Present

Im not going to allow Ollie to intimidate me or bully me from seeing Ty. I'm sure he requested we all go out for drinks because he probably thought I would refuse...just like old times.

Well, jokes on you Mr. Thomas.

And I'm ignoring all requests from Maggie to dress me up like some stupid fashionista. I'm going to wear what I want and do my hair how I want.

I'm going to drink what I want and talk to who I want. And when I decide I want spoiled Oliver, I will let him know.

I may be slightly taking my anger out on him, but why should I just give in because he's admitted he has feeling for me? He should have told me years ago, not now.

For now, I'm going to embrace this single girl lifestyle and attempt to have some well deserved fun. Besides, Ty and I have never gone out together before, so I'm excited to spend my time with him and Maggie. Ollie can go fly away, I don't care.

...okay, I care...but I'm still really mad at him. One for trying to push me into a situation-ship with him and for cornering me outside his house earlier.

Since then, I've been agitated and moody, no matter how badly I want to be excited for Ty to be here.

"You look pretty, Muriel." Ty says glancing up from his phone for a quick moment and then returns to his cell after the compliment.

"Thank you." I say giggling returning my eyes to the reflection before me. I made sure to cover up the fading marks on my neck with Maggie's full coverage makeup in the bathroom so nobody else saw the evidence of my weekend.

They've been erased, unlike my annoying soft spot for the eldest Thomas son...

No matter. I'm incredibly good at ignoring my feelings, so I'm going continue as if I'm not...frazzled.

I do look pretty good, if I'm being honest. I've borrowed some makeup from Maggie but kept it pretty natural, which is exactly how I like my face. She assisted with filling in my brows and gave them a pretty sculpted nice shape while my freckles are on full display.

"You ready yet?" He asks growing impatient while Maggie holds up two dresses on separate hangers to her athletic tall body.

"Does it look like we're ready, Ty? Shit, perfection takes time." Maggie bites out but keeps a pretty red smile on her face. Her blonde hair is parted down the middle but pulled back into a long ponytail. Of course, she looks stunning.

"It's already half passed nine." He grumbles from the chair he's reclined in and drops his head over the backside of the chair to watch us from his upside down view.

"How much longer are you lot going to be?" Ollie appears in the doorway of Maggie's room. His presence sucks all the oxygen from the room and from my lungs like a vortex.

I don't allow my eyes to take in his handsome appearance, instead I focus back on myself and work on breathing normally.

"Umm," Maggie looks to me, but I shrug a shoulder, "An hour? Tops."

"Right, Ty. I'm heading out. They can meet us there."

"Thank god. I'm falling asleep." Ty hops up from the chair and joins his brother in the doorway.

"Hold on," I turn back around and find myself looking up at both the guys, "Ty, we're supposed to go out together. We had a plan."

"Sorry, Mur. We'll meet you guys there. Watching you two get ready is like watching paint dry. I'd like to get out there before all the good ones have gone."

Huh?

"Good what?" I ask momentarily looking to Ollie for an explanation but immidiatly regretting it  because he looks hot.

"Women, Murry." Ollie adds with a smirk holding my eyes for an uncomfortably long moment.

I force myself to look away from him and keep myself from pulling Ty back into the room. "Well, okay then. We will meet you guys out there."

"Come on then, all the lads are already there." Ollie wraps an arm around Ty and they both hustle out into the hallway. 

Great

Now he's invited all friends.

"Is everything okay, Mur?" Maggie asks deciding on a skin tight blue dress.

"Yes...just in a funk..." I sigh, I've told Maggie what Jeremy did earlier, and then the awful phone call with my dad. I've left out the exchange with Ollie altogether because I don't need the entire world to know my business.

The weight has returned to my shoulders after leaving Cornwall. I wish I could go back and not deal with everything else...

A tiny voice in my mind brings up the thought I've been trying to keep hidden from myself and that is I don't think it was Cornwall that made me feel weightless...I think it was who I was there with...but acknowledging that is terrifying...much more scarier than being blissfully ignorant to my burried feelings.

Again...he should have told me years ago.

"I still say you should change your top." Maggie says turning to check out her backside in the floor length mirror.

"Nope. This is what I'm wearing." I say fixing the hem of the green cropped peasant blouse so the skin of my stomach doesn't peek through.

"Fine." She removes her phone and snaps a photo of us and announces, "Uber is here. Come on!"

When she's gone I give my neck one last look to be sure Ollie's marks are covered and then smile at my reflection liking the cute white high waisted skirt and beige chunky heels. It's simple and pretty and everything is covered. Just how I like it.

🦋🦋

"Damn girl!" Stewart whistles and takes my hand twirling me under his arm as he creepily looks me up and down. His eyes don't linger anywhere for too long, so I don't make a comment but instead smirk. "I think you get prettier and prettier everytime I see you." He says playfully.

"Back off, shit head." Ty cuts in appearing from the multicolored crowd of dark blinking lights. "Here, vodka cranberry okay?" He sets the red drink on the small high table in front of me.

"Yes, thanks. I could have bought it, Ty."

