“Allie, you know I love you…but if you want me to be able to help you pick a dress for Sara’s wedding then you’re going to have to hurry up! My flight leaves in less than three hours.” Ross called. You groaned as you struggled to pull yet another dress over your head. You zipped it up & poked your head out of the dressing room door; he was leaning against the wall, staring at his phone. He looked up when he heard the door open. “Lemme see.” He said eagerly, slipping his phone back into his pocket. You stepped out and twirled around, showing off a black & white polka-dotted dress. He stared thoughtfully at you for a few moments. “It’s nice…but I don’t think this one really screams ‘wedding’.” He commented. You groaned, sinking down onto one of the couches. “That’s it…I give up. I’m never going to find anything to wear! We’ve been here for two hours.” You buried your face in your hands. You felt Ross sit down on the couch next to you. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders and pulled you closer to him. “Allie relax. You’ll find a dress. You know what…stay here.” He quickly stood up and made his way out of the dressing room. He returned several minutes later holding a cobalt blue dress. “I saw this one when we walked in.” he said, holding the dress out to you. You stood up and eyed it thoughtfully; it was perfect. “Ross it’s gorgeous! Why didn’t you say anything before??” you demanded. You quickly took the dress from him and skipped back into your dressing room. “Well you didn’t pick it up so I just assumed you didn’t like it.” He said defensively. You slipped it over your head and turned around to face the mirror; you gasped. It was exactly what you had been looking for all along. It was light and breezy, perfect for a late-summer wedding. But it was still classy and elegant. The deep blue color really popped against your skin. And the neckline was so unique, just like you. You threw the door open and stepped out, beaming. Ross looked up from his phone and grinned. “I knew it. You look absolutely beautiful babe.” He crossed the room and quickly pecked your cheek. “I hate to run off and leave, but I can’t miss my flight. I’ll see you next week for the wedding, alright?” You nodded, wrapping your arms around his waist. He wrapped his arms around you as well and pulled you into his chest. “I love you.” You said quietly. He kissed the top of your head. “I love you too.”
**one week later**
You sat eagerly in your living room, waiting for Ross to arrive. He had been in Europe for the past week; today he was coming home to escort you to the wedding. Sara was one of your best friends; you couldn’t be late. “Come on Ross.” You mumbled, looking down at your phone. It was 6:15; the wedding started in 45 minutes. You stood up and walked over to the door, throwing it open. You quickly ducked out of the way when a fist came flying at your face. A very stunned Ross was standing on your doorstep. “Holy crap Allie, I was about to knock!” he laughed, stepping inside. He quickly pecked your forehead. You frowned. “I haven’t seen you in a week and that’s all I get?” you asked, pouting. Ross half-smiled down at you. You immediately noticed the dark circles under his eyes. “Whoa…what’s wrong?” you asked, suddenly concerned. He shook his head. “Nothing. I’ve just been feeling a little sick for the past few days. But I’m fine. You ready to go?” he asked, extending his arm. You eyed him suspiciously; he certainly didn’t look ‘fine’. But you decided to let it go. You laced your arm through his and followed him out to his car.
**
“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride!” the minister announced. You clapped excitedly as you watched Sara kiss her new husband, wiping away a few tears that had escaped. “That was beautiful!” you gushed. You looked over at Ross. He was staring blankly ahead; he looked even worse than he did early. His face was extremely pale. You reached over and took his hand in yours. It was ice-cold. “Ross you are not okay!” you whispered. He nodded lifelessly. “I know.” He croaked. You stared at him incredulously as you reached up and placed your hand on his forehead. “You’re burning up! Ross you’re sick…why didn’t you just stay with your mom?” you asked. He shook his head. “No way, I wasn’t going to let you down. You’ve been excited for months about Sara’s wedding; I wasn’t about to leave you dateless.” You rolled your eyes. “Ross you are SICK. I would have understood! You need to rest.” He shook his head again. “Allie it’s only another hour or so. I’ll be fine.” He forced a weak smile. You sighed; once Ross set his mind to do something, there really wasn’t any arguing with him. “If you say so.” You mumbled. The two of you stood up and exited the church, following the crowd down the sidewalk to where the reception was being held.
**
An hour or so into the reception, you sat beside Ross at one of the many round tables in the room. You smiled as you watched Sara and her new husband Jason cut their cake. “They’re so sweet.” You smiled, resting your hand on Ross’s knee. You looked over to see how he was holding up; he had his head down on the table. “Ross?” you whispered again. You shook him lightly; he was passed out. You gently brushed his blonde hair away from his eyes. “Oh my GOSH! Is that Ross Lynch??” A female voice shrieked from behind you. You whirled around to face the young teenage girl standing directly behind you. “Um, yeah but he’s not really-” She shrieked again, cutting you off. “Oh my gosh I am the biggest R5 fan!! Do you think I could get his autograph?!” she asked excitedly. You hesitated; Ross really wasn’t feeling well right now, but you knew how much he loved his fans. You shook his shoulder gently. “Ross.” You whispered. He immediately sat up. “Oh crap, did I fall asleep?” he mumbled. You nodded. “Babe there’s somebody-” “OH MY GOD ROSS!” the girl squealed, rather loudly, in your ear. Ross forced a weak smile. “Hey there love, have something for me to sign?” he asked. She nodded enthusiastically, handing him a napkin and a Sharpie. He quickly signed it and handed it back to her. “I would take a picture with you but I kind of look like crap right now.” He said weakly. She nodded, smiling understandingly. “I can see that.” She said. A look of regret instantly crossed her features. “Oh my gosh I didn’t mean it like that!” she said quickly. You and Ross both laughed. “No, trust me. He looks like crap.” You joked. He stuck his tongue out at you playfully and turned back to the girl. “So how about instead of taking a picture with you now I offer you two tickets to our show here when we come in January? And meet & greet passes.” Her jaw dropped. “Seriously?!” she shrieked. He nodded. “Absolutely. Let me get your number, I’ll have our manager contact you and send you the tickets.” She wordlessly wrote down her number on another napkin and handed it to Ross. “Thank you.” She whispered; she looked as though she were on the verge of tears. You smiled. You loved watching all five members of R5 interact with their fans, not just Ross. They truly loved the R5 Family as much as they said they did. He nodded, standing up. “Anytime. Now gimme a hug.” He said, extending his arms toward her. After she shrieked a few more times and walked off, you turned to face Ross. “You’re pretty amazing, you know that?” you said quietly. He smirked playfully. “I know.” He replied, leaning towards you for a kiss. You quickly ducked out of the way. “Babe, I love you but you’re still sick.” You said, keeping your distance. He pouted. “Fair enough.” He mumbled. You stood up and extended your hand towards him. “Come on, let’s say bye to Sara and go. I think someone could use a little TLC tonight.” He smiled and stood up, taking your hand. He kissed your forehead before following you over to the bride’s table, then out the door to your car.
