CHAPTER 9 – COME WHAT MAY


“YOU WHAT?” Bianca screamed down the phone as Chastity told her the news
“Got married” Chastity repeated as AJ smiled across at her
“Yeah right, like I'm to believe that, yeah uhuh, WHATEVER” Bianca mumbled, still not convinced Chastity was telling her the truth
“Fine then if you don’t believe me, Tatum will tell you the same thing” Chastity announced handing the phone to Tatum
“It’s true B, Chas and AJ got married, about 10 minutes ago, by some guy in an Elvis costume, it’s all true” Tatum sighed down the phone
“No jokes?” Bianca inquired suspect
“No Joke” Tatum reassured handing the phone back to Chastity
“So now do you believe me?” Chastity questioned
“I uh, I guess,” Bianca muttered, in shock “I – I mean Congratulations” she laughed down the phone “I never would have thought it possible, but um, congratulations” Bianca continued
“Well I have to go, tell the guys not to worry, Howie is with us, he’ll be on a plane back in the morning, and um we’re going to the keys for a few days, but we’ll be back like as soon as” Chastity smiled as she blabbed the plans
“Are you like forgetting something?” Bianca said, realizing Chastity probably had
“What?”
“The release of The Web is in like 3 days,” Bianca announced
“Can’t they push it back?”
“They already did once because of the production line, they wont do it again it’s stuck up all over town, and we have that big opening bash thing, you have to be there”
“You and Ro cant handle it?”
“No, and management will flip, you have to be there Chas”
“Alright, okay I will, I’ll be back late tomorrow night, we’ll take a honeymoon another time” Chastity sighed “Is Ro there?” she inquired, changing the subject
“You’d think she would be, but she’s not” Bianca mused
“Where is she?”
“Who knows, but I like already had to lie to management tonight, they wanted to talk to her about something so I had to tell them she’d gone to bed not feeling well and I didn’t want to wake her up, I mean they would flip if they knew she just comes and goes all the time, I think she’s probably down on the beach, but who knows. How screwed up is that? I'm the freaking mother now, something is so wrong here” Bianca laughed
“Well then you tell her the good news and I’ll see you both tomorrow okay?”
“Alright Chas, congrads again”

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~
Arora dug her feet into the sand, as she stared out into the tranquil night sea. For once nothing really consumed her mind, as she breathed in and out, sighing away any questions. She’d given up trying to reason on actions, there seemed to be no point, she couldn’t control what she did any more, she didn’t know why she did things, all she knew is was her heart acted on impulse whether or not her mind approved. She couldn’t hold back the smile begging to bound across her face as she thought of Brian. For the past year she’d tried to convince herself she didn’t have feelings for him, even though she knew deep down she still did and know coming to that realization was easy. This time though, things would be different, she was determined to make sure she didn’t fall so fast and hard as she did before, as her grandfather had told her many years before – good things take time – and time was definitely one thing Arora had.

~ EARLY THE NEXT MORNING ~
Chastity yawned slightly, as she awoke with the realization she’d fallen asleep still fully clothed on the bed with AJ conked out beside her. They had run all close family members as well as the other guys to tell them the news, most were surprised, but happy for the two.

They’d decided to spend the day in Las Vegas and catch a flight back later on that night. Tatum had taken the rental car along with Howie. They would drive back to LA, then from there Howie would catch a plane back to Florida. He was going to leave the night before and go straight from Vegas, but he’d decided to give Tatum some company on her drive home.

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~
“Should we go up and say good bye?” Howie questions as Tatum threw her belongings into the rental car
“I dunno, I doubt their up, and I wouldn’t want to wake them. We’ll give them a call when we get to LA” Tatum responded loosely tying her hair back into a ponytail.
Howie smiled softly at her as she spun around to check her bag for her wallet. He still had feelings for her, even after a year, he still held the thought of her close to his heart. He’d never told her though, even after it became apparent Kevin and her didn’t have anything “going” anymore – he assumed he was scared to admit his feelings for her, as the risk of loosing her as a friend seemed to high for Howie.

“So are you ready to hit the road?” she smiled playfully slapping his arm
“Uh yeah sure” Howie replied snapping out of his daydream

~ LATER ON THAT AFTERNOON ~

“I still would have never seen it coming” Nick laughed taking another drink form the cup as he sat on the deck of Bianca and Arora’s house.
“I think it’s kinda sweet” Arora replied softly, shielding her eyes from the piercing sun as she grabbed her sun glasses from the table
“I know, But AJ?” Nick scoffed
“Agreed, they don’t really seem like the marriage types to they?” Arora responded
She twilled the pen loosely around her fingers, stopping occasionally to tap in on the notebook in front of her.
“Do you think I’m marriage material?” Bianca inquired standing in the ranch slider door way
“Uh” Nick mumbled startled by her presence
“Nothing personal Bianca, but I don’t see it, you know, you been married and all” Arora smiled looking up at Bianca
“Why not?” Bianca quickly retorted
“I don’t know, I mean I don’t see any of us married, we’re all quite young you know?” Arora continued
“Arora’s right, it’s not that you’re not marriage material, it’s just you’re not ready right now” Nick agreed leaning back on the deck chair
“Well I think I am ready” Bianca announced before turning around and walking back inside
“Ooookay” Arora muttered watching as Bianca sulked over to the kitchen
“I should go do something huh?” Nick smiled pulling himself out of the chair
Arora smiled as he strolled inside closing the ranch slider behind him. It was weird in a way how Arora had pushed the memory of Nick far from her head, long ago she’d forgotten about what they had been through. She’d always imagined the situation between them would create some sort of rift or edgy feeling between two friends, but despite everything, nothing had turned out like that. The awkwardness had gone, and well she still remembered that night fairly vividly, recalling it now only ever made her laugh.

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~

“So care to tell me what that was all about?” Nick questioned pushing the sun glasses up onto his head as his Hawaiian print shirt lay unbuttoned around him.
“I don’t know” Bianca sighed keeping her back toward him
“You seemed upset B, Arora and I didn’t mean anything by what we said it’s just –“
“You wouldn’t marry me?” Bianca finished
“Hey come on, that’s not fair I didn’t say that” Nick remarked
“I know, I'm asking you a question” Bianca responded
“Well Bianca, I love you and I know what we have is special”
“But you wouldn’t”
“I didn’t say that”
“You don’t need to say it to make it obvious”
“Why all this sudden interest in been married anyway?” Nick questioned folding his arms across his chest
“The interest has always been there Nick, you just wouldn’t want to see it” Bianca retorted walking down the hallway
“I don’t get it you’ve never said anything about it before” Nick huffed following her down the hallway
“So? What difference does that make?” she added walking into the bedroom
Nick followed her in but stood in the doorway, leaning up against it.

“So this idea of Marriage is something you’re really into?” he questioned softening his voice
“Yes, why is that so hard to believe?” Bianca replied as she leant up against the dressing table
“Then just wait and let things happen, time will sort things out” He smiled walking up to her
“No, Time doesn’t wait for our petty problems Nick, time doesn’t wait for anyone”
“Can’t you just leave it as come what may?”
“Look Nick, I'm sorry, I don’t expect you to understand” Bianca sighed
Nick leaned in kissing her cheek softly.
“Come what may baby,” he whispered wrapping his arms gently around her.



Chapter 10
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