“Um… Kenzie Andrews?”
“Harper.”
My jaw drops. “Wow.”
“Yeah, wow. Anyway, I had the password. After we all left that day, I called and pretended to be Kenzie. I said I changed my mind about the bridesmaid dresses. Lucky for me, they were just about to put the rush order in.”
A smile spreads across my face. “You didn’t.”
“We’re going to wear Kenzie’s absolute favorite color, which will remind her of her favorite movie and clash with everything she has planned.”
“Puke green?”
“Puke green. Although, it’s technically celadon. I’m guessing ‘puke green’ doesn’t sell that well. We’re going to look like the vomit fromThe Exorcist.”
I squeal and stomp my feet on the floorboards. “I can’t believe you did that!”
“Or are you just jealous it wasn’t you?”
I know Harper warned us not to do anything that might ruin this wedding, but the idea of Kenzie becoming part of my family makes my skin crawl. I can’t even stand her in my friend group, where she seems to think she’s found a way to worm in and push Harper out.
Her jealousy toward Harper has reached a level that feels almost obsessive. Tracy and I have dissected it multiple times, but we can’t pinpoint a clear reason for it. All we know is that Kenzie craves attention, and the only way she knows how to get it is through drama. She really needs to abandon the belief that any attention is good attention.
Mom stumbles out of the house and points at us, and I instantly regret not just driving away. “Get inside!” she shouts.
With resigned sighs, we exit the car and head toward her. “Kenzie told us to leave,” I mutter.
“I don’t care. She’s going to be part of this family, and that means you can’t let me suffer alone,” Mom insists.
Tracy shoots me a knowing look, and I can’t help but laugh. Even Mom isn’t a fan of Kenzie.
As they step inside, the cupcakes are wheeled in, and Kenzie lets out a scream. We freeze, and I can see Mom weighing her options—whether she’s capable of sprinting in her current state or not.
“What are these?” Kenzie shrieks.
“Cupcakes?” Madeline replies, her voice trembling.
Poor girl has always been shy. She really belongs behind a desk, not dealing with people. I’ll never understand why she chose the hospitality industry.
“I did not order chocolate cupcakes!” Kenzie snaps.
Madeline looks like she might burst into tears, and Mom walks over to comfort her. “It’s not your fault, Maddie. Maybe Kenzie just ordered incorrectly.”
“I did not order wrong! I’m allergic to chocolate. I would never do that! Are you people trying to kill me?” Kenzie exclaims, her hands flailing dramatically.
“Wait, you threw your own bridal shower?” Betsy interjects, raising an eyebrow. “That’s not standard. Your maid of honor didn’t host?”
Tracy laughs a little too loudly. “She doesn’t have a maid of honor.”
“I was hoping Harper would come around, so I held the spot open. It’s basically an honorary role,” Kenzie explains.
“You honestly thought your ex-best friend would want to be your maid of honor and expected her to throw you a bridal shower after paying for your wedding venue?” Betsysays, practically rubbing her hands together in delight, eager to spread this gossip.
While Kenzie fumbles for a response, I turn to Tracy. “It would be funny, not mean, right?”
“As long as she can tell it’s chocolate, she won’t eat it. We need to make sure it’s not white chocolate, so we don’t get charged with attempted murder,” she quips.
We slip outside and climb into my car while I dial the bakery. Luckily, there’s only one in town, and I’m determined to nail my best Kenzie impression.
