Chapter Two

It had been five years since she had stepped foot in Pennsylvania. The memories all came flooding back as she passed through the familiar landmarks of the small town. There was the pizzeria that she frequented as a teenager and the bar that she tried to sneak into. Being back in town also meant it brought back memories of him and the time they spent together.

Eight and a half years ago…

Angela sat under the bleachers of her high school. This was how she spent her lunch period. It was better than sitting in the cafeteria and listening to the whispers. It wasn't lost on her that she was an outcast. Her entire group home was.

"Skipping class, Red?" His familiar voice made her look up as Jordan came walking over. He had on his typical jeans and t-shirt. He really was a gorgeous guy. He leaned against the steel frame.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Schools not really my thing." He lit a cigarette and took a drag.

"What is your thing, Jordan?"

"I don't know. Stuff." He shrugged his shoulders, and she rolled her eyes.

"You know those things will kill you." She watched him smoke.

"A lot of things will kill me. Hell, some will say I should have been dead by now." He smirked and then glanced at her schoolbooks. "So, what are you like, some kind of genius or something?"

"Well, this is school, so…" She rolled her eyes. "How come you don't have any books?"

"I don't need them. I retain everything up here." He tapped his forehead.

"So maybe you are a genius then."

"Oh I am. Trust me on this."

The sound of the bell ringing made her collect her things as she stood up.

"Leaving so soon?" He raised an eyebrow. He almost looked disappointed.

"This is school, and I do have classes to take." She walked past him, but he reached out and touched her wrist. She stopped and he walked up behind her.

"We should do something fun, me and you."

She turned to face him, and he was right there. So close, merely inches away.

"Come on Red. You do know what fun is, right?" He brushed a piece of her red hair behind her ear. "Missing one day won't kill you." He licked his lips seductively and she was so lost in the way his tongue moved. She swallowed hard. "You only live once."

Those infamous last words had Angela spending the next six months in a whirlwind adventure full of sex and reckless behavior. She had nearly been expelled because of the amount of school she missed while hanging out with Jordan. They had never officially announced they were a couple. They held hands in the hallway. They made out by her locker and various other locations around the school. She had lost her virginity to him in the back of his red 1969 convertible. Sure, it wasn't the most romantic, but it was fitting for who they were.

Angela pulled up to Rayanne's one-story home she shared with her now soon to be husband Antonio, but everyone called him Tino for short. He had actually grown up in Pennsylvania with them all. Rayanne had messed around with him when they were teenagers, so it wasn't surprising to hear that they were actually a serious thing now.

Angela got out of her car and immediately Rayanne was running out the front door as she squealed loudly with delight. It had been nearly a year since the girls had seen one another. Rayanne had cut her long hair short, and it was currently blue. She had more visible tattoos than last time Angela had seen her. They hugged and jumped around like a bunch of schoolchildren.

"Oh my god can you believe it! I'm getting married!" Rayanne held her hand up that had the diamond ring on it.

"This is so crazy and so soon." Angela laughed.

"I know but honestly we have known each other forever!" Rayanne put her arm around Angela as they walked up to the house.

"I didn't even know you guys were seeing each other, again."

"I mean it's fairly recent of course but man I am so in love!"

"How recent?" Angela couldn't help but ask. Rayanne had a thing for making reckless decisions in her life. She had been engaged over ten times.

"A few months. It's all happening so fast, isn't it!" Rayanne was literally beaming.

"You're not pregnant, are you?"

"Girl you are so crazy and no, I'm not." Rayanne laughed as they walked inside. It had been the first time that Angela had been inside her home. Rayanne always came and visited her in the city, not the other way around. Angela tried to avoid going back to Pennsylvania but now she had no choice.

"I love your house." Angela looked at all the crystals and hanging beaded curtains. It reminded her of the bedroom back in the group home. She was always the eccentric one. The place resembled a hippie's dream. "Is Tino here?"

"No, he had rehearsals to do with the band." Rayanne walked into the kitchen and Angela followed her.

"Oh, that's right, he is still in that band. What's their name?"

"Who knows, it changes every week!" Rayanne laughed. "Remember when we used to watch them play when we were younger, and we would pretend to be back up dancers."

How could Angela forget, Jordan was the guitarist, and she was obsessed with watching them play.

