Chapter 5 #2
Lauren ignores him and speaks to me, her tone conversational. “I’m mad at you. If you hadn’t dropped out of being a bridesmaid, then I wouldn’t be in this situation. We fed Benji a bottle earlier, and I haven’t had a chance to pump. I’m going to start leaking soon, and that will be embarrassing.”
“Lauren!” Drew says with a pained laugh. “Did you not hear what I just said about too much information?”
“Oh, I heard, but I have bigger problems to worry about than your sensitive ears.”
I dropped out of being a bridesmaid? My breath stutters, and my vision tunnels. I grab onto the back of a chair so I don’t fall. I know Mallory and I have both been busy the last few weeks, but to not tell me about my demotion to a guest? It’s cruel. Mallory has never been a cruel person.
Drew and Lauren continue to argue, pulling me back to the present.
His eyes bug out. “Lauren, stop. I’m still trying to forget the comprehensive story of Benji’s birth you forced on me. It’s hard when you keep dropping personal details into conversations.”
GG pats Lauren’s arm. “You keep being honest. We need more women like you.”
“It’s payback for all the farting you and Brody force me to witness.” Lauren leans toward me, conspiratorially. “Do guys ever grow out of finding farting funny? It’s like, whoever farts the loudest and the smelliest is the most manly. Does that make sense to you?”
“I’ve always found farting funny myself,” GG says, just before she pulls out a large print book from her extra-large purse. A woman after my own heart. I wish I could pull up a book on my phone and join her.
Lauren lays her arm across her breasts. “Sorry, gotta go. Dinner is starting now for at least one person at this party. Come on Benji, let’s eat.” She takes Brody’s arm. “I’ll need help with the zipper. You better come too.”
They speed walk toward the house. Drew and I watch them for a minute until they disappear inside.
“That’s Lauren,” Drew says. “The mild version, honestly. If you want to run away, I totally understand.”
“She’s wonderful.”
He smiles over at me. “Don’t let her hear you say that, or she’ll become even more unbearable.”
My smile falls when I see Krystal weaving her way toward us. I cannot face her again tonight. Like a wuss, I step behind Drew.
Blessed day, he’s who she came to talk to.
“Drew, we’re having trouble with the sound system. The microphone isn’t connecting to the speakers. Can you come help?”
“Where’s Jonas? It’s his equipment.”
Krystal’s glance cuts to me where I’m peeking around his shoulder. “I can’t find him. Just come with me, okay?”
“Sure.” He turns to me, and his smile widens. “Stay with GG until I get back?”
“I actually need to find a seat.”
Drew turns to Krystal. “You did the seating chart. Where is Stella sitting?”
Krystal’s lips purse. “I didn’t assign her a seat because I didn’t get the RSVP.”
Drew’s eyes narrow. “I mentioned last week that Stella was for sure coming.”
“Yes, but I didn’t get the RSVP,” she says with an edge in her voice. “That’s what I went off of when putting together the seating chart.”
They have a stare down. I stand awkwardly, at a loss on what to do or say. Drew breaks eye contact first and walks around the table looking at name place cards. He takes one.
“Uncle Neal won’t mind sitting at a different table. He likes meeting new people.” He waves me over. “Stella, this is now your seat.”
He switches a few other cards around as Krystal sputters.
“You can’t do that! I spent a lot of time figuring out where everyone would sit. You’re ruining everything.”
“This is hardly ‘everything.’ You should have listened to me and included Stella in the first place.”
Drew lays his hand on my arm. The touch is firm; his hand warm. My embarrassment over this situation ebbs away until it disappears.
“Stay with GG?” he asks. “I’ll be back.”
He leaves with Krystal, and I collapse in my newly assigned seat, overcome with appreciation. I’m someone who never makes waves, but Drew took care of finding a place for me so easily. Now, I just have to get through watching everyone else eat dinner while my stomach grumbles.
GG slams her book closed. “You’re the jilted lover. I’ve been wanting to meet you. You can’t let a broken heart get you down. I know. I’ve had five of them.”
My heart rate picks up. “Why would you think I’m a jilted lover?”
“Because you’re in love with Caleb!” She says this loudly—as if I should already know.
I look around. A few people glance over. I move to sit next to her and lean in close.
“I am not in love with Caleb. Why would you think I am?”
