Wedding Part One
Six Months Later…
"Ok." AJ nodded to herself, "Ok, you can do this." She whispered to herself, looking in the mirror, brushing her hands down her white satin dress. She didn't feel particularly bride like. She didn't feel as magical as people hyped up wedding day's to be. Part of her just wanted to get through the day, and she knew that was the wrong attitude to have on every level.
"Baby, you look beautiful." Jeanette said tearfully, taking a tissue out from her pocket to dry her eyes, looking on at her daughter.
"Thanks." AJ nodded, looking at herself in the mirror.
"There's just one last thing." Jeanette nodded, reaching into her purse over on the couch of the hotel room.
"What?" AJ turned around.
"Now I know that mine and your father's wedding may not be something you romanticise." Jeanette said, "But it was a day where we both mutually agreed to put you first. And I always said that when you grew up and you got married, I'd give you my necklace that I wore that day." She nodded, opening up the long velvet box where a necklace lay inside.
"It's beautiful." AJ whispered.
"Let me put it on you." Jeanette smiled, taking the necklace from the box as AJ turned around, looking in the mirror as her other put the necklace on her, "Looks much better on you anyway." She nodded as AJ smiled.
"Thank you." AJ nodded, "I think everything that needs to be on me is on." She looked around the room.
"I promise, when you get up there and you look in his eyes, everything will just fall into place, it'll all makes sense." Jeanette said as AJ nodded. All she could do was believe that.
It had been a hard six months. She'd never felt so lonely before in all her life, but she knew that's where this decision had gotten her. She just had to tell herself it was the right thing, and that Phil was better off moving on anyway. That they never would have lasted anyway. She had to tell herself that.
"I'm not as nervous as I thought." AJ said, "I mean… I'm nervous but I'm ok." She nodded.
"Good." Jeanette smiled, "You know, I know you two didn't have a great relationship, and I didn't either, but your father would be so proud of you. His baby girl, a doctor, getting married…" She smiled as AJ nodded.
Her mother did that a lot. Filled her head with pride and admiration for things she didn't want to go through with. But she figured she was the fool who listened to her, and believed her.
"You really think he'd be proud of me?" AJ turned to her, "He never liked the idea of me becoming a doctor. Especially not a neurologist."
"Because he knew how stressful it was. And he didn't want you to have a tough life." Jeanette shook her head, "But he'd be so proud." She nodded as there was a knock at the door.
"Could you get that?" AJ asked as Jeanette nodded, making her way over to the door of the hotel room, opening it up where Renee stood in a dress.
"Hi." Renee said as AJ picked up on the voice and looked over.
"Friends and family should be sitting at the ceremony." Jeanette nodded to Renee.
"Mom, it's ok. She can come in." AJ nodded as Jeanette looked back at Renee, letting her into the room as Renee stepped in, "Could you give us just a minute?" She asked her mother who nodded, stepping out of the room whilst Renee walked further in.
"You look like a princess." Renee nodded.
"I didn't think you'd come." AJ shook her head.
"Well you sent me an invitation, didn't you?" Renee said, "You know I like a party." She smiled.
"You've barely spoken to me these past months. And… I'm not mad. I know you practically live with Phil and Dean. You're basically a fire fighter now." AJ nodded as Renee smiled.
"My best friend invited me to her wedding so… I'm gonna go to it." Renee nodded as AJ smiled.
"Thank you." AJ whispered as Renee nodded.
"And I uh… I want to apologise for what happened a couple months ago. It was childish and… all of this has been none of my business." Renee nodded…
Two Months Earlier…
"Who's Phil with?" Renee asked, sitting at the bar with Dean as she looked over at Punk sitting at a table with a girl.
"Oh, just some chick he met on a job. Her dog got stuck in a drain." Dean nodded to her.
"You guys have the weirdest job. One day you're charging into explosions, the next you're saving cats in trees and shit." Renee shook her head as Dean chuckled.
"I hope he gets laid." Dean nodded to himself, "He's still not over her and it's been like four months." Dean shook his head, "It takes me like… a week to get over a girl."
"That's cause you have the feelings of a wet mop." Renee rolled her eyes.
"Hair like a wet mop too." Dean fixed his bangs, "You spoke to AJ recently?" He asked her.
"No, we don't really talk much these days. I just start grilling her about not marrying Jason and she walks away. I've gave up at this point." Renee shrugged, "Do you really think he's gonna sleep with her?" She wondered, looking over at Punk.
"I don't know." Dean shrugged.
"I have a really terrible idea." Renee turned to him.
"Then keep it to yourself." Dean nodded.
"What if AJ saw this?" Renee asked, "What if she saw him with someone else? Do you think it would-"
"Hurt her? Probably." Dean said, "Considering she's living in a lie and still loves him." He shook his head, "Women are so weird."
"Shut up for a second." Renee said, "This could work, though." She thought about it.
"Why would she even come here? You've barely been talking to her and she knows Phil comes here. There ain't no way you're getting her here." Dean scoffed.
"I'll take that bet." Renee nodded, "She'll just have finished her shift. If I just text her telling her I wanna talk she might come. She's not the type of friend to ignore a friend in need." She shrugged, taking her phone out and texting AJ.
"I don't know, this feels kinda mean." Dean said.
