Rumors: Brianna & Hunter

by Rachael Brownell

  "We have to invite Ally, Megan, and Justine."

  Hunter raises an eyebrow at me but keeps his conversation with Zane flowing.

  "Hunter Herman Dixon. I want my friends there with us." My voice is firm, and he takes notice.

  "Hold on, Zane." Covering the receiver of his cell, he gives me a curious stare. "Allison? Really? I get Megan and Justine, but why Allison?"

  "It would be rude to leave her out. Remember how I felt all those times they went out for girls’ night and I didn't get invited? It sucked. I cried. I don't want anyone else to feel like that."

  He thinks it over for a few seconds before nodding and carrying on with Zane.

  Five days. Four nights. Nine rooms. A shit ton of plane tickets.

  Once Hunter and Zane have nailed down all the details, I start spreading the news. Hunter calls his parents while I text the girls. I want to be the one to tell them all. In person.

  ME: Girls’ night tonight. My house.

  MEGAN: Ryder has Amara, so Vinnie and I were planning on staying in if you know what I mean.

  ME: 8 o'clock. Bring wine.

  MEGAN: Vinnie's mad at you.

  ME: Not my problem. This is important. Plus, he should be getting a text from Hunter in a few minutes.

  MEGAN: Yeah, yeah. He just got it. What's going on?

  ME: Bring wine and I'll tell you. See you tonight.

  I text the rest of the girls to let them know the plan. None of them gives me as much grief as Megan. Well, Emerson was a little reluctant to leave her new fiancé for a few hours until she found out guys’ night was going to be at her house and Amara was going to stay with Herman and Margoret another night. I think she realized that meant she had Ryder to herself once she got home.

  "Ryder wasn't excited to host, but I didn't give him much of a choice."

  "You pulled the big brother card, didn't you?" I ask as I toss my phone on the counter.

  "No, I told him I'd already invited everyone. He was the last person I texted."

  "So you trapped him into saying yes."

  "He could have said no, but everyone was still planning on showing up at his place. He would have had unwelcome guests either way."

  "That's called the big brother card, Hunter, and you know it."

  Laughing, I remember the last time Hunter pulled a stunt like this. It was with Tyler that time, but still. He makes decisions, informs everyone, and tells the brother that draws the short straw last, leaving them no option but to agree to whatever he wants.

  With Tyler, he wanted to throw his parents a surprise party a few years ago. Ty had just started dating Angela, and they were supposed to go on their third date that night. You know, the date that most people figure out if they're going to work or not. Also, the third date for a guy is when they make their move.

  Hunter didn't know it at the time, but he ruined date night for Tyler. Being the smart little brother he is, Tyler took it as an opportunity to introduce Angela to his parents and the rest of us. Now they’re married, and that night is a fond memory.

  One that includes Hunter and I, drunk, hiding in Tyler’s oversized pantry making out like teenagers and getting caught by his mother.

  Chapter Seven

  The inquisition begins the moment Megan walks through the door, Ally and Justine hot on her heels.

  "What's this all about? I've never known you to call a mandatory girls’ night."

  There's a hint of irritation in her tone. Probably because I pulled her out of bed and away from Vinnie. I get that time alone, without Amara around, to do whatever their bodies desire, is valuable, but there will be another night. Hell, they live together now. There will be plenty of other nights.

  "I have news, and I want everyone here, that's all," I reply, walking into the kitchen. They follow me, all of them, as I knew they would.

  "News? What kind of news?" Ally asks. When I turn around, I find her biting her lip and looking worried.

  "Good news," I say slowly, waiting for her composure to change.

  Her shoulders sag forward slightly, and she lets out a breath.

  What the hell did she think this was about? Why would I have bad news? And if I did, why would I invite a bunch of people over to share my bad news?

  When something awful happens, it’s not generally something people like to talk about. They don't tend to be proud of those moments. I would never share anything like that in a group setting and especially not with the group that's going to be here tonight.

