Twenty-Nine
Elle
I think Lucy might be the most chill bride in the history of weddings.
I’ve been at her house for almost a week now—helping her run errands, pitching tents (never thought I’d say that), setting up tables, and on and on. And through it all, Lucy has laughed, made jokes, and eyed her future hubby like she just wants to squeeze him all the time.
But me and my heart can’t catch a damn break.
I’m not sure where to go from here. When Lucy first told me she loved Liam, I basically pushed her onto a bus upstate. I don’t think I can do that for myself. I don’t know that I can stand in front of Oliver and ask him to give us a chance. To bet on me.
So here I am, the night before my best friend’s wedding, which I will be attending alone, jumping on a bouncy castle in my pajamas.
Naturally.
I would love to be able to text Oliver right now and tell him that I got a bouncy castle for Lucy’s bachelorette party.
I wish I could tell him that such a place as exists.
But I’m not ready. I don’t know how to make the grand gesture like Lucy did.
I’m good at pushing people past their limits, but I can rarely see past my own. Maybe that will be my undoing.
I kicked Liam out of his own house about four hours ago, before any of the festivities began.
I sent Lucy to the next town over, Catskill, in search of a specific margarita mix that I know doesn’t exist, and I created the most epic bachelorette party in the history of womankind.
Liam’s sister Jill and her friend Nora were a huge help.
But really I should get all the credit. Because this is awesome.
“Elle, is that an ice cream truck?” Lucy calls, bouncing down so she is seated at the edge of the mesh.
Liam and Lucy’s backyard is on a bit of a slope, so the party is mostly happening on the front lawn.
The bouncy castle is to the right of the front door, so we can see the truck coming down the block.
I invited the old couple across the street, Al and Mella, because we’re literally partying right in their face.
They’re the first ones to the ice cream truck.
“You bet your ass it’s an ice cream truck. All soft serve, babe,” I say, joining her in sliding out of the castle.
“You seriously get me. I couldn’t have asked for anything better than this.” She pauses for a moment, taking in the scene around her. “I can’t wait to rub this in Liam’s face.”
“Rude,” a deep voice says behind her. I smirk at the sight of Liam coming around the corner of the bouncy castle with a devilish grin. He runs a hand through his hair, scuffing it up in a way that makes him look “deliciously disheveled” as Lucy once described him.
“What are you doing here?” Lucy squeals, pushing his chest.
“It’s a small town. You think I wouldn’t find out you had a bouncy castle? We heard the ice cream truck all the way down Main Street!” he explains excitedly. “You think I was going to drink beers on a boat when you have ice cream? We’re crashing this shit, Mamma Mia style!”
A hoard of men whose names I don’t know except for Max, the owner of the town’s grocery store, and Liam’s friend Brett, come hurtling up the beach like a pack of children descending on a playground.
“Elle, can you believe this?” Lucy wraps her arms around me and squeezes.
“That I threw a better party than Brett? 100 percent.”
By the end of the night, Lucy tells me that she doesn’t need a wedding after that. “That was the time of my life, Elle. Surrounded by people I love, being silly. I would say I felt like a kid, but I don’t know that I remember having that much fun when I was a kid.”
“Me neither,” I sigh, jumping into bed with her.
Liam has once again been kicked out of his house, but he took it like the champ—or beta hero—that he is.
Lucy’s wedding will be small, mostly consisting of relatives from the town.
Most of her family is staying at a hotel in Catskill, because the one bed and breakfast in town only had two rooms. It’s just Lucy and me in her house tonight.
I’m her only bridesmaid. Brett is Liam’s best man.
It will be small and fun, just like tonight. Very Lucy.
“Are you excited?” I ask her when we’re both lying down in bed, staring at the ceiling.
“At the idea of being a bride? I don’t know if I’d say excited.” She turns over and faces me, curling her arms around a pillow. “I made this wedding as small as humanly possible. You know I don’t like to be the center of attention.”
“But this is the day girls—”
“Girls dream of, I know, I know,” she finishes for me.
“I don’t buy into that. I didn’t dream of a wedding growing up.
Sure, I love romance novels, but that was never the part of the story I focused on.
