*on hold* Until Callan moved in next door, Presley was one hundred percent, completely fine with how her life was turning out.
She never regretted dropping out of college or wasting her days working in a diner for minimum wage. Boredom never plagued...
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Nick was a hard person to say no to. He'd flash one smile, and I'd give in to whatever crazy idea he had up his sleeve. He was always the one to try something new, to test the waters, tempt fate - and as his best friend, I was along for the ride.
Like in grade four when he'd dared me to jump from the highest point of the playground equipment, earning me a broken arm. Or the time we'd snuck into his neighbor's pool for a midnight swim, only to get caught and grounded for what felt like a century.
In grade ten, he'd convinced me to submit my art to a contest, even though I thought I'd never be good enough to win. And when I did win - first place - we celebrated by skipping school in favor of a movie marathon in his basement.
Some people (my mother) would say he was a bad influence, but I saw things differently. He made me brave. He made me want to try new things and put myself out there.
So, on my twenty-first birthday when Nick told me to put on my favorite dress and be ready by five, I didn't question him. I wore the red dress with the plunging neckline, the one I bought with my hard earned waitressing tips. And it was totally worth it to get his reaction... I loved watching his blue eyes take me in from head to toe. His cheeks flushed, his voice grew gravelly as he said hello, opening the passenger door to his worn out truck and helping me inside. His hands trembled, careful not to linger on the small of my waist for too long.
Nick had always been courageous, except when it came to me.
We drove in silence, a hum of excitement in the air, anticipation of what was to come next. When we pulled up outside a fancy hotel on 17th street, I shot him a questioning glance.
"Trust me,"was all he said - all he needed to say.
I followed him inside, careful not to trip in the sky high heels I really should have practiced walking in beforehand. Quickly, I realized we were about to enter a large banquet hall.
"I didn't know you were invited to a wedding," I said, my eyes scanning over the rustic sign that read Welcome to our happily ever after - Sarah and Oliver.
Smirking, he said, "I wasn't. But look, there's an open bar, and you're finally legal."
My palms suddenly felt sweaty, my heartbeat accelerated at the realization that he wanted to crash the wedding. "But what if we get caught?" I asked him.
"We won't."
And we didn't.
To this day, I still wasn't sure how we managed to avoid the happy couple or how Nick convinced the other guests he was a second cousin to the groom. But that was Nick for you - always charming, always the life of the party. No one batted an eye at us all night. Granted, we were only two of about four hundred guests, so it was easy enough to go unnoticed.
We drank to our hearts content, ate a delicious plated dinner at a table filled with friendly strangers, and danced the night away. Each cocktail cut away our inhibitions, each slow song bringing us closer and closer until the space between us was non-existent. I desperately wanted him to kiss me.