  Too many rumors get started that way.

  One missed step, one mistaken word, and suddenly something tiny and small is turned into the biggest ordeal in the world. A fender bender becomes a catastrophic car accident. A common cold becomes life-threatening. Everything is blown out of proportion because the little things, the fender bender or having a cold, aren't interesting enough. There's nothing dramatic to talk about.

  "Great!" Justine chimes in, her usually bubbly personality kicked up a notch tonight.

  I'm not the only one who notices. All three of us turn in her direction at the same time. We stare at her as she obliviously unpacks a few bottles of wine and sets them on the counter.

  "Justine," Ally says slowly. "What's up with you? You've been acting weird since we picked you up tonight. Anything you care to share?"

  "No, why?" she asks, keeping her attention focused on the bottles of wine in front of her. "Do you have an opener, Brianna?"

  "Second drawer to the right of the sink," I state.

  Still no eye contact. It's as if she's looking anywhere but at us. Something is definitely going on with her. Whatever it is has put her in a great mood, so I'm not worried, but it appears she's not ready to share her secrets with the rest of us.

  Maybe a few glasses of wine will loosen her up.

  "So what's your news, B?" Megan asks, pouring us each a glass of wine.

  "We need to wait for everyone else."

  "Who else is coming?" she retorts quickly, looking down at her phone. "You said eight o'clock. It's almost eight thirty."

  "Emerson and Angela are running a little behind. They should be here any minute."

  The doorbell rings a moment later, and the house fills with Angela's laughter as she and Emerson let themselves in.

  "In the kitchen," I call.

  "Sorry we're late," Emerson offers as soon as she rounds the corner, a red-faced Angela only a few steps behind her, a large foil-covered platter in her hands.

  "No biggie. Wine?" I ask, holding up a bottle of red with my left hand and a bottle of white with my right. Angela points to the white wine while Emerson points to the red.

  It still amazes me how two best friends can be so different. Then I think about my friendship with Megan. We're polar opposites most of the time, yet I'd be lost without her, it seems.

  We head out back to sit around the firepit. I had Hunter get it started before he left. I'm always afraid I'm going to singe my eyebrows off when I try and light it.

  Pulling our chairs closer, Angela removes the foil from her tray and passes it around. Mini cheesecakes, the perfect complement to wine, or anything else in life. Popping the entire thing in my mouth, I tilt my head back to take a sip of wine when I realize everyone is staring at me. Waiting.

  "You're killing me, B. I swear, if you don't tell us what's going on, I'm taking your wine away."

  The thought brings a smile to my face, especially since I know she'd never take my wine from me.

  "Okay, so Hunter and I have been talking," I start. Before I can continue, I notice that Ally is holding her breath and her hand is shaking slightly. "You okay, Allison?"

  "Fine, why?"

  "Your hand is shaking."

  All eyes move to stare at Ally's hand. It stops instantly.

  "Just a little chilly I guess," she offers as way of an explanation. It's still almost seventy-five degrees out, there's no wind, and the fire is roaring in front of us, my legs toastier than I like.

  "Anyway," I continue,
not sure if I want to call Ally out for lying or let it go. "Hunter and I have decided to renew our vows next month."

  There's a loud gasp, and then congratulations follow.

  "We'd really like it if you all could be there. He has a friend of his working to get us good rates on hotel rooms and airfare."

  "Airfare?" Emerson asks, interrupting me.

  "Oh, yeah. For our honeymoon we went to Nassau, Bahamas, and that's where we'll be renewing our vows. On the beach. At sunset."

  The rest of the details are still a little tentative, but I tell them everything we've set in stone so far. The dates of travel. The resort we'll be staying at.

  Either their excited for me and Hunter or really excited to go on vacation. I'll take it either way.

  I'll also take another glass of wine.

  While the girls chitchat about the best places to find dresses appropriate for a beach wedding, I head inside for a refill. Nudging Megan in the shoulder as I pass her, I motion for her to follow me.

