Getting drunk the night before a wedding, one she was a bridesmaid in at that, had probably been a mistake. One, she wasn't entirely sure if she regretted or not. She'd woken with a splitting headache, nausea, and an intense craving for sesame chicken. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to spare a single moment to address these issues; she and Charlotte had been woken at the crack of dawn and whisked away to the church. It had been a full morning of constant touch-ups on the decor, making sure hair and makeup were done, and constantly locating Vera, the maid of honor, to ease the tense bride down from a breakdown.
Other than her rather intense hangover and Rosalie's frequent meltdowns, the morning hadn't been awful. The yearning glances she shared with Jasper every time they were operating in the same room that caused her to blush quickly solidified her stance that the previous night hadn't been a mistake.
Thankfully, the ceremony had gone down without a hitch. The small one-room church decorated in lace and pink roses was a gorgeous setting for the occasion. As Alice walked down the aisle arm in arm with Riley, the groomsman appointed as her escort, she couldn't help but glance at the best man. Jasper, who'd gone first with Vera, was now watching her with such intense affection that she had to make a conscious effort to control her breathing. She ignored the slight, barely audible snicker from Riley as her breath hitched in her throat, her heart nearly stopping in her chest so overwhelmed with emotion. She prayed her picture-perfect makeup was enough to hide the blush, hoped that the audience hadn't caught the slight stumble in her walk.
The moment felt so familiar, eerily reminiscent of the first time she'd seen that look on Jasper's face. They had been at a bonfire, a birthday celebration for Rosalie. Alice had been gossiping with Charlotte when she'd looked over at the boys. She couldn't recall what had caught her attention, but she would always remember that expression on Jasper's face. The same gaze he directed towards her now.
Rosalie had looked beautiful, and she knew it, of course, in her long flowy, lace, backless dress. Her long curls cascading down her back and a single sunflower tucked behind her ear, Emmett's favorite flower. Her vows had been emotional, beautifully crafted, and eloquent. Emmett's were hilarious as he'd found a way to incorporate his... unique sense of humor with genuine heartfelt sentiment.
After the ceremony had ended, the bridal party had been subjected to an hour of numerous poses for photos. Alice understood, of course, but after being woken early with a hangover, skipping breakfast, and only being allocated a small sandwich for lunch, she was more than ready to head into the reception hall for dinner.
Finally, she was released from her bridesmaid duties, and the group gathered to make their grand entrance into the rusticly decorated room and join the celebration. Once the speeches and required dances had taken place, Alice found herself bored and a little saddened from watching Lilia Whitlock do the mother/son dance with Emmett as a stand-in for her own mother. It was a valid choice as the woman has often treated the pair as her own children yet sad all the same. She ventured outside.
Maria, Jasper, Peter, and Riley stood in the smoking area with a handle of Jack. They'd been upset about the winery not allowing outside alcohol while not serving whiskey.
"Hey, girlie!" Having clearly already indulged in the alcoholic beverage, Maria shouted out the greeting just a bit too loudly as she waved Alice over. "We're doing pulls; want one?"
Typically, taking pulls from the bottle with the undeniably fun woman who'd been behind more of her terrible youthful decisions than not would have been a pleasant idea. Yet, given her current mood, the substance just wasn't that appealing. "I'm not feeling alcohol at the moment, so I'll pass on this one." She smiled, turning to walk away.
"Aww, come on Ali, you gone all boring city girl on us?"
Maria, unable to know how Alice was feeling at the moment, had clearly meant the comment in good humor. The woman may be a lot, but she wasn't one to talk someone into something they didn't want to do. Yet, Alice wasn't about to have her roots questioned. She narrowed her eyes, crossing the short distance between the two of them in confident strides as a half-smile formed on her lips. "Give it here."
"I was kidding, babe; you don't have to."
"Nope, don't you dare doubt me, Maria Moreno. Give me the bottle." Maria hesitated before she tentatively handed over the bottle with a slight shake of the head. While everyone was anticipating a swig, Alice had something to prove. Denying expectations, she expertly chugged a good quarter of the bottle before the burn was too overwhelming. It was stupid; she knew it was ridiculous.
Although, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Alice was having more fun than she had in years and the look on Jasper's face made her glad she'd done it. "That's my girl." He commented, beaming with pride.
