**WOOHOO! YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA HOW EXCITED I AM TO FINALLY BE SHARING THIS BOOK WITH YOU! The updating schedule will be every Friday around noon-1 pm central time unless specifically said otherwise. PLEASE COMMENT TO YOUR HEARTS CONTENT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND HOW YOU LIKE THIS FIRST CHAPTER!**

Roxie's POV

The letter came at the worst possible time.

I mean seriously. It was like fate just knew I was already in the toilet and decided, what the heck? Why not just mess her up emotionally for good!

I flipped the card over and read the details, scoffing when I realized just how freaking ritzy this stupid wedding was going to be. There was one thing that I was one-hundred percent sure of, and it was that Jedrek's parents were damn lucky to not be footing the majority of the bill. After all, perfect miss Tori always got whatever she wanted ever since she was a kid; daddy made sure she never had to lift a finger or go without. Too bad it made her a spoiled brat with zero boundaries.

I snorted before reading the card out loud.

"We can't wait to hear back from you! To speed things up and make it easier, RSVP online!"

You've got to be absolutely kidding me.

I typed the website into my search engine, almost gagging when the cliche here comes the bride tune started playing in the background as a slide show of photos appeared across the screen.

"Thank you so much for being a part of our special day. Jedrek and I can't wait to see you there!" Tori's fake voice chirped before the RSVP options finally appeared on the page. I checked the box next to NO and scrolled down to submit it. That's when I noticed they had a blank box titled 'comments to the bride and groom!'.

My finger hovered above the box, the endless possibilities flying around in my brain. I giggled to myself before skipping over it and submitting my poll.

I don't think either one of them would appreciate my 'eat a fat dick' comment.

I set my phone down on the kitchen counter with vigor before roughly rubbing my hands over my face. Picking the card with their disgustingly-professional so-in-love photos back up, I further analyzed the pictures. There's no way they're that happy - well, actually, if I had a rock the size of a freaking mountain on my hand maybe I would be happy, too. I glanced up, taking in the pathetic view of my one-room loft apartment. It was the cheapest thing I could find that also happened to be close-ish to my job - and I couldn't even afford it. I huffed before moping over to my bed and face-planting onto the worn-down mattress.

My body was exhausted after the 14-hour shift I'd worked today. Of course, my boss decided to wait until I worked the entire damn shift before telling me that I was being laid off. And that the restaurant was bankrupt. And that I wouldn't be paid for the shift, let alone the past two weeks worth of work.

Jerks.

Now, I would be forced to move back home and live with my dad and step-monster - just like the cunning monster predicted.

Yeah, this letter couldn't have come at a worse time.

It was probably close to an hour that I spent lying in my bed, ignoring my growling stomach that I didn't have enough money to fill before my phone began ringing. Turning my head to the side and flipping the phone over just enough to see the screen, I read the caller ID. It wasn't a number I had programmed, so I just ignored it before shooting my best friend a quick text.

SOS. Do you have wine?

I heaved myself off of my bed before dragging my feet over to the fridge and lugging the door open.

Of course, I have wine. I smiled at her reply.

I have half a bag of cheese cubes and a single sleeve of stale crackers. Come over, I need Khloe's Famous Life Advice. I replied before shutting the doors to my refrigerator and plopping back down on my bed, which happened to be the only furniture in my entire apartment sadly enough. It acted as my dining table, office desk, couch, and bed - something that drove Khloe absolutely crazy.

Stale crackers? You nasty weirdo. Do you really think I'd eat that? I giggled.

That's what the wine is for, Khloe. You won't notice after you're buzzed. I replied smartly, knowing she was already on her way here. We always go to her place to hang out seeing as it was worlds nicer than mine, but whenever I needed her famous advice talks she said she had to be able to picture what my life was like so she could 'put things into perspective' as she so sweetly put it.

I was almost asleep since her place was a good forty-five-minute journey from mine until her violent knocking on my door awoke me.

"I swear, it takes you longer and longer to get here every time," I grumbled after swinging the door open.

"Traffic's a nightmare at night, you know that!" she insisted before shutting the door and steering me into the kitchen so I wouldn't lay back down and pass out. I pulled two red solo cups out of my cabinet as well as the food I'd promised before turning to her with a sheepish smile.

"Plastic cups? Really, Roxie?" she scoffed sarcastically, but I could see the humor in her eyes. She loved me no matter what. Our friendship was based on memories and true connection rather than material, superficial things. She was truly one of the few people I could stand in this city.

"To be honest, I can't afford much more than a shower every day, so disposable dishes it is," I explained while unscrewing the cap from the wine bottle and pouring a healthy amount into both of our glasses.