  "Want me to top you off?" I ask, reaching for the open bottle of white wine.

  "You're getting married, B. Again." I was hoping she would be excited for me, but all I hear is disbelief.

  "Why does this surprise you? We talked about it at the mall the other day."

  "I didn't think you would actually do it. I mean…"

  Her voice trails off and she looks down at the floor. Her hands are in her front pockets, and she's rocking on her heels. If I didn't know better, Megan was worried about me and afraid to hurt my feelings.

  "Whatever is on your mind, just say it."

  "Look at your left hand," she whispers.

  "What?"

  "Just look," she demands, raising her eyes to meet mine.

  Looking down at my hand, it takes me a second to realize why it looks different. My wedding ring. It's gone.

  When was the last time I had it? I wear it every day. I never take it off. It's hard to get off and on. My fingers tend to swell. Especially in the summertime. Hunter had a hard time getting my ring on during our wedding ceremony. It makes for a funny story, but at the time, I wasn't laughing. I was freaking out, thinking it was a sign we weren't supposed to get married.

  Panicked, I look to Megan for support and find her holding my ring between her thumb and forefingers. What the hell?

  "It was on my front porch. I was going to text you last night but I got distracted after everyone left."

  I’m guessing her ‘distraction’ was in the form of a tall, handsome man.

  Still, I can’t believe I hadn’t realized it was missing. I took my ring off after I spilled sweet tea on my hands. It was sticky. I set it on the arm of the chair and forgot about it. There was so much going on at that moment.

  "Oh my God. Thank you. I'm so glad you found it."

  Reaching over to take it from her, Megan holds on to it while she explains what happened.

  "Ally found it. Right after she asked me if everything was okay between you and Hunter."

  Sliding my ring back in its rightful place, I ask, "Why would she ask you that?"

  "Because there are rumors, B. People are talking at the office. Hunter's there a lot more than he used to be. He's getting in early and working late and in a bad mood all the time, I guess."

  "So, because he's stressed out and taking his new position seriously, people think he's having trouble at home? That's ridiculous."

  I want to scream.

  No, I want to pull Ally in the house by her hair and scream at her to quit spreading rumors. All they do are damage relationships. No one benefits from the rumors, especially the people being talked about, except maybe the person spreading them.

  Is it the thrill? The danger of being caught?

  The never-ending cycle of something more interesting to talk about than real life?

  Or is this person's life so boring that they have to talk about other people?

  Ally needs to wise up. To grow up.

  If Hunter hears about this, he would fire her ass on the spot. He's never been a fan of the rumors. No one is. Except Ally.

  She claims she's not the one creating them. She's not 'the source,' Megan says.

  I think Ally's been pulling the wool over our eyes for long enough. She's said terrible things about each and every one of us. Spread hateful and hurtful lies about her co-workers, her bosses. It stops now.

  I'm not doing this. I refuse to be the center of the damn rumor mill. I have enough shit to worry about in my regular life. What people are saying about me behind my back doesn't need to be on that list.

  "People are speculating, B. I'm sorry. I wasn't going to tell you. Ally already agreed to diffuse it on Monday."

  "She can do that right now. She can stop spreading shit about people."

  Megan doesn't bother to argue with me. We all think the same thing. No matter how many times Ally denies it, there's never been a rumor about her. No one is ever 'speculating' about her. There has to be a reason for that. The only one I can come up with is that she's the center of all of this.

  "I'm sorry," Megan finally offers. "What can I do to help?"

  Now for the real reason I wanted to talk to Megan alone. Not that I was worried anyone else would be upset, but I wanted to make this a private thing. A personal thing. I want her to know how much I value our friendship.

  "For starters, you can be my maid of honor."

  "Really?" Megan asks after a long pause, tears stinging the corner of her eyes.

  "Really. I want you there standing next to me. It's not going to be a big ceremony, but I'd really like it if you would be a part of it."

