28. Jake: Bella’s Happy Rehearsal Week

Chapter twenty-eight

Jake – Bella’s Happy Rehearsal Week

I run, panting hard and fast. I’m almost at the finish line, and I feel Aurora kick my thighs again, spurring me to run faster, like a horse. I laugh, the sound coming out harsh.

Aurora giggles, her hands holding me tightly like her life depends on it. Somehow, they do. Because we’re currently running a race with her on my back as my partner. We’re currently leading, with Ryan and Brittney as partners following closely behind. Aurora thinks it’s fun to spur me on like a horse, and I allow her, letting her have her fun.

It's Thanksgiving week, and this is part of Bella’s idea to make her rehearsal and wedding preparations more fun than typical ones. And this is the second game we’re playing this week.

I hear Ryan’s harsh panting close to me, and I groan when Aurora squeals loudly close to my ears. She takes the game more personally than all of us put together. Seems she’s got a real competitive spirit.

“Jake, run faster!” she squeals excitedly, when Brittney tries to pull her off my back, and I laugh, running faster out of their reach.

We reach the finish line, and I literally dump Aurora down on the pile of foams ready and waiting for just that. She yells excitedly, pumping her fist in the air.

“Yeah! We did it Jake!” she keeps yelling, and I laugh at her antics.

This is a new side to Aurora that I’m just now seeing. She seems happy, carefree, and childlike. Every moment we spend together always seems better than the last. She has so many layers to her, which I enjoy finding whenever we hang out.

We haven’t talked about our first kiss or the ones after that. Neither of us is ready to talk about it or the lines fast blurring our supposedly fake relationship.

I limp to the refreshment stand near the winning spot and grab a bottle of water. I gulp it down greedily, the water soothing my parched throat. Bella had suggested the race, with the guys totting their partners on their backs, trying to reach the finish line first. I think it was a way to torture us.

Ryan and Brittney come up next. Making them come in second place is the cherry on top of the sundae to me! Ethan and Bella are far back in their lane because they won’t stop laughing, and keep stumbling over each other. The older adults on the sidelines are howling at the antics, seeming to have as much fun as we are.

Just as Bella had wanted, it’s only close family members and a few close friends, and she’ll not have it any other way. Ethan’s parents, his only little brother, and two of his cousins are here from his side of the family. The rest will be coming only for the wedding ceremony and the reception. On our side, we have our parents, Ryan and Brittney, Dylan, and, unfortunately, Sophia and Alex. I'm happy that Bella has gotten to know Ryan and Brittney well enough to want them at her wedding. Both of them have grown to adore her and Ethan.

I sigh, thinking about their presence for the earlier wedding preparation. Of course, I can never fully forget, since Sophia never lets me have a single moment of breathing space to myself. Anytime she catches me alone without Aurora by my side, she perches like some evil bird.

I try to put some distance between us and never let her catch me alone without some sort of audience present—the protection I want and need around her.

They come up next in the race after a display of poor sportsmanship to other couples and to one another. Alex is tapping away on his phone, and Sophia’s glaring at him with what really looks like actual hatred written all over her face. Seriously, how did they end up together? I’m beginning to wonder if they are truly a couple at all.

Pretending not to see them, I focus my attention back on Aurora and Brittney literally having a tug of war with Ryan’s arms. Brittney seems to be winning. I laugh, shaking my head in amusement at the trio. They never fail to have something to fight about .

It’s usually just Brittney and Ryan, but this time it seems to be Aurora and Brittney with Ryan caught in the middle of the crossfire. I bark out a laugh when Bella and Ethan crash into the fighting squad. Now, it’s basically a full-blown riff with everyone fighting anyone.

Aurora runs from the crazy scene with Bella hot on her trail.

“Jake! Save me!” she yells out loudly, laughing her heart out.

She runs towards me, and I am thoroughly enjoying the show, readying myself to stand between the shrieking women I adore. It’s a nice day out, even though the weather has become significantly colder.

The race made us all pretty hot, and I doubt anyone is really feeling the weather, since we’re all dressed for it, except Sophia. She is wearing a tank top and a pair of really tight short shorts. Typical.

Bella pulls the crowd to the back of the hotel, which boasts a large field with cemented interlocking tiles as the flooring options. It’s very beautiful, and as an architect, I’m admiring the beautiful selection.

They’re a great choice for outdoor areas because they are durable, low-maintenance, and withstand various weather conditions. Also, the great outdoor space is perfect for crazy families like mine who want to have fun, even in weather like this.

“Jake, save me!” Aurora squeals out again, jolting me back into their crazy games.

I return from the moment when I had gone all ‘architect-nerd’ on things, as Bella usually puts it. Aurora never quite made it to my protection, and Bella is currently tickling her like crazy, pinning her to the ground. They seem to be having the time of their lives.

