They look at me, both of them slowly shaking their heads.
“We’ll support you no matter what, you know that,” Sasha smiles.
Music floats through the church walls from outside the bridal suite. Inside, it smells like flowers and anxiety,which, for some reason, suddenly feels wildly ironic.
I sit in front of the vanity mirror, staring at a version of myself I never would have been able to put together on my own—I’m more of a stretch pants and sweatshirt kind of girl. The perfect up sweep of my blond hair, the shimmery shadow and glossy lips, sure as shit doesn’t feel like me. Not for a second.
“God, I look like a freaking cupcake.”
Sasha steps behind me to fluff my veil. “You look beautiful.”
I study her as she stands behind me in the mirror. With a ride or die soul and a smart-ass mouth, she’s always been there for me. Just like she is now, wearing her deep green maid-of-honor dress like a badge of honor.
My mom, Tish, is pacing over by the window, setting my nerves even more on edge.
“Mom,” I sigh, shaking my head. “Can you stop acting like someone just ran over your dog? Marrying Eric isn’t such a bad thing.”
Mouth twitching, my mom crosses her arms. “You’ve only known him for six months.”
“Seven,” I correct.
“You’re only doing this because your manager said it would be good for your image,” she volleys back.
“Incorrect,” I say, pointing at her with my champagne glass. “I’m doing it because I’m thirty-two and tired of explaining at every family gathering why I’m not married yet. And because I can’t make one of my fictional book boyfriends come to life so I can bring him to Thanksgiving dinner.”
Sasha snorts. “He’d just burn the turkey and flirt with your grandma.”
“You both know Gram’s can give as much as she gets.”
We laugh, and for a second the air in the room feels lighter—like maybe I’m not making the biggest mistake of my life.
But that second is short-lived.
There’s a knock on the door, followed by a deep, hesitant male voice. “Uh, Sasha? Can I talk to you a sec?”
Sean, Eric’s best man, is a cinnamon roll of a guy. Eric met him in college and they have been best friends ever since.
Sasha’s brows pull tight. “Just a sec. I’ll be right back.”
Heels clicking against the tiled floor, she slips out, closing the door softly behind her.
Taking a seat, my mom crosses her legs, aiming a look at me over the rim of her glass. “Sugar... If something feels off, it would be better to back out now. Other than in your books, you don’t owe anyone a happily ever after.”
“Mom...”
She shrugs a shoulder. “Just trying to keep you from doing something stupid.”
Just as I open my mouth to fire back, I hear Sasha’s raised voice coming from the other side of the door.
“You’d better find out where that motherfucker is, or so help me?—”
I sit up straight.
My mom looks up sharply. “What the hell?—?”
I stand from my chair, heart thumping in my chest.
A second later, Sasha storms in, cheeks flushed and fists clenched.
