The Other Sullivan

Sleeping is hard when your mind is full of thoughts.

Jenna hadn't slept much lately. Brian had been calling and when she didn't answer, he'd text. So much questions and offers she was dodging about coming into the studio to hear their new music. She didn't want to. She didn't want to listen to songs about Jimmy. She didn't want to hear Matt's voice singing them. She just wanted to forget about it all. Forget about them. And move on. But staring down at the glow of her phone, she sighed. There was a new invitation from Brian- to come to Las Vegas. He explained it'd be his wife, Zacky, and their friend Tal Cooperman. Jenna had only met Tal a few times in the past. From what she understood he was nothing more than an alcoholic who partied and lived off his friends money. He was supposed to have a clothing company with those guys from Good Charlotte but Jenna didn't know what happened to it.

Should she go? He made no mention of Matt coming with them. Maybe she'd go. Maybe it'd be fun. She wouldn't be the only girl. Maybe Michelle would start talking in a drunk rant about Matt and Val's marriage ruin. No, no, no. If she went on this little trip, it'd be for herself. Not to hear more shit about the person she didn't want to think about. And yet she still found herself thinking about him. Damn him for being so memorable. Jenna swiped at the screen and sent two words back to Brian: "I'm in." And just like that she was already regretting her decision. She'd need a ton of alcohol to fuel her Vegas weekend.

One flight later, Jenna found herself knocking on a door to a suite at the Palms hotel. What am I doing? Brian happily answered and pulled her into a hug. "Now, where's my key so I can come and go freely without your permission?" Jenna asked, a light laugh escaping her lips and greeted Michelle in a hug too.

"I'm so glad you decided to come. I haven't seen you in ages." Michelle confessed to the girl, a huge grin across her face. Not since before I ruined your sisters marriage. Jenna merely nodded and smiled back at her. Why didn't everyone know the full details of what happened with Matt's marriage? It would make things so much easier. She wouldn't have to pretend to be on a good terms with Val's sister. Jenna was fairly certain Val herself didn't even know the full contents of what went wrong with her own marriage.

"We'll have to go to the spa or something while these dicks lose all their money gambling," Jenna told her, moving her suitcase so nobody could trip over it. Why on earth did she need to travel heavy?!

"Definitely. I'll set up a time for you, me and Allie to go tomorrow afternoon." Michelle agreed excitedly. That's where Jenna became lost and the confusion showed on her face.

"Who's Allie?"

Michelle quickly realized that Jenna hadn't been around recently to know of Allie. "Matt's girlfriend." She answered, "They've been together, what, like four months now? I feel like I should hate her because she's taking Val's place but Val found herself a new man too and let me tell you, he's smoking hot and she's happy. So if she's happy, I'm happy." For now at least. Michelle always became a bitch when she was drunk. Jenna really wanted to see those bitch claws come out after a few cocktails and glimpses of this Allie grinding up on her former brother-in-law.

Brian carried Jenna's stuff to her room in the suite so she and his wife could catch up. She followed Michelle to the bar and watched as the woman poured her a drink, "Four months? Seriously? Is she like a rebound bitch or are they actually serious?" Jenna asked, trying to pose her questions to be less prying and more curious.

Michelle didn't think anything of it as she answered, "I don't know honestly. She's a lot different than Val. And I don't think I would have pictured him going to somebody like her. You'll understand when you meet her." She finished mixing the drinks and slide one across the bar top to Jenna, clinking their glasses with girlish laughing. "Lets forget this weekend before it even starts."

"I'll drink to that." Jenna stated with a bit of a snorted laugh. Another female voice came within earshot. Her head turned slowly as she sipped from her cocktail. She nearly choked when she saw the body that voice was attached to.

"Are you drinking without me?" There stood what Jenna could only describe as a Barbie Bitch. Platinum blonde hair, clearly too many times bleach as her eyebrows didn't match whatsoever, the longest legs she had ever seen attached to a teeny tiny body. This bitch looked like she should be carrying a dog in a little, pink purse and calling herself Elle Woods. "You must be Jenna. I'm Allie." She said in a high pitched voice, pulling Jenna into quite an awkward hug. "It's so nice to meet you."

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you too," Jenna managed to say. Michelle was the only one who recognized the look on her face and burst into laughter. Allie and Brian stood there perplexed but Michelle just waved it off. Barbie Bitch started talking again but Jenna was tuning her out, sipping on her drink as Matt came into view right behind his girlfriend. Her eyes glanced to Allie and back at Matt as if to say, 'Her?' He seemed to understand and shook his head slightly. He was not going to start a war of the words and looks with Jenna right this very moment. His arm snaked around Allie's waist. How dare he pull that right in front of me.

