Everly’s POV

I tried to convince myself that this could really be a nice evening. I mean, we were with friends, in a fancy restaurant, what could go wrong?

Brian held his arm out to me and I hooked mine into his. He looked at me from the side, and I didn’t know why, but this small flashback from the earlier days had me really confused.

I remembered just how good Brian and I had come along right from the start, and how easy that had changed. I really didn’t want to think about it, but the words were still ringing in my ears, the words that changed my whole sight of Brian and our friendship…

“Caught in the past again?” Brian asked with a teasing note and I shook my head, even though he was right.

“Nope, just hoping the evening will go over easy.” I gave his arm a small squeeze and he patted my hand with his “It’s gonna be fine. You just need to open up to me a little more, you know what we talked about in the beginning, right?”

I frowned looking up to him “What do you mean?” He winked “If you want the people to think we are in love, you gotta show me some love, babe” He smirked and I rolled my eyes “I think we are just fine with the way we are acting now” I shot back and Brian shook his head lightly when he guided me into the restaurant showing his invitation at the doors.

“If you really believe that, then you are wrong. Today, is the night where all eyes are on us. And I don’t just mean our friends, I mean every one sitting in the restaurant, those pictures that were taken outside, that will also be taken inside. Those will headline the magazines, and those web articles, so we have to do more, than just convince our friends, we have to convince the rest of the world.” Brian smiled while his tone said a whole different thing.

“I don’t know if I can do that, Brian” I whispered, his words made me realize, that from today on, it really would be official. Even if Chris haven’t heard from Brian and me till now, he will hear and see from us from today on.

Because now, we were a couple, our coming out. So no backing out now, I had to go all in.

Brian stopped and helped me out of my coat, he handed his and mine over and grabbed a hold of my shoulders. He stepped closer, his face only a few inches from mine, his lips a whisper away.

“I want you to lead us tonight. You will show me which pace and with what you are comfortable… you know what this is about. And I am sure you can make them believe us.” Brian’s lips met mine briefly.

“I am not too sure about that” I whisper back and Brian smiled “I am” He grabbed my hand and dragged me behind him.

We were being led to a huge table where at least some of our friends were sitting and some people I have never seen before, but Brian greeted everyone friendly. I saw them scanning me, saw them whispering when Brian kissed my hand when he let me sit down beside him.

I was feeling ten times more nervous than I was before meeting our friends. Zack and his girlfriend came later, and all the people I knew were now sitting on different ends and I didn’t have anyone to talk to.

During the dinner we were doing some small talk with the people beside us, the food was delicious and the whole restaurant was closed for this special occasion.

“Are you feeling better?” Brian’s deep rasp sounded in my ear and I shook my head slightly “Not really. I don’t know half the people here” I whisper back “It will be easier soon. The dinner is over, they will now lead us to the back area, where we can sit and dance” Brian smirked “I would be up for a dance” He smirked even more at me and I chuckled “I bet you are”

“Brian! It’s good to see you. How are you, man?” A man with a beard stood before us, he seemed familiar but I just couldn’t think of his name.

“I’m great” Brian stood up and shook hands “Everly, you might remember Josh, Josh this is Everly” He motioned from me to Josh and I nodded, that was his name. “Hey, nice to meet you” I said and he grabbed my hand pulling me in for a hug, surprising me and making Brian chuckle behind me.

“Did you enjoy the food?” Josh asked and I almost groaned, right… he was the owner of the restaurant. I was here before and I saw him, I just didn’t know where to put him.

“It was delicious” I replied “Ah that’s good to hear. See you later, okay?” He moved on to greet all his guests and I fell down onto the chair beside Brian, letting my head rest on Brian’s shoulder.

“You know, I think most of the people here are wondering, if you are really my date.” Brian said and I frowned. “Why would you think that?” I looked around and saw some people looking over to Brian and me curiously.

“Because you sit beside me like we are brother and sister” Brian looked at the small gap between us and when I looked around again, I noticed how the other couples were almost all over each other. Zack’s girlfriend had her hand on his thigh, while his arm hung around her shoulder.

Val and Matt sat in a dark corner, and well… I couldn’t even see Val anymore. I rolled my eyes, where these people really watching us that closely? Or was Brian right?

“Fine… what do you want me to do though?” I hissed at Brian and he smirked “I’m just saying, that I don’t think you can jump over the wall that you have built before you or rather built between us. You might have convinced our friends with your sweet talk a few days ago, but now when you are alone with me, and have to show action, you won’t be able to do that. And this way, no one at this wedding will believe us, not Chris, not Rachel, not anyone.” Brian didn’t raise his voice, it looked like he was telling me sweet nothings in my ear but his words were sharp and clear.

He thought I wasn’t woman enough to handle the situation and make anyone believe that he was the man for me, well… then he guessed wrong.

I took my glass drowned the rest of red wine and sit up straight next to Brian. My thigh brushing his, the slit in my dress revealing a hell of a lot more skin than I was comfortable with, but it made Brian look down at our touching legs.

