Sealed With a Kiss

Eighteen Part I

**********Very important A/N at the end, please read.***********

XVIII: Fire & Ice
THE DAY HAD ARRIVED. No, not the wedding, just the engagement party, but it might as well have been from the way Isobel was acting. She was running around like a crazy wedding planner, complete with a clipboard and bluetooth piece in her ear. Hannah and I thought it best to stay out of the Mrs's way, and let Elle deal with the tornado that is her future-in-law.

We were currently hiding in a quiet hallway of the hotel where the party was to be hel, spread out on the plush couches and with big mugs of hot cocoa in hand. Sooner rather than later we would need to resurface and face the music, but for now Hannah and I sat comfortably lounging in campus pants and t-shirts. Fine, I was in campus pants and a t-shirt, Hannah was decked out in a long satin robe over her Egyptian cotton 'jammies. But comfortably nonetheless.

"So who are you wearing the dress?" Hannah said without looking away from her sketchpad, still busy designing Elle's wedding gown.

I took a sip of my drink to avoid answering for another second. "Hmm?"

Hannah raised an eyebrow and slammed her leather-bound pad closed. "Allow me to rephrase: who do you envision ripping that dress off you tonight? Cole or my dearest half-brother?"

I chocked on the hot liquid and had to sit up gasping. She rolled her eyes, "I know I'm practically like two fucking years old, but c'mon. I read a naughty book once, spare me the theatrics."

"Okaaay, I'm not acknowledging this conversation!"

Her phone buzzed then and Hannah glanced down at it. With a groan she picked up, "Okay, was I not clear? Did I freaking stutter? Go fuck yourself Fitz. And don't call me again!" I watched as she threw the phone across the room and then sat back to pick up her sketchpad as if nothing had happened.

"Uhh so the usually maternal bone in my body says I should ask you what that was."

"That was me re-dumping my asshole boyfriend."

"What did he do?" I asked hesitantly. I felt a rant coming on.

"You know, I don't even want to talk about it." Just as I was about to let it go, Hannah jumped up and leaned forward. "Fine, I'll tell you. But only because you asked."

I fought off a smile as I sat listening to the teen. She'd dumped her on-again off-again boyfriend of a year because he couldn't fly out to California for the engagement party. "I mean, how inconsiderate is that? I went to Germany for his kid sister's Confirmation. Motherfucking Germany!"

"Well there must be a reason? Did he have a prior commitment or something?"

"He broke his leg! Tripp went on this ski thing even though I told him not to, and he broke his fucking leg! He's also concussed and I guess his doctor said no flying but whatever. He could have driven, hell even on horseback!" she sighed and I offered her a smile because I had no idea what to say. "Where's that prince charming kind of shit, you know?"

I looked down at my mug. At her age I'd dreamed of a grand romantic gesture, maybe a small part of me still does, but I know that's not how the real world works. "I don't know, Hannah. But I don't think you should have broken up with him because he was concussed and couldn't come. It doesn't seem very fair."

Her phone rang from its place on the floor but she ignored it. "I'll let him sweat it out. Plus, we break up at least once a month. He's really sweet to me after."

The door opened behind us, and immediately Hannah's face morphed into a scowl. "Look what the cat dragged in."

"Yeah, you're illegitimate ass," responded Dahlia.