In this life

Chapter 32

The music had kicked up a notch and now the DJ was playing something with a good beat to encourage people to stay on the dance floor.
"Shall we get a drink?" Daniel asked me.
"Yep, ok" I started to happily make my way back to the bar.
"Oh no you don't!" Ronnie rushed to me and grabbed my arms, pulling me back to the floor, with a huge smile.
I looked to Daniel and he held his hands up to indicate I was on my own and retreated to the bar. I laughed and turned to join in with Ronnie.
"The romantics are over now, it party time. Party time is Ronnie / Rosie time!" She slurred, bouncing to the beat. I chuckled to myself thinking she'd obviously made the most of the free alcohol all day, I was glad she was enjoying herself. I felt bad that I'd hardly spent time with her, other than during the meal. But it made me feel better knowing she had been my best friend for so long that she felt my family were her family and was comfortable in their company, with or without me by her side.
I stayed and danced for three songs with her and then we decided to get a drink. We walked over to where Daniel was. He, Harry and Johnny were all sharing a joke and laughing together. The sight of them made me extremely happy.
"Here she is!" Johnny said as I approached, making me think they had been talking about me. He put his arm around me "My baby sister that has finally found herself a man!"
I rolled my eyes and smiled at Daniel.
"What have you lot been talking about?"
"You of course" Johnny squeezed me into him.
"Sounds worrying" I grimaced
"All good things, all good" he assured me. Somehow I didn't quite believe him.
Daniel passed me a glass of Prosecco with a cheeky smile and reached another for Ronnie, who was stood next to me. She took it from him and said thank you.
"So who's next out of you too then?" Johnny looked between me and Harry.
"Next for what?" Harry asked "To get married?"
"Yeah"
Harry and I looked at each other,
"You are!" We said in unison and laughed.
"Come on" said Johnny to Harry "it's got to be you. You and Claire have been together a while now, Rosie's only just met this poor fellow" he playfully slapped Daniel on the back. Daniel winked at me.
"Where is Claire?" I asked, noticing I hadn't seen her for a while.
"She had to go in to work, she was on call from six o'clock" Harry explained.
Claire was a junior doctor at the hospital and spent more time at work than not. "Which means I'm making the most of Mum and Dad's generosity and getting my beer on!" He held his glass up.
"And where is your wife?" I smiled at Johnny.
"My Wife" he repeated the words, "has gone for a sit down indoors" he checked no one was in earshot that shouldn't be "she's feeling a bit queazy again" he gave me a look to explain it was morning sickness.
"I've been ordered to stay out here so people don't suspect anything" he rolled his eyes "but I'll check on her again in a bit"
"Ok, well I'm happy to take it in turns to check she's ok, I'm her bridesmaid after all" I twirled in my beautiful dress.
Ronnie's favourite song started to play and she put her drink down on the bar between Daniel and Harry, grabbing their hands as she stepped back, pulling them to the dance floor.
"Come on!" She smiled at me and I nodded, purposely not saving Daniel from her grasp.
"You coming?" I asked Johnny, setting my glass down.
"Of course" he nodded "But first, he held my shoulder "I just wanted to ask you something"
"Oh?"
"Are you safe with him?" His question caught me off guard.
"Yes... Why?"
He paused "Liam said he doesn't get a good vibe from Daniel. I mean I've always thought he's alright, but Liam's adamant" he explained.
I didn't know whether Liam had told Johnny too or not. I assumed not.
"I love him Johnny" I shrugged "And he loves me"
"Yeah, I can see that and I'm happy for you. Genuinely. But..."
"Johnny, because I trust you, I'll tell you everything. But just for now, know that, yes. I am safe and I'm happy"
"Ok" he nodded. Trusting my instincts of Daniel, and we went to join the others.

