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“Oh wow," Liv said, smiling. “These are beautiful.” She gingerly took them from him and sat them on the table next to her. They added to the scenery perfectly. Charlie hated to be late, but he hated not bringing anything to an engagement party more.
“And Lauren," Liv said, turning to her. “Good to see you too.”
“You as well," Lauren said, a slight smile on her face.
His girlfriend - not that she was that now, had never been invested in his friendships. Lauren, Charlie, and Lewis had all grown up together, but she and Lewis never truly got along. She mostly saw them when she was with Charlie, and half of that time Charlie figured he didn’t even need to invite her.
Their on-and-off relationship was hard, but it was all they could manage. Tonight, they were off, and Lauren was only here as a friend. But he knew how this went. They were heading back into relationship territory.
“I’m glad you could make it," Lewis told him. “When you said you’d be late, I didn’t think it would be for flowers.”
“Only the best for you two.”
“And about the other thing…”
Charlie held his hands up. “I’ve got it. I won’t bother her.”
He snuck a glance and found Violet talking to someone. Micah, to be exact - another one of their college friends.
Violet was possibly one of the most giving people he had ever met. She would drop anything for others, and when she smiled, Charlie could have sworn the room grew brighter.
And she was smiling at Micah. Her full lips were upturned, and her prominent upper lip was curled in a beautifully captivating smile - one that was never directed at him.
Charlie felt the same twinge of bitterness he always did when he saw her. She could be a ray of sunshine for nearly anyone and yet to him, she was cold, cruel.
Lewis cleared his throat, and he turned quickly, trying to push her out of his thoughts.
His friends knew they hated each other. Most hangouts were planned around when the other wouldn’t be there. They were gracious about it, but this was Lewis and Liv’s engagement party - their celebration of the joining of their lives.
It shouldn’t be about Charlie and Violet.
So, why couldn’t he stop looking at her?
“Sorry," Charlie said, shaking his head. “We’re going to be fine.”
Both Liv and Lewis glanced at each other - it was clear they didn’t believe him. Next to him, he could feel Lauren’s annoyance rolling off her in waves
Charlie wanted to spend more time with them, but he also didn’t want to piss off Lauren. So, he said, “We’ve taken enough of your time. I can tell your family is wanting to talk to you guys. We’ll be around.”
He smiled and led Lauren to the refreshments table, the farthest place away from Violet.
“Ugh, they’re so on your ass about Violet," Lauren muttered. “She always starts it.”
“They want to have a good party," Charlie defended.
“They could have great one if they didn’t invite her.”
That was never going to happen. Liv and Violet loved each other. At this point, they were basically sisters. They had roomed together for years in college, and their friendship had only grown stronger with the challenges of adulthood. Liv wasn’t going to drop Violet for any reason.
But Lauren hated it when Charlie would tell her that.
“I’m thirsty," Lauren muttered after a few minutes of silence.
Violet was intermingling in the middle of the room again, talking to someone he doubted she had met. She was smiling brightly in a way Charlie hadn’t seen directed at him in years.
“You should go get a drink," Charlie told her.
Lauren shook her head, muttering something under her breath before leaving. Charlie could only sigh. Lauren was always in a bad mood when they were with his friends, and he didn’t know why.