"Well there's nothing I can say to her to get through to her so maybe… maybe this could work." Renee nodded as Dean just groaned.
Renee text AJ casually, waiting for a reply as they continued to watch what was going on with Punk and the girl he was having a drink with. They'd saw first-hand how miserable Punk had been these past months after what happened with AJ, especially knowing she hadn't just broken it off with him, but that she was actually intending to marry another man very soon.
"Shit, she came." Dean noticed AJ walk in the door as Renee looked over.
"I told you." Renee said, "Ok, act cool." She nudged him as Dean rolled his eyes.
"Hey, is everything ok? I got your text." AJ said. Although she'd been very lowkey lately, keeping conversation with Renee to a minimum, she was never the type of friend to ignore a text or phone call.
"Yeah, I just… well I wanted to see how you were." Renee nodded, "You wanna have a seat?" She asked, deliberately looking over at Punk as AJ noticed and followed her eyes.
She looked over and saw Punk, which was painful enough after not seeing him for so long, but to see him with another woman, enjoying her company, laughing the way they used to. That really hurt her, and she realised what her friend was trying to do.
"I can't believe you." AJ turned to Renee whilst Dean sipped on his drink, "And you." She spat as Dean looked at her, watching as AJ stormed out of the bar.
"Wait, AJ." Renee jumped off from the stool, running after her outside.
"What?" AJ turned around angrily, "Are you… are you trying to hurt me?" She shook her head, "Trying to rub it in my face?"
"No… No I was just-"
"Save it." AJ shook her head, "Do you have any idea how lonely I've felt these past few months? And yeah… I'll save you from asking, I miss him. And seeing that, hurts me." She assured her friend, "And maybe if I still feel that way I shouldn't be marrying someone else, but I am!" She yelled, "Ok?" She said with a lump in her throat.
"April, I'm sorry I… I shouldn't have…" Renee gulped, realising what she had done wasn't a nice thing at all.
"Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted me to say?" AJ nodded, "That I miss him? And that I'm still thinking about him every day whilst I plan my wedding?" She asked as Renee sighed.
"Then why can't you call it off? If that's how you feel-"
"Because I can't." AJ shook her head, "I'm back with Jason and it's… it's going well for us." She nodded.
"But if you just-"
"No! I'm done here. Don't ever do that that to me again." AJ shook her head, storming off down the street as Renee sighed to herself.
"Wasn't a particularly nice thing to do." AJ said, standing across from Renee in the hotel room.
"I know. I know, it was terrible and I'm sorry." Renee shook her head, "I'm just… I'm here for you as a friend. If this is what makes you happy, then I'm here for you." She nodded. She could only try so much. Ultimately, it was only AJ who could change things.
"Well I appreciate that." AJ nodded, "It's been weird not talking to you for a while." She admitted.
"Yeah, it's sucked." Renee nodded.
"H-How… how is he?" AJ wondered. She knew it would hurt to know either way, but she couldn't help ask.
"He's… fine." Renee said. Knowing who the 'he' was she was talking about.
"Good." AJ nodded, "I'm glad."
"You really do look like a princess." Renee smiled.
"Thank you." AJ said, "My mom just gave me the necklace she wore at her wedding." She said, touching the necklace gently, "They're not the couple I'm aspiring to be like but… still my parents." She nodded as Renee smiled.
"How is Jason?" Renee nodded.
"He's good." AJ smiled, "Nervous probably but he's good."
"And you guys have been…"
"It's going well." AJ nodded positively, "Did you bring Dean?" She wondered, "I'd understand if he didn't want to come."
"No, he's here. He's in the ceremony just now. I just wanted to come say hi and… wish you good luck." She nodded, walking over to AJ who nodded.
"I am really glad you're here." AJ said as Renee wrapped her arms around her.
"I hope today is everything you hoped for." Renee said, hugging her tightly as AJ nodded.
"Thank you." AJ said as Renee nodded, pulling back from the hug.
"God, I don't wanna ruin my make up." Renee laughed a little, getting a little upset as AJ smiled, "Ok, I'll go and let you finish getting ready." She nodded.
"Ok." AJ smiled, watching as Renee left the hotel room. It was a massive weight off her shoulders to receive a hug from her closest friend on this day, especially after the rocky few months they'd had.
She looked back to the mirror, looking around for her veil which she thought she'd sat beside on the chair. She heard the room door open again, only assuming it was her mother coming back into the room.
"Mom, did you move my veil? I can't find it." AJ shook her head.
"It's over there."
AJ paused on the spot, shivers running up her spine, looking in the mirror as she saw his reflection standing over by the door.
She slowly turned around, looking across at him, those nervous butterflies very much still there when she looked at him, never in her wildest dreams thinking she'd see him on this day, looking like this.
"W-What… what are you doing?" AJ shook her head, watching as he walked over to where her veil was sitting on the couch, walking towards her, "Phil." AJ gulped, shaking her head. She just couldn't handle him being here today. Not today.
He was in a shirt and jeans, looking so fresh and handsome. She knew that after six months, feelings still being there wasn't a good sign for her aspiring marriage to Jason. And she knew she was the biggest fool for thinking they'd disappear.
"Here." Punk said, walking over to her, placing the veil in her hair as it hung over her face, watching as he pulled it back from her face which only gave her more shivers.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered.
