Commitment: The Beauty in Between (A Beautiful Series Novella) (2 page)

“Holy shit. Look at the cars everywhere,” I say as we arrive
at Kathy’s house. We’ve been here a couple of times for parties over the last
couple of years, but there’s never been this many people here before. I’m
really surprised at how huge this seems.

“You’d think the royal family had returned,” David laughs,
driving further along the street in search of somewhere to park.

“There’s mum and dad,” I say pointing to their car. They’re
standing beside it looking bored. Tom is leaning against it playing something
on his phone. His wife, Jenny, is shooing away a fly as she chats to my mum.

I wave as we pass. Mum suddenly comes to life and waves
back. I think she’s dying to go inside.

We have to enter a side street to get a parking spot and then
walk back to my family.

“What took you so long?” my mother asks in exasperation as
we make our way toward them.

“Traffic,” David lies. We can’t really tell them we had to
get dressed and cleaned up after an impromptu love making session in the
bathroom.

We share hugs and cheek kisses and make our way to Kathy’s
for what seems like is going to be the BBQ of the century.

“So what’s this Elliot like? Your mum talks like he’s a
living god,” Jenny asks me quietly as we walk along the footpath.

“He’s just a guy. A very good looking one. But just a guy,”
I inform her. I’m actually really nervous about going today. I’m worried that
it will be really awkward when we meet Paige. Plus I have no idea if Elliot is
even aware we’re coming.

Katrina seems a little on edge. I don’t blame her, this is
all a little weird. Although, if I’m honest with myself, I’m petrified that
she’d going to see Elliot again and decide she made a mistake being with me. I
mean, what if she only chose me on the rebound and because we were best friends
all our lives, she now feels stuck with me. What if that’s the reason she keeps
putting off the wedding?

My heart beats a little too fast and my palms start to sweat
as we approach the front door. It’s open and people we’ve never seen before are
going inside. I can’t spot Kathy or Steve anywhere, but figure we may as well
just join in the procession of people and head inside.

I can see Elliot’s now shaved head above everyone else and
nudge Trina who has already seen him. She gives me a worried look and nods,
taking a deep breath before she pulls me toward him. My stomach churns, as my
mind races.
Oh god, she’s nervous. Why is she so nervous?

“Alright, lets get this done,” she says.

We have to wait a while as he’s talking to other people. Next
to him is a woman with masses of curly dark hair. She’s very unusual looking –
but in a good way. She’s smiling and talking to another woman and shortly
after, they walk away together.

Elliot watches them and leans down to his much shorter
friend to say something that makes them both smile.

They start to turn away from us, but his head turns when he
notices Katrina at the last minute. Her face goes bright red and his looks
really confused. My face just sweats as I force myself to stand still. I just
want to grab Trina and drag her out of here. Who cares what everyone thinks of
us.

His friend looks from Elliot to Katrina and takes a step
back. I can only surmise that he’s met Trina before, because his eyebrows are
almost in his hair line. I knew we shouldn’t have come.

“Hello,” Elliot says carefully, the word is long and drawn
out. He has no idea why we’re here.

Fuck,
I think, wishing that I had listened to David
and just said no. Better to have my mum annoyed at me than to make people uncomfortable.
I take a deep breath and start to speak. I can feel my cheeks burning. I really
want to go home.

“Hi Elliot, I hope you don’t mind – your mum invited all of
us when she was at mum and dad’s place a couple of weeks ago. We’ll only stay a
little while, I just didn’t want to be rude,” I say in a rush. I’m out breath
when I finish and feel so grateful to David when he reaches boldly across me.

“How are you mate? It’s been a while,” David says, extending
his hand in greeting.

“I’m fine. It's fine,” Elliot replies as he shakes David’s
hand. Gary, who I met the last night I spent with Elliot, is just standing next
to him, looking at me like I’m from another world.

Oh god. Why did I come? My stomach starts to turn sour.
Elliot leans in and gives me a slight hug and kisses my cheek. I find it really
strange that my body doesn’t react to him the way it once did. He’s still incredibly
attractive, but he just doesn’t really do it for me anymore. A severe
awkwardness that makes me wonder if we ever actually knew each other has
replaced anything we once had instead.

“Uh, this is my mother, Carol. My dad Jim. My brother Tom,
and his wife, Jenny,” I reel off, as I move to the side and point them all out.

They all take turns shaking hands and saying their ‘nice to
meet you’s.

He steps back quickly and clears his throat, looking as
uncomfortable in my presence as I am in his. I guess it’s one thing to say hi
when we see each other running through a park – it’s quite another to attend a
family BBQ together.