"Wine?" Rayanne grabbed a bottle and two glasses.

"Sure." They made their way into the living room.

"So where is your new guy? His name is Peter, right?"

"Pierce actually and he couldn't make it. He just landed a new client."

"Oh, that's right he is a big shot lawyer! Dang girl, look at us all grown up and shit." She poured two glasses and held one out to Angela.

"Something like that." Angela forced a smile.

"We should toast to new beginnings."

"New beginnings." Angela grinned as they both took a sip.

"So why are you rushing the wedding?" Angela couldn't help but ask.

Rayanne rolled her eyes. "Tino said I am too indecisive, and he wanted to lock it down now."

"Well, I mean he isn't wrong." Angela laughed.

"Hey! I resent that." Rayanne laughed. "But I do love him so why not. I'm not getting any younger."

"We are only twenty-five so…"

"Look at you all commitment phobic. How the tables have turned."

"I'm not scared of commitment. I mean I have been with Pierce for six months and that's long."

"True even though I was sure things would have worked out with you and that starving artist."

"You mean Chris? The one living in his mom's basement?" Angela laughed.

"Shit, I wish I had a mom to live with even if it was in a basement."

"Same but still he was trying to move in, and you know I like my privacy." She sipped her wine. "And Pierce gives me that. You really have to meet him."

"If you are with him at the one-year mark I will otherwise you give me whiplash."

"Uh, excuse me. Your track record isn't much better missy!"

"Oh, honey I just like sex. As far as real relationships go, I have only had like three counting Tino."

"I am happy for you guys."

"You better be bitch." Rayanne laughed. "Oh my god I forgot to tell you that the whole gang will be at the wedding tomorrow! Ricky is flying in from California. Sharon and Brian are coming in from Jersey, they had to get a babysitter for the twins."

"I am still in shock that they got married and have kids now!" Angela remembered when they could barely stand each other and yet they too were married. "How's Ricky been doing?"

"Well, he just broke up with his current boyfriend, but his clothing line is really taking off. He has a show in Milan in a few months."

It was amazing how they had all grown up. Angela still saw them all as the broken teenagers without a real home or family. They had all really done well for themselves.

"Oh, and Jordan said he will try to make it. Apparently, he is involved in some self-help thing." Her words made Angela nearly spit out her drink as she began to cough. "Geez girl, slow down. One sip at a time." Rayanne slapped her back a few times.

"You talked to Jordan?" Angela tried to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah why? Tino stays in touch with him all the time. He is always trying to get him to come back to the band."

"I just. When he left, we all thought that something happened to him. I didn't know that you were in touch with him." Angela was shocked that Rayanne never brought up that she had spoken to Jordan over the years but then again why would she. It wasn't like Angela and Jordan were an actual item, or were they? She hated that she couldn't stop thinking about him now.

"Didn't you have like a thing for him back then?"

"What? No. I mean like we hung out a few times." Angela felt her face flush but thankfully Rayanne hadn't noticed.

"Well, he is living in New York. I wonder if he is one of those online influencers. Maybe, he gives motivational speeches." Rayanne laughed and Angela nearly choked on her drink again. "I couldn't imagine him doing that. He was always so EMO back then. I don't think he ever smiled. Honestly, I don't know why you were so hung up on him."

"I wasn't hung up on him plus it was like nine years ago." Angela tried to play it off. She couldn't believe that he was going to show up for this wedding. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see him or not especially with how the interview went or lack thereof.

"Weren't you supposed to be doing like some article on a sex club or something?"

"What?" Angela's eyes got wide.

"The fetish place. You told me about it last week. Did you go? How was it?" Rayanne perked up.

"Oh, that. Yeah um. I don't know. It's um still up in the air at the moment." She lied. Part of her wanted to tell Rayanne that she did go, and that Jordan was the club owner, but he hadn't said anything to Tino. Maybe he didn't want anyone to know, and she had an NDA she needed to follow.

"Well once you go, I want to hear every little detail. I keep telling Tino we should check out how the other half does it, if you catch my drift." Rayanne laughed.

"Yeah, that's not my thing."

"Of course, it's not, Saint Angela." Rayanne nudged her.

Angela rolled her eyes. "I will let you know that I did my fair share of reckless things."

