Chapter 29 Bella
Bella
The morning of Clarke and Soren’s wedding started with chaos and caffeine. Lots of caffeine.
“June, no. Clarke said smoky,” Nessa insisted, gesturing frantically at her own eyes. “Not full-on, hungover raccoon.”
June blinked at her reflection. “So, like . . . elegant raccoon?”
“No such thing,” Dani added from the bed. “Raccoons are trash goblins.”
“Wow,” June muttered. “So much for women supporting women.”
Nessa wrapped an arm around June’s shoulders. “Trust me, we’re supporting you by not letting you ruin the wedding photos.”
“I appreciate the honesty,” June said. “I think.”
Clarke and Soren’s bedroom looked like a bridal war zone. Curling irons snaked across every outlet, garment bags hung from doorframes, and makeup palettes had been scattered across the bathroom’s double vanity.
The air smelled like Jo’s morning buns, hairspray, and the kind of nervous energy that couldn’t be diffused, no matter how many vanilla candles we lit.
Clarke’s sister, Vivian, rounded out our usual Bitchcraft group. “You better sit still,” she scolded, angling a curling iron with professional focus. “The last thing you want on your wedding day is a curling iron burn.”
Viv was Clarke’s complete opposite. Where Clarke was all Southern-belle charm and honey-blonde curls, Viv had dark hair shaved close on both sides, ink climbing up her forearm, and a small silver nose ring that caught the light every time she moved.
Clarke, for her part, just smiled serenely at her sister in the mirror, unbothered. “I’m still upset you didn’t bring Amelia with you.”
Viv glanced at the time on her phone. “Ellie’s bringing her closer to the ceremony,” she told her. “Nap-dependent arrival.”
Viv’s wife, Ellie, was also performing the ceremony.
Clarke’s smile softened instantly. “Good. I want my favorite tiny human awake for at least part of it.”
“That’s a tall order. She’s a menace before noon.” She shot a look in Dani’s direction. “Cherish these moments. She’ll be walking and talking before you know it.”
Dani sat cross-legged on the bed, nursing Bailey like she didn’t have a care in the world.
Already fully made up, I might add—flawless skin, lashes thick enough to warrant their own zip code, and cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass.
Her black and blue hair fell in waves over her shoulders, not a strand out of place.
You would’ve thought she was getting ready to walk the red carpet at any second.
Instead, she was wearing one of the robes Nessa had insisted we all needed while getting ready, deep magenta-colored silk, cinched tight at the waist, with dramatic sleeves that made her look like she’d just been crowned queen . . . or murdered her evil husband.
Bailey, meanwhile, was blissfully unaware. She was latched on, one tiny fist curled into the fabric of Dani’s robe like it was the most luxurious security blanket in the world.
Nessa crossed her arms, clearly pleased. “This is exactly the energy I was going for when I bought those robes.”
I rested against the edge of the deep-soaking tub, sipping my second coffee of the day, and staying deliberately out of the way. Watching, mostly. Letting it all sink in.
It felt surreal. Clarke was getting married. Dani had a baby. Nessa and Pink were basically married in every way that mattered. And me?
I had Bennett.
A year ago, I hadn’t had a clue what to do with my life, and now, I was standing in one of my best friend’s houses on her wedding day, surrounded by the women I loved, wearing my boyfriend’s shirt like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And somehow… it was.
My phone buzzed in my hand.
Bennett
I don’t know about the bride, but her groom’s been pacing laps around Matty’s living room for the last hour. I think he might’ve worn a hole in the floor.
Me
Aww, poor Soren.
Bennett
We’ve got a pool going on which of the guys gets married next.
My stomach fluttered, just a little.
Me
And?
Bennett
Nessa and Pink are the clear favorites. But you and I are right behind them with 4–1 odds.
I nearly spat out my coffee.
Bennett
Tucker and Brock are still in the running too, and Roman’s odds are . . . complicated.
Me
I’m surprised Roman even made the shortlist.
Bennett
Well, his odds have more to do with whether or not he’ll get lucky tonight.
Me
If he does, it won’t be with one of the bridesmaids. We’re all taken.
Well, except for June, but even then, I had my doubts. We all saw the way Nero looked at her, how his eyes tracked her across every room like she was the only person in the world who mattered. Something told me, June would figure it out when she was ready.
Bennett
It’s always been a dream of mine to pick up a bridesmaid at a wedding. I guess tonight’s finally the night.
Me
Lucky you.
Bennett
Don’t worry. I know exactly how lucky I am.
Me
I love you.
Bennett
Love you, too, baby.
The words settled warm and easy in my chest. They always did.
“Earth to Bella,” Clarke called, waving a mascara wand. “Stop sexting your boyfriend and pay attention to me, the bride.” She squealed. “Hot damn, I love wielding this kind of power.”
I flushed. “We were not sexting.”
She laughed, turning from the mirror. “He’s going to lose his mind when he sees you in that dress. The neckline alone is criminal.”
“Speaking of losing minds,” June said, lifting her coffee mug and adding a very deliberate splash of Champagne. “Which of you is next?”
