“Ahhhhhh!” I sighed as I hit another batch of traffic. “Why! Why! Why!”

I glanced down at the clock on the dash of my Land Rover. I was only going to be a few minutes late, that wasn’t so bad. I was on my way to the other side of town, to Liam and Rachel’s house. Since becoming engaged, and going public, they had been planning for the long, future schemes of things. They had moved into the suburbs, but also kept the flat they owned in the city.

Rachel had given me a call a couple days after the night out celebrating with Lily. She had said her and Liam wanted to get everyone together for dinner at their house. She was reluctant to have everyone over, being her first dinner party since buying the home. She was also reluctant because having everyone over meant “Harry and Spencer in the same dining room for a few hours”. I rolled my eyes on the phone with her as she expressed her concern.

I laughed out loud at the thought of all of us all back together. It was going to be weird, but it was also going to be fun. It always was when the whole lot teamed back up. Lately though, it hadn’t been the entire group, we were all so busy and Harry usually never was informed of our hangouts. It would be interesting for sure.

I whipped around the streets of the couples new neighborhood, seeing many other cars already lined up on the block. Damnit, I knew I was going to be late. I found an open spot, whipped my SUV into and quickly gathered all my belongings. Keys, check. Lipstick reapplied, check. Hair fluffed, check. Wine, check. I took one last look in the review mirror before stepping out of the car. I had worn a cute, tight, red knee length dress paired it with some classic nude pumps and knew I looked good. I don’t generally get too dolled up for evenings with my friends, but I knew a certain someone was going to be there and I knew dresses like this drove him wild. I was over him, truly. But that doesn’t mean I still don’t like to look nice. I enjoy seeing a jealous Harry. I enjoy seeing him squirm.

I knocked lightly on the door, subconsciously smoothing out the wrinkles in my dress. The door flung open to a very happy looking Liam.

“Spencer! So glad you could make it!” he said, engulfing me in a bone crushing hug.

“Wouldn’t miss it! Rach made it seem pretty important.” I giggled, holding out the wine to him.

“Nice! We love our wine!” he chuckled.

He seemed, nervous? He seemed something out of the ordinary. I had a feeling this had something to do with the wedding. It was unusual to see a nervous Liam, but I wasn’t worried. I followed him into the house, being greeted by the warm smell of candles and dinner along with the smiling faces of my friends.

“Spence!” Louis smiled.

I gave him a stern glare, still upset with him from what he said to Pete at the bar. “Lou.”

“I’m sorry I’m such a twat.” He chuckled, bringing me into a hug. “Tell Petey I love him next time you talk to him.”

“Will do. And it’s okay.” I giggled. “But don’t let it happen again!”

I found a seat next to two people I didn’t actually expect to even see there.

“So where have you been?!” I squeaked when she realized I had arrived.

“Oh my god, oh my god. If I would have seen you come in I would have made a bigger scene! I’ve missed you Spenc.” She engulfing my second bone crushing hug of the night.

“I missed you more though, Lucy.” I smiled, still embraced in her hug.

“Spencer, sorry I didn’t even see you sneak in, I’m a terrible host.” Rachel said coming into the living room.

“Don’t worry about it!” I said, as she cleared her throat.

“Hey everyone, I was just wondering if you guys wanted some wine. We have pretty much anything you could possibly want liquor wise a well. We’re just waiting on one more person and we’ll be good to go, so drinks, yeah?” Rachel seemed nervous too.

I scanned the room trying to figure out who was missing, everyone seemed to be here. Then it hit me. Harry. Of course he’d be late. I rolled my eyes at the thought, Rachel bringing me back to reality.

“Wine, or mixed drink, or beer?” she asked.

“I’ll have a healthy glass of red wine, please.” I snickered, and she knew exactly why.

I took in the scene before me, a few people I didn’t actually know, but was sure I would before the night was over. I noticed, Louis and Emily, Calum and Lucy, Ashton, Niall, Zayn, Liam, Lucas, Rachel’s brother I had met a few quick times, and two guys I didn’t know. On the other side of the room, Cara and Maria Rachel’s sisters, Kate, Liam’s sister, Stella and Gracie, Rachel’s hometown friends, and a girl I didn’t know.