She pats my hand. “I’m old and people forget I still have ears. You’ve been a big topic of conversation. You met Caleb first. You fell in love. You introduce him to your best friend Mallory. He leaves you for her. Terrible, terrible business.”
Her words freeze my blood. My lungs don’t want to work. This is what Caleb’s family is saying about me? They think I’ve been jilted? Does Drew believe this is true?
“I’m glad you still came,” GG says pragmatically. “It will be painful to watch Caleb and Mallory together, but it’s always best to face hard situations instead of wallowing. You are not a wallower.”
She’s wrong there. I’m a world class wallower. It’s my default, factory-set response to every disappointment. I wish I was home right now, wallowing.
GG continues to pat my hand. It’s the only part of my body that still has functioning nerve endings.
“Caleb feels guilty about the situation,” she says in a conversational tone. “But the heart wants what the heart wants. We all feel terrible about how you’ve been hurt.”
I’m going to die. Right now. My heart is beating so fast, I’m going to crumple to the earth from a cardiac arrest. Then the whole party will be canceled.
Or not. They’d probably move my body to an inconspicuous corner and continue on with the festivities.
Where did this gossip even start? With so many guests sitting now, it’s easy to spot Krystal standing at the front. Was it her? Does she hate me so much that she has to spread lies about me behind my back? Can’t she see she’s already won?
Except there has to be more. My being the jilted lover doesn’t explain why I’ve been booted from my place as a bridesmaid or ignored by my friends. If they believe I have a broken heart, why aren’t they sympathizing with my situation? They treat me like a tramp who tried to steal away the groom.
And what about Mallory? She knows the truth. Why doesn’t she stick up for me? Instead, she kicked me out of her wedding party and didn’t have the courage to tell me herself.
DREW
With Krystal’s reluctant help, I find a table with only six people and move around the settings until there’s a place to dump Uncle Neal’s name.
Krystal shifts from one foot to the other, obviously annoyed at my interference.
I don’t care. She’s had it out for Stella since karaoke, and I’m sick of it.
I haven’t been too involved with tonight, but I’ve heard what she’s been saying from Jonas.
Just because Stella loves someone who doesn’t love her back, doesn’t make her a horrible person.
I stop one of the servers and ask if he can add a setting before heading off to figure out the sound system.
Jonas is already there troubleshooting, so I give Krystal a raised eyebrow before turning back to the tables. She’s pretty obvious about her interest in me, but the feeling is not reciprocated.
I only make it a few steps before Caleb stops next to me and claps me on the back.
“Is that Stella you’ve been talking to?” he asks. “I thought she wasn’t coming.”
“She was always coming.”
“I wish she hadn’t.”
I frown. “Why? I thought she was your friend.”
“It’s awkward, don’t you think? Knowing how she feels about me? Krystal says she’s angry that Mallory stole ‘her man.’ Weird, right? Do you think she’s going to make a scene? Maybe she’ll steal the microphone during speeches and declare her love. This is a party, not Jerry Springer.”
Caleb doesn’t sound worried. He sounds intrigued at the possibility of a smack down.
“Anything Krystal says is most likely an exaggeration,” I say. “I doubt Stella is ever angry with anyone, and she’s not the type to make a scene.”
“True, she is shy. Not my type at all. I’m glad she’s not a bridesmaid anymore.
I don’t want to look at my wedding pictures and have her in them.
I just wish she’d gotten the message and stayed away.
Our friends and family know how she feels about me.
This is Mallory and my engagement party and everyone’s talking about her. ”
Who is everyone? I haven’t noticed anyone talking about Stella, but the bigger question is, “How do people even know about her feelings?”
He shrugs. “Gossip travels fast.”
Why is everyone so indifferent to Stella’s heartbreak? “What exactly did Stella do to you?”
His eyebrows lower. “What do you mean?”
“Did she try to seduce you? Say bad things to Mallory about you? Try to break the two of you up?”
He frowns. “No. Why would you think that?”
I’m disappointed in my cousin. He’s being a jerk.
“I’m trying to understand why you resent her. It seems she’s stayed out of your way, yet you and Krystal have done everything you can to keep her out of Mallory’s wedding.”
Caleb shakes his head. “This is my wedding, too, and I don’t want Stella being a part of it.”
Jonas’s voice comes over the sound system, ending this conversation that I wish we’d never started.
“Everyone, please find your seats.”
I walk away without a backward glance. Then I look for Aunt Peggy to let her know her husband got moved to a different table.