Nessa covered her mouth in disgust. “I’m sorry, was there still coffee in that?”
“Don’t change the subject,” June dismissed, unfazed. “In the past two years, all of you have been infected by this . . . love-bug mind virus. So, I need to start preparing myself—and my wallet—for the next wedding.”
She leaned back against the vanity, silk robe pooling around her thighs.
It matched the rest of ours, but on June, it felt downright cinematic.
Her blonde bob had grown out a few inches, and paired with her curves and red-tinted lips, she looked like she’d wandered straight out of a black-and-white movie.
I glanced at her and smiled. “You say that like you’re not the biggest crier of all of us.”
She scoffed. “Rude. I cry tastefully.”
“Sure, you do,” Nessa said dryly. “Personally, I vote Dani and Brooks. They already have a baby together. First comes baby, then comes marriage—”
Dani snorted. “That is not how the song goes.”
“It is in this friend group.”
“I vote Bella and Bennett,” she fired back. “They’re disgustingly in love and it makes me sick.”
I rolled my eyes, but I was smiling. “Bennett is still trying to convince me to move in with him when he buys a place, so it’s safe to say that marriage is a long way off.”
Clarke paused mid-hair curl. “He wants you to move in?”
I nodded. “He gave me some speech about wanting to brush our teeth side by side like in Bring it On.”
Viv whistled. “The ultimate millennial, domestic fantasy.”
“I guess,” I admitted. “But I’m not ready to give up space just yet. I like having my own place.”
Dani nodded. “Just tell him to pick out a house where you can have your own she shed. Or should I say, bee shed?”
“Honey haven?” June offered.
“I’ve got it,” Nessa said excitedly. “Queen’s quarters.”
Before anyone could push the topic further, Dani cleared her throat, bouncing Bailey gently. “Actually, speaking of marriage . . .”
We all turned slowly.
She smiled. “Brooks and I eloped last month.”
Nessa’s jaw dropped. “You what?!”
“After the San Diego series. Just the two of us and the girls on the beach at sunset. Neither of us wanted a big fuss, so yeah . . . we’re married.”
The room exploded.
June shrieked, curling iron forgotten. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us.”
Dani laughed, holding up her left hand. A simple gold band with a diamond at the center and two smaller stones on either side circled her finger. “He had it made with Carolina and Bailey’s birthstones.”
June audibly sniffled. “That sneaky, sensitive son of a bitch.”
Nessa launched herself at Dani, hugging her fiercely. “Congratulations.”
“Stop,” Dani protested, shoving out of her arms. “This is Clarke and Soren’s day. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Clarke stared at Dani, then at her own reflection. “Are you kidding me? I’m so excited for y’all. You’re married. And I’m about to be married.” Tears clouded her eyes. “Dang, when did we all grow up?”
The room filled with excited chatter, rapid-fire questions about how Brooks had proposed—late one night in bed, after putting the girls to sleep—and if Dani had any plans to give Carolina and Bailey another sibling anytime soon—not until, and I quote, her “coochie was fully healed” from the last one.
I watched them all, heart full, feeling like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
And just as I finished topping off everyone’s glasses to celebrate, Clarke bolted suddenly from her chair, hand to her mouth as she raced toward the toilet.
We all froze for about point-two seconds.
June was the closest, so she sprung into action first, holding Clarke’s curls back while she heaved. Nessa scrambled to get her a fresh glass of water, while I rifled through our emergency day-of kit for anti-nausea pills and a breath mint. We had come prepared for this very occasion.
When Clarke finally sat back, paler and shakier than before, she looked up at us with wide eyes.
“I’m so sorry, y’all. I’m fine,” she said quickly. “It’s just . . . nerves, I guess. That’s normal, right?”
Dani tilted her head, studying her. “Or . . .”
Clarke’s eyes widened. “No. There’s no way I’m—”
“You’ve been pretty exhausted lately,” she pointed out. “You fell asleep at your desk the other day.”
“And you’ve cried almost every day since I got to town,” Viv added.
“Because you’re my sister and I missed you!”
Nessa handed Clarke the glass of water. “When was your last period?”
Clarke stared at the glass like it might bite her. “I, um . . . I don’t know. Things have been so busy with the wedding that I haven’t exactly been tracking it. But I have an IUD.”
Dani set Bailey down in her portable crib. “Honey, you need to take a test. Before the ceremony. Otherwise, you’ll spend the whole day wondering. Trust me.”
Clarke looked like she might cry again. Happy tears. “I could be pregnant.”
“You might not be,” June jumped in. “But you need to know.”
Clarke nodded, shaky. “You’re right.”
I stepped forward. “I’ll go. There’s a drugstore five minutes away. I’ll be back before your hair’s done.”
Clarke grabbed my hand. “Thank you. And please, don’t say anything to Bennett. I don’t want it to get back to Soren until I know what’s really going on.”
“Promise,” I said.
I slipped out, heart pounding for a completely different reason now. From the looks of things, today was going to be unforgettable in more ways than one.