“What does that mean?” I hurry after zim, careful not to let my gait dip; Matt would give me so much shit for barely doing my PT since I’ve moved. As we weave through the crowd, I recognize some of Matt’s friends, but they pretend not to see me. Which I’m totally fine with. I’m more interested in debriefing with Eris than forcing a conversation with people who’ve barely spared me a thought in two years.
Eris ignores my question to order a glass of wine from the outdoor bar. The only other free option is beer, so I order the same. The place is crowded, as far as Solberg goes, and everyone has formed circles to socialize in. Joining them is always awkward, so Eris and I unspokenly weave around the cliques to find somewhere out of the way. When we’ve found a corner along the railing to occupy, I ask again. “What do you mean, it makes sense now?”
“Look, they’re golden retrievers.” Eris shrugs, taking in the sight of the small town clinging to the riverbank with interest. The waterfall upriver rushes over the dam. Ze jerks zis backtoward Allie and Matt across the patio. “They’re goofy, and cute, and eager to please, and want everyone to be happy, and they’ll take it personally if you don’t. No wonder you felt you had to prove you’re not a sad fuck.”
“I’m not a sad fuck,” I lie. Because I am a sad fuck.
Eris gestures across the patio, where Matt and Allie have been roped into a conversation with his high school football coach. “These two ridiculously attractive sweethearts looked at you, with their puppy dog eyes, and begged for reassurance that they weren’t ruining your life by getting together. And you pretend to be nice, so you had to make them stop feeling guilty for putting themselves first. It’s all clear now!”
I smack zis arm. “I am nice!” I want people to think so, anyway.
Ze grins and smacks my arm right back. “In some ways, maybe. But you’re no Matt and Allie. Which is good, because they must have the worst anxiety.” Ze slurps zis wine. “And his mom is a piece of work. Gotta love control issues! Reminds me of my mom,” Eris laughs. Zis loud, high-pitched cackle draws quite a few gazes.
I meet their looks with a set of my chin, daring them to say anything. Almost everyone looks away, because they’re all small-town Lutherans. Avoiding conflict is a cultural norm here.
But one person looks back, her eyes narrowing.
If I hadn’t already seen Allie, I would have done a double take. But this woman is wearing a blush pink version of Allie’s white maxi dress, and the expression on her face is anything but the eager, bright-eyed grin that always made me feel like I belonged.
“Oh, god, incoming,” I mutter, forcing a smile as Allie’s bitchy twin sister makes a beeline for us. Eris slides zis hand into mine, lacing our fingers together. Zis reassuring strength helps me breathe a little easier as Jessica scurries between the clusters of people.
“What are you doing here?” she hisses in lieu of a hello.
“Jessica! How lovely to see you!” I repeat my fake-nice song and dance like I did for Matt’s mom, my forced smile cold. “This is my… Eris! Eris, this is Allie’s twin sister! And the maid of honor, right? How exciting, being the maid of honor for your twin!”
“You aren’t supposed to be here.” Jessica doesn’t play along. She never does. Allie and Jessica are from Edina, but Allie fell in love with the quiet of Solberg. She dreaded moving home so much that my parents offered her the spare bedroom at our house, so she could stay longer. Not that she dislikes her sister—I doubt Allie could dislike anyone, and she loves her sister dearly—but college was the first time she could escape her family’s smothering embrace.
“Allie and Matt invited me.” I glower, dropping the nice act since Jessica isn’t pretending either. Despite Allie’s insistence otherwise, her sister has never liked me. From Jessica’s perspective, I stole her twin. “Becausesomeonestole my invitation.”
Jessica crosses her arms, blue eyes cold. “You should have known better.”
I shrug as Eris’s hand squeezes mine in reassurance. “Their wedding, their guest list.”
“MaybeMattwants you here, but Allie doesn’t,” Jessica snips.
“Weird, it must have been a different Allie who mailed me a handwritten letter, begging me to come.” I roll my eyes.
Jessica scoffs. “Allie doesn’t know what she wants—”
“How old were you?” Eris interrupts.
“What?” Jessica glares at zim.
Eris smiles sweetly, cocking zis head. Voice bright and airy, ze asks, “How old were you when you realized you were the ugly twin?”
I snort as Jessica bristles. “We’re identical,” she says.
“On the outside, sure.” Eris nods with a sympathetic pout.
Jessica huffs. “I don’t know what game you think you’re playing, but you need to leave.”
“No, Matt and Allie want us here,” I say, relieved when Allie notices us and rushes over to run interference.
“You won’t get him back,” Jessica snaps.
“What?” My heart drops; how could anyone possibly think I’m here to get Matt back?
“You’re here to steal my sister’s happiness, and I can’t let you do that. This,” she waves at Eris, “must be part of the plan to get him back.”