"You graduated with honors and went to college." Rayanne shook her head. "You are ridiculously innocent."

"Whatever."

"Fine Miss Reckless behavior, show me one tattoo or piercing? I'll wait."

"Listen just because I can't imagine getting something permanently marked on me doesn't mean I am innocent. I skipped school all the time when we were younger."

"Really? When?"

Angela knew now would be the perfect time to tell her that she used to skip class with Jordan, but she suddenly felt uncomfortable bringing him up. The fact that Rayanne only saw them as two people who may have messed around when they were younger made Angela feel like maybe she made the whole relationship up in her head. Jordan was always private. He didn't like people being in his business. She didn't feel the need to flaunt their situation. Hell, she didn't even tell Rayanne that she lost her virginity to him. She didn't tell anyone. She didn't even tell Jordan. It had all happened so fast anyways; she didn't want to make a big deal about it.

"I did underage drinking." Angela finally blurted out.

"You and like everyone else in high school. Just face it Ang you are a saint." She smiled. "Listen it's not a bad thing. Hell, look at everything you have done with your life. You couldn't have gotten there without following the straight and narrow especially considering the shit we had to grow up with."

"You own your own business. You made the American Dream come true and you own your own home not to mention you will soon have kids running around."

"Oh, don't you curse me with kids, girl. There are no babies coming out of this body. Not now, not ever." Rayanne laughed.

"Really? You don't want kids?"

"You do?" Rayanne asked with shock.

"I mean one day, yes."

"All the more power to you then. I am not mother material. I mean could you imagine Tino as a father?" Rayanne poured another glass of wine. "Maybe you and Pierce will get married. I could see you popping out a few kids."

"Oh, I um." Angela began to ramble.

Rayanne laughed loud. "Oh, you are going to break his heart aren't you!"

"He's a great guy."

"He sucks in bed, doesn't he? That always does it for me."

"Not everything has to be about sex." Angela rolled her eyes.

"It sure as hell does. Why do you think I agreed to marry Tino. He has that big dick energy."

"You know what, you have had enough of this." Angela laughed as she grabbed the wine bottle.

A knock on the door made them both look and then Rayanne jumped up. She ran excitedly to the door as Angela poured another glass.

"Ricky!" Rayanne squealed loudly as Angela stood up now. This was becoming one hell of a reunion!

Angela hadn't seen Ricky since she left for New York. He had started making his own clothes and selling them online while they were living in the group home. Within a few years his website had really taken off and soon popular designers were contacting him all over the world. He got a contract with a large clothing company located in California and he had been there ever since.

He looked just like she remembered too. Honestly, it was like he hadn't aged at all, if anything he looked better than he had when they were all growing up. He had short dark hair and a light brushing of stubble on his face. He was tall and lean. He had lost all his baby fat and not to mention he was dressed to impress!

"Can you believe this bitch is getting married!" He laughed as they all reminisced about their younger years. The fact that they had some good memories to share was saying something considering they all had been abandoned.

They finished off three bottles of wine before Angela excused herself to head to bed. She couldn't drink like she used to. She was surprised that Rayanne was still drinking at two am considering she was getting married at noon. It wasn't a traditional wedding at a church either, it was in her back yard with a friend of Rayanne's doing the ceremony.

Angela fell into a restless sleep. Her dreams consuming her with thoughts of Jordan. She could still remember what it felt like to kiss him. They spent the entire six months kissing each other. To this day she had never kissed another guy as much as she kissed him and now, he had a fetish club. She hated to think about how many women he had kissed over the years not to mention what else he was doing with them.

She couldn't help but research the BDSM dynamic and it was eye opening. People honestly lived this way. He lived this way. In all reality it wasn't that farfetched, he was always living life on the edge. She knew she had no right to feel jealous, but she couldn't help it. Honestly, she wanted to hate him, but she couldn't. For whatever reason he left, and could she really blame him? He had just been a kid then. She was consumed with thoughts of him. Was he seeing someone? He had to be. Someone that looked like him wasn't single for long.

By the morning Angela woke up to the sound of a lot of voices. It sounded like a party was happening. She glanced at her phone and saw it was already ten am and no one had woken her up. She quickly ran to the bathroom to get ready for the wedding.

