“Enough fishing talk until I’m out of earshot or extremely drunk,” Lucy declared, her voice tearing through my thoughts.
“Then the same goes for wedding talk,” Bill said.
I set my empty bottle in the recycling bin and frowned over the breakfast bar. “Bill,” I scolded.
He glanced at me. “You girls can talk cake and centerpieces till you’re blue in the face while Andrew and I are on the boat.”
Lucy made a noise. “I don’t talk about the wedding that much.”
“How many bridal mags did you bring up here?” Bill asked.
“Well, nine. But it’s because I’m so behind, and I need Liv’s help. For one, I can’t stand white shoes. I need an alternative.”
“Tsk,tsk,” Bill said, shaking his head. “Tomorrow.”
“Ignore him,” I said, wiping my hands on a dishtowel before heading for the fridge. “He’s just being mean.”
“But one more thing real quick,” Lucy said, twisting in her seat to address me. “The tailor called this morning. Your bridesmaid dress will be ready for your first fitting a week from Monday.”
Bill’s eyebrows shot up. “Bridesmaid dress? How much was that?”
I carried four beers to the table. “We can talk about that later,” I said with warning in my tone, not wanting to make Lucy uncomfortable.
“It’s just that you didn’t mention it,” Bill said, accepting the bottle. “I’ll have to review the budget for the month.”
“Then do that,” I snapped.
Lucy exchanged a glance with Andrew as she passed him a beer.
Andrew cleared his throat. “I was actually going to ask—”
Lucy touched his arm. “Maybe it’s not the best time, sweetie.”
“What is it, Andrew?” I prompted, stopping behind Bill’s chair.
“Well . . .” Andrew gestured his beer at Bill. “My brothers make up most of my bridal party as you know, but I thought I’d see if you’d be part of it, too.”
“Oh,” Bill said. “Sure. Of course, man.”
“That’s so nice,” I said, suppressing a laugh. Bill hated weddings. That, on top of the additional cost and time Andrew had just imposed on Bill—I knew I’d be hearing about this later. “Thanks for asking,” I added.
“Yeah,” Bill echoed. “Thanks.”
With the chime of my phone alarm, I leaned over to kiss Bill’s cheek, my irritation with him dissipating with Andrew and Lucy’s kindness. “I’ll be right back,” I said before heading to the bedroom.
I rummaged through my suitcase for my birth control. When I didn’t find the pack there or in my handbag, my heart began to race. I pulled out two neat clothing piles from my luggage and checked all the pockets, then unzipped Bill’s duffel bag in a hurry and dumped his stuff on top of mine. Squatting on the floor, I rubbed my temples. I’d taken the pill last night after my shower, hadn’t I?
“Bill,” I said into the cabin. When he didn’t respond, I yelled for him.
“Coming,” he said.
I tried to think. I’ddefinitelytaken a pill the night before and tossed the pack back into my suitcase. It had to be there, but it wasn’t.
I needed that little pill to keep my life in order. And though I hated to think it, Bill felt the opposite. He wanted that fail-safe gone, and just like with the house, I had a feeling he wouldn’t be opposed to nudging me along when I resisted.
This time, I used my angry voice when I called Bill’s name, and he came quickly.
“Yeah?” he asked, scanning the mess on the floor.
