Chapter 7 Seven

I have just enough time to jump from the bed and rush to the bathroom before I let out all the champagne into the toilet. I'm glad I also managed to close the door behind me so Chad doesn't have to witness this humiliating moment in my life.

"Hays, are you okay?" His voice is muffled by the closed door, and I'm still too nauseated to give him a coherent answer, so I just grunt instead, hoping he takes that as a 'yes.'

I wait a couple of minutes to make sure there's nothing left inside me, and then I get up from the floor, brushing my teeth and wiping my makeup off with a cleansing wipe. I feel a bit better now and ready to go to bed. I should get out of this dress and put on my pajamas, but I don't feel keen to do that. Maybe it won't be that bad to sleep in this.

I open the door to find Chad offering me a glass of water and an aspirin, the corner of his lips curled up in a grin.

"It'll make you feel better in the morning," he explains, handing me the pill.

I gulp it down, thanking him while heading for my bed. I decide against changing, and just toss myself on top of the duvet.

"Thanks for taking care of me, Chad," I murmur, my voice dragging and my mind starting to drift off.

"Anytime, sis. Call me if you need anything. I'll be outside."

The dreams I have-or should I call them nightmares?-make me toss and turn in my bed the whole night. In a couple of them, Spencer and I are still together, and we're so happy that it's frightening enough to make me sabotage our relationship and end things between us. In a few others, there are flashes of scenes where Spencer cheats on me with Millie, her annoying voice and stupid smile haunting me until the morning. But the one that stays in my head the entire day is a pretty vivid one-but it isn't just a dream, it is a memory. From when Spencer and I were still in high school.

I was at the end of my sophomore year by the time Spencer first caught my attention. He had been friends with Chad for a while since they both played on the football team, but I was younger than them, so I barely frequented the same places and parties. But on that day, everything changed.

Spencer noticed me. In a different way than just as his best friend's little sister. I was invited to this after game party, and I made sure to bring Poppy with me so I wouldn't feel left out. But Poppy hooked up with this cute guy she knew from math club, and I was left alone. Until Spencer came to my rescue.

He said he saw me standing there alone, and these parties were known for being dens of sharks preying on lonely girls, so he was doing my brother a favor by keeping an eye on me. Chad had gotten sick the previous day, so he didn't play nor came to the party.

And well, that was the first time Spencer and I spent some alone time together, and by the time he took me home, we shared our first kiss.

My entire life changed after that day.

Waking up isn't an easy thing to do. Partially because of these dreams, and partially because of the horrible hangover that hits me. Good thing I don't have to work today.

I ponder staying in bed, but I know Ryan and Alice will leave for their honeymoon later, and we all planned to have a family lunch before their departure. Also, I'm sure the ranch is a mess after the party last night, so Mom and Dad must need all the help they can get. Reluctantly, I force myself out of bed, heading for the shower. I step out of my maid of honor dress and into the shower, feeling the warm water cascading down my hair and back, washing away the irked feeling I have from yesterday.

While I wash my hair, I replay the scenes from the wedding, trying to fill in the voids left by the alcohol. My conversation with Spencer was awkward, to say the least, but I can't push away the small signs I spotted on his face whenever he looked at me.

He seemed hesitant, regretful, restrained...

And whenever Millie was close to him, hugging him or whispering things in his ear, he didn't look happy. Not in the way I remembered him being with me anyway.

Was I imagining it? Am I reading too much into it? Was I seeing what I subconsciously wanted to see?

A part of me was so angry at him for showing up like this, with someone else, trying to engage in a conversation about our past as if it had just happened. Another part of me, though, ached for him. It was like he never left. When I saw him there, standing alone, leaning against the fence, it was like no time had passed. It was like we were young again, and he was there, waiting for me so we could go out on a date to watch the stars and stay awake all night talking about our plans for the future.

A future we were supposed to share.

For a moment, all I wanted was to run to him, throw my hands around his neck, and tell him I never stopped loving him. That no matter what happened between us, it was in the past, and we could forget about it and move on.

But that's impossible. Not only because now he has someone else, but because there is a lot of emotional baggage involved-things that were said and done that neither of us can pretend never happened.

I step out of the shower, drying off and getting dressed. I grab a pair of jeans, a white shirt, and my old, worn out caramel cowboy boots. My hair is wet, and I consider blow drying it before leaving, but I'm in a bit of a rush, and I desperately need a cup of coffee, so I leave it wet. I grab my sunglasses, phone, and car keys before heading toward the door.

The commotion already happening in and out of the house catches me a bit off guard. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was definitely not this. It seems like the ranch was turned upside down during the night. There's a lot of people cleaning and organizing things, but still, it takes me aback for a moment.

"Hayden, sweetheart. How are you?" Mom comes rushing when I cross through the kitchen door. Breakfast is on at the table, but there's no one around other than her and Dad apparently. She hugs me tightly, pulling away to check my face and analyze me. "Are you feeling well? Chad told us you got sick last night."

"I'm fine. Just had too much champagne," I tell her with a smile. "Morning, Dad."

"Good morning, sunshine. Sunglasses, huh?" he teases, handing me a cup of coffee. The aroma of it is enough to boost me up.

I take it from his hand, taking a sip of the hot liquid. It immediately makes me feel better.

"Sit down and grab something to eat. You'll be good as new," Mom encourages me, pulling the chair for me. I do as she says, grabbing a waffle and shoving it into my mouth.

Since I had nothing to eat last night-which explains why the champagne had such a strong effect on me-I'm starving. Despite the buzz around the house, the kitchen seems relatively quiet without my siblings around.

"Is the rest of the family still asleep?" I ask, looking around to search for a familiar face.

"Ryan and Alice went home to pack and will be back for lunch. Lauren is sleeping in her old bedroom, and Chad went back to his apartment," Dad explains while reading today's paper. "Who wrote this article about the wedding?"

I snap my head in his direction, impressed at the speed that Poppy managed to have the article done. "Poppy was supposed to do it. What does it say?" I ask, curiously looking over his arm, but I can't read anything from this angle.

There's apparently a picture of the newlywed couple, but other than that, I have no idea what she wrote about.

"Yeah, nothing too revealing. Nothing about the groom's sister vomiting all over her brother while he took her to bed because she couldn't walk by herself," Dad jokes.

My jaw drops, astonished by his provocation. "I didn't vomit on anyone. Chad is such a liar!" I counter, huffing.

"I am no such thing." Chad walks in through the kitchen back door, looking refreshed and showered. His light-brown hair is wet, and he's wearing a flannel shirt and jeans, ready for whatever chores Mom throws at us. He grins at me, stealing the waffle from my hand before sitting across from me.

"You two should have been the journalists in the family," I snarl, rolling my eyes at him and Dad. "Lying suits you both."

Dad shrugs, unbothered, and my brother chuckles while Mom pours him some coffee.

"How did you sleep after you flushed your stomach down the toilet?" Chad asks, staring at me from over his cup.

"As good as one could considering I drank all the champagne from the party."

"Goodness, Hayden! Why did you drink so much?" My mom sounds shocked. What is the deal with everyone scolding me for drinking at my brother's wedding?