Chapter Thirteen #2
Pippa let out a snort of disapproval. “Of what? You? Your emotional outbursts? Your perfect little relationship that’s built on cheating and lies?
No fucking thank you. You can keep that shit.
Hell, even your own mother doesn’t fucking want to be at your stupid wedding.
Tell me you’re fucked up without telling me you’re fucked up. ”
There was no stopping Amber from swinging. I ducked just in time, Amber’s fist connecting with Pippa’s face. She was cruel to throw Amber’s mother in her face like that. “You leave my fucking mother out of this.”
Pippa spat blood onto the carpet, eyes flashing with rage. “I don’t have to. Your mother does that on her own. And guess what, Amber? Eddie will leave you one day, too. The second he realizes that you’re full of bullshit like we all have.”
Amber stilled, her voice wavering. “You’re one of my best friends. You’re supposed to have my back.”
“And you’re supposed to be sane,” Pippa retorted. “But your right hook says otherwise.”
“And I’m going to give you a left one if you don’t shut your damn mouth!” Amber’s fist clenched again, twitching like she was going to throw another punch.
That’s when I stepped in again. “Stop it. Both of you. Just stop.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” Amber shouted, her anger turning to me. “You’re just as bad. You let last night happen and didn’t even try to stop it.”
I looked at my feet, my guilt way too heavy to manage.
“Just let it go, Amber, or fucking embrace it. At this point, I just don’t give a fuck anymore,” Pippa growled.
Amber stepped up to Pippa again, her eyes narrowing. “I stopped giving a fuck about you a long time ago.”
She shrugged. “The feeling’s mutual, babe.
You think I actually want to be a part of your wedding?
I was only going out of pity because you literally have no one that gives a fuck about you enough to go.
That’s the only reason Poppy and Mallory are going too.
They pity you as much as I do. So, how’s it feel to have a one-sided wedding, Amber?
One where every single person that shows up doesn’t give a fuck about you and are only there for him? ”
Amber looked mortally wounded and took a step back, voice shaking with emotion. “You’re out of the wedding. I want you out of my fucking life for good.”
Pippa smirked. “Thank fuck for that. If I had to sit through one more Amber pity party, I’d probably off myself. I’m going to stay at Daniel’s tonight.” She shot me a look before stepping toward the door. “Good luck with your marriage,” she said bitterly. “You’re gonna need it, bitch.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. I just stood there like a statue, looking around the room at the aftermath of their destructive friendship. “Amber…”
Her head hung in defeat, eyes meeting mine for two seconds before she looked away, refusing to hold my gaze. “No. Don’t.”
“I didn’t want to get in the middle—”
“What middle? She’s your sister, Poppy. How can I compete with that?”
For what seemed like eons, neither of us spoke.
“Amber, please rethink this. I don’t want you to leave, not like this.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Poppy. At least not today. But when I get married next week, consider this the end…”
“The end of what?”
“The end of everything.”
I should’ve believed her. Because what happened next changed everything…
Amber looks sick as she ascends the steps of the chapel, pausing on the second step, her face looking a little green. “This is a bad idea.”
“Are you having second thoughts?” My voice wavers a bit, knowing my best friend is stuck in deep inner purgatory right now.
“A million. Do you think I’m making a mistake?”
Why does she have to ask me this?
Mallory gives me an encouraging look, both of us on the same wavelength.
“Only you can answer that, Amber.”
Her phone rings, and she looks at the screen like she’s staring at a ghost.
“Hey, Mom.”
My stomach twists for her.
“Yeah, are you going to make it?”
Tears form in Amber’s eyes as she listens to her mother’s bullshit answer.
“Please don’t try to make excuses, Mom. You’re absent like always, and that’s okay, I guess.”
Mallory and I share a look. Another long pause happens while she listens to her mother blather on.
“A better mom would’ve waited to enter rehab until after the wedding.”
More uncomfortable silence falls between them.
“So, I call you out on your shit and you go silent on me? Figures.”
Amber looks up at me for a few seconds before quickly glancing away. She doesn’t like people to see her cry. It’s something I’ve noticed over the years.
“No, Mom, what’s not fair is my mother missing my wedding because of self-reflection. Even trying to better yourself, you’re still selfish.”
I see Mallory wince at the same time I do. That one was vicious.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m just overwhelmed right now. I was really hoping you’d be here for me today since—”
She stalls on her words, but I know she’s referring to her dad’s absence. Today is going to be so hard for her, especially now that her mother won’t be here for her either. I can’t even imagine the pain she’s going through.
Amber clenches her phone, her pain turning to anger. “Well, I’m sure you’ll have a lot to talk about, since you’re missing your only daughter’s wedding today.”
Her mother says something, and Amber immediately cuts her off, “Goodbye, Mother.”
When she hangs up the phone, her entire body sags, almost as if she’s contemplating giving up on the wedding altogether.
My arms wrap around her before she can protest, removing the tears from her face. “Why don’t you go get some air, Amber? You look like you need to clear your head.”
She nods weakly.
“There’s a bench around back. Why don’t you head back there? I’ll cover for you when Eddie gets here.”
She disappears behind the building, but my anxiety is already kicking into overdrive.
“Are you okay, Poppy?” Mallory questions.
“No, not really. I think this day is only going to get worse.”
“Do you think your sister will come?”
I nod. “Yeah, if she’s not here already.”
“What are you going to say to Eddie when he shows up?”
“The truth. That Amber needed some air and is out back. Hopefully, she stays there and doesn’t run.”
Exactly twenty minutes later, everything turns to shit.
“Heeeey, Seester!” Pippa drunkenly yells, appearing out of nowhere, wearing her bridesmaid dress that’s wrinkled and hanging off her shoulder.
Her hair is a mess of tangles and knots, like she hasn’t brushed it in days, which isn’t like her.
