6. Strong Liquor

Autumn's POV

My thoughts ran wild in my head like antelopes running without direction when a lion or leopard chases them.

I held the elevator side, feeling my head beat like a drum from overthinking.

Why is this happening to me?

Why is the universe so against me?

When did I start overthinking things like this?

Oh right! Am getting married.

Instead of following my mind to drown my problems with strong liquor in a club tonight, after leaving Kaden's house, I found myself parked at my parking lot in a speed of light.

The elevator dinged and I stepped out. I had too much on my mind that I felt like my head was going in overdrive.

My phone dinged in my jacket and I brought it out, making my way to my apartment. Mrs Laura informed me a while ago that she was done clearing up my mess.

That woman has really seen shit since she started working for me.

"They're not serious." I took out my card to unlock the front door, scrolling through loads of messages from Gia and Lola.

Where were they when I needed them?

I shoved my phone back into my purse before opening my door.

I am ignoring them the same way they ignored me. My hand unconsciously flips my long golden blonde hair off my shoulders in pride.

My lights were on when I got inside my house, bringing out an exhausted sigh from my lips. Laura knows better than to keep my lights on.

Every little thing is just upsetting and annoying to me right now. Everytime.

I peeled of my clothes from my body, leaving only my sports bra and bic shorts on, as I walked to the kitchen.

"Sometimes I need the whole world to just burn to ground." I say to myself, shutting my eyes with an exhale.

"Me too." I snap my head to my back. Gia and Lola comes down from the stairs, each holding apologetic looks.

"Laura let you guys in, didn't she?" I stated and they nod accordingly. Lola walks to my cabinet, searching for God knows what. Gia comes to me, kissed my shoulder- a normal cute action of hers -before sitting on the Island.

"Where were you guys? I called like a million times." I take my place on a long stool around the Island, giving both my best friends death glares.

"Lo siento chica." Lola squeezes my arm softly with a warm smile on her face.

"I should be mad at you guys but I honestly don't have the energy." I brought my thumbs to my head and rubbed my temples.

"You look like shit. What happened with your parents?" Gia asks curiously with her mouth munching chips. I didn't even see her go take a bag of potatoes chip.

"I went to see Kaden today." I blurt out, earning sharp and stunned looks from both of them.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" I was kinda taken aback by their question in sync.

"Chill out. I was just trying to get him to undo the damage he has done." I explain but their shocked expression didn't vacate their faces.

"Why would you go see that scum shit?" Gia questions with spite, leaving the Island top to take a stool beside me.

"Because he started this scandal in the first place. The other scandals were bad too but he just added fire to the whole situation." I gesture with my arms before turning to Lola, who had cooking utensils in her hand.

"Autumn...." She drops the instruments before sitting next to me as well. They both have the tendency of clinging to me like warm blankets.

I like it.

"I know you would probably eat a broken glass than meet Kaden, even for the most world-breaking scandal. So tell me, what's the real reason?" It took us a minute but Gia and I both laughed at her choice of word.

"That's a little bit extreme don't you think? Broken glass?" She chuckles lightly. My expression slowly flattens at her question.

I still haven't told them about the marriage thing.

"I know that look Autumn, something is definitely up. What is it?" Gia cocks her head to see my face clearly, despite being at my side already.

I obviously couldn't do this sober, so I got up from my stool and walked to my fridge. "Do you guys know..." I paused for a second, trying to remember the man's name.

I am getting married and I don't even know the name of the man.

Fucking fantastic.

I know his name starts with R, yes got it. "....Reece Hayes?" They both faced me, Gia had her eyes on her phone while Lola had her attention pierced on the vodka bottle in my hand.

"Reece Hayes?" Lola arched a brow at me and I nod.

"Yeah of course. He's that hot billionaire, who doesn't know him?" Gia looks at Lola and I like complete idiots.

"Well I don't know him- know him. So he's really not that big of a deal." I shrugged. I grabbed three glasses with the alcoholic drink, setting it on the Island for us.

"Are we doing shots?" Gia shrieked with excitement.

"What about this Reece guy?" Lola voiced out with curiosity. I honestly wish I didn't talk about this but I had to.

"He like owns a media company and he can help take down my scandal." I pour myself a glass, so did they.

"Why would he wanna help you?" Gia say nonchalantly, which a earned a sharp look from me.

"Curiosity babe." She adds defensively. "Yeah what she said." Lola says too.

"Do you guys have any kinda connection? Friends even? OMG! You're besties with The Reece Hayes and you didn't even think to tell us?" Gia rambles on, with a dramatic gasp added. Such a drama queen.

"No Gia. I don't even know the dude." She furrows her brows. "Wait you honestly don't know him?" I nod my head.

"I haven't even seen him....like at all." A rather serious expression now emerges Gia face. "I didn't know you were being serious." She looks at Lola, who was continually pouring the drink for herself.

"You too?" Lola shook her head. "How the fuck do you guys not know Reece Hayes?" She questions calmly.

"I either have my nose buried in a book, my eyes drawn to a film or my hands switching between one food to another. So I really don't know what or who goes on in the world. Am surprised I even know what I do, thanks to you guys being celebrities and all." Lola elaborated, robbing her eyes sleepily.

