One Plus One

Chapter Sixty-Five

"Lily, please be subtle. You know I'm not the overly made up type."

"Trust me, Marl. Ok?"

I nodded. Lily had spread out all the make up and hair supplies she needed to do me up for Brody's party. She was overly excited as I let her loose on my face to do as she pleased. I was praying she'd do as I'd asked.

After half an hour of Lily prodding at my face with any number of cosmetics, and tugging at my hair, she stepped back to admire her creation.

"I am very proud of myself I must say."

I began to spin around in the chair but she stopped me.

"No, not yet. You are not looking until you're completely ready."

"Lils, please." I begged.

"Marlie Eliza Rhodes, you will do as you're told." she playfully scolded.

I grunted in defeat as she stopped me turning for the third time. I was hauled to my feet and shoved into the bathroom to slip into my dress. I suddenly became nervous when I stepped out again. Lily didn't say anything. She just stared.

"I look terrible, don't I?"

"No, Marlie. You look...amazing."

Lily took a step to the side, out of the way of the mirror and allowed me to see myself for the first time. I gasped as I stared at the girl staring back at me. She didn't look like me. She was so beautiful. It couldn't be me. My hair was all swept up from my face. Natural and classy make up. Nothing too over the top. There was a glow to my skin. The way the dress sat on my figure made me feel a million dollars.

"Harry is one lucky boy. Now lets get you to him."

*****

Brody had rented the upstairs of Carly's house for the party. The last time I had set foot in the place was when everything with Harry and I really began to spark. So much had happened since then.

The bouncers slid open the double doors, Lily and I both flinching backwards as the volume of the music hit us. Considering the party had only just begun, there were plenty of people, most of them still strangers to me. I scanned the room looking for my curly haired boyfriend and spotted him, standing against the bar with Brody. His back was to me so I happily waltzed over and cleared my throat behind him. He slowly turned on his barstool and almost fell off if.

"Hi." I giggled, blushing at his gaze.

"You look so beautiful."

"Harry."

I dropped my gaze to the floor, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"You do. You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

I grasped his neck and pulled him down to me, uniting our lips in a loving kiss. He wasted no time in returning it, despite the tuts and grunts coming from his friends behind us.

"Get a room." Brody shouted.

"Oh I have one for later." Harry whispered in my ear, showing me the hotel room key in his pocket. "In fact, maybe you should keep hold of this. I don't want to lose it."

I took the key card from him and slid it into my clutch, Harry not being able to stop peppering kisses down my neck. I batted him away, asking him to get me a drink before dragging Lily towards the dance floor.

"You are so getting laid." Lily spoke over the pounding music.

"I know. Look." I said excitedly showing her the hotel room key in my clutch.

"Oh my god."

The pair of us began giggling like school children in the middle of the dance floor. We had hardly spent five minutes dancing together until Danny had floated his way over and begun to stick his tongue down her throat. Instead of lingering like a third wheel, I made my way back over to Harry at the bar, discovering that the drinking bet we had made a week previous had suddenly become a reality.

"You ready for this?" Brody asked.

"Of course I am."

I had figured out a plan. I was in no way ready to get paralytically drunk in such a short period of time, so every time my round came, I wouldn't get the vodka and coke I'd usually indulge in, it would be minus the alcohol.

Almost an hour later and the plan was working well. The boys were beginning to slur but I was still completely in control.

"Alright there boys? Feeling a bit tipsy?"

"No, we're fine. What about you?"

"You'll have to do better than this to get me drunk."

Another round of drinks was brought over and I was dragged off to the dance floor. Lily had finally unlatched from Danny and was annoyingly sober as a Pope.

"You need to get some alcohol down you."

"Oh trust me, after this, I plan on not being able to see straight."

HARRY'S POV

I couldn't understand it. The first time we had been here, Marlie was so easily drunk, I had to carry her home and she couldn't remember half the night. But now, she wasn't even close and if anything, she'd had more to drink than on that night. Nevertheless, I knocked back another shot and then stood to go and find the bathroom.

I pushed my way through the people filling the top floor of the house until I found the entrance, knowing the bathroom was just down the hallway. As I reached the doorway, I saw a female figure I recognised, but failed to believe that it was really her. It was my tipsy mind playing tricks on me as it had done so many times before.

She came into the light and then I knew she wasn't a figure of my imagination. Laura was here and I knew exactly who's doing it was. That little bastard.

I rushed down the hallway hoping to keep out of her sight. I slipped into the first room I came to, Carly's bedroom by the look of it, and sat down, raking my fingers through my curls.

Why would Brody invite her knowing the past? After everything that had happened, he'd brought her back.

BRODY'S POV

I could just about make her out in the crowd and I couldn't stop the smile on my face. Harry was in for it tonight. After tonight, everything would go back to the way it used to be.

"Laura, my girl." I greeted her.

"Brody."

"You still going through with this?"

"Yes. I've just seem him and his face paled. It's going to be hard."

"But you know he won't be able to resist. You two are deep rooted."

"Where's his girlfriend?" she asked, scanning the room.

"That one there, in the white. Don't worry, I'll make sure she sees."

"Well, here goes nothing."

Laura took a deep breath before turning in the direction I assumed she saw Harry take off in. Now all I had to figure out was now to get Marlie to walk in on them at the right time.