori. You knew that, right?" He asked as Nadi nodded his head. "Well, when he finds out, I think it's going to pretty much destroy whatever misconception that he had about her in the first place."

Raeger ran a hand through his hair as he took a swig from his drink, wiping the foam from his lips as he continued, "Minori is … Well the thing about her is that she's become his manic pixie dream girl."

Nadi frowned, "Manic pixie dream girl…?" He mumbled under his breath quietly,

"Fritz was a poor kid who dropped out of school to become a farmer. He was sheltered, his mother was very strict, and he's never really dated anyone before. He's a bit of an odd ball looking for the perfect girl to come and sweep him off his feet and then bam!" Raeger smacked his palm on the bar table,

"Minori comes around and she has this mysterious aura around her — which we know now was due to the fact that she was lying and running away from her home. She's fun and adventurous, she fits in well with the farming scene despite being five feet tall and having arms the size of noodles, and she somehow befriended Elise. Minori also has all these fun little quirks, like secretly being good at art or biting her lip when she pouts."

:Now, she's lost the capability to retain her short term memory. She's become the manic pixie dream girl of this little movie-esque situation, and whenever Fritz is with her, he doesn't feel like some poor kid that dropped out of college to become a farmer. She gives him some sort of purpose."

"You've clearly thought about this a lot," Nadi said. "What does any of that have to do with what's going on now?"

Raeger nodded his head, holding up his finger as he took another drink. "I'm glad you asked," he said, nearly slamming his glass down and holding back a burp. "When Fritz finally realizes Minori's lied to him, the manic pixie dream girl image shatters. She's no longer the mysterious new girl, she's no longer the helpless girl with amnesia. She's just a liar, and he's going to resent her for it."

"How do you — why do you," Nadi paused, unable to fully comprehend what Raeger was saying. "How do you know all of that is really true? Is it not possible that Fritz just likes her?" Raeger shrugged his shoulders,

"He's my best friend. How do you know that Johnny hasn't passed out in the bathroom yet?"

Nadi laughed, "He's fine. Give him some more time and he'll bumble out here soon enough." Raeger smirked,

"See? Best friends know some shit."

…

Raeger and Nadi chatted for another five minutes before Johnny finally stumbled out of the bathroom, holding his stomach as his pale face glistened with a sheen of sweat in the dim lighting of the bar. His sickly green skin told them everything they needed to know — he had spent the past thirty minutes either puking his guts out or praying to the goddess that he didn't die over a toilet bowl. Shaking his head, Nadi chuckled under his breath as he waved goodbye to Raeger and hooked his arms underneath his best friend, helping the poor bastard walk back to the inn.

Somehow someway, the two made it back to Nadi's room, where the gardener discarded the drunk on the hardwood floor, covering him with a small blanket and leaving a glass of water for later. He knew he'd need it eventually.

Sighing, Nadi flopped onto his bed, lying on his back as he thought about what Raeger said earlier, his words replaying in his head over and over.

"She's his manic pixie dream girl."

"She has this mysterious aura around her and has all these little quirks such as secretly being good at art and biting her lip when she pouts."

"If it didn't mean anything, then it shouldn't matter."

But, what did it all mean? Did spending the night at Minori's really not mean anything, or did he just say that because he found out she was his best friend's ex-fiancé? Nadi wasn't sure. He hadn't even had time to process what had happened before everything with Johnny had blown up and now … Now Raeger was talking about pixie dream girls and how Minori makes Fritz feel like he's not some poor kid who dropped out of college, but…

Wasn't that how she made him feel, too? Wasn't the whole point of staying, of getting drunk and passing out on her couch — wasn't all of that to get closer to her? To figure out the mystery?

And her painting … That day when he met her outside painting the lake as it snowed … That was the day she revealed to him that she had always wanted to be an artist. That was the day she told him that no one really knew who she was before she moved to Oak Tree Town. Didn't that make him feel special? Didn't that make him feel as though he was meant to be there, in that moment, watching her draw? Wasn't that the point of letting her draw a portrait of him sitting on that log by the lake? To make him feel as though he had a purpose?

What about that day on the dock when the sun was setting? That was the day Raeger forgot to get her ready in the morning and Elise took the blame. That was the day when Minori told him that he was still her friend — even on the bad days. Even when she couldn't remember him. What was the point of that?

What was the point of any of it?

The painting, the shovel attack, the sitting by his bedside telling him about running away from the city … The day on the dock or the night he spent on her couch…

What was the point?

How many times had she made him blush and how many times did she make him feel as though he were something more than what he was: a gardener making a deal with his friend to fix her brain?

Nadi clenched his fists as he rolled onto his side. She's my manic pixie dream girl, he thought. She's my manic pixie dream girl and I'm the brooding gardener waiting for her to fix my damn attitude and make me appreciate life.

"If it didn't mean anything, then it shouldn't matter," Raeger's voice rang through his head once again.

But it did matter. It mattered a lot, and Nadi hadn't had the time to even think about why.

No, Nadi thought. She's more than that. She's more than just a manic pixie dream girl. It's deeper than that. She's my friend and … and maybe that's why last night mattered. Because maybe she could have been more.

Maybe I just didn't realize it.

Nadi rolled back over, glanced down at Johnny, who was fast asleep on his floor, and imagined what it must have felt like to be left at the altar and to have his best man nowhere in sight. He imagined what it would feel like to travel to the middle of nowhere to fulfill a debt he owed to the best friend that had disappeared only to discover that the woman that left him was fine and living a new life. He imagined what it would feel like to watch the woman he loved fall in love with his best friend.

He imagined until he couldn't imagine anything but watching Minori walk down the aisle to meet Johnny and it hurt.

Thanks again for your continued support! As always, if you haven't done so already, don't forget to review/favorite/or follow! Every little bit helps and i love hearing what everyone has to say about the chapters! Let me know what you guys are thinking or if there is anything you particularly enjoy about the story. Thank you and have a great day!