Destroy Rebuild

I woke up the next morning in bed with the blankets pulled over my head. My whole body ached as I rolled over onto my back, my spine straightening out and cracking against the mattress. I smelled like liquor and fast food and the scent made me gag.

Slowly, I moved the covers down and the sun pouring through the windows instantly sent a sharp pain to my brain. I groaned and pulled the covers back up, wanting nothing more than to hide until my hangover was gone.

I pinched the brim of my nose in a sad effort to rid myself of the pain, but it only made it worse. My eyes opened and I lifted the sheets a little to find that all I was wearing was Alex’s maroon shirt from the night before and nothing else. I wrapped the shirt tighter around my body, hoping for some comfort and took a deep breath in as I caught the slightest scent of his faded cologne.

“Whitney?” I heard Alex whisper from across the room.

I groaned my response.

He sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed my leg under the blanket. “Are you ok?”

Again, I groaned.

“Here,” he said, pulling on the sheets to expose me. “Drink some of this.”

I slowly peeked over the blankets and in his hand was a bottle of beer. I almost threw up just looking at it.

“How are you drinking that?” I croaked.

“Because it helps,” he replied. “Here, just a sip.”

Hesitantly, I slowly took the bottle from him and lifted it to my mouth. I gagged at the taste, but almost immediately after swallowing, my headache disappeared.

“What kind of black magic did you just use on me?” I asked. “Was that beer or a secret potion?”

“Beer,” he chuckled. “I’m a little more experienced than you when it comes to treating hangovers.”

“You don’t say,” I muttered as I set the bottle on the bedside table.

He crawled across my body and laid beside me before wrapping his arms around my torso and pulling me into his side. “So, did you have fun last night?”

“As far as I know,” I shrugged. “My memory sort of cuts off after a certain point.”

“Which would be?”

“The bathroom,” I blushed.

“Yeah,” he laughed, the vibrations in his chest hitting my temple. “I figured as much. That was when you blacked out.”

I nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” he asked.

“I got too drunk too soon and we had to come home.”

“Not at all,” he shook his head, smiling a little.

I rose onto my elbows and waited for an explanation.

“I thought we were going to have to go home, but as soon as we paid our tabs you came to and were ready to party some more.”

“Nuh uh,” I laughed.

“Yep. I had you lying in the booth and you just sat up and said, ‘Alex can you get me another shot while you’re over there?’,” he laughed, mocking my drunk voice. “I asked if you were sure and you marched your little self to the bar.”

“God,” I groaned. “How much did I drink?”

He shrugged. “You didn’t have as many as before you passed out. I lost count, though. Maybe sixteen shots all together?”

“Sixteen?!” I shrieked, and both of us cringed at the noise. “How am I not dead right now?”

He winked before saying, “Because your man took care of you.”

“Well thank you,” I smiled as I kissed his cheek. “Have you talked to Cassadee or Rian?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Will did great. He slept through most of the night and took his bottles without any trouble. Rian said we can take our time coming to get him. I think he’s coming around to the whole baby thing.”

“Good for them,” I smiled. “I could only imagine Cassadee is happy. When should we head over there?”

“We will soon,” he said as he pulled me back into his side. “We need to do some more recuperating first.”

“Sounds good,” I sighed as my head fell against his chest. “Who all is still here?”

“Everyone. They’re all scattered around the living room. Erin and Jack passed out in the cab on the way home. Zack – who was also very drunk, might I add – carried them in.”

“I wish I could have seen that,” I laughed.

“Actually,” he smiled as he reached for his phone. “You can. Thanks to social media, you can get a recap most of the night.”

I watched as he opened the app Snapchat and he scrolled down a list before touching the screen and handed his phone to me.

The first thing I saw was the group picture Jack took of us on the way to the bar. I cringed at how awkward I looked and quickly tapped the screen to go forward, my cringe enhanced by the video I was watching of me, Megan, and Erin onstage doing a horrible job of singing “Unbreak My Heart”.

“Damn,” I groaned as I tapped to the right of the screen.

I quickly skipped the video of Zack and Erin making out in the booth and snorted a laugh at the picture of me clinging to Jack’s back, our inebriated states unmistakable and it caused me to blush. The next picture was of Alex and Jack, with Jack making a silly face and Alex resting his lips on Jack’s cheek. I rose an eyebrow towards Alex.

