Chapter Ten

          Rachel was enveloped in Madison's arms on her bed, sobbing buckets. She had run to her best friend's house after breaking the news of her impending nuptials to Chris to her parents. And all hell broke loose. Madison rocked her, running a hand over her curls.

          "Come on, Boo, calm down."

          "How can I?" she cried. "God, my parents are so stupid." She pushed away from Madison to blow her nose and wipe her eyes. Madison laid a hand on her arm.

          "Well, sweetie, they are your parents. They're not supposed to like everything you do."

"Besides, you know, he is twenty-seven," Angela, sitting at the edge of the bed facing Rachel and Madison, said with a shrug.

          "So?" she sniffled. "What does that have to do with anything? He's always been older than me."

          "Yeah, but he's ten years older than you."

          "Nine years, seven months, three weeks and three days older," Rachel muttered.

          Angela rolled her eyes. "O-kay..."

          Madison shifted on the bed, moving to her knees to face Rachel. "You really love him, don't you?"

          Rachel turned to Madison fully. "Yes," she said emphatically. "Bug, you don't know how wonderful he is to me. He always puts me first, he's never mean and he's so much more mature than any of the other guys I dated. And I am so...in love with him." Madison smiled and patted Rachel's glowing cheek.

          Angela scoffed. "Oh, come on, Rach. How can you be in love with a guy a decade older than you? What could you possibly have in common?"

          Rachel stared at her. "Shut up, Angie. Look, I know you've never liked Chris, but I do love him and we do have a lot in common. Maybe you just don't get that cause you've never been with anyone longer than five minutes."

          "Hey! Maybe I haven't. But all I'm saying is, maybe your parents are right." Rachel stood from the bed, glaring down at Angela.

          "God, I'm so sick of this. Why can't you just be happy for me?"

          "Because I just don't get what you see in him."

          "Why? Why is that so hard for all of you to believe? Gosh, you know you're just as stupid as my parents."

          Angela jumped to her feet. "Well excuse me for thinking you could do so much better than being a popstar's wife for the rest of your life!" She yelled before running out of Madison's room and Rachel burst into tears. Madison got to her feet and wrapped her arms around her.

          "Boo..."

          "Why is everyone making this so damn hard? Weddings are supposed to be happy and joyful." She pulled back from Madison. "It's supposed to be a celebration of love; our love."

          "I know..." Madison said, unable to think of anything else to say.

          "No, you don't!" Rachel yelled making Madison jump back. "Justin is only a month older than you. You have no idea what I'm going through!"

          "Rach..." Madison watched her run out of her room, crying hysterically. Panicking, she reached for her cell phone.

          "Rach...?"

          Rachel was sitting on a swing, kicking her toes in the sand. She turned and saw the love of her life walking toward her over the grass. "Chris..." New tears filled her eyes as she jumped up and ran into his arms.

          He frowned when her body slammed into his and she held onto him tightly. "What happened, babe?"

          "Everything is a mess," she said resting her chin on his shoulder. "I told my parents and they flipped out. My dad said if I married you..."

          Chris pulled back and rubbed the tears from her face. "If you married me, what...?"

          A tear rolled down her cheek. "They'd disown me. He kicked me out, Chris."

          "He what?"

          She lowered her head, trying to catch her breath. "Before I left...he said if I walked out the door, I shouldn't come back."

          Fuck. She started to cry again and he pulled her close again. "Come here. Its okay, babe. It'll be okay."

          She shoved him back, moving away from his arms. "How can you say that? Chris, my parents have abandoned me. I have no one, nowhere to go."

          He took her by the arms, forcing her to face him as she rubbed her palms over her cheeks. "You have me. You can stay with me. Listen to me," he tugged her hard and she brought her red, watery eyes to his. "I love you. More than-God, more than anything, Rachel. I want to marry you and no one is going to stop me. Not your parents, not the guys."

          "What? What did they say?"

          His grip on her loosened and he sighed heavily. "JC didn't take it so well. And Joey's not too jazzed about it either. JC won't be at the wedding."

          Rachel cupped his cheek. "Oh, babe..."

          "It's okay, he'll come around. We've been through too much; worse than this." He said it, but had to force himself to believe it.

          "This isn't going to affect the group is it? Because, Chris, if it does..."

          "No. You let me handle it."

          "Hey." Her hand moved to his chin and roughly turned his face so she could look into his eyes. "I'm going to be your wife. That means what affects you, affects me and vice versa. You got that?"

          He grinned and took her hand from his chin. "There's my girl." He pulled her close again, pressing his lips to her forehead.

          "How did you know where I was?"

          "Maddy called me. She said you were upset and that you'd be here. She said you always come here when you're upset."

          She nodded. "I do. You know, she's the only one I've got left. Besides you," she said pulling back again.

          "No...you've got Justin and Lance, too. Come on, let's go home." He slipped his hand in hers, linking their fingers and started to lead her back to his car. He walked her to the passenger door and pulled it open. She stopped before getting in and faced him.

          "Are we going to make it through this?"