‘Have you asked her yet?’ Andy prompts her.
My eyebrows shoot up.
‘Not yet, Buzz,’ she replies. ‘I guess I could now… Whitney…’
Every internal alarm bell I have starts ringing.
‘I was just thinking… I don’t really have anyone to stand with me, at the wedding,’ she says. ‘I don’t have sisters. My family are all abroad, and we’re not very close. And I’ve never really… had a big group of girlfriends. I’ve travelled so much for work, it’s hard to get that kind of bond.’
The way she says it – offhand, almost embarrassed – takes me aback for a second. I have noticed that everyone here, everyone on the guest list, are either Andy’s people, or people they both know from work.
‘I mean,’ she continues, glancing at Andy, ‘you have so many friends. It feels unbalanced. So I wondered – we wondered – if you might stand with me. As a bridesmaid.’
I stare at her, my brain searching for ways I could have misunderstood what she just said.
Me? A bridesmaid? For her?
‘But… I’m Andy’s sort of best man,’ I reply.
‘It makes sense,’ she says quickly. ‘You’re already so involved. And you’re important to Andy. To us.’
‘I can ask one of the guys to step in as best man,’ Andy says. ‘I can find someone, but, Whit, it would mean a lot to us if you would do this. It’s okay if you don’t want to.’
He tags that bit on to the end in a way that makes me think it might not actually be okay.
I want to say no, of course I do. I don’t even want to be Andy’s best man, but I want to be Cordelia’s bridesmaid even less. Imagine me, standing at the altar with her, gazing over at Andy from her shadow.
I can’t say no, can I? Not without seeming like something is wrong, like I’m not happy for them…
And I do feel sorry for Cordelia. She doesn’t have anyone. No best friend texting. No sister arriving early. No mother in a big hat fussing over the details. But then again, I did just hear her on the phone, and something sus is going on…
‘I’d love to,’ I hear myself say.
Andy’s shoulders relax instantly. Cordelia is all smiles.
‘Really?’ she replies.
Oh my gosh, don’t give me a chance to change my mind.
‘Really,’ I confirm, forcing a smile. ‘I’d be honoured.’
She steps forward and hugs me, tight and grateful.
‘Thank you. So much. I mean it,’ she insists.
‘Now can we get to bed, Tink? I’m shattered,’ Andy says.
‘Sure thing, Buzz,’ she replies.
‘Well, I’ve got my water, I’ll head up,’ I tell them. ‘See you guys in the morning.’
‘Yeah, night night, bridesmaid,’ Cordelia calls after me.
The words send a shiver down my spine.
In the bedroom I can see that Jake is already tucked up on the floor, a blanket pulled up around his shoulders, one arm tucked under his head so that his bicep can wave me hello.
‘Hey,’ he says quietly, smiling as he looks up at me.
