‘It’s nothing,’ I say instead, deciding to keep things suitably vague. Nessie stares at me. It’s weird, like looking at a Tyler that isn’t Tyler. I’m going to have to give her a bit more information. ‘We realized our rivalry was a misunderstanding and decided to let bygones be bygones.’
‘So is he your date for the wedding?’
‘My date?’ I don’t like the high pitch of my voice. But to be honest I hadn’t thought about it.Ishe my date for the wedding?
She grins at me and then turns her head slowly to look at Helen who is still berating the shop assistant, although I think she’s moved on to an intricate discussion about the logistics of collecting the dresses tomorrow morning and how that whole thing will work.
‘Helen is going to go fucking batshit.’ There’s so much glee in her words. ‘She changed the seating plan to avoid you sitting together. Now she’s going to have to change it back again.’ She rubs her hands together like a Disney villain.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The next evening is the rehearsal dinner.
Now, I’m going to let you in on a secret: I don’t really like weddings. I know, I know, you’d assumed I’d love them, right? I’m joking. I think there’s actually a very narrow subset of people who genuinely like weddings. And you know, if that is your thing then fair play. I’m not dissing weddings per se, I’m just saying that a lot of people pretend to enjoy them and I’m not the biggest fan of forced joviality.
But there is something far worse than weddings. Rehearsal dinners. I mean, it is literally the run-through of the wedding, so you get all the spoilers but none of the wine.
I make a total pig’s ear of the practice for the ceremony, coming in at the wrong time and standing in the wrong place and taking Cesca’s bouquet at the wrong time. Rachel and Dad aren’t here for the rehearsal and so I have to stand in for them as well while we practise other elements of the wedding. In some ways I’m sad not to see them; if there’s one thing that would make everything seem better it’s a hug from my dad. But I think he’d know. Straight off, no need to elaborate. He’d just know I wasn’t his Bethany, that I was an imposter. And I really don’t want to freak him out just yet. At least when he and Rachel arrive for the actual wedding they’ll be so preoccupied with the fact that finally one of us girls isgetting hitched they won’t notice me at all. Or at least that’s what I’m hoping happens anyway.
Tyler catches up with me as we file out of the ceremony venue and there’s the usual scramble for who will travel with whom to the restaurant Cesca and Helen have booked for dinner. ‘I have my car if you need a lift,’ he says.
I glance to my left and Nessie gives me a huge thumbs up. ‘I think Nessie would be rather distraught if I said no,’ I reply.
‘Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but I’ll take it.’
Conscious that perhaps I seem a little too rude – or at least even more rude than usual – I row back my sarcasm slightly. ‘Sorry, I only mean she was particularly enthusiastic at our dress fitting yesterday.’
‘She’s desperate for me to find a nice girl and settle down,’ he says, although there is a dry edge to his words.
‘I mean, two things on that.’ I take his arm and we head towards the car park. ‘Aren’t you almost my brother-in-law?’
‘No.’ He’s adamant.
‘No? You sound very sure about that.’
‘I … well …’ He seems flustered.
‘You looked it up, didn’t you?’ I tease him gently. Or at least I hope it comes across as gently.
‘For scientific purposes, yes.’
‘Scientific purposes. Oh yes, of course.’
‘What’s the second thing?’ he asks.
‘Well, I’m not …’
‘Really here. Yes, I’m fully aware of that.’
So. I’m going to level with you. I probably shouldn’t have had three glasses of champagne – actual real champagne and not prosecco, which I know isn’t the best excuse but it’s the one I’m using – before we ate. But I did. And then I watched Helen and Cesca and realized that in this world their relationship was just as toxic as in Decanting Bethany’s.
And then I forgot that Tyler and Helen were related and maybe I shouldn’t bitch about his sister to him. It’s probably considered bad form, but I couldn’t help myself by that point.
‘She needs to stand up for herself,’ I tell him.
‘Who?’
‘Cesca! She needs to tell Helen that this isn’t what she wants.’
