Drawing a lung-stretching breath, I grab the remaining twobouquets, different from the others, and stop in front of my best friend. “You look stunning.” I extend my hand and wait for her to accept her flowers. “You’re ready to puke,” I add, snickering. “Contemplating the benefits of escaping out the side door, grabbing your groom, and eloping somewhere far, far away.”
“That’s what weshouldhave done.” Her cheeks puff wide, full of nervous air. “We should’ve gone to the courthouse or something.”
“And rob Elena of her chance to catch the bouquet when you toss it?” I set my flowers on a small table and trade the pretty posies for my best friend’s face instead. “This is your day. It’s exactly what you wanted. It’s howyouplanned it, with guestsyouwant, and with the groom who fucking deserves you.”
She blinks, blinks, blinks terrified tears into her lashes. “I don’t have a good track record with this stuff.”
“Oh, please.” I carefully swipe the moisture away, determined not to mess up her makeup. “Your exhas a shitty track record with this stuff. You, my dear, sweet girl, are perfect just the way you are. Nick’s waiting for you, and he knows you get weird about this commitment nonsense.”
Pot, meet kettle.
“Which means he’s in the hall, ready to grab on if you try to make a run for it.”
Curious, Elena stalks toward the door and opens it a crack. Then she laughs. “Go away, Bello Lolo! She’s fine.”
“He’s right there,” Mel gasps. “I could go to him now, sneak out, and visit the courthouse.”
“Can’t.” I press the world’s softest kiss to the very tip of her nose. “Courthouse is closed for the weekend. They do that on purpose to circumvent the antsy brides. But don’t sweat it.” I drop my hands to her shoulders. Then down her arms. I slidemy palms all the way to the end, then I twine our fingers together. “He’s here, and he’s who you want. I’m here, and I’m the second most important person at this shindig.”
Just as I intended, she bursts out with a shaking, watery laugh. “The fact you approve of this wedding is a big deal.”
“Exactly! Marriage is for losers, didn’t you know? Why buy the whole pig when you only need the sausage?”
“Amen.” Elena slams the door in her brother’s face and spins back with a grin. “I subscribe to the Anna Maxwell life theory. It’s way more fun this way.”
“Butyoudon’t get to subscribe to that life anymore,” Camila counters, her eyes warming the side of Mel’s face. “You got my brother’s heart in your purse, which means you bought the whole pig. You gotta keep him.”
“I think your sausage versus pigspeech is cute.” Mel tilts her head and swipes her cheek on her shoulder. “Except I know for a fact I caught aRose and Jack, hand on the windowsituation when you got home last night. Sex in the car, Annaliese? Really?”
“Excuse you, you voyeur creep.” My cheeks blaze fiery red. “Do youoftenwatch me that closely?”
“Only since Dean Warner crashed into your life.” Teasing me is, evidently, how she deals with her own nervous woes, because she changes our grips, transforming from the shaking, scared bride into the formidable best friend wholovesbossing me around. “I’m leaving town tonight and going…somewhere. For an entire week.”
“As you should. You deserve paradise and a man who thinks you shit rainbows.”
Her lips twitch, playful and silly. “A week is a long time, and tomorrow is Christmas Day. You’re insane if you think I haven’tconsidered moving our trip back, because I know you’re gonna do something dumb.”
“I’m never dumb!”
Elena scoffs. “I set you up with the perfect Latin king, and you wigged out before the first kiss. God forbid feelings become involved and family dinner turns awkward.”
“You do dumb things,” Mel presses, drawing my gaze back her way. “Fortunately, Dean seems to have figured you out already, so he’s gonna sidestep some of the dumb, and he’ll hold you together when you inevitably set some shit on fire.”
“You sure put a lot of faith in a man you literally met a week ago.”
“When we know, we know. And Iknow.” Sheboopsthe end of my nose with the tip of her finger. “You hate icky emotions. You loathe vulnerability. You abhor being alone, but you choose aloneness every single time something big is happening, because cuddling someone who matters when you’re sad feels weird.”
“You’re reaching.”No, she’s not!“And if I didn’t know better, I’d almost wonder if you were deflecting, all to avoid walking down the aisle.”
“You’re looking for an exit strategy,” she sighs, “And I won’t be here to hug you through your hurt feelings. If you care about my happiness at all, you won’t break anyone’s hearts while I’m away.”
“Oh good! Emotional manipulation. I love when that happens.”
She rolls her eyes. “I justknowyou’re gonna piss me off this week.”
“And yet—” I look to the ceiling, my smile splitting clear across my face at the sound of church bells. “It’s time to get yourbooty moving. Right now.” I snatch up my bouquet and smack her silk-covered butt. “You look pretty, your dress is sublime, your tits look fantastic, your ass is doing this lovelyshelfthing I know Nick likes.”
Elena gags on her side of the room.