"Stop it." He says draping a heavy muscular arm around my shoulders to steer me away from an all too friendly Stewart.

"Where's, Oliver?" I ask knowing being in public like this does stress him out slightly so I do want to make sure he's not hiding out somewhere even though I know he's doing this to purposefully irritate me.

I still care about him. I can't help it.

"Umm...try your drink. Make sure you like it, Mur."

I laugh and nod and sip a small test sip from the straw and instantly approve so I take a larger sip, hooking my arm around Ty's waist liking my little buddy around me.

Well...he's not little anymore, but he's like a big stress reliever, which I'm happy to have right now.

The first and second vodka cranberry drinks go down quickly and smoothly. I think, thanks to Ty, I found my favorite drink. Someone, who I think might be Maggie introduces shots to the group crowded around close to our high table that's been collecting cigarette packs, beer bottles, and empty glasses.

The music is pretty good, and I've been having an alright time. Heck, I'm actually having a great time!

Being a wing woman is incredibly fun and quit easy. Ty is actually quite smooth with the females, I really don't even think I'm needed. In fact, I think my awkwardness is hurting his game if anything.

And being single is even better.

The more drinks that fill my system my insecurities and memories of this recent weekend are forgotten.

"Ty, that brunette keeps looking over here. You should go talk to her!" I say removing his huge arm from my shoulders for the millionth time and smile at the girl from across the bar in hopes she sees that he's just a friend.

"Which one?" Ty asks with a straw in his mouth and narrows his eyes to look through the crowd.

"Brown hair in the jeans and pink top."

"Nah, too innocent looking."

I laugh and give him a quick swat with the back of my hand, "What the heck does that mean?"

"I don't want a good girl, Mur. I want someone down to forget my name in the morning."

"Tyson, that's awful." I scold him again and connect my eyes with the brunette again. She's pretty, and looks really nice with a sweet smile. I don't know what he's even talking about with innocent looking. "You should go talk to her."

"Which one?" Stewart appears and joins Ty with eyeing the women in the small crowded space.

"Brunette in the pink top." Ty answers but sips the mixed drink through the straw loudly leaving only watered down ice cubes.

"Hmmm, oh! Oh, no way. She's beautiful but she's a clinger."

"A clinger!" I gasp, offended as if they have insulted me and not some stranger across the bar I have become fond over for some silly reason. "You guys are both horrible. I expected more from you, Ty."

"He's actually not. What's fucked up is going for those innocent ones and ghosting them after you've blown their sweet little minds the night before." Stewart says taking over my job of combing the crowd for Ty's future good-time partner. "I'll tell you what, Ollie's got the right idea with all those NDA's-." Stewart continues on but all I can hear coming out or his suddenly stupid mouth is the word NDA on a constant loop.

My ears ring but when I swallow, the normal sounds of music and people talking and laughing come back with a rush, "an NDA?" I ask unable to help myself.

"Non Disclosure Agreement. How else do you reckon he gets laid and the details of his dick aren't plastered all over the internet."

Oh my...

I know every ounce of blood in my body has rushed straight to my face.

"God, Would you shut it." Ty growls low to Stewart intending for me not to hear, but I do and instantly want to leave.

Where the hell is Ollie anyway? I haven't even seen him once since we got here?

"Where is he?" I ask Ty interupting the argument that's begun between him and Stewart.

"Uhh, he's around."

I think I should talk to him. I want to talk to him, actually. Or...I want to argue with him. Yes...that's what I want to do right now.

That sounds very much needed at the moment.

I remove Ty's arm from my shoulder and start wondering around looking for Oliver between all these bodies sandwiched close to each other.

He's close, I've felt the sporadic moments of electricity and the heat of someone watching me, through out this entire night. Or at least...I've hoped that's what it is.

I know I'm drunk and I know starting a fight with him is incredibly irrational and immature but the alcohol swishing around makes it sound like one of my best ideas.

Mr. Thomas won't know what's hit him.

The building confidence inside me comes to a screeching halt when I nearly walk right into Ollie in an animated conversation with not one but three girls.

Okay, confidence gone.

"Murry! I want to introduce you to my friends." He says yanking me over before I can make a run for it. "This is Lauren." He points to a girl with short curly hair with blue eyes and a trendy red matte lip stain on her lips.

Lauren extends a hand and smiles wide, "Hi, I love your top."

"Oh, thank you." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"And, this is Sarah." Sarah has gorgeous ebony skin and onyx eyes, she smiles warmly at me but doesn't say anything.

The third girl smiles wide, either the most drunk or most excited to meet me. Probably the former.

"And, Tally."

Fucking Taaaallllyyyyyyyy?

I nearly choke on my own breath and come so close to breaking into a coughing fit.

Tally.

Fucking Tally.

His fucking first, Tally?

"Hiiiiiiiii," I smile wide and realize I probably look like a psycho with an eye twitch to go along with the crazy look.

______________________________________

Well, the night was going pretty well!

Any theories on how Murry is going go handle Tally?

Also, Ty has been incredibly clingy right? Wonder why? 🤔 I'm sure someone wants to be sure Murry is left alone hehe