~Waking Up in Vegas~ (Full)

[ii_kupkakez_ii]

I shook my head and followed Melinda. I could see that she was upset and I knew that. I was acting like an idiot--and I knew that too. But I just didn't want to act like my normal self because I was pissed. I had just done the most unthinkable thing that you could ever do to a person--especially a man. You just can't go off marrying your brother's fiancee like that, but yet I had. And for that I felt bad. I didn't even know what else to think anymore and I certainly couldn't act normal in front of my brother.

"We have to get this counseling thing over and we have to do it quick. I'm not going to be able to face my brother if we don't," I said, eyeballing Melinda's friends.

"And how could you all even sit back and allow us to do this?! You should be as much to blame as we are, or maybe even more! You're supposed to be her friends--her family. You knew she didn't want me! You knew she was my brother's girl and there you are laughing about it!"

I flew up from the couch and stood over them all. I wanted to slap every last one of them and go back home then lock myself in my house and become a recluse for the rest of my natural-born life. I didn't even want to look at Mel--no matter how beautiful she was. Okay, there I was again thinking such horrid things about her.

I turned around and headed back to the hotel room. I slammed the door shut and threw myself on the bed. Holding my cell phone I contemplated on whether or not I should call my brother and tell him what was going on.

"Man...James...I'm sorry bro..."  

[elphy_and_fiyero]

The girls just smiled as they watched Eric through his tantrum. He stormed off and headed back to the room. "What is wrong with you guys? I didn't want this. Neither one of us did." Rachel sighed and walked around the table. I didn't want her sympathy. I didn't even want her friendship now that she had, willingly, ruined my life.

"Look, Mel. First of all, we were all too drunk to stop you. So it's not our fault that you two love birds tied the knot. I really am sorry I didn't stop you. I know how much you wanted to marry James." Tears were rolling down my cheeks as I nodded. It was all I wanted but it was too late now. Rachel embraced me in a hug and stroked my head. "It will all work out. You only have to be married a few months. That's it. And then you can get a divorce and marry James." I looked at her and she smiled. "The guy at the counter told us about the new law."

"I better go check on Eric. See if he's ok." They nodded and agreed to meet up later. In a few days time, James would find out. He would, either way, be very upset. My deepest fear was that he wouldn't want to marry me and I would lose him forever. As I climbed the elevator, my phone rang again. The ID read 'James.' Perfect timing, as usual. I cleared my throat to cover up the fact that I was crying.

"Hey, something wrong? You just called not 20 minutes ago." I chuckled at the thought.

"No. I just missed your voice. Is everything alright over there? Everyone having a good time?" He asked. It was, almost, as if he were bored or worried about me. I shook it off but the feeling that something was different still stuck with me.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Look, baby, I have to go. I'll call you when I get the chance. I really have to go." He began to argue but I said goodbye and hung up. It was painful talking with him. I headed to our room and found Eric lying on the bed, starring at his phone. "I know what you're thinking and don't do it. We'll tell him when we're ready. I just spoke with him again and he seems worried. Though, he never used to be this worried about me. Then again, this is really the first time I've been this far without him." I sat on the bed next to him and sighed.

"Look, whether we wanted this or not, we're in this together. All we have to do is counseling and then we can get a divorce." I shrugged. "How hard could it be?"

(What do you think of James going there to Vegas because he's so worried about her? And that's how he finds out about the marriage and everything else.)
 

[ii_kupkakez_ii]

I gave up. I turned off my phone and shoved it in my pocket. After I had sat and sat and contemplated and contemplated...I was no farther along in my thoughts than I had been twenty minutes ago. My brain was just completely gone now. There was no saving it and there was no saving my friendship, nor my brotherhood with my brother. We had always been able to tell each other everything and that's what made everything so good for us. But on the flip-side, now was the time that I needed to tell him something...but I couldn't! And it was eating me alive.

"Alright, I've gotta tell," I came to the conclusion that it would just be a heck of a load off of my shoulders if I just came clean with the current situation and we all just blew each other off and things went back to the way they were originally meant to be.

"Yeah, okay; I can do that. Things can't be that bad once I explain everything that I can to him. He'll understand...I would understand if I were in this kinda mess...yeah, that's right."

And you know, I was actually convincing myself that this could work. But as I got to my feet and reached for the doorknob, I fell apart again. Running my hands through my hair and grumbling loudly, I turned back to the bed.

"Damn!" I screamed. Kicking off to the side, I accidentally knocked over the television that sat on top of it's stand. It went crashing to the floor...and just my luck, it fell on me. I screamed out in agonizing pain, but pushed it off once I got control of my pain-shocked body. Luckily it wasn't broken, but I think something was broken in me because I went to stand and once more I was hit with a surge of pain in my lower leg. And it was a feeling that was all too familiar; my knee and everything below it had obviously shattered or something...again. I'd broken my shin in 6th grade and it eventually healed but I couldn't play soccer for a while like I had been used to.

"Gosh darnit!" I yelled. "Just what I needed now, a shattered ankle! How am I supposed to get anywhere with this?! Just my friggin' luck!"

