Marry Me

Chapter 7

**Hi guys. I know some of you may hate these author notes but I was hoping if you have made it this far, that you would take a moment to leave a vote or a comment? Ot would really help me out, especially a comment on how you are feeling about the story up until this point. Thanks 💖**

     I made it home by 8:45pm, and dragged myself to my dorm room. Luckily it was Friday night, so my room mate was out with his friends. I trudged to the shower and stayed in the water until I felt like I could stay concious through dinner.

     After getting dressed and brushing my teeth, I felt a lot better. I called Chelsea and asked her to meet me at the restarunt we always ate at when she came to visit.

     By 9:30, I was being seated in a back booth of the local Applebees. It had become somthing of a tradition for us to eat here on the first night she was in town.

     I wasn't there long before Chelsea slid into the seet in front of me. I smiled and she instantly picked up a menu and started scanning the drink menu.

     "Stressed much?" I laughed. She looked up at me with a straight face and said "It's been a rough few days." I sighed softly and picked up my own menu.

     "Yea, same here."

     When the waiter came back we ordered our drinks and an appetizer. I keot trying to catch her eye but she wouldn't even look at me. She was still mad at me.

     "I'm sorry I bailed yesterday. I have just had a lot going on, and then suddenly my best friend is getting married."

     "Why is that such a bad thing?" She asked, pulling her brows together. I sighed and replied "It isn't. It just... threw me off. I didn't even know you were thinking of marriage yet, let alone engaged long enough to make such fancy invites. It just hit me that everything was changing drastically and I reacted poorly."

     Chelsea studied my face for a few moments. Just as I'm sure she did earlier, her brows were pulled together and her mouth was pulled to one side. She took a deep breath and said "I shouldn't have sprung it on you. I got engaged at the end of December but I've been afraid to tell you.  Such a big change is honestly, pretty scary for me too."

     Our waiter came with our drinks and I took a moment to take a long pull of my beer. I wasn't lying about why a ran off, per say. I was stressed over such a change... I was just hiding half the truth.

Okay, seventy-five percent of the truth. But it's still not a lie.

     "I want you guys to get to know each other more. I know you and Anthony didn't spend much time together. You are one of the most important men in my life, so it's important to me that you guys get along."

     I hesitated. Did I really want to hang out with the guy that's taking her from me?

      He isn't taking her, you gave her up. My bitter brain reminded me. I stifled a sigh and said "Yea, I'd like to get to know him. I can't let you marry a crazy person."

     Chelsea giggled and responded "You don't think I'd be able to tell by now?" I shook my head.

     "Only best friends can detect craziness before the girlfriend."

     "Fiance." She corrected. My stomach churned at the phrase, but I forced out "Right, fiance."  The conversation ended when the waiter came and took our orders. Thankfully, after he walked away, Chelsea started telling me a story of somthing her room mate did, and I could mentally recover from that conversation.

     You should just tell her. Alondra is right, she needs to know all her options.
     If she was interested, she would have made it known by now. I'm too late to plant that seed in her head. I'd rather her never know, rather than she reject me and then never talk to me again.
     Maybe she does love you and just moved on because she thinks you don't like her.

My heart had a point...

     I'm not an idiot. I can tell when a girl likes me and this girl? She does not like me like that. I'm waisting my time on her.
     Alondra likes you.
     This is true... you need to explore that.
     Before you screw that one up too.

     Chelsea laughed and I copied her. I quickly took another pull from my beer bottle and brought myself back to the conversation.

     I was right. I needed to explore the option of Alondra, because the Chelsea Ship sailed into the sunset long ago... and I wasn't on it.