Green Eyed Daydream #Wattys2016

Chapter 40

Carrie's POV

Kenneth's face is ruddy, his forehead is beaded with sweat, and when his eyes lock with mine, he actually says, "Oh, fuck."

Leona, grips me harder with her hand, and shakes my arm, "Carrie, please...please, I beg you, don't make a scene. Not here. It's my wedding," she pleads, not realizing that her argument is making this far worse than it already is.

"Yes, exactly, Leona, it's your bloody wedding!" I whisper yell at her. "What in the hell is wrong with you? With both of you?!" I am so angry, and mortified, I can barely see straight.

Kenneth approaches me, and I actually recoil from him, with a disgusted look on my face.

"How could you do this? Again! I suppose you never even stopped. But on this of all days!" I yell at him, this time unable to keep my voice down.

"Carrie, these things are complicated, okay... look, there isn't anything I can say to you right now to justify it, I know that. All I ask is that you don't ruin Leona's day," he practically begs.

"Me ruin her day? How about you ruining her life? Or you, Leona, ruining your husband's life? Yeah, remember Derek? He's the guy you just swore to be faithful to in front of 200 people."

Leona begins to cry, and Kenneth takes her into his embrace, comforting her.

"Look, I am not the bad guy here. And I hate that I've been put in the middle of this...situation, but you two need to figure this out and get your shit together. Right now, you're both being selfish. And this wedding, it's a charade. You've made a sham of the whole thing, and you're both just sick."

I can't hold my emotions in anymore, and I feel like crying myself. Looking at their guilty faces makes me feel nauseated, so I just walk away.

I take the elevator back upstairs, fully prepared to flee this hotel, and get as far away from all things wedding as fast as possible. People like Kenneth and Leona are the reason why Tyler has such a jaded, cynical outlook on marriage. Maybe romance is dead, and happily ever after is only found in books and movies. Real life is full of much more mirky things, like lies, and betrayal, and hurt.

Finally, I make it to our table, where Tyler looks like he's bored out of his mind.

"Hey, you were gone for a while...I was getting a little worried. I hope I didn't upset you with what I said, that really wasn't my intention..."

"I want to get out of here," I tell him, and down what's left of Tyler's champagne, nearly choking on the fizzy alcohol.

"Whoa, careful...what's the rush?" he asks me, patting my back.

"What do you care? You don't even like weddings."

"Hey, if you're ready, just give me a minute and I'll get the valet to pull the car around. Stay here, it's warmer than in the lobby, and I'll text you when it's time," he says, kisses the top of my head, and leaves me at the table.

I sit alone at the table, watching as most couples are dancing to some 80s hits, but I am hardly in a celebratory mood. Suddenly, Kenneth sits down next to me.

"Carrie, I know you don't want to talk to me right now, but Leona is really worried that you might say something to Derek, or to someone else... Please promise you won't tell anyone," he says in a whisper.

"I haven't said anything, and I won't," I tell him. "It's not my place...but one of you should."

Kenneth scoots his chair as close to mine as possible, leans in, and whispers.