  "Yes, of course. What do you need me to do? Do I get to plan a bachelorette party?"

  Laughing, I'm about to respond when Justine walks in followed by the rest of the girls.

  "The mosquitoes are out, and we're all too sweet to sit out there any longer. I already have five bites," she complains as she takes a seat at the table.

  Megan and I share a look, and a smile slowly spreads across her face.

  "What are you thinking? I don't like it when you get that look."

  "Spoons!" Megan announces loudly. Her excitement is over-the-top. She's the reigning queen of spoons. No one can seem to beat her. It's a game of pure luck, but somehow, she's always the lucky one.

  Ally grumbles something to herself under her breath as she takes the open seat next to Angela.

  "What's spoons?" Emerson asks, clearly confused as to why Megan is so thrilled about a kitchen utensil.

  Megan explains the rules to everyone while I gather spoons and a deck of cards. I watch as excitement grows on everyone’s face except Allison’s.

  Ryder, Megan, Hunter, and I used to play all the time. Ally and her man-of-the-moment had been invited a few times, so she knows how annoying this game becomes after Megan kicks your ass over and over again.

  She's a beast when it comes to this game. You will not beat her. She’s ruthless. One of the best bluffers I've ever met, which still surprises me since she's a horrible liar. I guess when it really, truly matters, Megan can't tell a lie. If it's a stupid card game, though… watch out.

  Chapter Eight

  In less than two weeks, I'll be marrying my husband again. Vowing to love him, through thick and thin, the good and the bad, for the rest of my life.

  We've managed to make it ten years already. A lot of amazing things have happened to us, but there’s also been a lot of heartache. Through it all, we've survived because we've leaned on each other.

  Marrying him again won't change that. We're stronger today than we were yesterday or last week or even the day we first said I do. Our love continues to grow and change. It deepens with every day that passes.

  I couldn't imagine my life without Hunter in it. I don't want to.

  That's why I'm so excited we're renewing our vows. Not because people at the office are talking shit about us, about me. Not because there's speculation that we're growing apart.

  I'm excited beca
use I get to marry my best friend again. My soul mate. The one person on Earth who was made just for me.

  That's what I'll be celebrating in the Bahamas in twelve days.

  My excitement is compounded when I find out that Zane came through for us in the best way possible. He's managed to secure a block of rooms at an amazing rate and bundled it with airfare for the entire group.

  Some of the girls were hesitant to shell out a bunch of money to watch two married people get married again. Not because they didn't want to be there to celebrate with us, but because they knew it was going to cost a pretty penny.

  Angela and Tyler just spent a boatload of money on their wedding. Emerson is saving for hers. Ally… who the hell knows what her financial situation is right now. And Justine didn't say much, but she hesitated when I told her it was in the Bahamas.

  Devon's a savvy guy. He has money, I'm sure. He's also very generous and caring. If I had to guess why Justine was reluctant, I'd say it’s because she didn't want him to pay for their trip.

  Still, they all agreed, and when I sent the group text with the final costs, the entire mood shifted.

  ME: The travel agent got back to us. Total cost is only $814 per person, including airfare. Food is extra, and we're still working out a group rate for some of the fun things we want to do while we're there.

  ALLY: I need to go shopping. Who's in?

  JUSTINE: Me!

  MEGAN: I can go tomorrow night if Ryder will watch Amara for a few hours. Emerson?

  EMERSON: He won't care. She's been asking to go to the hot dog place. They can eat while we shop.

  ME: I need to find a white sundress. Any ideas where I should look?

  JUSTINE: You're not wearing a traditional wedding dress?

  ME: I'm already married. This is just a renewal ceremony.

  EMERSON: I saw something you might like at this new store in the mall the other day.

  Internally, I cringe. I was just at the mall a few days ago. I don't think I'm ready to go back again this soon. Before I can type my objection, Megan comes to my rescue.