“Do I have some competition?” I joked.

He rolled his eyes and tapped the screen again. A video of Jack and I onstage while he sang “Best Night Ever” by One Direction and I posed as his backup dancer made me giggle. I looked like I was having so much fun as we both attempted to hit that one guy’s high notes and we laughed at each other’s failed attempts.

The next video started and I could see my back as I sat on a barstool looking at Alex while he was onstage serenading me with “The Way You Look Tonight”. Jack was very audibly awwing in the background when Megan rushed into the video, showering Alex with dollar bills. He picked them up off the ground, almost falling a few times while bent over, and tucked them in the waistband of his pants.

I couldn’t contain my laughter when the next video came around and Megan was the only person I saw. I figured she’d stolen Jack’s phone and recorded herself saying, “Taco Bell! Taco Bell! Right, everyone?! TACO BELL! Except Erin, she’s sleeping.” She zoomed in on Erin who was leaned against Zack, unconscious.

“And he passed out after that,” Alex laughed.

“I’m glad we had a good time,” I smiled.

He nodded. “I’d say you and the guys really bonded last night. I’m pretty stoked about that.”

“Me too,” I smiled. “Are there anymore pictures?”

He took his phone and scrolled a little before starting another feed. I giggled while I watched a drunk Zack struggle to carry an unconscious Jack into the condo. Every step he took forward was countered with two steps back. I could hear Alex laughing as Zack chuckled, “This is hard”.

The video ended and up popped a picture of Alex and I. It was the first time I’d ever seen a picture of the two of us together. It may seem a little biased, but we looked perfect together. He was standing behind me with his arm draped over my chest and I was holding onto his arm, the smile on my face wide. Not to be conceited, but he looked pretty happy, too. It was like we were made to stand next to each other, together forever.

“We’re so cute,” I smiled.

He nodded and kissed the tip of my nose. “There’s one more.”

I watched as he closed the app and opened Instagram and scrolled through his feed before stopping at a picture of me. I was sitting at the table, still in my dress, my hair pulled up in a messy bun, and a slice of a quesadilla hanging between my fingers on one hand while my other hand covered my mouth. My face was scrunched up like I was laughing at something, and again I looked really happy.

“I think that’s my favorite picture ever,” Alex said quietly as he massaged the back of my head.

“Really?” I asked.

He nodded. “Mainly because it’s of you. And I love candid photos. But I just can’t get over your smile in it. You were laughing at something Megan said. I didn’t get it. I guess it was an inside joke.”

“What did she say?”

“Cumcatcher?” he shrugged.

My eyes widened and I tried to hide my face in my hands as I laughed. “Oh god.”

Alex stared at me as I continued laughing for a moment, a small smile gracing his lips.
“Am I allowed in on this? Because it sounds like something I want to hear.”

“Ok,” I giggled. “Long story short, Megan and I used to compare our boobs to fruits, and I said hers looked like cumquats. Her mom overheard us once and said ‘cumcatcher’ instead, so that was her nickname for a long time.”

Alex nodded as he chuckled. “And Cumcatcher she shall remain.”

After a quick kiss I looked back at the picture and my eyes averted to the caption below.

Current mood: Broadside – Coffee Talk

“Is that a song?” I asked.

“Look it up,” he nodded.

I pulled up a video of the song with lyrics that flashed across the screen and read them
as the song went on.

“Lately all I wanna do is lie around with you and complain about the youth. How we’d never leave your room. Tell me all the things that bother you.

Aimlessly driving on the highway hoping that you check your phone and that you’re still awake. Please don’t take this as anything but honest. I’m still stuck on last Thursday when you undressed and whispered my name.

Lately all I wanna do is lie around with you and complain about the youth. How we’d never leave your room. Tell me all the things that bother you. Damn girl, you don’t even know. Looking in my eyes, staring at my soul. I forgot how to be alone. Stay up all night when you’re not at home.

Waffle House, black coffee in our mugs. We’re hazy eyed but not because we’re fucked up. Its just that we’ve been up all night sharing stories of our past. Empty vows that you’ll keep in touch if I can always make you laugh.

