Four Years

Chapter 16

"Oh, that was lovely!" Sofia grinned as her mother engulfed Randy and Celeste in a tight hug as they walked to the outdoor barn area where the photoshoots were taking place. It was a late wedding, so by the time it was over, it was already 9pm, and the dark sky brought a chill over the wedding party. The wedding itself was held in a small chapel, just big enough to fit 104 of their closest friends and family, while the reception was a barn, a redecorated barn, that was often used for weddings or big parties, another one stood as a place to take some indoor pictures, everything was decorated in a tasteful southern style, and Sofia loved it, the bright flowers bringing Spring inside, despite the late chill that was still hanging in the air. Celeste looked absolutely flawless in a sweetheart neckline, mermaid style dress, that showed off her long thin frame, at 5'8ft she stood eye to eye with Randy in her high as hell heels, her green eyes were bright with happiness as she hugged her new mother in law, the thin flower crown on her head was absolutely beautiful in Sofia's opinion, she looked like a fairy, a very happy fairy. She and Randy have been dating for so long, there was no awkwardness with the new in laws, they have been joining Christmas and every other big holiday or birthday for the last maybe 7 years, already part of a big family. Sofia politely waited her turn to congratulate the happy couple, before the photographer started with his pictures, the rest of the wedding party already in the next barn to enjoy some drinks while they waited for the families to finish with the photo's. It took about an hour, and by the end of it, Sofia's cheeks were hurting from smiling at the 2000 pictures it felt like being taken, before they were allowed to join the party that was already in full swing. "Ladies and Gentleman, for the first time, Mr. And Mrs. Randy Chalmers!" The hired DJ boated over the speakers as everyone turned, applause rang loud as the blushing bride and handsome groom walked inside, hand in hand, with identical bright smiles, happiness radiated off them like a light from somewhere within, and love was written all over their faces as Randy lead Celeste onto the dancefloor for their official first dance.