The conversation was lulled, as the guys all hovered around the TV watching some football game. Typical. Rachel seemed stressed, so us ladies decided to help. We stood in the kitchen, gossiping while the guys cheered loudly, seemingly already drunk. I took a look around at the ladies. I had met the other girl, Shannon, another hometown friend of Rachel’s. We helped finish up what needed to be done as we sipped our drinks, setting the table, checking food temperatures, and refilling drinks. Dinner was almost ready to be placed around a table when we heard a commotion from the living room.

“Dude!” I heard Zayn shout, thinking it was about the game on the telly. Curiously I peeked my head out with Emily. She snickered loudly, rolling her eyes.

“He’s such a prick.” She shook her head.

I followed her gaze, finding my least favorite person and the gaudy girl attached to his arm. “Seriously.”

“Rachel, the cat drug in his dead mouse, should I set an extra plate?” Emily said, almost yelling, never breaking eye contact with Harry.

“Got something to say Emily?” Harry eyed her.

“I think you heard me, cat.” She growled.

“Why is she like being so rude?” The tramp attached to Harry whined.

“Oh and the dead mouse speaks! However did you teach her such a trick, Harold?” Emily clapped, heading into the kitchen.

I straightened out the wrinkles in my dress, feeling better in my choice after seeing everyone else was dressed up as well. I felt a pair of eyes, glaring into the side of my face. I gave him no satisfaction, turning to follow Emily.

“She wasn’t invited.” Rachel gritted her teeth. “LIAM!”

In no time at all, Liam was in the kitchen looking terrified. “What? What is it?”

“Why is she here?” Rachel glared. “Did you tell him he could bring her?”

“No, I just invited him. I suppose he took the liberty of bringing her along himself.” Liam shrugged.

“I don’t want her in my house.” Rachel stated.

“If she leaves, he leaves.” Liam sighed. “I want him here. So can we just deal with it for the evening and I’ll have a chat with him after?”

“I want him here, too!” Rachel’s voice rose. “But that doesn’t mean he can bring her wherever he pleases.”

“I’ll talk to him after, okay?” Liam placed a reassuring kiss on her forehead.

They were undeniably cute. They meshed so well together I couldn’t stand it sometimes. He waited on her hand and foot, even if she didn’t want him too. He was so attentive to her needs that it would make anyone with eyes jealous. I was developing that with Pete, I felt but at the same time, it would never come to the level of love Liam had for Rachel. He was head over heels in love and you could tell she loved him just as much back.

I helped place the food on the table in silence with Rachel. There isn’t much to say when your fiancé’s arrogant friend brings his unwelcomed girlfriend. Rachel called everyone in, and we all found a place to sit. I found myself between Zayn and Niall, not a bad seat if you ask me. Emily and Louis were across the table and Emily kept making faces at me. I tried to stifle my laughter but couldn’t.

“What’s so funny?” Calum looked between us confused.

“What?” I asked. “Nothing.”

Emily shrugged. “We can read each other’s mind.”

We continued to eat participating in small talk here and there. It was a lovely time. The food was great, the conversation was flowing and the drinks were never empty. We had all finished eating, sporadic food left here and there.

We had all moved into the living room to talk and gossip for a little while longer. We had a few more rounds of drinks in all of us. I was giggly, not drunk, giggly at this point, Emily right by my side. We were in a debate about whether Louis or Zayn would finish more beers tonight when Liam cleared his throat.

“Hey guys, um, Rachel and I are all so happy you’re here tonight. You guys make up the closest friend and family anybody could ask for. We love each and every one of you. We actually gathered you all up, because lord knows how hard it is to find time for all of us to be in the same room…” he chuckled with everyone. “But there’s something we’d actually like to ask.”

Rachel looked over at him with excited eyes. “We were hoping that everyone here would share our special day with us by being part of our bridal party.”

Cheers, smiles, and claps erupted from the table. Everyone obviously agreed, smiling brightly.

“Now, I know we just asked you guys and all, but we knew you’d all say yes, so we sort of wanted to talk about pairings and what not. We know the wedding isn’t for a while but it’ll make all the planning easier, knowing who’s where and with who.” Rachel smiled as Liam pulled out a list of names. “First of all though, Cara…” Rachel smiled over at her sister. “Would you be my maid of honor?”