I wanted the life—the person who would make me breakfast on Saturdays, know my order at our favorite restaurant, who would be my permanent plus one, run to the pharmacy at 2 a.m. when I’m sick, or always offer me his elbow when I get old and crotchety.
” I giggle at the way she says the word.
“I want more than just this one day. I’m excited for all the days that follow it. That’s what I always dreamed about.”
I let out a quiet exhale, trying to hide the sniffle in my nose. I didn’t realize that tears had pooled in my eyes until she finished speaking. I swallow hard, but a single tear manages to escape down the cheek facing away from Lucy. I quickly wipe it away with the sleeve of my sweatshirt.
“Do you know what I mean?” she asks eagerly when I don’t respond right away.
“Yeah,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “I dream of that too.”
“I know I used to give you a hard time about all of your happily ever after talk, but I guess deep down, I was hiding the fact that I wanted the same thing. I was just scared that I was never going to get it. You know?”
I nod, swallowing again. “I know. I think everyone is scared when it comes to being happy.”
I’m so grateful that she doesn’t say anything else, because I don’t think I could hold my breath any longer. I make an excuse about needing the bathroom, and quietly sob on the toilet bowl. It’s the kind of cry that makes my ribs hurt—my heart hurt.
When I go back to bed, Lucy is asleep, her head tipped to one side on the pillow.
I lay beside her, facing her, thinking about how jealous I am that she had someone like me to push her toward her dreams. I wish I had someone who would force happiness on me, someone who would make a grand gesture, show me how much I mean to them, and take care of me, like I take care of everyone else.
That’s my main character energy. That’s what I want.
I don’t sleep much that night, but when I do, I dream of Oliver.
*
We’re up way too early the next morning.
Lucy’s one major request for her wedding day was that she had nice hair and makeup, and a beautiful dress of course.
“I’ll sit in my room all day in the whole getup. I don’t care. As long as I get to be all done up,” she’d said.
So from the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., we are pampered from head to toe.
Lucy’s mom comes over and makes us breakfast. We found two girls from Catskill to come to the house and do our hair and makeup.
My hair ends up in a half-up/half-down situation, with ringlets falling down my back.
Lucy’s hair is up in a ponytail, her long brown hair curled behind her.
My mind is so busy, thinking of everything Lucy might need before she even asks for it that before I realize, it’s time to go.
The ceremony and reception are in the same spot where the town holds literally any event.
Hudson Hollow sits on a lake, lined shore-to-shore with beautiful homes.
In the middle of the lake is a small peninsula with a beach, a large grassy area, and a concession stand of sorts.
We’ve spent the last week making the area wedding-ready.
A large tent now sits on the grass, where tables adorned in white cloth and pink roses sit underneath.
The ceremony will be on the beach, where the altar and chairs are placed strategically to align with the sunset behind the mountains.
Liam and his dad built the altar, which has vines of white and pink roses cascading down over the arch.
We arrive by car and park at the back of the grassy area, where the town’s boss-lady-in-charge, May, has created a triangle with three SUVs, so Lucy can get ready with no one seeing her.
May called it a “truck blockade.” Sometimes I want to be May when I grow up.
Unless it’s the day of a town function and she has a megaphone—I’m a little scared on those days.
“You ready for this, Luce?” I say, stepping out of the car. I look down at my dress—it’s a simple, blush pink number, with wide straps and a tufted neckline. It falls to my ankles and is actually very comfortable. Leave it to Lucy to give me full control over my bridesmaid apparel.
“Are you ready for this?” she replies, and I look at her, confused. She has an odd smile on her face. She presses her lips in a line and smiles brighter, as if she’s trying to hold in her excitement.
I follow her gaze as she nods her head behind me. When I turn around, I gasp and say “Holy shit,” way too loudly.
At the end of the reception tent stands Oliver, in a black suit, his hair pushed back off of his face, hands in his pockets, an anxious smile pulling at his lips.
Next to him, Thor sits at attention, his tail wagging furiously when he sees me.
He has a bandanna around his neck that falls in front of him.
It has a suit design on it, complete with a bow tie.
Oh my God.
He’s here. In Hudson Hollow. At Lucy’s wedding.
My brain can’t process it. How—How did he know where I was? How did he get here? How did he manage to wrestle Thor into wearing that bow-tie?