"Your girl, huh? I like the sound of that." She teased, eyeing him with a flirty smirk. She made sure to brush his arm as she reentered the reception hall. "But you'll have to answer my question before you can claim that title."
"Can I at least dance with you?" Jasper asked, having followed her inside. "Please?" He was begging her with desperation in his eyes; she couldn't turn him down. Not when she was leaving tomorrow, not when she may never get another chance.
She took his outstretched hand and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor as 'In Case You Didn't Know' began to play. He held her close as they swayed out of time to the song that hit just a little too close to home. Alice didn't care that he was a terrible dancer or that she couldn't tell if she felt woozy because of the large amount of alcohol she'd just consumed or because of the sweet, almost intimate moment they were sharing, but she didn't really care. She could stay like this forever. Alice closed her eyes, allowing herself to live in the moment for a while, letting the rest of the world fade away until, to her, it was just the two of them spinning and swaying on the dance floor. One dance turned into three turned into five.
It was the sixth dance when she was done with the games, ready to give up all her cards. She was going to tell Jasper everything and lay everything on the table, consequences be damned, "Hey, Jas?"
"Yes, Alice ?" Her heart stopped, time froze; he'd said her name, the one word she'd been longing to hear for days.
"You remember." She spoke almost silently, pulling away from him just enough to look up and see his eyes staring down at her with so much affection she felt like the most adored person in the world. "How long?"
"This morning."
"Why didn't you say anything!"
"You," He spun her out, causing her to giggle, "have been playing with me all week Alice. Maybe I wanted some revenge."
"Fair enough," She was floating; he'd remembered her all day. He wasn't mad, and this meant earlier outside when he'd called her his girl, it was with the knowledge of who she really was. Unfortunately, all of her joy dissipated entirely only moments later. She'd spotted an uninvited guest as she twirled back into her dance partner, causing her to freeze to her spot in terror.
Edgar Brandon was stumbling into the reception hall in all of his drunken glory, looking entirely out of place in the immaculately decorated space. It didn't take long for others to notice the appearance of the man. It was no secret the Brandon children didn't associate with their father, that there was no way Alice specifically would be in attendance if Edgar was on the guest list.
However, Jasper paid no attention to the tension quickly filling the room, oblivious to the scene playing out behind him, focusing his attention solely on the girl trembling with panic in his arms. He'd begun to say something, clearly concerned with her unexpected emotional shift when chaos broke out.
The shouting and shoving coming from the head table where Emmett and Rosalie sat were too much to ignore. Jasper turned, a hand still protectively clasped in Alice's as recognition hit him. His eyes narrowed in a rage upon seeing the scene Edgar was causing. Alice, still rooted to her spot, was vaguely aware of the mental calculations the man next to her was making. Her own limited cognitive ability was focussed nearly entirely on staying out of sight, hidden behind Jasper. In the back of her mind, she was grateful for the man's tall stature.
It had only taken moments for it all to play out, yet to the petite woman, it had felt like an eternity. Jasper wordlessly turned back to her, carefully guiding the woman through the throngs of onlookers as covertly as possible in an attempt to ensure Edgar wouldn't take notice.
Unfortunately, his efforts were futile; as they neared the back exit, the drunken man had glanced over, catching sight of the duo. He rushed through the crowd, pushing past anyone in his way in his determination to reach them.
Alice was conscious of a conversation happening, a heated argument forming though she wasn't processing the words being exchanged. The door leading outside was so close, just a few steps away. Just was Edgar lunged forward, she ran.
Outside, away from the mess currently tarnishing an otherwise beautiful day, she sat on a decorative rock as she focused on controlling her breathing. When the door opened once again, she jumped before realizing with relief that it was Jasper with Maria and not Edgar. The latter of the pair took a seat next to Alice on the rock, wrapping an arm around her in comfort whileJasper stood in front of them, breathing deeply, allowing the adrenaline and anger to wear down. It was a near picture-perfect replication of a familiar scene from their youth. One Alice had hoped to never repeat upon running away from home.
Finally, once all involved were calmed down enough to think clearly, Jasper crouched down in front of Alice, squeezing her hand gently. "Wanna go home?"