I look around and see Ryan, Ethan, and Brittney having a water fight with the hoses that are conveniently placed at the sides of the backyard. Shaking my head at their foolishness, I figure that they’ll be getting blue lips by the time they finish their water games. Aurora escapes from Bella, who continues to follow her, playing like kids.

My heart swells joyfully in my chest at the crazy sight before me, and I realize I wouldn’t want it any other way. I ponder that to outsiders Bella may seem really childish and immature. And while that is true at times, she is actually an intelligent, hard worker. She has a Master’s degree in English literature and works as an assistant to one of the senior professors at the college back home. I think the solemn dignity of her workplace makes her ready to let loose and get wild on her own time. I adore my sister in either mode.

We’re all out here except Dylan, who is probably flirting with the receptionist on duty this morning, and I shake my head with a grin at my foolish cousin. He chases girls and when they fall for him, then he acts all innocent and scared, saying he was only being friendly with them.

I hear a throat clear beside me, and I turn to see Sophia, reaching close behind me for a bottle of water. I ignore her, facing forward to continue looking at the happy sight before me. She works to unscrew the cap to no avail.

“Jake,” she calls, but I don’t deem it fit to answer her.

“Babe,” she says, and I scoff at the audacity.

I roll my eyes and turn to face her .

“I’m not babe to you. Refrain from calling me that ever again. And Sophia, please open your own damn bottle of water. A ten-year-old can do it effortlessly.”

She huffs and actually opens the bottle, but I give no reaction, turning to keep watching the sight before me, my happiness at the whole shenanigans fast depleting because of Sophia’s unwanted presence.

“I don’t know why you’re being mean to me. I care about you, you know?” she says in a soft, small voice which used to have me fooled, but not anymore.

I turn to face her fully, and I see she has water dripping down her throat and onto her cleavage. She gives me a sultry look, and I pinch the bridge of my nose in distress. This is a move that used to have me salivating like a starved puppy.

Granted, Sophia has a great body—which she obviously knows how to use to get what she wants—but the admiration I used to feel is now replaced with repulsion.

Nailing her with the most disgusted look I could muster, I tell her my mind.

“You used to be a cool-headed woman but right now, Sophia, look at yourself. Wearing these weird clothes in weather as freezing as this to get me to notice you is pitiful. And it’s despite the fact that you know full well that I have a girlfriend with whom I’m extremely happy.

“You’re not even doing this because you love me, or because you want me back. It’s your greedy and selfish self that is acting for you. Kindly stop it while I’m still being nice to you. Run back to your fiancé and stop trying to ruin other’s people’ s happiness.

“Yes, it’s very possible people can be happy without you, and the earlier you get that into your sadistic skull, the better.”

She stares at me with wide eyes, tears already brimming in them and I sigh, getting angrier than I already am.

“P.S., desperation is not a good look on you,” I say, as the first tear rolls down.

I walk away from her, angry that she got to me, almost ruining my mood. She walks furiously past me, and I don’t bat a lid. She can pull any cards she can think of from her mind games. They simply won’t work on me anymore.

No one seems to notice the little spat with Sophia, and I’m glad about that. Especially Aurora. I don’t want her to think I have or want to have anything to do with Sophia. Things have changed considerably between us, and I really don’t want to ruin it.

We both know the lines are no longer there, they got erased nearly a month ago when we had our first kiss, which we still haven’t talked about. We’ve both been going with the flow, probably holding out until the wedding is done.

As for me, I know what I want. I want Aurora.

I never want the peace and joy I experience with her to end. But as I thought before, a good relationship is not built on lies. So, until after the wedding, I hope we’ll both be on the same page a little longer.

I catch Aurora’s gaze as I move closer to the group and she gives me a worried look, subtly searching my eyes. Trust my girl to never miss anything at all. She is that observant. She runs towards me, and Bella runs back to the other group, obviously giving us our space. I shake my head at her to show her everything is fine.

She grins at me with a wicked glint in her eyes, and I know she’s about to do something I’m sure I’ll not expect. And yep, before I can ready myself, she throws herself at me, wrapping her legs around my waist like a koala.

I laugh and go down into the grassy perimeter, unsuccessfully trying to balance myself. The fall knocks the breath out of me, and I groan out loud. Aurora bursts out laughing, and I find myself grinning in return, the pain long forgotten. She leans over me, her hair shielding us like a curtain, and bends to kiss me.

Her lips brush mine for a second, then I feel something cold splash me back to reality. Aurora squeals and jumps off me, running back a few feet. My idiotic brother-in-law-to-be is holding the hose with the rest cheering him on. They cackle maliciously as I’m soaked to the bone.

And am I seeing that little stinker of a girlfriend, albeit fake girlfriend, joining in on the laughter? Oh yeah!

Again, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.