“Thanks, Paisley.” I closed the album and pressed it to my chest, beaming at her. “You know, it only seems right that the woman who provides such love and support to her friend-in-need is the only fit to be one of my bridesmaids. What do you say?”
Paisley’s eyes lit up, and she laughed, throwing her arms around me with impressive force for such a small lady. “You won’t regret it,” she promised. “Thank you, Peyton.”
“I would make you the Maid of Honor, but I think my best friend would pitch a fit,” I said with a giggle, and Paisley laughed.
“Remington, right? I’ve heard about him.”
“He’s coming over, too,” I told her. “He should be here any time, in fact.”
Paisley clapped her hands together, looking thrilled. “I can’t wait to meet him. I need his opinion on colors.”
Paisley and I were a bottle of wine in by the time Remington arrived, carrying an overnight bag along with a few other bags that I couldn’t tell what they contained.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I said, the wine muting any worries in my life as I threw my arms around my best friend and squeezed him. Rem laughed, hugging me back, and then introduced himself to Paisley, who was red-faced and giggling on the couch.
“I brought more wine,” he said, reaching into one of his bags to set it on the counter. “Good thing I came prepared. Will Korbin be home tonight?”
“I, um, don’t know,” I said, glancing over at Paisley, who was suddenly smiling again.
“Some of the guys are throwing him a bachelor party,” she said with a slight shrug. “Right there at the station. So, no, he shouldn’t be home any time soon.”
“But are there strippers?” I asked.
“For him or you?” said Rem. “Because I can get strippers.”
Paisley and I giggled as I shook my head. “No, thank you. I think I’ll pass on the strippers.”
“Suit yourself,” he said. “At least we have booze.”
After ordering delivery and opening the second bottle of wine, the three of us settled down onto the couch so Paisley could show Rem her wedding planning book. He was fascinated with it, his eyes lighting up when she displayed it on the coffee table.
“Damn, girl,” he said, flipping through the pages. “Someday, you’ll have to plan my wedding, too.”
“I can’t help it,” said Paisley. “I’m a romantic at heart.”
I poured us another glass of wine and sat back on the couch cushions to watch my two best friends fawn over ideas for the wedding. Usually, I would have been a basket case, but at this point, I was thrilled to have them over the moon that I had two wonderful people to help me plan something like this. I knew I could never do it alone.
“Oh hey,” Paisley said to me after a brief lapse in laughter and chatting. “How is Korbin doing? You know, on account of the Amanda thing?”
I sighed, feeling the buzz back off just a tiny bit as reality came back to hit me full force. “He’s acting like it’s not really happening, but I know he’s scared. I don’t know how this will affect our lives, nor does he.”
Remington turned his attention to us, taking a sip of his wine. “Have you considered talking to her?” he asked, and both Paisley and I turned to look at him in surprise.
“Who?”
“Amanda, of course.”
“Amanda is in jail,” I told him. “Besides, what would I say? She hates my guts. Everyone else’s too, I’m sure.”
“I don’t know,” Remington said with a shrug. “Just don’t forget, she is still human.”
“Is she, though?” joked Paisley, and I chuckled, shaking my head.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Rem. I wouldn’t even know what to say to her.”
He put his hands in the air as if to surrender, reaching for the bottle of wine to pour us all more. “You managed to keep her attention before she tried to put a bullet in you,” he said. “You’re a good negotiator, Peyton. You’re relatable. Maybe if she saw the pain you are in, she might have a change of heart. For all we know, she’s just bitter she was caught. But maybe some empathy would do you both good.”
“Rem, she tried to kill my mother,” I hissed, the glass of wine trembling in my fingers. “And she almost succeeded.”
