3. Lousy Character

The reception was in full swing. It actually was beginning to take the form of a fully catered rager. Since all the elders thought it would be in poor taste to celebrate a wedding that never happened. So it was just us– mostly– youngins.

After I spent over an hour having what can only be described as an actual mental breakdown in the prayer room (aka the bridal dressing room) I had to face the reality that there was an entire cathedral full of people waiting for something that was not coming.

I sent Rachel out to inform the people that the wedding was off. No details, just that due to unforeseen (damn near fraudulent) circumstances the wedding would not be happening; but they were welcome to enjoy the reception. I’d be damned if I was gonna let the open bar I paid so much money for to go to waste.

Emma, the angel that she is, did all the heavy lifting when it came to re-organising the venue and catering so that the big round tables were cleared, and replaced with bar tables to make more room for people to let loose and get buck wild.

I also had other members of bridal party invite some people they knew to join in on the “thank god I didn’t marry that jerk” party.

At this current moment I was having the time of my life, trying my best to forget what this was supposed to be. I am surrounded by friends, I am drunk enough and the DJ is absolutely killing it.

After my sixth song on the dance floor, I decided that I was parched and made my way to the bar.

“Hi Jay,” I smiled at the bartender. I had been over here so often tonight that he and I were basically friends at this point. “Hit me with another vodka cranberry”.

“I have half a mind to just give you plain cranberry juice. I don’t think you’d be able to tell, given the state you’re in.” He tells me.

“Oh come on,” I whine “don’t do me and my broken heart like that, don’t you feel sorry for me?” I shoot him my best puppy eyes.

“I feel sorry for you and that monster hangover you’ll probably be nursing tomorrow.” He shoots back.

“Please, just one more. I promise it’s the last one. Pinky swear.” I offer, extending my pinky to him.

“You’ve been saying that for the past two drinks and five shots. One plain cranberry juice coming right up.” He leaves, ignoring my protests. He comes back less than a minute later with a glass of cranberry juice. “You’ll thank me for this tomorrow.”

“Whatever” I pout, taking my drink anyway. I make sure to do it defiantly so he can see just how unhappy I am about this.

I turn to my left when I hear a man laughing. “If love means getting this shitfaced, then I want nothing to do with it.” He taunts. “It’s not worth the headache.”

I lean toward him so I can see him properly under the dim lighting, just to find that it was just Alec, Cam’s youngest uncle. He and Cam had gotten relatively close over the last few years as Alec took on a mentor role in his life. So when one of Camden’s groomsmen dropped out a week ago because of an emergency, Alec was more than happy to step in when Cam asked.

“Oh, it’s you.” I say, bored with this revelation. “Why are you still here? I thought Cam’s entire side of the family left.” Not before sharing a few choice words about me being flighty, indecisive and non-committal.

He shrugged. “I’ve never been one to go with the crowd”, he said as he took a sip of his drink. “Besides, what kind of an asshole would I be if I left you here to nurse your broken heart all on your own.”

“I’m not alone. Besides, I don’t need companionship from one of Camden’s people.”

He raises an eyebrow and scoffs at being called one of ‘Camden’s people’ before shrugging the comment off. “Speaking of ‘Camden’s people’, why did you just let them say all that stuff about you? Why didn’t you just tell them what Cam did?” He asked.

“Cuz I didn’t want the look.” I reply simply.

“What look?”

“That look people give you when they feel sorry for you. That ‘poor Dariana’ look. And I just know, given how big of a scandal this would be, if I told them then I’d be getting that look from half the city by tomorrow morning. I know Cam’s too big of a coward to come clean to his parents just yet, I just wanted to buy myself some time to prepare for it.”

“I never thought of it that way, you’re a very proud young lady.” He nodded in understanding.

It came with the territory of being a Caldwell, I guess. My family is relatively well known in this city, but I’ve managed to build a name for myself outside of them. Even so, when people talk about me or my family, others tend to listen.

The thought of my social position made me giggle a bit.

“Care to share the joke so we can laugh together?” He asks.

“I’m just thinking about how Cam basically levelled up when he got with me. I mean, when we got together in college he was essentially a nobody. No ambition, no direction, no status. But I saw something in that nobody and I made him somebody.

I mean I had options, propositions from far more established people than him. Options that, at the time, my friends begged me to consider. But I said no. My dumbass was going around telling everyone that ‘what matters most is the content of his character’. Now look where that got me. At my would-have-been wedding reception rambling at my fiancé’s uncle. Oops, sorry. Ex-fiancé.” I took another sip of my drink. “So much for character.” I mumble.

“I’m quite enjoying your rambling, actually. It’s very entertaining.” He says. Probably just to make me feel better.