“Well, um, there’s plenty of food and drink outside. Feel
free to help yourselves,” he informs us, effectively dismissing us as he waves
his arm towards the back door. I grab onto David’s hand and practically drag
him out there. Why am I here?!

“That was um… fun?” I comment as soon as Trina and I are
outside. She drags me away from her family and focuses on getting some food
while she tries to calm down.

I watch her, slightly amused but also a little worried. I
didn’t think she’d get this flustered seeing him again.

“You ok?” I ask her, trying to keep myself calm as I tell
myself that this means nothing.

She stuffs a piece of cabanossi into her mouth as she shakes
her head quickly. “I’m fine. I just wish I’d listened to you. We shouldn’t have
come here.”

“Katrina?” a voice says from behind me. I have a piece of
cheese and a cracker jammed into mouth and I just slide my eyes, embarrassed
that someone has approached me while I’m packing food into my face.

When I’ve cleared my mouth, I turn. It takes me a moment to
realise that it’s Gary’s girlfriend. I only met her once and I struggle to
remember her name.

“Oh. Hi,” I say from behind my hand, as I roll my tongue
around my mouth. I’m worried that I might have food caught in my teeth.

“It’s been a long time, how are you?” she enquires kindly.

“Great actually, finished school so I’m working now and I’m
engaged.” I pull David closer to me to present him to her. “To him. This is
David.” I say quickly. I don’t want her to mention anything about my time with
Elliot. Not when David is being so quiet, he’s obviously not comfortable here.

“Oh hi David. I’m Stephanie, I know Katrina from back
when…um”

“When she was dating Elliot. Of course” he says. “It’s
really nice to meet you.” He shakes her hand and I smile inwardly, thinking
that he may actually be handling this better than I am.

“Oh and this is my friend Naomi, we went to school together
and she was house mates with Elliot and Paige when they were all in the UK.”

“Hi” says a small girl with blonde hair and a really
pleasant demeanour.

We stand around together awkwardly for a moment before I
realise that Stephanie is pregnant. “Oh wow. You’re expecting? Congratulations!”
I say indicating her bump.

“Oh thank you. We’ve been married for a while, so we thought
it was time to start a family.”

“That’s great,” I tell her. “How long have you been married
for?”

“A couple of years now. When are you two getting married?”

“Oh, um soon. Soon,” I tell her, even though we’re yet to
set a date.

This revelation is met with shifted glances as we are either
too polite to say anything, or too embarrassed to acknowledge the fact that
we’ve been engaged for two years, and are no closer to planning a wedding than
we were the day we met on that bus at nine years old.

We stand around and make idle chit chat for a moment longer
before Gary comes wandering over.

“Katrina! It’s great to see you again, and this must be
your?” he starts looking from me to David.

“My fiancé.”

“Fantastic. When’s the big day?”

“Soon,” is all I say pleading silently for everyone to please
shut up about my impending nuptials. If I was ready, they’d be planned but life
keeps getting in the way. We just don’t have time…

Soon. She’s always saying soon. I’d really like it if we
could answer that question with an actual date, but two years later, I’m still
waiting. If it was up to me, we’d be married already. I’m getting tired of
waiting.

We love each other. That much is clear, so I have no idea
what’s stopping her. She won’t tell me. All she gives me is vague reasons and
lame excuses. It’s frustrating to say the least.

I’m struggling to pay attention as my own internal thoughts
rage on, as the group settles into an awkward conversation. Catching snippets, I
start to talk to Naomi who tells me that she and Stephanie went to a performing
arts school together. Neither of them has a career in the arts, but Naomi tells
me that she’s thinking of pursuing music again.

“That’s great. What do you play?” Katrina asks, starting to
settle down and act like a normal human being again.

“I play a few things, but mainly the violin and piano.”

“That’s awesome. I wish I could play an instrument.”

“She can sing too. Can’t you Nomes?” Stephanie puts in.
“Actually, you name it. Naomi can do it. She’s amazing. But she’s been wasting
her talents away travelling the world and working crappy pub jobs for years.”

“It’s not that bad. I had a great time, and you know what?
If it wasn’t for me pushing Paige to give Elliot a chance, none of us would be
standing here right now welcoming them home.” She points out.

“Oh, so you know Paige as well? You were in the UK with
them?” Katrina asks.

“Yeah, we were all roommates. Paige is great. She’s a little
hard to get to know, but she’s a great friend once you break through those
walls of hers.” She looks over Katrina’s shoulder. “Speak of the devil – here
she comes now.”

