Chapter 58
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Poppy
There were barely two weeks away from the wedding, and I could hardly breathe.
Every moment of my time was filled with last-minute decisions that weren’t made by me, but I needed to be there so I could at least look the part.
Dress fittings for Jane, shoe appointments for me, and trial runs on hair and makeup.
I was exhausted, and I could see it in my eyes.
They were dull and sad. This wasn’t supposed to be like this.
I should have been happy to get married, but I wasn’t.
The countdown was on until I would bury a knife in my husband, and I still didn’t know if I could do it.
Yes, I trusted the grannies. I knew they would help me, but I was also terrified. The Madden’s wouldn’t go easy on me. They would know. They would come for me.
My body sagged into the couch as my mind went a mile a minute, going over all the last-minute details. I was so distracted by everything that didn’t matter that when the doorbell rang, I missed it. I was just so lost.
Emeline answered the door, and three beaming, gorgeous women burst through the door. Audrey, Carina, and Scarlett grinned at me from the entryway. “We heard you didn’t have any friends.”
“Which is really sad,” Audrey added.
“So we figured no one planned you a bachelorette, which is stupid because if you’re going to be paired with that dick for the rest of your life, you should at least have a good time before you walk down the aisle,” Scarlett puffed out her cheeks.
Audrey held up two bottles of alcohol while Carina held up her breast pump, and it was such a comical sight, that I snorted.
Scarlett clapped her hands together as if that was enough of a yes for them.
From the few interactions I had with them…
I knew they wouldn’t take no for an answer anyway. I liked it. I craved it.
“Are we going out or?” I looked between all three of them nervously. I didn’t think Donovan would like it very much if I was seen with the Cristof wives, so I prayed they had an alternate plan.
Audrey made a face. “Donovan is an over-controlling prick; we would never get away with that, and our men would never let us be put into situations where that dummy could retaliate.”
Carina chewed on her bottom lip. “I’d also rather not pump in a nightclub, that sounds awful.”
“What’s the plan then?”
Scarlett picked her bag up off of the floor and jingled it. “I’ve never painted anyone’s nails before, but I bought everything that looked promising online.”
Carina did a little shimmy. “Drunken pedicures is the best time! We can also watch movies of men who rip their shirts off.”
Audrey waggled her brows. “Or we could order some strippers.”
Scarlett turned scarlet and laughed. “Do you really think our men would let that happen?”
Audrey giggled. “They don’t have to know!”
Scarlett’s eyes widened. “Audrey!”
“What?” Audrey shrugged, utterly unbothered. “I’m just saying—if any of us deserve a little sinful entertainment before being force-married to Satan in a suit, it’s Poppy.”
Heat crawled up my neck. “No strippers,” I said quickly. The last thing I needed was Donovan finding out and using it as an excuse to make an example out of someone. “Please. I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.”
All three women exchanged a look I didn’t understand—something like affection and pity wrapped together.
Carina shoved her breast pumps into a canvas tote. “Then drunken pedicures it is.” She nodded once, decisive. “And pizza. And movies. And we’re confiscating your phone.”
“My phone?” I blinked. “Why?”
Scarlett stepped forward like she was approaching a skittish woodland creature. “Because we love you,” she said gently. “And also because you haven’t stopped checking it every thirty seconds like you’re waiting for a bomb to go off.”
“I am waiting for a bomb to go off,” I said under my breath.
More looks.
More unspoken conversation passing between them as if they’d already been discussing me before they even got here.
Audrey plucked my phone from my hand with the speed of a seasoned thief. “You get it back when we leave.”
“Hey!”
“Trust us,” she said, already tossing it into her bag.
Scarlett linked arms with me, pulling me toward the bedroom. “Come on. We’re doing face masks. Carina brought the expensive ones she buys with Ace’s credit card.”
Carina gasped. “I never use Ace’s credit card—”
Scarlett raised an eyebrow.
My chest loosened for the first time since Ivan disappeared. Just a little. Just enough.
The four of us migrated to Jane’s bedroom—it was bigger, and she’d left earlier with friends from school, blissfully unaware of my pending life choices.
Carina dumped bags of snacks onto the mattress.
Audrey popped open one of the bottles like she was christening a ship.
Scarlett sorted nail polish like she was drafting battle plans.
“You know,” Audrey said, handing me a glass, “for someone marrying an asshole, you look incredible in that dress you wore last night.”
My stomach dipped. “You saw it?”
She grinned. “The whole internet saw it.”
Scarlett nodded. “You looked like you were about to stab everyone and win.”
Carina sighed dreamily. “Ivan almost passed out when he saw you.”
My breath hitched.
I tried—really tried—not to let my heart react. But I couldn’t help it. Ivan seeing me like that… Ivan wanting me like that… it was a dangerous kind of comfort.
Audrey sat beside me on the bed. “He loves you, you know.”
I swallowed. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters,” she said firmly, “because you think you’re doing all this alone.”
I blinked fast.
Carina scooted in. “We’re not asking what you’re planning,” she said softly. “But we know you’re planning something.”
Scarlett squeezed my hand. “And we want you to know—whatever it is? You’re not alone. We’ve all been through some shit, and we came out stronger, just like you will.”
My vision blurred. “Like what?”
Audrey was the first to spill her story, and by the end of it, we were in a fit of giggles.
Scarlett’s story had us all sobbing, and eventually, the first bottle of alcohol was almost gone, and we were a mess.
I didn’t know if the room was blurry because of tears or because of the booze, but I didn’t care.
I’d never had so much fun in my life. Finally, I broke down and told them everything.
By the end of it, I was panting and waiting for the rejection.
They all came forward and wrapped their arms around me.
As torn as my heart had felt lately, for the first time in a long time…
it felt healed in a way I’d never experienced before.