I'm really REALLY sorry for the delay in this story. The fact that it is now over a year old is no excuse. However, we are close to it being wrapped. Enjoy this and feedback would be lovely.
When you're too in love to let it go.
The honk of the cab woke her from daze. A daze she had been in since she started to drive back to the city. She thought that the noise and the warmth of the city would have made her more secure; drown out the voices in her head.
Turns out it only amplified them, providing them with a vivid stage to act on. Every couple walking down the street or group of friends laughing reminded her what had happened.
The ironic thing about all of this was she was going to tell Pacey she wanted to postpone the wedding. At least for another month or so, just so she could get her head together. But she had no intention of breaking anything off with him. So much had happened the in the last 6 months it had messed with her head. Joey coming back and Jen having a baby were just the tip of the iceberg. Her ever neurotic parents had been on her case about giving up her life and coming back to LA. They wanted to support her, as long as she lived at home and stopped seeing Pacey. She had said no of course but that hadn't deterred them from asking at every possible moment. And then the masterstroke in their plan. Boycotting her wedding.
She spun the tires as she parked outside the restaurant. The glittery sign she had made hung from the door.
Closed for 2 weeks….I have a life too you know!
She giggled at herself. She remembered how mad Pacey had got when she had dumped half a pot of glitter over his head while they were playing. She also remembered how they made it up to each other later that night. She ached for him. She wanted to be in his arms, holding her, telling her everything was okay.
But the image of him wrapped in Andie's embrace, kissing her back, removed all those feelings for her.
She got out of the car and made her way towards the restaurant. Unlocking the door, she dragged herself and her bag through it and collapsed in a booth. She was beat and being here was, at least for the moment, comforting for her. She then noticed that the jukebox was on. The lights in the kitchen were too. Humming a little song to himself, she could see the familiar shadow of Pacey in the kitchen. Her nostrils filled with the smell of pancakes. She was home.
The panic rose up from her feet before it clutched her heart.
Why am I so scared about this? She thought. I should be angry, yeah I'm angry.
She flew out of her seat, her thinly draped anger over her face, and stormed over to the kitchen. She opened her mouth to speak but Pacey, covered in pancake batter, beat her too it.
'Nice of you to join me, what with it being our wedding day and all,' he joked as he turned to smile at her.
'What?'
'You know, our wedding day? The one you've just run out on?' He smiled again, flipping a pancake.
'Are you deluded Pacey? I caught you kissing another girl! Your ex girlfriend to be precise. On the morning of our wedding! What was I suppose to do? Shake your hand and say well done? Join in? Pacey, I …' Before she could go any further Pacey interrupted.
'Two pancakes or four?'
Audrey was shell shocked. She couldn't understand what was going on in his head. But the pancakes did smell good and she hadn't eaten four what felt like days.
'Four…please,' She answered cautiously.
'That's a girl.' He loaded up two plates with pancakes and walked past her into the restaurant, taking a seat at a table and grabbing the maple syrup. Audrey stood stunned in the kitchen.
'Pacey, what….'
'It's getting cold. Come sit down,' Pacey said, kicking the chair facing him out so she could.
She walked slowly over to the table, her heart beating like a drum. He just smiled at her until she sat down.
'The thing is Audrey, I'm not buying it. Don't get me wrong, I shouldn't have kissed Andie back. And it was back, I didn't start anything there. But the minute I started to look for you I found out you had cancelled the wedding.'
Audrey's blood drained from her face. Pacey started to shovel the pancakes into his mouth.
'…Yes I had but…I …'
'So you were at the Leery's house to say what exactly? That you didn't love me and wouldn't marry me? That you were joining a cult? Why?'
'I couldn't do it.'
'Why?'
'My parents refused to come. They boycotted the whole thing,'
Pacey looked at her. She had shrunk physically in size, an effect that her parents always had on her.
'I thought you didn't care about them not being there?'
'I don't…I didn't. It was just…I started to wonder if I was doing all this because I love you or because I hate them,'
'The big wedding?' Pacey enquired, getting up to pour two cups of coffee.
'Yeah. A massive two fingers to the Malibu crowd.'
'Not the grand symbol of love and friendship that it was intended to be,'
'I still want to be with you, marry you…Well…I did before I caught you…'
'It wasn't me. She came over to wish me luck and jumped on me. She did the same thing to Dawson a few nights before…'
'…yeah right, like anyone would jump lustfully on Dawson…'
'…it's true, ask Joey! She's fuming about the whole thing…'
Pacey's hand snaked across the table and grabbed her one.
'I'm sorry. I am truly sorry. I love you more than anything or anyone. I still want to be your husband if you would like that, no big wedding, nothing like that…we could do it at city hall…or Las Vegas…or anything like that…' he grabbed her hand tightly and looked to her.
Her head was still down and she was sobbing slightly.
'I love you Audrey…'
She looked up, her eyes red after what felt like days of crying.
'I love you too Pacey.' On that he pulled her to her feet, cupped her still crying face in his hands and kissed her. He could still feel the tears on her cheeks as he pressed his face into hers. She was reluctant at first but slowly kissed back, relishing having him close to her once more.
'So…Vegas then?' she said when they finally pulled apart.
'I'll call the airline,' Pacey said, kissing her once more before running up the stairs.
She walked into the kitchen and shut everything down that Pacey had switched on (everything by the looks of it) before pulling out her cell phone and switching it on. A hundred messages popped up at once, along with her voice mail ringing her back. She hung up and called the one number she knew off by heart.
The answering machine picked it up and her mother's austere voice filled her head. She must be screening her calls.
'Hi mom, hi dad it's Audrey. Don't pick up the phone, I know you're screening and I have something to say. Well you won, all your dirty tricks worked. I didn't get married to Pacey. I'm heading back home to you guys in around a week. So I love you both and I will see you then….Oh by the way, I'm coming home via Vegas so I can get married there. Thanks guys for making me realise what was really going to make me happy. Maybe we could go do one of those Star Trek weddings? That would impress the neighbours,'
Audrey heard the click of her mother answering the phone and quickly wrapped it up.
'Anyway, gotta run. Shotgun weddings wait for no man. Bye'
Pressing the release button on the phone she felt a wave of relief sweep over her.
'Couldn't resist it huh?' Pacey's voice echoed behind her.
'No.' she said simply, spinning around to face him with a smile on her face.
'So the airline said we can book tickets at the airport, would be easier. You really want to do this?' Pacey said, moving towards her.
'I sure am Mr Witter. I love you,' she murmured as he pressed his lips against hers.
'I love you too. Lets go,' he said, throwing her bag over his shoulder. 'You weren't serious about that star trek thing 'cause I could really go for that?'
'Beam me up Scotty,' she said with a smile, opening the front door.
'That's my girl,'.