And all I wanna do is just lie around with you.

Lately all I wanna do is lie around with you and complain about the youth. How we’d never leave your room. Tell me all the things that bother you. Damn girl, you don’t even know. Looking in my eyes, staring at my soul. I forgot how to be alone. Stay up all night when you’re not at home.

And my chest ignites when I hear you speak. Miss your company long before you leave. Your scent, it lingers all within my sheets. And your touch, girl, brings me to my knees.

Lately all I wanna do is lie around with you and complain about the youth. How we’d never leave your room. Tell me all the things that bother you. Damn girl, you don’t even know. Looking in my eyes, staring at my soul. I forgot how to be alone. Stay up all night when you’re not at home.”

“Alex,” I smiled when the song ended. “That’s really how you feel?”

He scoffed. “Doesn’t even skim the surface, babe.”

I blushed and handed his phone back to him. “So, did anything else happen? Anything I should be warned of?”

He bit the corner of his lip before he nodded. I rose my eyebrows as I waited.

“We talked about getting married again.”

“Oh,” I said, thankful I was able to stop the gasp. “Yeah?”

He nodded.

“Well what did we say?”

He sighed heavily. “You said that you really wanted to marry me.”

I waited patiently for him to continue, but when he didn’t, I said, “That’s it?”

“Pretty much,” he laughed.

“Well,” I sighed. “I wasn’t lying.”

“Really?”

“No, I wasn’t. I really do want to marry you someday.”

“But not any time soon?”

I paused for a moment. “You’re not about to propose to me right now, are you?”

“No,” he laughed. “Why? Would it be so bad if I did?”

“No. I’d say ‘yes’,” I shrugged.

“You…you would?”

“Yes,” I giggled. “Do you not want to marry me or something?”

He turned over onto his side while rolling his eyes. “I’ve never even thought about marrying someone until you. You’re the only person that’s ever made it cross my mind. I told you I wanted you around forever. I meant that. I want to be able to call you my wife and I want to be your husband. I want people to look at us and Will as ‘The Gaskarths’. I’ve thought about marrying you before, and every time I damn near break down picturing you walking towards me with your dad by your side, wearing a white dress. I never want to spend a day without you, so I guess I would kind of have to marry you to achieve that.”

“A fair warning: You’ll be stuck with me forever. I’m only getting married once, so there will be no divorce. You better make sure you want to deal with all this ‘til death before you put a ring on it,” I grinned.

“Same here,” he said, pointing a finger at me. “Speak now or forever be shit out of luck.”

I nodded with a wink. “Gotcha. So where would you like to become legally bound to me for life?”

“Are we really going to plan our wedding right now?” he laughed.

“I’m a girl,” I shrugged. “It’s what we do.”

He shook his head with a chuckle and began running his hand up and down my side.
“Whenever I do think about it, we’re on a beach. White sand, blue water, flowers everywhere, everyone’s barefoot, and you look like a goddess.”

I giggled and buried my face in my pillow a little. “I always imagined you’d look quite handsome as well.”

“You know what sucks though?”

“What’s that,” I smiled.

“I don’t even have a say in who my Best Man would be. Jack already told me he’d never speak to me again if he wasn’t selected.”

“Well would you really have chosen anyone else?” I laughed.

He grinned and shook his head. “No.”

“Ok then. So what color scheme would-“

“Baby,” he groaned, laughing a little while he covered his eyes with his hand. “Do we have to do this now?”

“I’m sorry,” I said as I shoved his shoulder. “I’m excited about our future together. And not just the wedding part. The ‘Mrs. Gaskarth’ part, too.”

He smiled at me, and it made my heart flutter around my ribcage.

“What the hell, lets do it,” he shrugged.

“What? Get married?”

He nodded as he bit down on his bottom lip.

“Right now?” I laughed.

“No, not right now,” he smiled and pushed me over onto my back before climbing on top of me. “I have to propose first. And you’ll never expect it and it will make you melt and you’ll have no choice but to accept.”

I let out a giggle that was cut short by the moan that slipped out due to him pressing his lower half into mine.

“But I do think we should do a little pre-consummation of our future marriage.”

Notes

If you guys haven't listened to "Coffee Talk" by Broadside, you should <3