"God, I need a drink!" Sofia laughed, moving away from the group of dancing girls, which included Hailey, Celeste, Celeste's sister Christine, and a few of Celeste's friends, who Sofia didn't know too well. At 2am, the party was still in full swing with the younger generation, most of the parents and grandparents already calling it a night, but Sofia didn't care much, they were having a great time. She always had a good time when she was home. The feeling of family was always a comforting blanket, Sofia liked tugging around her shoulders, even if it included the squeals of young children who spent their time running around the barn, or the drama that came with a wedding, when Celeste misplaced her shoes. She would hardly replace the chaos with anything else. She knew Dimitry got dragged into a small house party, which he was not too thrilled about, he spent 20 minutes complaining about it when she called him earlier, but she still grabbed her phone to check for messages from him. She had one full day left here at home, before she'd be flying back to LA on Monday, and she was sad to leave, but excited to see him again, since he was working, he couldn't pick her up, but that didn't matter, she was going to his house for the night, needing to see him. Missing someone like this wasn't something she was used to, but she didn't mind it too much, knowing she'd be with him soon enough. She knew a month didn't mean much in the great scheme of things, but she also couldn't deny that it has been a good month, a really good month since she met him. Being with him wasn't like it was with other boys she has had a crush on, it felt different, it felt like more, and although it scared her a bit, she was also excited to see where things went with him. She knew her feelings ran deep, and she didn't mind. He cared for her, she knew he did. You could see it clearly, she just wasn't sure how much he cared. A text from an unknown number caught her attention as she opened the chat, waiting for the image the person sent to load, and when it did, she could feel her heart sinking into her stomach. People were scattered around Dimitry's house, red solo cups in hand, some clearly dancing to the music playing, but what caught her attention, was Dimitry and Rebecca half way up the stairs, his arm wrapped securely around her tall frame, only the side of her face was visible, but the brightness of her smile was undeniable. Sofia felt a hand reaching into her chest as squeezing with all it's might as her hands started shaking while she studied every inch of the picture, willing it to disappear before her eyes and take the ill feelings it brought with. She knew Dimitry had a bit of a reputation with girls, but she thought he might have left it behind when they started hanging out, so seeing this, actually broke her little heart. A heart she didn't like playing with. She would have never allowed herself to fall for him, if he had given her any indication that he was messing around with other girls, she had more self respect than that. She would have been fine with the tumble between the sheets for one night, then moving on with her life, it would have been that. But he made her want more, made her feel like he wanted more, and for god's sake, they haven't even had sex yet, they have went on fates, had fun, but never got more than that. She waited for him to make the move, and he seemed in no rush. She thought it might be different with her. But seeing this felt like a rude awakening to the harsh reality. She has been living in a little dream world with Dimitry, and it was only a matter of time before something came crashing down on her. "Hey? You okay?" Sofia looked up when Jason placed a hand on her arm, and she offered him a small smile. "Yeah, but I think I'm going to turn in." "Do you want me walk you up?" "I'll be fine, thanks though." Sofia offered him a smile, placing a kiss on his cheek when he leaned down for it. She knew the worry didn't leave his eyes, but she was not in the mood right now, all she wanted was a bed. So she grabbed her thick coat, before shrugging it on, and making a quick escape through the side door of the barn so she didn't have to answer anyone's questions. Her heart felt heavy as she walked to the big house they rented on the property where everyone got ready earlier, and where their immediate families were staying the night, the fire cracking in the main room, helped Sofia thaw off the frost of the cold walk, her hands felt numb, and so did her feet that were still clad in the cute heels Celeste wanted the girls to wear, but she didn't care much as she walked past the warm room right up the wooden staircase that was tastefully decorated with selected flowers on the rails, that matched perfectly with Celeste and Randy's floral wedding theme. Sofia sniffed back softly, trying not to let a tear slip past as she quietly creeped up the stairs to the bedroom she was staying in, doing her best not to wake the people who already turned in for the night. "You will not cry over a stupid man Sofia." She repeated the words to herself like a mantra, as she let the light mint coloured bridesmaid's dress fall to the ground, along with her jacket and her shoes, before she pulled on a pair of warm pyjamas, deciding to take a shower tomorrow morning, she all but fell onto the soft bed, where a single tear crept over her cheek, which she angrily wiped away, shutting her eyes tightly as a restless sleep pulls her under.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Hailey asks, placing a hand on Sofia's arm, which quickly gets shrugged off as Sofia adjusts her bag. "I'm fine." Hailey pinched her lips to the side, but didn't comment further, ever since Randy's wedding, where Sofia just disappeared from, she has been a grumpy version of herself, barely talking to Hailey or anyone else, she spent most of her time either reading or sleeping. Hailey guessed it had something to do with Dimitry, since they have been back in LA for two days, and she hasn't seen him around, nor has Sofia mentioned his name, but when Hailey brought it up, she received a scalding glare that shut her up quickly. Her dislike with conflict didn't just stay with strangers, she hated it every where in her life. She also knew that if Sofia wanted to talk about it, she would have brought it up already, and since she didn't, Hailey figured she'd let it be. "Excuse me." Sofia stated, suddenly turning into the bathroom, leaving Hailey standing in the crowded hallway, not quite sure how to help her friend. Sofia had no desire to talk to anyone about the text she got, she was just going to move on with her life, and hoped everyone did the same. It's not like she and Dimitry were actually officially dating, so she had no right to act like she got cheated on, no matter how much it felt like that. She locked the bathroom stall, and lowered the toilet seat with her foot, before sitting down, resting her elbows on her knees and burring her face into her hands when she felt her heart rate spike at the thought of Dimitry with Rebecca, as she wrinkled her nose at the fruity scent that always seemed to hang in girl's bathrooms. Rebecca is a whore. Sofia couldn't help the smirk that spread over her lips when she read that on the back of the bathroom stall, scrawled in black sharpie. Clearly, Sofia isn't the only one Rebecca pissed off. Sofia's eyes darted over the walls, messy scribbles, bored girls mostly. Who the fuck is Raven? One girl wrote on the wall and Sofia bit back a grin as she followed what looked to be a conversation over time, from the different handwritings, it was clear more than one girl gave her an answer. I heard she smacked Dimitry Steele! OMFG! Girls. Sofia thought with a smile as she scanned through the many comments, ranging from her encounter with Brody to her relationship with Jason. "Oh my god! You are such a whore!" A high pitched laughing voice suddenly stormed into the bathroom, followed by the sound of heels clinking against the ground. "I had him first, I told you it was only a matter of time before he left that deaf bitch for me." Sofia's hand clamped over her mouth at Rebecca's voice as she sat deadly still, listening in on their air head conversations. "Owen said he is in love with her, I am surprised he took you to bed." Stacy, always confused, muttered softly. "Well, I did wake up in his bed didn't I?" Sofia could hear the smugness in Rebecca's voice and it made her skin itch with irritation. "We all knew she wasn't good enough for him." Annabelle stated, causing the three girls to laugh, but they stop when Sofia flushed her toilet, her hands shaking with anger as she swung the door open, revealing the three girls, Stacy had wide eyes, while Rebecca looked smug and Annabelle just stared on, Sofia had a thought that when pushed Annabelle's temper would shock, she was just too calm in Sofia's eyes. "Oh, we were just talking about you." Rebecca mused with a smirk causing Sofia to nod, her own face calm, as she stood on front of the three girls. "You know, I figured you were a bitch with no moral standards, but I didn't expect you to be a cheap whore as well." Sofia stated, causing Rebecca's smile to drop as Stacy gasped. "You're just jealous because he choose me." "He didn't choose you, he fucked you. Which makes you a whore, since you knew he was with me." "You just can't admit that I won." Rebecca sneered and Sofia scoffed. "Won what? Dimitry? You just proved he was untrustworthy, all you won is the achievement of upping the level of whore you were already standing on. I sincerely hope he screws you over big time." Sofia muttered before walking past the three shocked girls and out of the bathroom.