A/N: Well this was a fun chapter. Again, everyone is slightly OOC. But at least their friendship isn't awkward...yet lol. Hope y'all enjoy! Please R&R and I'll put the next chapter up shortly :)
I own nothing related to Glee
And thanks to Jennoist-OTP for leaving the review of the last chapter! And they'll realize it all soon, just read on ;)
The Morning After
"Oh my god!" Marley screamed as she woke up, fully dressed and realized Ryder was in the same bed as her, also fully dressed.
"Shit!" Ryder said as Marley woke him up. "Did-did we have sex?" she asked him.
"Relax. We almost did but…" he started to answer. "But you stopped it." she finished slowly as she remembered what happened.
"Yeah." he shrugged.
"I didn't think you were like that." she admitted.
"You know, half of the hookups that you arranged, didn't even happen. When a girl is too drunk to even remember her name, I don't know, I just don't want to be the asshole that takes advantage of her like that. So we make out for a little bit and it's over." he admitted.
"I didn't know that." she said as she looked at him in a new light.
"Yeah, well you never ask for the details." he said as he stood up.
"Thank you. For not letting me do something stupid that I'd probably regret. Like, no offense to you. I mean…" Marley said in a tongue tied manner.
"Don't mention it." he said heavily.
"Hey, let me cook breakfast for you." she offered.
"Okay." he agreed.
After they had a breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs, they decided to watch a movie and rest off the hangover. The doorbell rang around noon and both of them perked up. It was the mailman dropped it through the door and she stood up, expecting a bunch of bills. Until she saw a cream colored envelope. It looked fancy and decorative. It was probably sent to the wrong address. She walked over to pick it up and saw the name on the return address label: Jake Puckerman. How in the hell did he even get her address? She hadn't talked to him since they sort of broke up four years ago. She tore open the envelope, with a pang in her chest. It was a wedding invitation. To his wedding. With some girl named Marissa. Apparently Jake lived in Pittsburgh now judging by his current address, but the wedding would be held in Lima. Not that it mattered anyway; Marley felt sick even thinking about this. Who would have to be sick enough to send their ex; the one who was incidentally cheated on by them, an invitation to their wedding? There wasn't any sort of indication that they even stayed in contact after Marley found out he was cheating on her. Marley huffed angrily at the bad day she was already having.
"What's wrong?" Ryder asked her.
"My ex-boyfriend from high school sent me an invitation to his wedding." Marley scoffed as she tossed it in the trash.
"What? Wait, this is the first time you've ever mentioned your ex." Ryder answered as she flopped back onto the couch.
"Yeah, because he is ancient history. He never even texted me back or anything. He told me he cheated on me over a Skype call and unfriended me on Facebook and unfollowed me on Twitter. I thought the best way to get over him was to just stop acknowledging his existence." Marley explained.
"This was the guy you were trying to get over on the night we met in college, isn't it?" Ryder asked.
"Yep. And I am over him." she sighed.
"You may be over him, but you have some serious relationship issues." Ryder said.
"What? This coming from the guy who hits on college girls in bars almost every day?" Marley replied, outraged.
"Well, I haven't seen you have a serious relationship since we first met. In fact, every guy that I've set you up with has been running for the hills. The most of the guys I hang out with call you the "ice bitch with daddy issues". Maybe, it might be good for you to go to this wedding and get some closure. Maybe seeing your ex-boyfriend move on will help you move on." Ryder explained.
"No, I don't want to see him ever again. Him and the girl he will inevitably cheat on once she has his kids and becomes sexually unappealing to him, can go live happily ever after for all I care. Besides, I have things I need to do. And going to Lima for this wedding would mean seeing my mom and hearing her going on and on about how Jake was a good boy and I need to settle down and, no. I refuse to go." Marley explained firmly. "And the only reason why it didn't work with the guys you set me up with is because you are a terrible matchmaker and none of them were my type." she muttered under her breath.
"What about Gus? He was perfect for you-he was a business major, and he loves puppies, and cuddling, and long walks on the beach-" Ryder said.
"This is Columbus, I have yet to see a beach that isn't an embankment on a lake or river!" Marley interrupted.
"Irrelevant. And he cries during Titanic when that damn iceberg sunk the ship and killed everyone and separated Jack and Rose for all eternity-" Ryder went on.
"Jack wouldn't have died if Rose made room for him on the ice float. That movie is totally stupid and overrated." Marley interrupted again.
"Yeah, but then the movie wouldn't have been half as good if Jack lived!" Ryder argued back. "And Gus is now an associate partner for some Midwest firm. You could've been a tycoon's girlfriend by now." Ryder continued.
