Without a Hitch(3)

Why do I always make friends with the drunk girls?

Unable to help myself, I cross the black-tiled floor. “Are you okay?” My face scrunches up as I ask. Obviously, she isn’t okay, or she wouldn’t be in here crying.

“I-My-She…” A hiccup escapes before she tries again. “I think my fiancé is cheating on me.

With…with my friend.” Her glassy eyes follow the trail of the two women who just left.

Well, shit.

“Have you asked them about it?”

She nods. “He denies it. B-But I have this feeling and a text message.” Her toned body deflates like a sad balloon animal.

“Oh, honey. I’m sorry.” I grab a wad of tissues and hand them to her.

“I don’t know what to do,” she admits, and I realize she isn’t as drunk as I originally thought.

She’s hurt. Who knew the optics of those two things could be so similar?

“I don’t want to tell you what to do, but I would follow my gut. If something feels off, it usually is.

And truthfully? If he’s cheating with your friend, she isn’t your friend. You don’t owe either of them anything.”

Her shoulders straighten as she contemplates my words. “You’re right. What would you do?”

That startles a laugh from me. “Well, I’m a hopeless romantic, but I’m also detail-oriented. I’d want proof. I’d get proof, then I’d burn their world to the ground.” The admission shocks us both, but she’s nodding with wide eyes in agreement. Crossing my arms, I tell her my truth. “Marriage is important to me. It’s a promise made between two people, and if one of those people is in it for the wrong reasons, they make a mockery of something I hold dear to my heart. So, I’d probably hack their phones and then put them on blast. Then, I’d cry. A lot. But I’d eventually pick myself up because I truly believe there’s a happily ever after out there for all of us. If this guy isn’t yours, don’t waste your time crying in bathrooms. He doesn’t deserve you, and you deserve a hell of a lot better.”

The bathroom door opens, and Delaney slips inside. Turning toward her, she offers a kind smile.

This isn’t the first time she’s found me making friends in the bathroom. She says it’s so I can hide, and maybe that’s partly true, but I’ve never been able to walk away from someone in need.

“You’re right.” My new friend sways slightly. Maybe she is at least a little buzzed. “You ready for a show?”

“Uh…yes?”

She uses her fingertips to angrily wipe away the mascara marring her cheeks. “Good. I’m about to set off some fireworks in there.”

Oh, shit. “I didn’t mean right now.” Holy Hades, what did I just do?

The stranger grabs my biceps with more strength than I’d given her credit for. “This has been a long time coming. I’m either going to put two shitty people on blast, or I’m going to wake up and apologize for my drunken debauchery.” She winks, and my jaw drops. “Thank you. You’re amazing.”

She’s gone a second later, and I’m left staring at Delaney, who shakes her head at me.

“Your collection of drunken admirers is growing.”

Rolling my eyes, I head into a stall. “As one of four girls, I just know how to handle overzealous emotions.”

Hovering over an absolutely disgusting toilet I barely contain a groan. I should have stayed home tonight.

Delaney is leaning against the sink, waiting for me, when I leave the stall. “Someday, you’ll find your Prince Charming, and it’s going to be one hell of a ride.”

“I know,” I mumble. Emotions clog my throat, so I clear it as I wash my hands. My friends have always been able to see through me when they look hard enough.

“And he’ll find you were hiding in plain sight,” she continues. “I know you prefer to be on the sidelines, behind the scenes. Blend into the crowd. But you’re a bright light waiting to shine. You know that, right?”

“God, Del. How drunk are you?”

She sighs as she bumps my shoulder. “Not enough. I saw your face on the dance floor. I’m sorry you felt left out.”

“I didn’t…” She raises her brow, and I let all pretenses go. “It’s not that I felt left out. I just didn’t feel like I fit in. There’s a difference.”

“I know,” she says, hooking her arm through mine. “Ready to go home? Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey are waiting for us!”

I give her arm a squeeze as we exit the foul-smelling room. Remembering my drunken friend, I seek her out in the crowd and find her just in time to see her jam a phone screen in her friend’s face.

My heart splinters for the girl I don’t know. Betrayal of that magnitude rocks me to my core, and I’ve never been so thankful for the built-in friendship and loyalty that came with having three sisters and no parents to count on. I hit the jackpot with Hadley and Delaney. I’ve kept my circle small my entire life. And watching the drama unfurl in front of me, I’m thankful.

“Jesus,” Delaney whispers. “That’s going to hurt tomorrow.”

No punches are thrown. Just verbal sparring, but Delaney knows better than most that words can cut deeper than a knife.