“Oh Rachey! Of course, yes!” Cara got up to hug her sister. “I’d be honored.”

She and Rachel shared a few brief, quiet words before Liam asked his friend since 2nd grade Nate to be his best man, mumbling something about how he could never have pictured it differently. Nate, of course, agreed happily in a less sappy way.

“Mind if I read what we had in mind for the rest of you?” Liam asked, none of us protesting.

“We thought, Zayn and Spencer. Louis and Emily, naturally. Will and Maria. Niall and Gracie. Harry and Shannon, Lucas and Kate, Calum and Lucy, also naturally, and Ashton and Stella.”

We all seemed pleased, no one objecting. After a few more comments from Liam and Rachel, they decided we all needed to celebrate. Liam found the champagne, filling new glasses for everyone. He made a toast and we all took healthy swigs of our drinks. A few hours went by and people had started filing out one by one. The only people left were me, Rachel and Liam, Zayn, Louis and Emily, and Harry and his thing. Niall had a flight to catch back to Ireland in the morning, Calum and Lucy seemed to just dip out, and Ashton mumbled his goodbyes without reasoning and left. As for everyone else, they had said their goodbyes shortly after the second champagne bottle was finished.

I thought about my match up. I wouldn’t mind being paired with Zayn. He’s a cheeky fellow but also a great person. I would have to dance, and walk with Zayn, yeah I think I could handle that for sure. I glanced over at him, only to find he was already looking at me. He wiggled his eyebrows, mouthing ‘hottest guy here, lucky’. I smirked, knowing a few people’s attention was on us. I bit the top of my finger, making eye contact with Zayn. ‘So lucky’. I mouthed back. All of our friends had gotten used to Zayn and me and our harmless flirtation, so generally no one said a thing. Pete had gotten jealous over it once, but once I explained it A) only happens when I’m drunk and B) its Zayn, he was cool with our odd friendship.

Harry looked between the two of us with a smug smirk on his face, “Spencer…” he started.

“Harold.” I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t think you’ve met Zara, my girlfriend, yet.” he smiled.

I mustered up the most polite voice I could have ever made and smiled back. “I don’t think I have, it’s lovely to meet you.”

“Don’t you like have a boyfriend?” Zara eyed me, bitch.

“Yes, I do.” I said, Emily and Rachel’s attention had turned to us as well.

“Then why isn’t he like here?” she giggled. “Too scared to bring him around the obviously superior ex?”

“Oh my god.” I heard Rachel mutter under her breath.

“Ohhh sweetheart.” I sighed. “We have this thing called trust, where it doesn’t matter who is around, he doesn’t have to have his head up my ass to make sure I’m behaving. He didn’t need to invite himself along to make sure I was behaving around my ex. So to answer your poorly educated question, no I’m not scared to bring him around Harold.”

When I said Harold, for the second time in a brief couple minutes, I watched Harry’s eyes hood over with something close, but not as strong as, lust. Good, I’m me using his full name still got his blood pumping.

“Why do you like keep calling him Harold? He likes Harry.” She rolled her eyes at me.

“Harold, should I explain that one, or would you?” I smirked the sassiest smirk I could find within me. Beside me, with everyone’s attention now on us, Emily, Rachel and Louis were all holding back laughter, knowing what I was insinuating.

Zara, looked between the two of us. Me, casually sipping my champagne, and Harry struggling to find his words. I set my drink back down on the table, never breaking eye contact. “So it’s me you’d like to share that story? I’ll be sure not to leave one, tiny detail out.”

“Spare us!” Zayn laughed. “Please!”

“It’s nothing, Zara.” Placed a kiss on her temple. “Nothing to be concerned about.”

“Is that so, Harold?” I scoffed. “I mean something as detrimental to our history as that, and you’re not going to fill her in?” I placed a hand over my heart in fake disbelief.

“Spencer.” He warned.

“So like where is your boyfriend anyways?” Zara butted in.

“He’s in New York, where he works and lives.” I shrugged.

“So like that’s why you find it okay to eye fuck and then probably take home and fuck, Zayn?” she smirked, like she had this secret scoop that no one else knew. “I mean, being in London alone, a girl can only take so much, ya know?”

Emily made a noise I had never heard before, she must really not like this girl and I’m gathering why.

