Chapter 27 Eva #2
As I hold on to the door handle, Maddy stands perfectly still, staring at me like she’s seen a ghost. With her mouth downturned, I pause momentarily, ignoring the sudden quiver in my stomach.
“Maddy, what’s wrong?”
“I… uh…” She stutters on her words, playing with the expensive necklace around her neck and tugging on it, almost like it’s choking her. The skin surrounding it turns red, making it obvious she’s rubbing it too hard. “I-I can’t do this.”
I do my best to remain calm, knowing it’s common for the bride to panic before walking down the aisle.
“These nerves are normal.” I smile, trying to ease her thoughts. “How many movies have we watched where this happens? Cold feet are part of the process.”
She bends down to fall to her knees on the floor. Maddy covers her face, rocking back and forth.
My moment of calm is suddenly taken over by worry. I bend with great difficulty, rubbing her back, trying to calm her down.
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
I rush to grab the trash can near the end table, pushing it beneath Maddy as she hurls violently. With deep breaths, I try not to puke myself, quickly grabbing some tissues for her to hold on to and removing the trash but still keeping it near.
“Do you feel better now?” I ask softly.
She shakes her head with bloodshot eyes. I notice her skin has developed a rash, and I see her chest rise and fall with her erratic breathing.
“Maddy, what’s going on?”
“I… I can’t do this,” she fumbles, anxiously twisting her hands. “I don’t love Myles the way he deserves to be loved.”
“Okay,” I respond, unsure what else to say.
“This doesn’t feel right,” she cries. “Please, Eva, call my brother.”
My lips press together in a slight grimace. “You want me to call Aston?”
“I need him.”
“But…”
“I need him!” she shouts this time.
The last thing I want to do is speak to Aston, but this is a crisis, and I’m out of my depth here. I search for him and tell everyone that Maddy needs a few moments alone to fix her dress. What other lie should I have come up with? It seems much easier than stating the truth right now.
Aston is standing at the altar beside Myles. His head is bowed, his fingers intertwined while he waits like everyone else. Thank God Mr. Beaumont is nowhere to be seen . I try to gain Aston’s attention. His eyes lock onto mine, but I fight my heart right now and urge him with my eyes to follow me.
He leans in to whisper to Myles, then carefully exits down the side of the manicured garden to where I’m standing. Patricia is sitting at the front and watches me cautiously. Nobody else has noticed yet.
Aston reaches out to touch my arm with a concerned expression, and it’s evident he didn’t sleep either. “Everleigh, what’s wrong?”
“Maddy needs you,” I rush.
We both head back inside, running down the long hallway until we reach the bridal quarters. My hand shakily reaches for the door handle, flinging it open, and that’s when Aston sees Maddy crouched on the floor.
“Madelina?”
She runs to him, clutching his tuxedo jacket while he wraps his arms around her. His skin bunches around his eyes, and he has a pained stare as he’s looking back at me.
It breaks my heart to see my best friend like this, and equally breaks my heart to see the man I love hold on to her and not be able to take her pain away.
“Don’t make me do this.” She sobs uncontrollably. “Please don’t make me marry him.”
Aston holds on to her tighter. “I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. Just tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s… it’s not right,” Maddy stammers, her head shaking. “This doesn’t feel right.”
“It’s just cold feet, Madelina.” Aston tries to soothe her.
“No, Aston. This is not just cold feet. I’m not some actress being all dramatic in an audition for Wicked . This is my life!” She takes a breath, then releases it. “I’m sick of all these lies!”
“What lies?” Aston questions.
“All the lies. The lies I tell myself, and the lies the two of you insist on telling me. I’ve watched you and Eva hate each other, then like each other, then hate each other again. I saw you change before my own eyes. You, out of all people, mentioned settling down.”
I swallow the lump inside my throat, unsure how to react. The truth has come out at the worst possible time.
Maddy turns to face me with a tearstained face. “You think I didn’t realize you were falling for my brother? Why did you lie to me, huh?”
“I… I, um…” I trail off, lost for words. “I wanted to tell you but—”
“Both of you fell so damn hard right in front of me! Only for me to realize I don’t feel the same way about Myles.
From the moment he proposed marriage, something felt forced.
Almost like someone was pushing him, but I didn’t listen.
I wanted what I thought was a fairy tale, but it’s not.
I should have DNF’ed this relationship months ago. ”
Aston cocks his head in confusion.
“DNF stands for did not finish ,” I say faintly.
“I lied to myself all along,” she sobs. “I can’t walk down that aisle and marry him. I can’t have children with a man I’m not head over heels in love with.”
The door opens for Patricia, who walks in with concern for her daughter.
“Madelina, sweetheart. We’re running behind.” She notices Maddy’s tears, then frowns. “What’s wrong, honey?”
Maddy shakes her head and chews on her bottom lip as tears continue to fall down her perfectly made-up face.
Patricia reaches out to embrace Maddy. She holds on with a vacant stare, then glances at Aston with a pained expression.
They stand together for minutes on end with Maddy crying openly.
I keep my distance from Aston, unsure what to do after Maddy revealed the truth about us.
But right now, this isn’t about him or me.
The door opens again, this time much louder, with a thud. I don’t have to turn around to know who is breathing heavily behind me.
“What the hell is going on here? People outside are whispering,” her father barks.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I won’t marry Myles.”
Mr. Beaumont clenches his hands into fists, rage seizing him as he shouts, “You will marry him. Do you understand me, Madelina? There is too much riding on this!”
Maddy cowers, scared by his vicious words. I straighten my shoulders. I may be nothing to him, but it doesn’t make me any less of a person. For once in his life, someone needs to tell him to shut the hell up and stop acting like the biggest asshole to ever exist.
When I’m about to open my mouth, Patricia beats me to it.
“No, Harvey. I will not force our daughter to marry some man she is not in love with,” she states adamantly.
An evil laugh escapes him. “And what is love, Patricia? Is love sneaking behind my back with some poor man who works in the stables? Birthing his son, not mine ?”
Patricia curls her lips, showing her teeth. “A man who has more integrity and compassion than you will ever have in your lifetime.”
He moves closer, pointing his finger in her face. “You and your son are nothing without me!”
My eyes blink repeatedly, trying to understand what is happening here. I glance back and forth, only realizing now what Mr. Beaumont has revealed. Maddy has stopped crying, and as for Aston, he stands in complete and utter shock.
But then, something clicks.
His muscles and veins strain against his skin, and a guttural roar passes his lips. I’ve never witnessed him this angry, and I’m scared to see this side of him. This isn’t a momentary reaction—this is a lifetime of being made to feel like he would never be good enough to carry the Beaumont name.
And now, it all makes sense.
“Step away,” Aston warns with a snarl.
I yank on Maddy’s arm, motioning for us to leave. Mr. Beaumont steps toward Maddy, but Aston presses his hand on Mr. Beaumont’s chest to stop him. Aston’s tall stature overshadows him as he continues to stare at him ferociously.
“You want to ruin this family just like your brother?” he accuses Maddy wildly.
Maddy looks into my eyes, begging me to help her. I hold on to her hand tight, then stare directly into the devil’s eyes.
“Maddy and Aston didn’t ruin your family,” I inform him with a hard stare. “You did, Harvey Beaumont.”
And with the truth said, I leave the room with my best friend so she’s not forced to make the biggest mistake of her life.
A mistake her father had planned all along.