Chapter 27 #2
“When I uncovered the lies Krystal told me about all of my friends, I figured she lied about you, too. She told me you refused to be a bridesmaid because you were so upset about not being the maid of honor. It left me scrambling for someone to fill your spot. She said you wouldn’t come to the engagement party because you were angry at me for moving out of our apartment.
” She meets my eyes and says sincerely, “I thought you hated me.”
I never trusted Krystal, so it’s hard to understand how Mallory did. “It hurts that you believed I’d be that petty. I wish you had talked to me instead of avoided me.”
“Me, too. When you showed up to the engagement party, I was thrilled to see you, but so nervous to talk to you. Again, I thought you hated me. I ran away.” She sits up straighter in her seat.
“From now on, I’m committed to not avoiding hard things.
It wasn’t easy to come here, but I knew I had to do it.
Can you forgive me? You warned me about Krystal, and I brushed your concerns away. ”
I now understand why she stopped talking to me, but Mallory isn’t innocent. A large part of me wants to smooth things over between us, accept her apology and move on as if nothing has happened. That would be what’s best for Mallory, but that isn’t what’s best for me.
“From the moment Caleb showed you interest, you kept things from me,” I say.
She leans back in her chair, her eyes wide. “Krystal convinced me not to tell you! You have no idea how persuasive she can be. She thrives on drama, to the point that she creates it if it doesn’t happen naturally. She’s possessive and a lot crazy.”
“That may be all true about Krystal, but what about you? You’d known her for months when you met Caleb. You’d known me for half your life. Why was she the one you listened to? When she lied about my loving Caleb, you didn’t stick up for me. You let her lies stand.”
She leans forward, ready to defend herself, but then she stops and thinks. Her head hangs low.
“You’re right. I’m ashamed of myself. It was easier to let her have her way than it was to fight against her.
I’m sorry, so sorry.” A tear slips down her cheek and she wipes it away.
“I’ve been a horrible friend and I understand if you never want to see me again.
” One side of her mouth lifts the tiniest bit.
“Though I really hope that isn’t the case. ”
As far as apologies go, it’s a good one. I look out the window and think of me and Mallory, the last few months of us living together, and everything that’s happened since that final karaoke night.
If not for Caleb and Mallory dating, I never would have met Drew.
Even more, if Mallory had been honest with me about Caleb from the moment he asked for her number—if there had never been a rift between us—I wouldn’t have been open to a friendship with Drew.
When he asked me to Apple Jamboree, I would have dragged Mallory with me as a social buffer.
She would have been the one to talk to him and I would have stayed encased in my comfort zone.
Without losing my friends and my apartment, I never would have taken the chance at buying the bookstore.
I hate how I was treated and all the pain I’ve been through because of Krystal’s lies and Mallory’s silence, but without going through that experience, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
And being here in Blissful—the owner of the bookstore, big sister to Julia, and girlfriend to Drew—is exactly where I’m meant to be.
My dissatisfaction from months ago is gone. I’m deeply happy.
Understanding how I have grown through this experience means there’s no reason to hold on to my anger and resentment toward Mallory.
I look at her. “I forgive you.”
She sits up and smiles. “Really?”
I give her an answering smile. “Really, really.”
“Thank you!” She reaches out and takes my hand across the table. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too.”
She wipes under her eyes. “I’ve wanted to reach out so many times over the past few months. If I text, you’ll answer, right?”
I’m so grateful to have my friend back. “Yeah, I’ll answer. As long as you do the same.”
“Expect to get sick of my texts now that you live so far away. Now that we’ve figured that out, will you be my maid of honor? This is how it should have been from the beginning if I hadn’t screwed things up. You’re still my best friend.”
I’m surprised at her request. Even more surprised at how I don’t want to fill that roll. At this point, it feels insincere.
“What do Mackenzie, Sandra, and Virginia think about me being part of the wedding party? I haven’t heard from them in months.”
“We’ve talked about what’s happened and they realize, just like I do, that everything Krystal told us about you was lies. They’re sorry too. We all want you back.”
Now tears are running down my cheeks. Getting my friends back means a lot to me.
“That’s good to know,” I say. “But it wasn’t just them who believed Krystal. What about Caleb’s family and friends? Everyone thought I’d been jilted by the groom.”
She pulls her hand back and looks down at the table. “It might not mean much now, but both Caleb and I are working to tell people the truth. He feels as bad as I do about how everyone treated you.”
“Really? Earlier, he didn’t look like he wanted to be here.”
“He’s ashamed of his role in all of this. He was going to apologize during lunch too. Both of us know if not for you, we never would have met.”
I nod, swallowing down the lump in my throat. “I have a new bookstore opening in a few weeks, and I’m no longer living in Tucson. I don’t have time to be your maid of honor. But I would be honored to be a bridesmaid.”
She frowns. “Can I do anything to convince you to change your mind?”
I shake my head. “I bet Victoria would jump at the chance.”
She frowns. “She would. But only if you’re one hundred percent sure.”
Her persistence makes me smile. “I am.”
She dips one of her chicken nuggets into the barbecue sauce and chews it thoughtfully. I dig into my salad, realizing just how hungry I am.
“How are things at school with Krystal as your coworker?” I can’t help but wonder, even if I don’t really want to talk about her anymore.
“She got fired last week for doing the same sort of backstabbing gossip there as with me. It’s a private school; you can’t get away with that sort of thing there.”
We both laugh, though I do feel bad at being gleeful over a person’s misfortune. Even when that person is Krystal.
Mallory leans forward. “Can I ask what’s going on between you and Drew? Are you guys, like, together?”
My face turns hot. “It’s new.”
She squeals. “Go Stella. Dating a younger man. You’re full of surprises. Will you tell me about him? And your move to Blissful? I want to hear everything.”
We eat our cold food as we share what’s been happening in our lives. Things between us aren’t healed completely, but there is a clear path forward for our friendship.
After we finish, we order lunch for everyone else, and walk back to the bookstore arm in arm. Once inside, we lay the food on the front desk. They gather, but Caleb stops next to me before grabbing his sandwich.
“I’m sorry, Stella,” he says sincerely.
I appreciate his apology. Especially because I didn’t think I’d ever get one.
“Thank you. We’re good.”
Everyone stands around the counter as they eat. Having all of us together is perfect. As if this was always how the four of us were supposed to be.
Before Caleb and Mallory leave, she gives me a tight hug.
“I’ll text you,” she says as she walks out of the door.
Drew comes up beside me and wraps his arm around my shoulder. “How are you feeling?”
“Happy. I said I’d be her bridesmaid. Do you know what that means?”
He shakes his head. “Tell me.”
“We get to walk down the aisle together at their wedding.”
“Sweet.” He plants a quick kiss on my lips.
Julia rolls her eyes as she passes. It really is like having another sister.