FOUR | HEART ACHE

Seven glanced over his glass at the happy couple that stood across from him. He swirled the white wine around in his glass and moved his gaze to the large window beside him.

The rain decorated the outside of the glass. But, inside everyone was protected from the storm that awaited them outside.

   "How's the party so far?" Dario asks as he wraps an arm around his friend's shoulders. They were both dressed in semi formal attire. Both of them sported slacks with button up shirts and Seven wore a suit jacket. 

   "It's great." Seven replied blandly with one hand in his pocket, his glass to his pink lips. 

   "You don't sound great. What's eating you?"

   "Nothing." He shook his head. 

   "I think you're lying. Don't lie to me. We're best friends." He gives his best friend a straight face.

   "Don't give me that face." Seven frowns.

   "I want you to know that I'm being serious. C'mon, tell me what's wrong?"

Seven shook his head.

   "Nothing. It's just... I didn't get enough sleep last night. There were a lot of things on my mind." 

   "Well... Do you want to talk about it?"

   "No. I'm fine."

   "Okay..." Dario replied skeptically as he stepped away to talk with the other guests. 

But, something was truly eating away at him. Something dealing with feelings. He was never good at expressing the way he felt to others. Especially to the opposite sex.

He may have seemed intimidating and tough with his tatoos, his experience with gangs and criminal history. But, on the inside he was just a big teddy bear who wanted to be with the person he loved.

That person, just happened to be Remi. 

Years had gone by and he was still had not told her about his feelings. Many times, he tried to get rid of the butterflies that fluttered around in his stomach whenever he was around her.

He tried drinking, eating and sleeping it away. He didn't like it all too much. He hated feeling like a dopey doofus for her. He was a fool for her and it was nervewracking that she didn't even know it.

He dreaded it. He dreaded this day for so long. He knew that one day she would get married and leave him to be. The man to have her as a wife was truly lucky.

He thought that he'd have plenty of time to confess his feelings for her. Years and years went by. Times changed. They grew apart and he knew that there would most likely be no chance of her accepting him.

But, he wanted to try anyway. Even though he knew that now was a bad time.

Suddenly, there was a loud, sharp noise. Everyone looked up to see the groom-to-be, Levi, was trying to get everyone's attention by tapping his champagne glass.

   "A toast!" He proclaimed. Everyone raised their glasses, all except for Seven who continued to drink by the window. "To my beautiful fiancee, Remi."

   Everyone aww'ed and Levi turned to Remi, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Remi's deep brown cheeks became rosy. Yes, now at their engagment party, would have been a bad time.

Seven finished his drink and placed it on the one of the waiter's trays.

He sighed and staggered towards his friends who were standing around in a circle, laughing and conversing. He invaded their circle to get to the engaged couple on the other side of them.

   "Woah, where are you going, Sev?" Mykel said as he grabbed the drunkard's shoulders.

Seven struggled out of his grasp and headed over to Remi who already had her eyes on him, because of the commotion he was causing. 

   "Remi," He said slowly. "Can we talk?"

   "Sure. What is it you have to tell me?" She asked, she raised her dark eyebrows. Her curly kinky hair was up in a ponytail and her makeup was perfect. 

   "No. Can we talk somewhere private? It's kinda important."

   "Alright," she nods and turns to Levi. "I'll be right back." He nodded to her and watched as they ventured off outside. 

///

Remi and Seven stood silently watching as the rain got heavier by the minute.

   "So..." Remi hadn't bothered to tear her eyes away from the pouring rain and the dark night sky. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

   "Oh," he said turning towards her and stared at the dark brown freckles on the side of her brown face. "I want to apologize." He turned away from the window.

   "For what?"

   "For... Scaring you like that. The day I visited you at the store."

   "No. It's fine. I should be apologizing for over reacting like that."

   "Well..." He placed his head against the cold glass window. The alcohol slowly began to take over him. His eyelids grew heavy, yet he fought to keep them open. "That's not actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

   "Then what is it, you wanted to talk about?"

   He reached for her hand and she pulled it away as soon as their fingers touched.

   "... I... I love you."

   "Hmm?" She cocked her head and furrowed her brows. "Seven..." She began to laugh it off. "You're drunk."

   "No, I'm not," he chuckled then frowned as she seemed to have offended him. 

   "Yes, you are." She nodded in protest. "I can smell the liquor all over you." She backed away. "Maybe you should go lay down."

Before she could leave, he grabbed her ny her forearm and she gives him a look of surprise. "What are you doing?" She tried pulling herself away.

   "Remi... I'm being sincere." He stepped closer. "I..." He trailed off and passed out. His chin rested on her shoulder and she caught him in her arms.

   "Just as I said, you're drunk." She moved the hair from his eyes and stared at his pale face. "Why did you have to come here to tell me this? After disappearing for so many years, why did you decide to come back. We were always best friends, the day you left without saying a word felt like a stab to the back. Now, you're back and it's like I never knew you." She said to his intoxicated body. 

   "What happened to him?" Levi asked as he approached his fiancee. 

   "He passed out. I guess he drank too much." She chuckled lightly. 

   "I've got him." Dario walked up to them. He grabbed his best friend and wrapped his arm around him. "Sorry if he bothered you, Remi." 

   "It's fine." She shook her head. "I'm just glad he's fine." 

Dario went back inside with Seven's half concious body.