“Is this dress too short?” I asked Audrey as we walked arm-in-arm toward the bar.
“Hell no! It makes that big booty of yours look amazing.” Audrey reassured me.
I had chosen a tight jersey dress with a low back and my favorite studded heals. Audrey wore a cute pair of black shorts and a gold shimmery top with sky high stilettos. She looked fierce as usual.
“So do you know who is coming tonight?” I asked Audrey. Olivia had kept all the details of our party pretty quiet.
“I have no idea.” She led the way into the bar.
I followed close behind Audrey as we made our way around the corner of the entrance. Once inside, we were greeted by a crowd of our friends and family. Across the back of the bar there was a huge banner that said “Caution: Lawyers in Training!” Leave it to Livy to come up with something like that.
I made my way into the crowd greeting my friends and family. Spotting Jacks and Lukas near the front, I waved and they headed over.
“I can’t believe you actually got her to come out,” I said to Lukas.
“I know, right?” Lukas grinned.
“Hey I have a baby now; I can’t be going out to bars,” Jacks argued in her defense.
“You used to be so much fun,” I kidded her.
“I’m still fun! Tell her I’m fun, babe,” she looked to Lukas for backup.
“You’re still fun sweetheart, you have always been fun,” Lukas reassured her, draping his arm around her and whispering something in her ear making her giggle.
“So Jenna, when do you leave?” Lukas asked still grinning from whatever dirty thing he whispered in his wife’s ear.
“Wednesday. Audrey and I are driving Dad’s truck with the U-haul trailer. He is going to come up on the weekend and bring me my car and help us unpack the big stuff.”
“I can’t believe you are leaving again so soon. We just got you back,” Jacks whined.
“I know but Nashville isn’t that far away. I can come home to visit and you guys can come see me anytime,” I offered.
“I know it’s the best thing for you right now, but I’m still selfish. I’m going to miss my little sister. I was just getting used to having you home again,” she said giving me a huge hug.
“Oh geez she is getting emotional already,” Lukas said rolling his eyes.
“Well I’m glad to see you aren’t torn up about my impeding move, brother,” I shot back at him.
In reply, Lukas wrapped me up in a huge hug and kissed my cheek. “You will always be my kid sister, and of course I will miss you.”
“Thanks Lukas.” I gave him a big smile.
“Alright, stop standing here with us and go mingle with some dudes. You didn’t wear that dress for nothing,” he said as he released me.
“Thanks for coming guys,” I called over my shoulder as I walked toward Livy on the other side of the bar.
Livy was talking to some of our friends from high school whom she invited. I snuck up behind her and hugged her from behind.
“I love you bestie, thank you for the amazing party,” I told her still hugging her.
“Group hug!” I heard Audrey come rushing up behind me smashing into us.
“Well it’s not every day that your best friends go off to law school and leave you at boring old home,” Olivia pouted.
“You know you could move with us,” I told her again. Audrey and I had offered repeatedly for her to come with us, but she had refused. She had recently accepted an internship at an advertising agency that focused on fashion that she was pretty excited about.
“Oh, I will be fine at home. Plus I know better than to move in with two soon-to-be law students. You guys will be so busy you will barely have time to breathe let alone hang out,” she replied.
“Well you still have to come up and visit. I hear they have some pretty hot guys at law school,” Audrey smiled.
“Oh heck yes I will be up there,” Livy smiled back at us.
I couldn’t help but feel sad leaving Olivia behind. It was different in undergrad because Olivia and Audrey had attended the University of Alabama but I had left to go to University of Tennessee on my own. Since we had all moved back to Huntsville we had been inseparable, it was going to be hard not having her with us, but I was glad to have Audrey by myside.
The three of us ordered drinks and chatted with our friends.
“Oh shit what are they doing here?” I heard Livy say from beside me looking shocked.
I followed her stare and saw Julian walking through the door. I immediately perched up on my tip toes to look around for Jamieson.
“Who is he with?” Audrey said pushing her way through the crowd to see.
“He’s with Derrick.” Olivia answered her.
My heart instantly slowed but at the same time I felt the smallest pang of disappointment.
“Here they come,” Audrey warned in a harsh tone.
All three of us tried to pretend we hadn’t been watching their entrance.
“The party is finally here, ladies.” Derrick shot us his signature cocky grin.
“Hi Derrick.” All three of us said in unison.
“Ladies! I have missed you all,” Julian announced, coming up beside us draping his arms over me and Olivia.
Livy shrugged out of his arm and stormed off. I watched as Julian’s eyes followed her exit. I caught the slightest look of regret in his face before he replaced it with his signature smile.
“So I hear you pretty ladies are going off to become lawyers,” Julian said.
“Yup, we leave this week,” I explained.
“Well that’s a damn shame. Seems our group keeps getting smaller and smaller, with JW moving to London,” he mused.
The mere mention of Jamieson made my skin prick up and the pain washed over me. I tried my best to hide it.
“What are you drinking Belle?” I heard Derrick ask Audrey. He had nicknamed her Belle because he liked to tease her about being such a southern belle. She of course hated the nickname.
“Cosmo,” she replied to him.
“Come on, let me get you another one,” Derrick said leading her toward the bartender.
I watched as they walked away still trying to keep my feelings in check.
“How you holding up Jenna?” Julian asked completely catching me off guard.
“Huh?” I turned to look at him, and was met with a look of concern.
“You doing alright?” he asked again.
“Yeah, I’m great,”
Julian shook his head lightly. “I shouldn’t tell you this but fuck it, I’m going to anyways. He asks about you.”
“What?” I had heard him just fine but what he was saying wasn’t making any sense to me.
“When he calls, he asks if I have seen you and if you are doing alright,” he clarified.
“Why would he do that?” I was genuinely confused now.
“I don’t know, I’m guessing he feels bad for how things went down,” he answered.
“Really? He didn’t seem to feel bad when I walked in on him naked in bed with two chicks.” Julian may have caught me off guard at first but now my anger was back tenfold.
“I know he fucked up, Jenna. I think he knows he fucked up, but that doesn’t mean the guy doesn’t still care about you.”
“No that is exactly what it means. You don’t care about someone if you are willing to cheat on them,” I snapped.
“I get it, you have every right to be angry but maybe there are things you don’t know.” Julian was trying his best to defend the defenseless.
“You know what, how about next time he calls you tell him for me that I hope his dick rots off!” With that I stormed off looking for Livy. The nerve of him!
I had found Olivia brooding in the corner. She was less than impressed with Julian’s presence at the party. I hadn’t truly noticed in the last few months but standing there watching Livy I realized my friend was nursing her own heartache. I had told her about Julian and the slut from the party the night I walked in on Jamieson. She said she didn’t really care that they had just been having fun, but now it was evident that it had been more than just fun, for her at least.