Also, lucky me that Annie was miraculously single.God, I suck. “I’m really sorry, Annie.”
She shook her head. “It’s bad, but it’s probably good. I’m not a good person, Nick.”
I laughed a little as she dabbed her nose with my handkerchief. “Come on, Annie. Nobody’s perfect. I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
She pursed her lips. “I was his mistress. I was the other woman. We work together at the law firm, and it just kinda happened.But she found out, and that’s why he’s not here.”
I opened and closed my mouth, not sure what to say. “Oh.”
“But he lied to me. He said he was divorced, and he wasn’t. And then he said he was getting divorced, and then he was getting divorced soon and I shouldn’t have stayed with him but I just kept hoping—” she sucked in a breath and looked down at her hands, smoothing her dress. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I’m trauma dumping. It’s trauma that’s even my own damn fault. I just—I should get back.”
I turned as she walked past me, catching her hand. “Wait.”
She glanced at our joined hands, then up at me expectantly.
“I’m here for you. We don’t know each other, but that sucks. If you wanna talk, or yell or something, just come find me.”
She got a soft smile and squeezed my hand. “Might need you for the maid of honor speech.”
I sucked my teeth and grimaced. “Eesh. Yeah. Talking about love fresh off a heartbreak.”
She stepped back closer, her eyes brightening. “Right? I wrote the thing before all this happened, thankfully. I’ll just have to stick to the sheet and not derail. I’m so happy for them and love them both to pieces. But love between partners just feels like a lie at this point. We’re all chasing after this fulfillment from love, but is it even worth it?” She sighed. “No one’s gonna know the irony of all this. A maid of honor who’s stopped believing in love.”
I still had her hand in mine. Long fingers, elegant hands. The corner of my lips turned up. “I’ll know.”
Her green eyes held mine as I went on. “You know what?”
She raised her eyebrows, waiting.
“Fuck love.”
She giggled, an amused twinkle in her eyes as she waited for my next words. The problem was, I didn’t really have a coherent plan. So I just spat out some words.
“We don’t really need it, right? A partner loving us doesn’t change who we are. We’re worthy people all on our own. We don’tneed another person to say ‘I love you’ for us to be valid human beings.” I looked down to gauge her reaction. “Right?”
She shook her head but smiled. “Yeah. You’re not wrong.”
“Correct. I’m right,” I said, eliciting another dancing giggle from her. “And tomorrow, you’re gonna get up there and put on the best maid of honor show. But you’ll know, and I’ll know, what’s really up. And I’ll be cheering for you, Annabelle Markham. Because I know you can do it.”
She worried her lip, smiling eyes taking me in. “I see why Guy trusts you so much.”
I snorted and shrugged. “I’m lucky he hangs out with me.”
She watched me a beat longer, eyes darting over my face as her smile grew wider. “We should get back.”
* * *
After the dinner was a cocktail reception for all the other guests. Most of our team and staff were at the resort for the occasion, so I melted into catching up with them.
Until things started to turn. I was at the bar ordering a refill when I spotted our teammate Jack Leroy and his wife Sydney talking to Mikey and Jessie. Mikey and Leroy previously had beef but had a makeup of sorts during our playoff run that spring. They were trying to be friends for the sake of the group, and we all appreciated the break in the tension. No one likes having to pick sides when we’re all supposed to be a cohesive group.
Sydney must have said something offensive because Leroy, Jessie, and Mikey all recoiled. Leroy led Sydney to the end of the bar, a few stools away from me, looking furious. I could make out their conversation over the hum of excited voices.
“You can’t talk to people like that, Syd,” Leroy said.
“You never back me up! She was being a bitch!” Sydney protested.
“She was making conversation! Mikey’s my friend. I need youto not treat his girlfriend like trash.”