I look over my shoulder and see Elliot approaching with
Paige following behind him. He has her by the hand and while he’s not dragging
her, she isn’t exactly in a hurry to keep up.

We all move slightly to accommodate them.

 “Paige, this is Katrina and her fiancé, David,” Elliot says.
She’s still a little behind him, so he guides her so she’s standing properly
within the group.

I have seen pictures of Paige before, but she’s even
prettier in person. She has one of those beautiful curvaceous bodies that
straight-up-and-down-girls, like me, would kill for. Her hair is out and falls
in soft curls around her face. She truly is stunning and I can see why Elliot
is so attracted to her.

She smiles tightly and holds out her hand, her movements are
awkward and her face flushes red.

David and I both take her hand alternately and remark how
nice it is to finally meet her. “Kathy’s been showing everyone photos of you
both and little Grace, she’s very proud,” I say, trying to be friendly. She
seems as nervous to meet me as I am to meet her.

“Congratulations to both of you,” David says. “On your
marriage and the baby. I’m still trying to get this one down the aisle.”

I laugh and nudge David with my shoulder. There’s only so
many times I can take being reminded about the wedding I haven’t planned, and
I’m starting to reach my limit, but I can’t let it show. I try to gloss over it
instead. “You make it sound like I’m avoiding it. David wants to elope but I
really want the whole fairy tale thing, and that takes time to plan,” I attempt
to explain.

“What did you two do?” David asks, ignoring me completely.

“Oh, we just had a small ceremony with a few friends. Kathy
and Steve came, and my mother and father were there too. Then we went to a
restaurant afterwards.” Paige tells us. She isn’t looking at me at all. Even
so, I plaster a smile on my face. I don’t know why, but I don’t want her to
hate me.  

“It was great,” Elliot adds, his arm sliding protectively
around his wife. “Small is good. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

His movement causes me to pay closer attention to his arm
and I notice a vine, tattooed on his forearm. My eyes naturally drift over
Paige as well - she has the same one around her wrist.

“Oh, you both have matching tattoos,” I point out, trying to
make conversation and let Paige know I’m not a threat. “Elliot showed me a
photo of the one on your back Paige – it’s absolutely amazing.”

Paige’s face changes and I’m not sure if I’m succeeding, but
I’m nervous and I don’t know how to change the subject.

“Oh he did, did he?” she asks, exchanging glances with
Elliot.

I nod. “How long did it take you to get?”

I love Trina. Really I do, but right now, I want to clap my
hand over her mouth to stop her speaking. The words ‘foot’ and ‘mouth’ come to
mind and I’m about to intervene and start talking about what life is like in
the UK. We’re all saved though as Paige’s’ attention is taken when she hears
her baby start to cry.

“Excuse me,” she says politely, her eyes flitting between
Katrina and Elliot.

“Trina!” I moan, the moment she’s out of earshot. I’m
chuckling slightly because I know she didn’t mean anything. Trina just has a
habit of speaking without thinking.

“What? What did I do?” she asks.

“You didn’t need to mention the tattoo Katrina. I didn’t
exactly show you that photo,” Elliot points out.

Suddenly it dawns on her and her face flushes a bright red. “Oh
god, I’m such an idiot – let me go and talk to her. I’ll tell her it was my
fault.” She starts to move, but I place my hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“Trina, leave it,” I advise her. “I know you have the best
intentions. But it’s better if you sit this one out, ok?”

She turns her head toward me and I can see the
disappointment she feels toward herself in her own eyes. She truly didn’t mean
to cause trouble, and I feel bad right now for feeling so annoyed with her
earlier. As uncomfortable as this BBQ is for me, it must be even worse for her.
 

“Ok,” she agrees and I pull her close to me and kiss her on
the head, whispering to her that it would be ok - she didn’t mean it. “I really
am sorry Elliot,” she says.

“It’s fine, Katrina. Don’t worry about it. I'll talk to
her.” He looks over his shoulder toward the house as Paige disappears inside
with their baby. “Just give her a bit of time to calm down.”

Elliot stays and talks with us all for a while. Katrina and he
still get along really well, and after a while, I’m feeling slightly redundant.
My jealously starts to flare up again as I wish he’d stop paying so much attention
to my fiancée and go spend some time talking to his wife.

I shove my hands in my pockets and start looking around for
a distraction. But I don’t find one. From the house, I can see Paige looking
down from the window toward us. She doesn’t look happy, perhaps she’s feeling much
like I am. I wish we hadn’t come here.