"Being your friend really does keeps me grounded. Humble even," she smirked while dodging the cheese cube I'd thrown her way.

"Sorry all of us can't be confident enough to be making duffle bags of cash every night by parading around in scraps of clothing for the millionaires of the city to gawk at while keeping them company," I joked, giving her a fake stink eye. In reality, I was jealous of the life she lived. If I was even a smidgen as confident as she was, I would be her newest coworker in a heartbeat.

"Oh my gosh, this again, Rox? How many times have you come in to see me and had men stop you and ask for a VIP session thinking you worked there? Girl! You could be making duffles filled with cash, you just choose not to," she stated pointedly before flipping her hair and taking a sip of her alcohol while glaring right back. "I know your ex dumping you to jump right into bed with your step-sister is still a sore subject after four years, but when are you going to get it into your fat head that it's because he's a damn idiot rather than because you somehow weren't enough? Babe, I've heard the stories Blake used to tell at the club when he'd had one too many. You're a freak in bed and any man would salivate at the mouth to have a chance with you. Now what the heck has got you so uptight tonight?" she demanded, already knowing the comment stemmed from something that was bothering me.

Damn, she knows me too well.

"First of all, I'd like to say that Blake wouldn't even know. He was horrendous at foreplay, so I never let him get farther than that. He likes to think he's Christian Gray and then some, but you hypothetically ask that boy to tie you up and use nipple clamps on you and it's like he reverts into a virgin again," I grunted, recounting the two horrible experiences I had when attempting to fool around with the bartender from the exclusive club Khloe worked at. I'd met him when I came to visit her at work one night and we hit it off after a few awkward minutes of small talk. Too bad it was all just an act and he was actually just a nicely toned jerk with a small penis and no knowledge of how to use it. A very bad combination.

"Stop stalling and answer my question, Roxanne," Khloe demanded, a single brow raised in annoyance. I huffed before nodding.

"This is what has me so uptight," I spoke while getting up and grabbing the invite. I flicked it her way so it landed expertly in front of her on the bed. She held it up to the only light in the room so she could read it before bursting out laughing.

"Oh...oh my gosh," she cackled while holding her stomach, "he looks....he looks s-so miserable!" she squealed before bursting into another fit of laughter. I couldn't help but join in while lying down next to her on my bed.

"What are you talking about?" I snickered, pulling the paper from her hand.

"L-look at his face...he's in so much misery!" she screeched before laughing so hard she snorted. I stopped laughing and more closely examined the picture. I still wasn't able to see what she was seeing.

"Khloe, I don't know what you're talking about but this is serious!" I asserted, wanting her to stop laughing and talk to me. "I know Tori only pulled this crap because she knew it would upset me! Four years later or not he was - still is - the love of my life," I murmured, not wanting her to hear the extent of how upset I was so I could keep some of my pride intact. She sighed deeply, clearly sensing that this wasn't one of those moments where she could make fun of Jedrek to make me feel better like usual.

"The only reason this is upsetting you is because you're letting it upset you. If you don't give her the power, then when she pulls stunts like this it doesn't do anything but make her look how she truly is - petty and pathetic. I know this isn't what you want to hear, and you want me to let you mope and cry as a normal best friend would, but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to be real with you and tell you what a true best friend should; you've had your time to grieve but now it's time to live, Roxie. Screw her. If Jedrek decided his type is snobby stuck up brunettes with no meat on their bones then let's find you a man whose type is racy redheads with huge jugs, a nice booty, and quick wit," she insisted.

"Tori's body is perfect and you know it," I complained while pinching the side of my thigh.

"Whatever, Roxie. Not the point. The point is, I know plenty of men who would stumble over themselves and bend over backward just to get a chance to even talk to you. So, here's what we're going to do: we're going to chug the rest of this wine, get a ride back to my place, dress you in the hottest thing I own, and then we're going out and getting you a little somethin' somethin'," she insisted. I sighed before nodding. At least it was Thirsty Thursday - that way I didn't feel so bad about much I inevitably going to drink tonight.

"Fine, I'll go, but I intend to end the night with you rather than some random dude I don't know," I said with a pointed look.

"You've never even experienced a random hookup before! You've been with two guys in your lifetime - one of which doesn't even count because he struck out with you so bad before getting to bed! How do you know you won't like it 'til you try it?" she joked while pouring the rest of the wine into our glasses and tilting the cup up to my mouth.

"I just know I won't. End of discussion. Now let's go," I ordered before chugging the rest of the pink Moscato and getting up.