We danced and drank the rest of the night away. Occasionally chatting to various people. Johnny and I did take it in turns to check all was ok with Emily. I was just on my way in there when I was distracted by two drunk mothers in the kitchen.
"Rosie...." I heard my name whispered from nowhere followed by giggles, "Shhh...down here"
I looked around the far side of the island, "Mum? Liz?" I laughed "what are you-?"
"Shhh!" Mum nearly poked herself in the eye instead of putting her finger to her lips to shush me.
"Dear god!" I giggled as they pulled me down to hide with them "who are you hiding from?"
"The Dad's" Liz answered, her boozey breath in my face.
"Why?" This was too weird for words.
"They're trying to find us" Mum answered.
"Right..... Well, ok then" I stood up carefully, feeling a little tipsy myself.
"Don't tell them where we are" breathed Liz.
"Sure, ok" I shook my head, laughing at the bizarre, drunken game on hide and seek that was going on.
I was still giggling to myself in disbelief as I knocked on Emily's bedroom door, quietly so I didn't wake her if she was asleep.
"Hello?" She signalled it was ok to enter. I opened the door.
"Eleven-thirty check up" I smiled "how you feeling?"
"Depressed"
I walked over and sat on her bed next to her. "Do you want to know something weird?" I thought I'd try and cheer her up.
She nodded.
"Our mums and dads are playing hide and seek around the house!"
"What?"
"Yep" I laughed and told her about our mums in the kitchen.
"Where are our Dads?" She chuckled.
"Fuck knows, but it's weird right?"
"Definitely"
"They're so pissed!"
"Well I'm glad they're having fun" she said, almost sad.
"Why don't you come down for the last half hour?" I asked "Johnny misses you down there. Well grab some food from the kitchen on our way out and you might feel better being amongst people?" I knew she'd still feel sick, but maybe not so sad about missing the evening of her own wedding reception.
"Ok" she nodded.
"Good. Come on" I held out my hand to her and she took it.
We went down stairs and heard our mums scream in the kitchen as my dad shouted "Gotcha!"
Emily and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes then burst out laughing.
Once inside the marquee again I spotted Johnny talking to Liam and Sophie and I took Emily over to him. His eyes lit up as he saw her and he came over to lovingly pander to her every need.
I saw in my peripheral vision that Liam was looking at me. I didn't want to ruin the night by speaking to him so I politely left Johnny and Emily and headed back to find Daniel. Searching the crowd I saw him with Ronnie. She was also swaying from too much drink and he was trying to prop her up while they were laughing about something.
"Rosie" I turned at the sound of my name. It was Liam. I sighed.
"What do you want?"
"Rosie. There's more to that night than you know"
I didn't really care, but was intrigued by what he had to say, "Is there.... Well go on"
"Rosie I didn't go home. I got to the station and then turned and went back"
"What? Why?"
"I'd just learnt vampires were real Rosie!-" I looked about to make sure no one heard, he wasn't exactly being quiet "-What was I going to do? Go home and put my pyjamas on for bed and pretend it didn't happen?!"
"So what happened then?" I folded my arms and stood to attention with a bored expression.
"I walked back to the alleyway but they'd gone. So I went back in the bar and saw Daniel and his vampire mate. They were sat in a booth talking and drinking and I watched them all night. They didn't know I was there."
"...and?" I was getting impatient.
"They got the attention of some girls who went over to sit with them, they did some weird mind control shit on them and took it in turns to feed off their necks"
"What?" I wasn't sure if I believed him, "And no one else saw this going on?"
"It just looked like they were making out or something, but I was watching them. I saw"
"Ok. So I can see that wouldn't make for comfortable viewing and its unpleasant Liam. But they are vampires" I whispered the last part, "that's what they do"
"Exactly Rosie! Exactly! They made the girls leave with them and killed them in the alley..."
I didn't like hearing that Daniel could be so cold hearted and ruthless.
"That was a long time ago. He's different now and he's not going to do that to me. So just drop it Liam. Johnny likes him, Harry is ok with it, -thanks for telling him by the way! What was your plan? To gang up on him and get me to leave him? Nice. Thanks. Look there's things you don't know about me and Daniel so you just need to leave us alone"
I turned on my heal and walked away, but he caught my arm and pulled me violently back to him. I yelped slightly as he hurt my arm.
"One of those girls Rosie, was Sophie's sister!"
The blood drained from my face.
"Rosie?" Daniel's voice came from beside me "is everything ok?"
"She's fine! I'm just having a talk with my sister. Fuck off!"
"I was asking Rosie" Daniel stood firm  and looked at me.
"I'm fine" I nodded. I slid my arm out of his grip. "Does she know?" I asked Liam before walking away "Does Sophie know?"
He shook his head "I don't want her to know"
I nodded and turned to Daniel who was looking at me with a straight face and narrow eyes, trying to gauge what we had been talking about. I guessed he hadn't heard clearly as the music was loud.
"Come" I slid my fingers between his and pulled him back over to where Ronnie was.
Before we reached her Daniel asked "what was that all about?"
I shook my head "Liam being Liam"
Daniel looked at me to elaborate. I sighed and pulled him to a quieter corner "He didn't go home that night, he came back and watched you all evening. He told me about you and Adam enjoying a blood buffet in a booth and then discarding those girls bodies in the alley"
His eyes were focused on mine, flitting from my left eye to my right and back. He looked worried at what my reaction would be.
"Look", I sighed again and put my hand on his cheek "I'm not stupid, I know it's all part of it. I have to accept that, because if I don't then I can't accept you for what you are. So I'm not judging you. I love you. It doesn't change anything. Ok?"
He looked uncertain.
"It's just a bit of a shit that one of those ladies apparently turned out to be Sophie's sister!" I raised my eyebrows to emphasise that that was the actual root of Liam's hatred, not just what happened with Karen "What are the fucking chances right?!"
Daniel inhaled and ran his hands through his hair.
"Anyway" I put my hands on his chest "let's please don't let Liam ruin today ok? I love you Daniel. Nothing is going to change that. What happened is in the past and we can deal with Liam another day. Although that's going to be harder than we thought" I knew there is no way I'd want to forgive and forget if I were in Liam's shoes.
Daniel gently put his hands either side of my face and lowered his lips so they were barely touching mine. "Thank you" he kissed me. I nodded and we went back over to Ronnie. Harry had joined her and they were doing shots together.
"Rosie..." Ronnie cheerfully slurred, without anything in particular to follow up with.
I laughed, "you're wrecked, I think you need some water"
"Water is for pussies!" She swayed "I'm having fun! That's not a crime is it? I'm at my besties brother's wedding, I'm single and its a free bar..."
"Single?" I asked, surprised by this revelation. I wondered what had happened with Tim.
She chinked her glass with Harry and they downed another shot, then she wiped her chin as she spilt most of it "I want to dance" she grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him to the dance floor with her.
"She's going to regret this in the morning" I grimaced to Daniel and laughed "I wonder why she's single though..." I muttered.
Daniel didn't answer. He was unusually quiet. I guessed he was still thinking about what Liam had told me. I decided I'd try and take his mind off of it.
"So..." I ran my hand down his chest to his stomach "...about this mind blowing night you mentioned earlier?" I bit my lip.
He smiled at me.
"What did you have in mind?"
"If you let me...." He stroked my cheek with the back of his fingers "I can get inside your head and do whatever you want me to do to you...." He looked deep in my eyes, "so the question will be, Rosie, what do you have in mind...?"