“Ah yes, I fuck Zayn so much it’s unreal. Like we can’t even keep our eyes or hands off one another. It’s soooo ridiculous.” I sassed, everyone in a fit of laughter. “Let me tell you something, babe. You need to step back into place as Harry’s arm candy and never decide to let your nose fall back into our business, okay? You should want us to like you, which as a general consensus, I can say we don’t. You’re nothing but an object to Harry.”

“You’re just jealous.” She grinned.

“Ah yes, I forgot, I’m so jealous of the girl that’s dating my ex-fiancée, in which I ended an engagement with. So jealous because my boyfriend is a mature adult who doesn’t need to bring his girlfriend where she’s unwelcomed, so jealous of a piece of work like you.” I spat, testing her to retort.

“You know…” Emily started, looking at Louis. “Who does she look like, babe?”

“I think she looks like Spencer, but that’s none of my business.” Louis smirked, sipping his drink.

I wasn’t sure why his friends were being so mean to his girlfriend. But then I put it together, they didn’t like her so much that they wanted Harry to dump her. Harry seemed like a different person with her, or maybe just in general. Maybe she was actually not good for Harry and he couldn’t see it, even though everyone else did.

“Hmm…me too babe.” Emily looked over at Zara, then me, then back to Louis. She hushed her voice as if no one else was supposed to hear, even though we all could. “But between me and you, Spencer was way better looking.”

“Oh my god! Why are you even friends with these cunts?!” Zara shouted at Harry, standing up.

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” Liam shouted. Liam, of all people. Harry stood with her, but Liam pushed him back down. “Give her the keys, I’ll take you home.”

Harry chucked her the keys and see looked at him. “You aren’t going to stand up for me and come home?”

“We don’t have a home to go to, and Liam needs me right now.” He shrugged.

“Oh my god. You’re unbelievable. I’ll be at your place.” She rolled her eyes, leaving.

“Why? Dude just why?” Zayn rubbed his temples. As Liam led Harry out of the room.

“Why did you bring her?” Liam asked, he probably thought we couldn’t hear them, but he’d left the door cracked just enough and we all stayed silent to hear him anyways.

“Harry, answer me with more than a shrug.” Liam said again.

“Fine! She insisted she come when she found out Spencer was going to be here.” Harry sighed.

Emily almost choked on the drink she had in her mouth. “Told you.”

“You’ve been broken up with Spencer for three years now, doesn’t she think you’ve moved on?” Liam questioned.

“Guess not.” I could hear the shrug in Harry’s voice. “Look, she’s alright when the girls aren’t around. She just doesn’t know how to act with other attractive people. She needs to be the center of attention.”

“And that’s a girl you want to date?” Liam said.

“She’s a good roll in the sheets and she’s okay sometimes.”

“Harry, I love you, but we hate her. She’s horrible.” Liam said, voice covered frown. “She isn’t invited to the wedding, just so you know, so if you’re still with her, come alone.”

“I get it, I get it.” Harry breathed.

We heard Liam coming back in, picking small talk back up so it wouldn’t seem like we listened in.

“Yeah and then they came back from 3-0 to win.” Louis said.

“Telling them about the match earlier?” Liam asked.

“Yeah, mate.” Louis nodded.

I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I never expected her to be so rude. I figured it would be a little awkward, her being the current, me being the ex. But wow. That was something I hadn’t expected. I washed my hands and splashed some cool water on my face before heading back. I collided with a strong body as I exited the bathroom. I would know that scent anywhere. I looked up into his emerald eyes, straightening myself up quickly.

“You didn’t have to be such a bitch, you know.” He glared at me.

“You didn’t have to let her talk to me like that, hell not just me, anyone.” I rolled my eyes going to walk away when he caught my wrist.

“I know you wore that and called me Harold just to get a reaction out of me.” He snapped.

“I did no such thing. I hadn’t even known you were coming until I got here, so I couldn’t have possibly dressed to please you. And Harold? That’s your name isn’t it, Harold?” I smirked.

“Stop that.” He closed his eyes.

“Why, still do something to you?” I watched his facial features change slowly into the gentle Harry I know.

“It always will.”

“Good.” I said turning on my heel, heading out the hallway, feeling on top of the world.

He got what he deserved.

Notes

hope you enjoy

sorry for any errors i'm tired