Gia rubs Lola cheeks as she rests her face on the cold surface of the Island. "Long day at the hospital?" Lola nods tiredly at me. Others drink alcohol to get high and forget their problems, Lola drinks it to sleep.

Wouldn't blame her though, being a doctor is one hell of a job.

"What I meant by that Gia, was I don't know him personally. Publicly I do, he's the son of Luke Hayes." I actually only know that because of the childish quarrels Luke and my dad have anytime they meet.

"Oh." Gia nods in understanding.

"So back to the subject at hand. Why does he wanna help you if you both don't even know each other?" I combed my fingers through my hair, running my tongue over my lips.

"It's not for free." Lola makes a soft sound, her eyes half open. "Not for free? What does that mean?" I didn't wanna stress myself with explaining every little thing in general, so I just went straight to point.

"I. Have. To. Marry.....Him." I say almost quietly through gritted teeth. Saying it doesn't make it more real.

I still feel like it's a joke.

I didn't even know Lola had woken up from her half sleep till I heard both their voice in unison.

"What?!" They went google-eyed, jaw dropped with the most stunned faces I have ever seen.

"That's right, you heard me. I have to marry someone I haven't ever met at all because of a stupid false scandal that dog shit Kaden created." I ditched my glass, taking the below half bottle of Vodka instead.

The liquid runs down my throat, leaving a burning sensation as I chugged it down.

"Autumn... Are you okay?" Gia asks carefully. I looked at her plainly, "What do you think?"

"So that's why you went to see Kaden?" I nod at Lola. "This shit is really serious."

I know they had many question and frankly, they were gonna be a lot.

So we stayed up late, talking about everything. I honestly thought talking about it would add to the anger I was feeling but instead, they were cooling my temper or fire.

Somewhere between our conversation, we moved from the kitchen to the living room.

"He's not an old bald round short man Autumn." Gia laughs at me. I don't know why I have that image in my head of Reece. I need to put a face to his name.

"I don't really know much about him either but I know he was married and he has a daughter." My heart jumps at the information Gia just drops unexpectedly.

"What happened to his wife?" Lola questions for both of us.

"There's no information about her." Gia keeps scrolling through her phone but pauses and looks at me.

"Don't you wanna see his photos?" She tilts her head, looking at me expectingly. Of course I can......but I don't want to.

"Nah. I'll wait to see him at his 30th birthday gala this friday, which we are going to by the way." Lola groaned tiredly but Gia who is the party freak didn't fail to display her excitement for it.

"Of course you're taking care of our outfits. I'm gonna go call my glam team." Gia rushes out to the balcony, leaving Lola and I laughing at her over hyped self.

"So you're really gonna do it?" I turn to Lola, meeting her concerned yet serious face. "Marry him?" I looked out the see-through glasses, fiddling with my toes, as we were seated on the white sofa in my living room.

"It sounds ridiculous right?" I laughed dryly. "Me marrying someone I don't even know. Of course I hate this more than anything but it's not just for me, it's for my family." My words came out more softly than I expected. Lola nods lightly in understanding.

"I already know it's gonna be hell for whoever he is. Billionaire or not, he's getting himself into some real shit." I laughed at that.

"You're gonna put him through hell aren't you?" She questions knowingly.

"Of course." We both laughed.

"With my scandal, being a celebrity, him being a previously- if not still -married billionaire, having a daughter, getting married after breaking up just a few months ago, my family falling, one of my biggest clients- Eloise Remington -canceling on me, being blacklisted, I could care less about the haters cause they are irrelev--" Lola touches my hand, stopping me from my ramble.

"You're doing it again Autumn. Stop rambling Chica." She smiles softly at me, giving my hand a light squeeze. "No matter what happens with you and Reece, your family, your career, fuck, your whole life," I chuckled.

"I will always be here for you. Gia and I will always be here for you. We don't even know how this marriage thing will turn out. It might become something good and who knows....you might even fall in love with this popular yet mysterious man." I laughed hysterically at her last addition.

"Yeah right. Love? We all know that's not gonna happen, especially with a man I've never met." She looked unbothered by my comeback.

"Sure." That was all she said with a grin might I add. Something devious about that grin.

"So who's ready for the Galaaaa this friday???!!!" We both swiped our heads to Gia, who walks into the living room and began doing a moonwalk ahead of us. It was a very sad attempt for her cause she was terrible but it was entertaining to us.

"Certainly not me." Lola yawns before walking to my room upstairs. They basically own my house.

Gia stops her moonwalk as she reads my face before walking to me. Although I was smiling but everything that was happening was weighing on my shoulders so heavy, I could feel the pain physically.

"Snow," I smile at Gia at the name she calls me. Snow was what she called me back when we first met, up until after high school. She said she loves the name too much and her daughter is definitely gonna get it.

"Don't worry about this okay?" She cheers me up with her radiant smile. "If that Reece guy turns out to be a coldhearted billionaire or a complete asshole, you can just divorce him after a year. Things will definitely be back to normal by then." She says nonchalantly but what she didn't know was that she just gave me the best idea.

Why didn't I think of that?

I can divorce him.

It can only be for a year.

"Thank you Gia." I kissed her, taking her by surprise but she responds before I pulled from her lips.

"Woah Autumn. What was that?" I licked my lips.

"You my bestie, have just made my day." I smiled so widely.

a/n:

Thanks for reading!