"Gus-he wasn't my type. He talked too much and he was a smartass. And he was far too high strung. It was annoying." Marley muttered.
"Really? Gus is even more of an annoying high strung, talkative smartass than you? What are the odds of that?" Ryder asked sarcastically.
"Shut up." she giggled as she nudged him in the ribs.
"Look, I think you're afraid of dating someone new because you think all guys are the same. You just need to give it a shot. Despite your cold exterior, you really are a hopeless romantic with a big heart. You just have to let people see that." Ryder explained.
"Well, I lost friends in my sorority because you wouldn't call them back after they slept with you and I didn't take their side, so I think you're the last person I'm taking relationship advice from." Marley snapped at him
. "Okay, whatever. Be alone, at least adopt a cat." Ryder sighed as he stood up to leave. "You okay Marls?" he asked with a smile.
"Other than waking up next to you with no recollection of it happening, a killer migraine, and my ex-boyfriend sending me his freaking wedding invitation, I guess I'm fine. It could've been worse." Marley said, also smiling
. "Okay. Well, I'll see you around." Ryder said as he left.
"Bye." Marley said to his back as the door closed.
After a small nap, she was awakened by her cell phone ringing. If it was Ryder trying to get her to go out again, she swore she would wring his neck. But no, it was her mom.
"Hey mom. What's up?" she greeted in the friendliest tone she could muster.
"Hi sweetie! I just wanted to know if you got Jakey's invitation in the mail? I ran into his mother at Wal-Mart and she mentioned that he sent them out earlier in the week and I wanted to make sure you would be coming up." Mrs. Rose answered.
"You mean the invitation to his wedding? Okay, how do you even know about that? And please don't call my ex-boyfriend 'Jakey' it's disturbing." she replied as she rolled her eyes.
"Oh please, everyone in Lima knows. I mentioned when I ran into him when he was home for Hanukah that you would love to go to the wedding! I assumed you two were still close." her mother said.
"Are you even spontaneously running into him and his family or are you purposely intercepting him to try and get us back together? Just leave him alone, he's clearly happy now." Marley sighed in frustration.
"I don't know. His girlfriend is cute, but she's no you. And you should've seen the look in his eyes when I talked about you. He clearly misses you. I think a visit would be worth it. Show him what he's missing. Maybe he'll dump the bimbo and come to his senses." Mrs. Rose continued.
"Mom! Stop it, I will never date Jake ever again. It's over, I've moved on. I even got a new boyfriend." Marley blurted out.
"What? Marley Rose, you have a new boyfriend and you don't even tell your mother?" Mrs. Rose chastised.
"It's fairly new. His name is…Gus. He likes puppies and…stuff." Marley lied halfheartedly.
"We're very happy together." Marley finished lamely.
"Well, why don't you come to Lima for Jake's wedding and bring Gus with you? You guys can stay here at the house and I can meet him!" Mrs. Rose exclaimed.
"Um…um…um…well…we'd love to…but…" Marley stammered. She couldn't believe her mom. Why didn't she realize how pathetic she would look if she brought her made up boyfriend to her ex-boyfriend's wedding? Why was she even in this mess in the first place?
"No buts. The wedding is in April, that should give you enough time to arrange for a week off work and get your affairs in order. And please don't break up with Gus before then. It's embarrassing to attend a wedding by yourself. Bye darling!" Mrs. Rose said as she hung up the phone.
"What the hell?" Marley muttered under her breath as she stared at the phone aghast. She processed what happened and realized she needed to find a Gus to go to this wedding with immediately. She sighed and looked through her phone and miraculously, the Gus that Ryder set her up with was still in her contacts. After a few rings, he picked up.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Hi, Gus. It's Marley. Ryder tired to set us up a few weeks ago?" Marley replied.
"Oh, hi. I didn't think you would call back. You seemed very, uninterested." Gus responded.
"Yeah, about that. I'm sorry. It's just, I don't know what got into me." Marley tried to say apologetically until she heard a sniffling noise over the phone. "Gus, are you crying?" she asked.
"No. Look, this is a bad time." Gus tried to say.
"I'm sorry, I can call you back some other time?" Marley offered.
It's just, I thought we had really hit it off. And now you call me and I don't need bitches like you taking my money. I know that's what's you're here for. But I don't have money. The SEC is shutting us down! My company car just got impounded. I'm going to be arrested because the suits roped me into a ponzi scheme. I'm going to lose my new house. So if you want me, it better be for love!" Gus sobbed.
"Um, oh my god, I'm sorry Gus? I think I'm just going to go now, but you take care of yourself?" Marley stammered as she ended the call. That was clearly a dead end. Forget Gus's life tragedy; what was she going to do now?
