17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Lizzie
“I’m overwhelmed.” I say it to myself, thinking aloud as I look at my reflection in the mirror at the bridal shop.
The maid of honor dress is fabulous. Sage green. Infinity style. Floor-length. A masterpiece.
I have mine wrapped into a V-neck style, while Jane, standing beside me, is wearing hers as a one-shoulder dress. She looks at me, and I lean against her shoulder. She’s a little shorter than I am, but she wraps an arm around me and pulls me close, letting me rest my head against hers.
“Want to talk about it, Liz?”
“There’s too much to talk about, girlie.” I stare at myself in the mirror and notice the tired eyes staring back at me. I sleep but still wake up tired. I work but never feel like I’m done working. I stifle a yawn.
My eyes drift to Jane, who doesn’t push or pry. She just holds on to me. Could something be weighing me down on top of everything else? Yes. But I already know that.
I have a secret to tell. I clear my throat. On the other side of the bridal shop, next door in the tux shop, the guys are getting fitted too. The plan is for me to officially tell the girls while Will tells the guys.
I’m not sure it’s the best plan, but it’s the best one we’ve got. I figured it’d be easier to tell them separately so we wouldn’t have to immediately start acting all romantic and pretending to have lovey-dovey moments. We’ll break the news first. Then we’ll all spend time together at my place.
But my secret has to wait because Nic walks into the mirrored fitting area looking like an angel. She’s wearing a long, cream-colored, strapless mermaid gown that fits her like a glove. Her curls are pulled back into a low bun. Jane and I gasp and hurry over to her.
The bridal attendant smiles. “I’ll give you ladies a moment.”
“You look amazing!” I exclaim, gushing over Nic.
She beams at us and gives us a twirl. I watch as her dress sparkles under the lights of the bridal shop. My heart swells with happiness for her, and my eyes begin to water. I’ve been waiting for this day. To see her wedding dress.
“Don’t you dare cry,” Nic says, squeezing my hand. “If you start, then I’m definitely going to start crying, and I don’t want to ruin my makeup.”
“Then you should’ve worn waterproof makeup like we taught you,” I say, sniffling as I wipe away a stray tear.
“Now, I know it isn’t the wedding day yet, but I just have to say that you are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.
Seeing you and Jay finally take this next step after everything you’ve been through just makes me so happy to see you happy. ”
And then I’ve done it. The next thing I know, I’m crying. Nic is crying. Jane is crying too. We’re all shedding tears of joy.
Our best friend is stepping into a new season of her life. She’ll always be our girl. But now she’ll be somebody’s wife too.
And that’s insane to think about because we used to plan our weddings together when we were growing up. Now look at us. All back in Selah Falls. All together. Helping her get ready for the one of the biggest days of her life.
“I always knew you and Jay would find your back to each other,” Jane says, wiping away her tears as she looks at Nic with affection.
The three of us stand in a little huddle like we have for years. Only this time we’re holding hands. This isn’t a huddle for sharing secrets or making confessions. It’s one for celebrating.
Jane adds, “You and Jay have always been goals.”
We all laugh. But she’s right. Growing up, it was always Nic and Jay. Even when they were just friends, there was always this bond between them that only grew stronger with time.
It was the kind of love story you read about in books. The kids who grow up together, and somehow you just know that one day they’re going to fall in love and get married. It’s crazy because I always knew.
Even when they weren’t together. Even when they went through all the drama they did. I always hoped they’d find their way back to each other. When they finally did, I wasn’t surprised. I was happy.
This moment isn’t about my failed engagement or my fake boyfriend. It’s about my friend. And that’s enough to fill my heart with joy.
“How did you know he was the one?” I ask Nic.
“That’s a hard question with an easy answer.” She smiles. “He was always my person before I even knew what that meant. I thought I was crazy for loving him even after everything that happened, but God had a way of bringing us back together.”
“After all those years,” says Jane. “That just goes to show that trusting God with your love story is the way to go.”
“You are so sappy,” I tease Jane playfully.
Then I turn back to Nic.
“And you are literally so blessed. Pretty much an inspiration to the rest of us single ladies out here.” I realize what I’ve said before I said it. I have to tell them I have a boyfriend. And I have to leave the fake part out.
Nic can’t read my mind. Thank God she can’t. Instead of calling me out for my new fake relationship, she says, “You just have to trust God and know that He will work it all together for good for you when it’s right.”