(Yeah, that'd be great. I like that idea. Sorry about not posting for so long, but I tried to make the post a little bit longer)  

[elphy_and_fiyero]

I sat on the bed and watched Eric and his little tantrum. Though, I was very worried when the TV landed on his ankle. "Eric," I said trying to get his attention as I sat next to him. "Calm down. We'll just get a doctor. Everything will be fine." I picked up the phone and quickly dialed the front desk. "Hi, this is room 415. Yes it's Mrs. Holland." I rolled my eyes. I really needed to watch the tape since everyone in the hotel, whether an employee or guest, knew who were were. "Can I get a doctor for our room please? No, everything's fine. My.....husband just hurt his ankle and we want someone to look at it. Thank you." I said and hung up. I went to our little fridge and placed some ice cubes in a little back. Carefully, I placed the bag on his ankle.

"It won't do you any good if you're angry all the time." I told him. He was about to say something out of anger but I clasped my hand over his mouth. "Eric, calm down. I was only saying. We will get through this."

The doctor finally came and took a look at Eric's ankle. We found out it wasn't just his ankle but just below his knee too. Eric would have to be in a cast for a few weeks. The doctor bandaged him up and finally left, leaving us alone again. "You see?" I said to Eric. "This is what happens when you get too angry. I'll see if room service can bring us something to eat." It was about lunch time and I was starving. Once again, I hung up the phone after talking with room service.

"Food will be here in a bit." Eric said nothing. "Don't even think about passing on the food because you need to eat and take some medicine for your leg." Out of frustration, he shoved a table that almost hit me. "Hey! Cool it!" I said, my own anger rising. "If you want to act like a child, then I'll treat you like one. I have several younger cousins so I'm fully trained to treat you like a four year old!" I was getting tired of his little tantrums already and we weren't even married a full day. I sat on the bed and watched him. "Now you just sit there until you cool it." I folded my arms and waited for him to calm down.
 

[ii_kupkakez_ii]

I rolled my eyes at Melinda and clasped my hands together. Shaking my head, I pressed my forehead with my fingertips.
"Melinda, I'm so sorry," I sighed. "I'm just a little worked up right now and I honestly don't know what to do anymore."
I sighed and got to my feet, completely forgetting about my injured food. I fell back down on the bed with a thud and closed my eyes tight.
"Mel," I whined. "I don't wanna be treated like a four year old. I don't wanna do this anymore!"
And there was the breakdown. I actually felt kinda bad about being a man and having a breakdown in front of Melinda like this.
"I love you so much," I managed to cough out. "But I don't want my bro to find out that I do!"
I turned over on my stomach and smothered my face into the sheets.
"I'm hungry," I mumbled.
I was truly having some kind of issue with myself right now and maybe it was one of those mid-life crisis things that you hear about people having when they go through something really weird in their lives and they can't really handle it.
"Do you hate me?" I questioned, turning my face to Melinda.  

[elphy_and_fiyero]

I had to admit I felt sympathy for the man. This was really getting to him, though he was acting like a child. I waited until he was done rambling on. But I stopped. He loved me? He didn't even know me. I sat next to him on the bed, still in shock. I shook my head. He didn't love me. "Alright," I soothed. "Take a breather. You're just stressed about all this. You'll be fine." A knock sounded on the door and room service came in with our food. I thanked them and they walked out.

"See? All you had to do was be patient. Now you can eat." I took a bit into my food, not really sure what was happening. It had been a rough two days so far and it didn't seem like it was going to be better. But we had to get through this. It was only a few months. Compared to what I had been through this was going to be a piece of cake.

"I don't hate you." I finally told him. I knew I didn't hate him but I wasn't really sure how I felt about him. This guy didn't know me and already he was telling me he loved me. It took James a whole month just to say it to me. It even took him another month just to finally propose. This guy had said he loved me and, now, was married to me. I felt dizzy just thinking about it all.

"I know you don't want James to find out but he's going to, eventually. We'll get through this. Once I tell him it's only for a few months, he'll understand." I wasn't sure if I was telling myself that or Eric. I sipped some of my drink and tried to calm myself down. "Just breathe, Eric. Everything will be just fine."
 

[ii_kupkakez_ii]

I sat up and looked over to Melinda. She was trying to console me, I could tell, but it wasn't working at all. Her words seemed as if they were meant for her and not me, but not intentionally.
"It's alright, I understand. You don't have to try to console me. I'm just a little bipolar now from the shock. But, I'll get over it soon," I explained.
I reached over and picked a bread roll from the dinner platter. Biting down into it, I savored the taste. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until just now. At this point, I was now wolfing down the bread roll and picking up a spoon, fishing beef stew into my mouth. And as I gorged it down, all the troubles I had seemed to melt away into the savory soup liquid that was now so low in the owl that I startled myself that I was eating so fast. It was lucky for me though that I wasn't one to get indigestion too quickly from fast eating.
"This is great! Hand me the phone, I want more; a steak maybe, or a plate of salad..." It wasn't like I had to pay for it or anything. "Do you want something else?"
I already had the phone in my hand, trying to figure out what it was that I really wanted. I was just going to eat my thoughts away it seemed like, but to be honestly, I was just really really hungry.