Chapter 26

"I really need to stop drinking. Some people might consider me an alcoholic and you my accomplice."

"Fuck them, Bella! We've had reasonable excuses so far as to why we've been drinking."

"Really. Reasonable? I question.

"First, when you found out your fiancé was a cheating scumbag, second our first night in Vegas, third was to our last night in Vegas, fourth was to find out that you married someone on said trip to Vegas, and tonight because your ex-fiancé attacked you."

"He didn't attack me."

"He was an asshole."

"He had a good enough reason."

"And she still defends him," she says to the empty room.

"He was an asshole," I finally confirm after a minute of silence.

"Was...is...same thing. Thankfully, so were you." She rises her glass up and I join her. "And let me just say that I'm proud for that stunt you pulled in Vegas. Charging everything on his card? Genius. You really deserve a round of applause for that."

She claps her hands and I bow. Apparently, the drinks are already affecting us.

"A toast!" she declares. "To weddings that don't happen and to weddings that happen without you knowing," she says while smiling.

I laugh, even though I shouldn't be. She was talking about me in both circumstances.

"To husbands you thought you wanted and to the ones you actually get," I add with a cheers.

"Let's be honest, though. You hit the lottery with the guy you did marry. I mean I have the memory of his ass engraved to memory."

I laugh as I make another toast solely for Mr. Green Eye's ass. His gluteus maximus deserved it.

"The girls should be here soon."

"What?" I ask confused. "What girls?"

"I invited Angela and Alice."

"You invited Angela and Alice?" I repeat, surprised because both the other girls thought Rosalie didn't like them. Sort of like I had two weeks ago.

"They kind of demanded it. I told them to fuck off, but they wouldn't listen."

I laugh because I'm sure those were her exact words.

"Plus, I'm sure you can use them here."

"Is this the part where I say that I'm grateful I have a friend like you?"

"This is the part where you say you wouldn't know what you'd do without me."

"All joking aside, Rose, I wouldn't know what I'd do without you. Seriously."

"I'm pretty fuckin' great, aren't I?"

The doorbell rings and I stand up to answer it while Rosalie takes a long pull out of the bottle.

"God, I feel like I'm going to need more alcohol then we actually have to willingly be in the presence of Dramatic Alice," she says while I give a pointed look at the front door. Alice was standing just on the other side.

She shrugs her shoulders, apparently, not caring if she heard her and I shake my head. Rosalie was too much, but I'm starting to realize that I wouldn't change her for anything.

I put on a big smile on my face and answer the door. Angela frowns at me and is quick to pull me into a hug, while Alice shrieks in the background. Maybe I should have taken another sip before they got here- a very big sip.

"Oh, Bella. We're so sorry," Alice says while joining Angela in the hug.

"You guys, my dog didn't die."

"You have a dog?" Alice questions looking confused.

"I meant..." I say stepping out of their hug. "that you guys have nothing to be sorry about."

"But you and Jacob and the wedding," Alice says, practically on the verge of sobbing.

"Alice, I'm over it," I say while hoping she doesn't cry.

She looks at me for a moment, before wrapping her arms around me again. "You don't have to pretend with us, Bella. Let it out. There's no need to be strong right now."

I almost want to laugh, but instead I try to untangle myself from her strong grip. I'm not successful.

"Tomorrow was supposed to be the happiest day of your life…" she begins, but before she can start I give her a not so gentle push. She steps away.

"Alice, really, I'm find." I give her a big smile and walk them over to the living room. Rosalie is quick on greeting them and also on preparing us drinks.

"Four years, just gone, Bella. I'd die." Four drinks later and Alice is still crying over Jacob and me. Four more drinks in and I have enough guts to tell her to get over it. Rosalie and Angela laugh while Alice looks at me with shock.

"It's just that I really don't want to think of all the bad. I just want to stay positive," I explain to her.

"And you're making that really fuckin' hard, Alice," Rosalie adds.

"Okay, then tell us what your must looking forward to now that your single." Angela interjects.

I should have known that Rosalie would get a loose tongue as the night progressed. "Bella isn't single." She makes us take a toast to that.

"Wait, you're already seeing someone?" Angela questions shock, but still raising her glass up. It seems like I've been shocking a lot of people today, multiply times.

"He's from Vegas," Rosalie responds, before I can deny anything.

"You met him on the trip to Vegas?" Alice exclaims.

"Something like that," I say, shutting Rosalie up. I didn't need them to know that he was a stripper.

"But, from Las Vegas? How does that work?"

"Yeah, he's all the way over there and you're here." Alice adds.

"He's here," I say before Rosalie can say anything else. I give her the death glare from across the room. She laughs and I roll my eyes.

"What's his name?"

"Edward."

"Edward? What kind of name is Edward?"

"What kind of name is Alice?" Rosalie returns.

"It's my grandmother's name," she defends.

"Forget about the name. How does he look," Angela stops Rosalie and Alice from slapping each other.

"Like sex on legs," Rosalie says before I can say anything.

Both Angela and Alice look excited now.

"And his ass- God Bella, remember his ass?"

"Daily."

Alice is back to shrieking. "What else?"

"He has reddish brownish hair, and these green eyes that just make you smile and his jaw, God he could poke someone's eye with that jaw and his smile and his teeth...they're perfect. And his body!" the alcohol has now given me a loose tongue as well.

"Wait, you already slept with him?"

Rosalie is quick to step in.

"You don't have to see him naked in order to know that there's something banging underneath those clothes."

"No wonder you don't want us talking about Jacob. You already found an upgraded version."

"They couldn't be more opposite," Rosalie agrees.

And I smile, all the alcohol in my body making me question why I want to get an annulment. It just doesn't make any sense.

I finish the drink in my hand and start preparing everyone another round. I wanted to drink tonight and forget about everything that had happened and everything that was supposed to be happening tomorrow, but wasn't going to.

Next Chapter...Edward will be back! (:

Some encouraging words might get the next chapter up sooner. ;)

Virtual hugs/ kisses to those who keep showing their love.