I wrinkle my nose, pretending to protest. “Sounds like a fairytale, ladies.”
I turn and look at our reflections in the mirror. Our sage green maid of honor dresses complement Nic’s ivory gown, along with the sage green flower pins in her hair and her matching jewelry.
“I believe in fairytales,” Jane says, teasing me right back.
“Lizzie does too, even if she doesn't want to admit it to herself,” Nic says, nudging me with her elbow.
“Ow.” I rub my arm, acting like she actually hurt me. “I don’t know if fairytales are really my style, but I love that for you.”
“Okay, that’s it. Once I’m out of this dress, we’re going back to your house, having a fun dinner, and forgetting about fairytales for tonight.” Nic heads off to change out of her wedding dress with the help of the bridal shop attendant.
“What did I do?” I ask, my eyes wide.
“You seem happy and sad all at once, and I think you just need some time to chill with us,” Jane says, gently pushing me toward the dressing room next to hers. “Go change so we can get out of here.”
I pause outside my dressing room, wanting to explain that there’s a reason for my sadness. I am happy for Nic. I do believe in love. I have a boyfriend, for crying out loud.
Well...I have a fake boyfriend. One that I haven’t actually told them about. And now it’s too late.
I’m the last one to step into my dressing room and close the door behind me. I quickly change back into my soft black leggings, my oversized black Try Jesus, Not Me shirt, my black baseball hat with the same phrase stitched across the front, and my black-and-white fashion sneakers.
I pull my curls back into a ponytail beneath my hat. I glance down at my outfit and wonder if I should’ve worn something different.
I’m supposed to be hosting dinner at my place tonight for all my friends. I’m supposed to be announcing my fake relationship. Or... I was supposed to announce it already. But no.
I won’t make a big deal out of it. Will already saw me when we came here together after work, so he won’t care. Right?
He’s wearing a white T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. I’d assume this outfit is fine. But why do I care what I’m wearing? I sigh, shaking my head at myself in the mirror.
Still, I make sure I’m wearing cocoa-flavored lip gloss, not a single curl is out of place, and my outfit looks casual but put together. Then I spray on a little floral perfume before leaving the dressing room to meet the girls by the front counter.
“The dresses are paid for! It’s my way of saying thank you both for standing beside me on my special day,” Nic says excitedly as I approach. “Plus, Jay paid for the guys’ suits, and I can’t let him outshine me.”
We all laugh. Jane and I thank Nic profusely. As we leave the shop, Nic glances down at her phone.
We’re standing outside the shop, about to walk over to meet the guys next door, when she slips her phone back into her pocket and gestures for us to walk with her.
“Jay just texted. The guys need a few extra minutes at the tailor shop. Want to walk a little?”
Jane and I fall into step beside her, enjoying the warm evening weather compared to the hot, humid day we had earlier.
The sun is hiding behind the clouds, hanging low in the sky in that mellow yellow way it does when it’s getting ready to say goodbye to our small town for the night. The streetlights begin to flicker on, lighting the streets with a golden glow that blends with the fading sunlight.
We walk past the bridal shop and the tailor shop. Nic points out the florist across the street that she’s using for the wedding. It’s closed now, but we’ll visit another day.
We watch the townspeople milling about, soaking up the summer evening as they head in and out of the local ice cream shop on the town square strip. The restaurants at the Falls Food Court are starting to fill up with the dinner crowd.
Then I see George Wickham across the street. He’s holding an ice cream and handing another one to Charlotte Lucas. I slow to a stop, looking over at them and how close they’re standing. Close like they might be dating.
I blink slowly as our eyes lock. She comes into the coffee shop with him all the time, but it never seemed like they were a couple because he was always flirting with me. The realization settles over me as I watch them.
It sinks in even deeper when I turn to my friends and say, “I’ll be right back.”
“No way we’re letting you face them alone,” Nic says firmly.
Jane looks at the couple and nods. “We’ve got your back.”
My girls walk silently beside me as we cross the street, watching for cars. The buzz of Selah Falls fades into the background as we approach George and Charlotte.
“Hi, guys.” I cock my head as I look between them, assessing. “How long has this been official?”
“I tried texting you. You told me you didn’t want to see me. That we were done. You said you had a boyfriend.” George’s words hit me like a splash of cold water to the face.