"We're going down to the pool. See you guys down there soon?" Allie asked in her chipper voice. Brian and Michelle nodded and then their eyes landed on Jenna.

"Uh, yeah, I'll come. I just have to find my suit in my mess of a suitcase." She answered. She really didn't want to go to the pool with Matt's girlfriend. Barbie Bitch probably had the perfect size two body and tits that said hello to ever passerby. Allie started pulling on Matt's hand towards the door as Jenna sneaked her way in the direction of her room. Her sneakers slunk against the tiled flooring.

"One sec, I gotta grab my phone and wallet." Matt told Allie and made her wait at the door for him as he followed shortly behind Jenna. Once the hallway turned her came right up behind her in the bedroom.

Startled, she stared at him with dangerous eyes almost daring him to start apologizing to her, "What are you doing?"

"We need to talk and you know it." His voice was stern. Very manly. Jenna had loved his voice. Especially when he was singing. "You can't ignore me all weekend."

A scoff escaped her mouth, "I can try." She stated with a roll of her eyes. "You don't want to keep Barbie waiting." The next thing she knew, Matt had pressed himself against her. That body. She remembered it so well. Every inch. Every muscle. How it felt when she touched him.

She could feel his breath so close to her face, "You're not going to ignore me all weekend." He rephrased himself. She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to use everything she loved about him to his advantage.

"My vagina and I will be perfectly happy without you." Jenna assured him and took a step back. Matt chuckled lightly and shook his head at the girl. He wasn't asking to get into her pants. He really did only want to talk to her. He wanted at least an attempt to fix his giant screwup a year ago.

"You're going to talk to me this weekend and if you have to yell at me first and get all that shit out in the open, you can. But we're going to have this talk." His voice was still serious. Jenna didn't know whether or not to give him the time of day. The little Lucy in her head told her no but the giant Jenna in her heart told her yes. She sighed heavily as he backed out of the room and off to the pool with his lady love.

He left Jenna standing there in the middle of the room, staring at the doorway. She was already planning out all the words she wanted to say to him. Her thoughts were interrupted by Zacky popping in the doorway, "Are you coming to the pool or not?"

A flustered Jenna nodded, "I haven't changed yet so get the hell out." She said, forcing a laugh as she stepped forward and slammed the door on the him.

Poor Zacky let out a grunt, "You know I like it when you're rough!" He shouted through the doorway. Jenna peeled off her clothes and replaced them with a Wonder Woman bikini. She had somehow become severely self conscious in the mere minutes she'd spent with Barbie Bitch and stared at herself in the mirror. Her body was…fine. She regretted a few of her tattoos but still loved all the artwork gracing her skin; they really brightened up her skin considering she was a pale red-head by nature. Really the only thing about her appearance that stuck out to anyone of the opposite sex was her chest. She wasn't as skinny as Barbie Bitch but she definitely had the Beyonce curves going on and her bikini top definitely featured her best assets.

Following the others to the pool, Jenna's eyes were treated to the lovely sight of once more being in Matt's presence. Only he was shirtless. Fuck. That body was a weakness. Hell, everything about him was a weakness. Damn her eyes for landing on that silly blonde girl beside him. Oh, but look: she was standing next to the edge of the pool. The possibilities. The possibilities. Was Jenna really that heartless? Well, yes, actually. But she'd keep her hands to herself.

As Jenna pulled her tank top up over her head she could feel Matt's eyes watching her every move, examining her body. Exactly what she wanted. He was putty in her hands. The ball was in her court and he was going to know she was the boss. It'd be HER decision to let him talk, not his. Her eyes hidden behind her sunglasses glanced to him, a smirk forming.

Matt hadn't even noticed his mouth fall slightly slack. He hadn't seen these parts of Jenna's body in ages. There was a smack on his arm. It was Allie. "Pay attention." She complained. He had no idea what she had been talking about. He followed Allie to the loungers and laid in the one beside her, whipping out his phone to text quickly while she was too busy noticing.

Fake sick tomorrow for your spa day. The boys are going to the casino. We can talk then.

Jenna felt the vibration of her purse and peered down at the text from the boy across the pool. She was going to text back before receiving the next one.

I can't turn back time. But I can fix the present. I'm sorry I walked out on you. I'm sorry about the baby. I'm sorry I blamed you. Please let me talk.

Jenna sent back four words: I'll see you then.

That night turned into a drunken blur of partying. There were some strangers she kissed but Jenna was fairly certain she kept it in her pants and didn't reveal too many thoughts on Miss Barbie. Her mind was focused on what would happen tomorrow.

Notes