I tried to shut off my thoughts and put a smile on my face. Brian was right, since he wasn’t the one making the move on me as he said he wouldn’t do, I was the one who had to take the lead now.

I would just shut out the people around us, and the thoughts about the past and think about this differently.

I looked at Brian from the side and mustered his face, I knew he was a handsome man. But I had never actually looked at him that way before. When I got to know Brian, I was already in love with Chris.

I did notice the good looks of the guys that surrounded Chris, but I never really paid much attention to it, it hadn’t mattered to me.

I smiled at Brian and let my hand wander over to his thigh, underneath the table, I let my hand move down his knee and back up again till I almost reached his hipbone.

Brian’s eyes snapped up to me, but not a word came over his lips. I saw a little confusion in his eyes, but they also sparked with something else, something close to lust if you asked me.

I wiggled a little closer to him and laid my back against his chest, I leaned my head back and Brian’s arm found its way around me immediately. He held me even closer to his body and I smiled.

“You want me to play?” I asked into his ear, licking the shell, feeling Brian’s chest vibrate against my back.

“Fuck yeah” His voice sounded deep and raspy. “But don’t complain if you can’t handle it” I turned around and sat onto his lap. I laid my hand onto Brian’s cheek and leaned in, I brushed my lips against his and Brian opened up right away, his tongue brushing mine.

When I slowly pulled away, I got up and looked into Brian’s face, my lipstick was smeared over his lips, leaving a red mark. I felt a weird sense of satisfaction seeing him that way.

I held my hand out and he laid his in mine. I pulled him up, and saw as well as felt a dozen pairs of eyes watching us.

I lifted my hand up to his lips and whisked the red mark away, as best as I could with a small chuckle “You got something on your lips”

“I know, and I want it back” With that Brian stole another kiss from me before he guided us to the dance floor.

We danced to the slow music, and I rested my head on his chest, while his arms were firmly pulled around me. His heartbeat was fast and steady and I was getting more and more used to his cologne that I began to like the more I smelled it on him.

When the song ended I excused myself and went over to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror, the swollen lips, the slightly red cheeks and couldn’t believe that was actually me.

Once I stepped in the hall, I gasped.

“Everly”

“What’s up princess?”

Two familiar faces grinned wide at me – a sandy blonde in a slate blue suit and a goateed idiot. Tripp and Trevor. Fuck, I forgot which was which but I knew I hated them both.

They were former colleagues and friends from Chris and I’d found them crude immature and insufferable even before they planned my then-fiancés secret going away party.

“Hi,” I said curtly, knowing well from their leering looks in their eyes that they had nothing good to say.

“Excuse me” I said, stepping past them and walking away before I had to hear any of their bullshit.

“Saw you jerking Brian under the table just now,” one of them called after me. My stomach lurched. I stopped and turned, my heart thumping at the disgusting looks on their faces.

“Good stuff. Love seeing you lose the classiness for once. It was always kind of boring”
“First of all, that’s obviously not what was happening” I said, gritting my teeth.

“Second, you’re friends of Chris and considering you threw his goodbye party, you know that he left me to marry another woman, so its honestly more than fair game for me to have moved on.”

“To his best friend, though? That’s cold. I mean once upon a time, I’m pretty sure you hated that guy,” said the blonde, whichever his stupid name was.

“Yeah, and now you’re fucking him? Considering you hated us too, does that mean we’re next?”

I stared at them both “Excuse me?”

“Tripp and I are happy to volunteer for the job if you’re just fucking anyone to piss off Chris” Trevor rubbed his goatee slowly in a way that had my skin crawling.

“Just call us when you and Brian are done and it’s our turn” He grinned and I couldn’t move away fast enough.

My heart was pounding, their laughter fading from my ears as I stormed furiously away, my heels clicking so loudly and rapidly Brian caught my eye from well across the room.

He sat up fast, frowning hard at whatever look was stricken on my face. Before I could even get back to the table, he was up and pacing toward me.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, stopping me at the end of the bar.

“Chris’ colleagues” was all I muttered, my voice trembling.

“Which ones? Where?” Brian demanded, already heated. Peering toward the front door, I watched how Tripp and Trevor shrug their coats on, smiling as they watched me. But the smiles fell off their faces when Brian followed my eye line to find them.

Suddenly, they were getting dressed a bit faster. “What did they do?”

“Asked if it was their turn with me next” I had barely finished my sentence before Brian was rushing toward the door.

“Brian wait!” I pleaded quickly walking after Brian and towards the door, afraid of what he would do! Could this evening go any more wrong?!

Notes

Sorry, this Update took me a little...
But
I have a good excuse, cause I was seeing Avenged two times last week during their Germany concerts ;) And that way I didn't have much time to writing ;)
So the updates might be a little slower this and the next week, but I will try to keep it regular!

Let me know what u think about this one!
Comments, Votes and Subs are very welcome!