Rayanne was having a very casual wedding and since it was springtime, Angela wore a pale blue sundress and sandals. She put her hair up in a ponytail and went downstairs. The place was packed with so many unfamiliar faces.

She made her way through the crowded rooms as she looked for Rayanne.

"Ang, is that you?!"

She turned and her eyes got wide when she saw Sharon standing in the hallway. She had grown her brown hair long and it was braided. She wore a maternity dress with her big belly protruding.

"Sharon, hey." Angela walked over and they shared a hug.

"Oh my god you look amazing. I love your hair! You always had such great hair!" Sharon grinned.

"You look great too. I heard congrats are in order and again by the looks of it."

Sharon rubbed her pregnant belly. "I swear to god that it's like I bump into Brian in the hallway, and he gets me pregnant." She laughed.

"Are you talking crap about me lady." Brian walked over and put his arm around Sharon. "Hey Ang. I heard you are a big-time reporter." He smirked. He had cut all of his long blonde locks off and his hair was now short and cropped. He looked all grown up. He was even growing a beard.

"Journalist actually." Angela smiled. "You guys look great."

"I'm living off two hours of sleep. My eye bags have bags." Sharon laughed.

"There's my fam!" Rayanne yelled out as she ran over. She was wearing a hippie like long white sundress with a flower crown to set off the style. They all had a group hug.

"It's like the whole town is here." Angela felt anxious with so many people around. She was never one for large crowds.

"I know Tino tells one person, and the entire town shows up." Rayanne laughed. "Which reminds me I need to go find my soon to be husband. He is always running off."

"Isn't that bad luck to see the groom before the wedding." Angela smirked.

"I don't believe in bad luck." Rayanne smiled and made her way around the room.

"I need a drink." Brian began to walk away.

"This is so great seeing everyone together again. Have you seen Ricky yet?" Sharon smiled.

"Yeah, he never ages."

"That's because I am a vampire, ladies." Ricky laughed as he walked over. "Look at you Mama!" He hugged Sharon. "You keep this up and you will have enough kids to walk in my fall fashion line."

"After this one we are done. I refuse to be barefoot and pregnant my whole life."

"How's it like being a mom?" Angela couldn't help but ask.

"Exhausting and rewarding but exhausting." She smiled. "Do either of you have any one special at home?"

"I am very happily single and plan to be that way for a long time." Ricky smirked.

"What about you, Ang?"

"Yes Red, what about you? Enquiring minds would like to know." His voice made her head snap around and then there he was. Jordan, looking as devilishly handsome as ever. He wore a button-down dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black slacks. It showed off his tattoos. He had his long hair pulled back into a bun and those mesmerizing blue eyes once more caught her off guard. They shared a quick hug and then Jordan looked at Angela.

"Hi." She said awkwardly.

"This is like so surreal. I'm going to find Brian. He needs to get a picture of this." Sharon walked off quickly.

"She is pregnant, right?" Jordan looked between Ricky and Angela.

"Dude you are so right to not assume but yes she is." Ricky laughed and then he waved across the room. "Holy shit is that, Corey? I'll be right back."

He walked off and an uncomfortable air came between Angela and Jordan.

"Hey so um." They both spoke in unison and Angela laughed nervously.

"You go ahead." She flushed a deep red.

"No, go ahead. I cut you off."

"I just was going to say that I'm sorry I kind of ran out of the interview, I um forgot I had something pressing to do." She lied as she swallowed hard.

"Oh. Cause you seemed kind of mad." He looked confused.

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" She laughed nervously again.

"I don't know. You kind of slammed the door after calling me an ass."

"What? I didn't mean you were an ass. I meant…" Her words trailed. She was busted.

"Listen I have been called worse." He smirked. "If you don't wanna be called Red anymore, I get it and I did know your name was Angela."

"Its fine. I was actually just having a weird day." She hated that she couldn't stop lying now.

"So, then we are good, Red?" He cocked his head to the side, and she swallowed hard. Why did he have to look so unbelievably hot.

"Yeah of course."

"I'm going to get a drink. Do you want one?"

She wanted to ask for an entire bottle but instead she smiled and nodded her head.

He began to walk away and then stopped as he turned around. "You look pretty, Red."

Angela felt like a teenager. Jordan said she looked pretty and just like that she was roped in all over again.