fake it til you make it | greta van fleet

a family affair | three

THIS PART CONTAINS EXPLICIT SMUT.

The next morning, after only sleeping for what you had to guess was roughly an hour at the most, you stealthily crept out from under Jake's still snoring form and gathered your things. The ceremony was due to begin at noon, which meant that the bridal party was expected to gather in the bridal suite at seven to begin getting ready together. You weren't exactly looking forward to the reprimand you were sure to receive from Penny in regards to the heavy bags under your eyes.

You were just thankful that a professional makeup artist was being paid to fix the mess that had become your face. Your dress was already waiting for you in the suite, a long plum number with a silky train that would be a nightmare to avoid stepping on, and you were only responsible for dragging your shoes and toiletries down the hall. Penny was already in a chair with curlers in her hair, thick rolls protruding from her skull, and a weird bag contraption funneling the hot air from a blow dryer over them.

She took one look at you, and smirked, "Long night, sis?"

"You have no idea." you groaned, dropping your things on the floor beside the sofa before falling onto it. It wasn't until she giggled and the other bridesmaids smirked that you realized your mistake, and your face screwed up as you sputtered, "Not like that, you sicko! I just couldn't sleep, I slept the entire drive to the hotel."

Penny hummed, nodding with a devious smile that told you she didn't believe a word you were saying whatsoever. "Go shower, you're up next for hair once I'm done." she demanded and immediately turned her attention back to the magazine in her lap to signify that you had no choice in the matter.

You barely spent any time in the shower, the water barely running above room temperature, and you were shivering as you wrapped yourself up in the hotel-branded robe that hung on the back of the door. Penny had migrated to the makeup chair at some point during your shower, and you were shoved into the vacated seat beside her before you could even blink. Immediately hands were pulling at your hair, and you tried not to hiss as the stylist began to work through it.

Taking advantage of the hostage situation, like the terrorist that she was, Penny stared you down intensely as she asked, "So, aren't you gonna give me the dirt on you and Jake?"

"What do you want to know?" you sighed, and pointedly ignored the look of incredulity on her face.

She huffed, pursing her lips as she demanded, "Everything? When did it happen? Who made the move? Come on, sis, don't act like you haven't been waiting for this forever. God, what has gotten into you?"

There was a long moment of silence during which you tried your best to keep your temper in check. She didn't know that none of it was real, you reminded yourself, she didn't know that your feelings were still entirely one-sided and you couldn't blame her for being so confused by your attitude. You should have been excited, gushing to her liked you'd dreamed of doing for years, and you probably would have been–if any of it were true.

Unclenching your jaw with a heavy exhale, you let a smile slip across your lips as you started to explain, "I'm pretty sure you know that there's always been something there, with Jake. I've known it since I was, I don't know, thirteen? Maybe earlier, but the first time I remember really thinking I loved him was at thirteen."

Penny was grinning excitedly, and the more you spoke the easier the words came to you. You grew a little happier as you continued, "I don't think either one of us really made a move, but if I had to say then I guess it was me. It just kinda... happened. One day we were friends, and the next we were something else. I just know I've never loved anyone the way I love him, Penny, I love him so much it hurts."