“Where’s our blushing bride?” She looks around obnoxiously. “Don’t tell me she already got cold feet?”
“You shouldn’t be here, Pippa,” I warn, hoping Eddie doesn’t show up next.
“Oh, I definitely need to be here. I’m tonight’s entertainment after all.” She pulls a flask of alcohol from her dress and takes a swig. “I decided you’re right, Poppy. It’s time I tell her just who she’s marrying.”
“Pippa, today’s not the right day.”
“I owe it to our friend, don’t I? She deserves to know the truth before she makes a horrible mistake.”
“Pippa, you should go home.”
She holds a drunken finger up to me and frowns. “Don’t tell me what to do, Poppy. You took her side by being here. Where’s your twin sister loyalty?”
“Pippa, that’s not fair…”
“Isn’t it? You’re choosing that bitch over your own twin. How ridiculous is that?”
“Pippa, please. I’m begging you. Go home before this turns into something it shouldn’t.” I try to grab her arm, but she violently pushes me away.
“Stop protecting her! She deserves to know what a cheating bastard he is. How he plays with girl’s feelings and leads them on. She doesn’t deserve him.”
“Don’t you mean he doesn’t deserve her?” Mallory pipes in.
My sister narrows her eyes. “Shut up, Mallory. Nobody likes you.”
“Pippa, stop it right now!”
She shakes her head. “Not until I get this off my chest. So where is she, Poppy? Don’t make me make a scene.”
I see Eddie pull into the parking lot and I panic. “Okay, she’s in the back. Just don’t ruin her day, please.”
“No promises,” she says sweetly, disappearing behind the building.
“This is gonna be bad,” I blurt out, my anxiety rising.
Mallory nods in agreement. “You could’ve stopped her, you know?”
“Yeah, I could have, but…”
“But you want Amber to know.”
I nod reluctantly. “She deserves to know the truth.”
“Even if it hurts her?”
A long silence passes between us. “Unfortunately.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Poppy.”
Everything imploded in an instant. The second I sent Eddie back there, I regretted it. He showed up so happy, the smile on his face almost contagious.
That’s when I snapped. He didn’t deserve to be happy. Not when he was messing with my sister and best friend. You could hear the shouting from the front of the chapel, and I did my best to look inconspicuous, but the guilt was eating me alive.
Rich glances over at me and puts a friendly arm around my shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay, Poppy.”
Shrugging him off, I wipe the tears from my eyes. “It’s not though, Rich. Pippa’s back there.”
“Oh, fuck,” he mumbles, eyes going wide.
“And she’s drunk.”
“And you sent him back there?” Now he just looks angry.
“I had to, Rich. Amber deserved to know the truth.”
He shakes his head. “But at what cost? Who are you to make that decision for her?”
It sounds like he’s blaming me for this. This isn’t my fault.
“Don’t look at me like that. Eddie’s the one who did this. Not me.”
“Oh, and your sister and best friend are just sweet angels, huh?”
My eyes snap up to meet his. He’s wearing that stupid mask again. I’ve noticed he barely takes it off now. “No, both of them are just as guilty with things, but Amber still deserves to know the truth before the wedding.”
Eddie’s Mom and Dad come waltzing up, both of them looking angry and pissed. “What’s going on?”
“Poppy thought it was a great idea for Pippa to confront Amber and then send Eddie back there into the firing range.”
“Do not make this my fault, Rich! I’m only looking out for my friend.”
“And I’m looking out for mine, Poppy. I swear, if something happens and Amber walks away from this…”
“You’ll what? Blame me? Go ahead. Do whatever makes you sleep at night.”
Something breaks out back, and Eddie’s father immediately takes off, followed closely behind by Rich.
Pippa appears a few minutes later, tears streaking down her face, that’s bruised, forming a bump, and slightly bleeding.
“Pippa, what happened?” I ask, rushing to her side.
“Don’t you dare fucking touch me, right now!” she growls throwing me to the ground. “Not after what you’ve done.”
“Me? What the hell did I do?”
Her glare severs something inside me. The way she looks at me like I’m nothing to her anymore.
“Everything, Poppy. You showed up today. You took her side. You let me walk back there and didn’t try to stop me.”
“I did try to stop you!” I challenge, jumping to my feet. “You wouldn’t listen to me.”
“And now he hates me. Like really hates me.” She grasps at her throat, clutching the faint red marks marred into her skin. “He’ll never choose me now.”
“He was never going to choose you in the first place!”
Her slap comes out of nowhere, sending me back to the concrete. “He would’ve if she hadn’t rushed in and stole him from me. Now I have nothing!”
“You have me.”
She smirks. “Oh, excuse me for not being overjoyed.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
She looks me up and down before her lips lift into a snarl.
“You’re a drug addict, Poppy. A shitty one at that.
The only thing you had going for you was your grades, and you let those slip too.
Fuck, our father had to buy your way into Stanford because Yale wouldn’t even look at you anymore.
Face it, Sister, you’re nothing anymore.
Without your education, you’re just a waste of useless space. ”
Tears spill down my cheeks. “You don’t mean that.”
“Trust me, I do.”
She starts to walk toward her car, and I stop her. “Pippa, you can’t drive drunk.”
“Watch me.”
“Pippa, please. Don’t do this!” I clutch her dress, hoping to sway her.
She yanks out of my grasp, raising her hand to hit me again. This time I flinch.
“So pathetic,” she seethes, recoiling her hand. “You’re not even worth the energy.” Then she’s gone, stomping off toward the parking lot, as my world starts to spin.
“Poppy, are you okay?” Mallory asks, but I can barely hear her.
I’m not okay. Not in the slightest.
I’m spiraling, and this time I don’t have the drugs in my system to make it go away.