I do, I don't [under major editing]

n i n e

The moment Ryan's father parked outside the restaurant, his stomach lurched. Sweat glistened his palms. This was the restaurant he never wanted to visit ever again. This was where it all happened. This was where the lies unfolded about Kyle and Tarynn.

"Dad,why are we eating at this restaurant?" Ryan could hear the bitterness in his voice as he hissed out his question. His heart felt a little tighter, beating faster than usual.
"You know I don't like this place."

Ryan's mother turned around from her seat, giving him an apologetic look. "Sorry honey, but your dad already booked a table for us. I guess he forgot." Luci reached out to pat her son on the knee.

"Oh come on, Ryan!" Wendell grinned at him through the rearview mirror. "I'm sure tonight won't be that bad, because we have a surprise for you." He hopped out of the car, and gestured that he should get out as well.

When they arrived at the table reserved for them, he saw that Arden's family were already seated. His heart dropped like he was on a rollercoaster, as he remembered what accidentally slipped out of his mouth the other day at Starbucks.
Ryan took his place in between an empty chair and his mother, while his father sat on the other side of his mother. As they greeted Arden's parents, Ryan felt a mix of different emotions ranging from nervous to depressed. Ryan glanced at the seat reserved for his brother.

Ryan over at Arden who was sitting across him ignoring his presence. He bit his lip, and fiddled with his fingers, looking around the restaurant to find something to distract him. He knew the reason why Arden was ignoring him.

Ryan watched as a happy couple sat two tables down away from them, and Ryan wondered when he would have something like that. A relationship where he would be happy and not be worried about his girlfriend cheating on him. A little toddler burped and giggled at Ryan's direction, and for the first time in days he smiled.

A phone rang, and it came from Ryan's mother. He looked at her, and suddenly her smile turned into a frown.

"What's wrong, mum?" He whispered.

"Your brother can't make it tonight." She announced, sighing. From the corner of his eye Ryan could see Arden shift in her seat, looking a bit annoyed.

"Well since he's not coming, should we order?" Wendell took his menu and flipped through it. He mumbled out some of the dishes that he could not even pronounce.
Everyone on the table flipped through their menus, except Arden who was quietly tapping away on her phone.

"Arden." Her mother hissed through her teeth, wearing a fake smile. "No phones at the table. Show some manners, please." Arden rolled her eyes, but obediently placed her phone back down on her lap. She hadn't glanced once towards Ryan's direction.

"What are you ordering?" Arden's father turned his head to face her.

"I'm not hungry." She mumbled.

"Get her some pasta, honey." Arden's mother said, not glancing up from her menu.

A petite, pretty waitress came to take their order, gracefully pouring them all a glass of red wine. Arden grabbed her glass and took a swig from it, nearly choking from the unexpected sweetness.

"Take it easy, there." Ryan joked, trying to lighten up the mood a bit. He attempted to give her a friendly smile, and for the first time that night she looked at Ryan . She took a few seconds to scan him, and Ryan could feel his cheeks burn. Questions were wuickly firing in his head, but Arden did not to reply to him.

After their food was placed down on the table, everyone dug into their dinner and instantly the parents had a conversation, excluding Arden and Ryam. Arden hadn't taken a bite out of her dinner, instead she poked at her pasta with a fork.

"Take a photo, why don't you?" Arden snapped at him. "It'll last longer!"

He wanted to disappear at that moment -- how could be so stupid to stare like that? He quietly began to stab a carrot on his plate, trying to let the moment pass.
The parents stopped their conversation for a brief moment, to look at Arden.

"Sorry." Arden mumbled, continuing to poke at her pasta.

*

Ryan wanted to curl up into a ball under his blankets and never get out again after a torturing time at the dinner table. He sucked his cheeks as the parents decided to exchang embarrassing stories about Ryan and Arden. He swirled the melted ice cream with a teaspoon, trying to drain out the blabber. After the parents had their laugh, Arden's father cleared his throat and smiled at everyone around the table.

"As you know, Wendell and I have been friends since high school." Both the fathers turned to each other to give each other a secretive grin.

"Yeah, so?" Arden urged, getting impatient.

"Well, they both have an amazing surprise!" Arden's mother clapped her hands. Luci clapped along with her in the same giddiness.

"Just get to the point please." Ryan muttered. Arden played with her glass of wine, gently swishing it around. She took a sip, just as Ryan's mother announced the surprise.

"Arden, this is Ryan your fiancé."

Ryan's first thought was to protest, but instead, his mouth decided to begin coughing up his words into jumbled noises. Arden had the same reaction as well, her wine glass shook as she tried to stop. He was too stunned to do or say anything. All he could think about was how worse his relationship with Kyle would become once he found out he was getting married to his girlfriend.

~

n/ I know ive been MIA for like 3-4 weeks now, and i apologise. :( but i swear im updating this story again soon i had a writer's block ... :((((