Chapter 41
41
It doesn’t matter how prepared you are for a wedding – you can pretty much guarantee that, on the day, everything is going to go wrong.
I’m not feeling great today, at all. Well, after my big shock yesterday, I’ve found it impossible to get Travis off my mind. I know the boys weren’t great – we all did – but I never thought Travis would lie to me, use me – and then see me kicked out of the villa too. I suppose he needs us gone, really, because we would have soon realised he was the groom, when the others came back, and he went off on his honeymoon.
Now I can’t wait to get out of here. It will be so weird, and awkward, when the others come back, and we have to leave. We just need to get the wedding out of the way and then we can go. The sooner the better, except now it seems like the wedding isn’t going to plan either…
‘What do you mean the road is blocked?’ Lou shrieks down the phone.
She’s not usually one for shrieking at people for just doing their job, so this must be bad.
She slams the phone down and turns to face us.
‘The taxi can’t make it,’ she tells us. ‘There’s been some kind of accident, on the road, blocking cars from passing. He said the taxi will be here as soon as it can but I need to get to the venue, my hair takes ages, my make-up – what am I going to do?’
‘Look, don’t worry,’ I reassure her. ‘It’s a quiet road, I’m sure they’ll get it sorted quickly, and the taxi will be here in no time. Let’s just get everything ready that we possibly can.’
‘We could do your hair, if needed,’ Nita says.
‘No, thanks,’ Lou says a little too quickly.
‘Well, you’re under pressure, and you’re having a bad day, so we’re going to pretend you didn’t say that like that,’ Nita replies, patting her on the head.
‘What’s going on?’ a voice asks, snapping us from our conversation, potentially breaking up a fight.
Shit, it’s Travis. So much for avoiding a fight – I want to kill him. Ugh, they all must have come back here last night, after the wedding. I was really, really hoping I would never have to see any of them again – especially Travis though.
‘The road’s blocked,’ Nita tells him. ‘And Lou needs to get to the venue, like, now.’
Travis looks as tired as I feel – although he’s probably tired from having a fabulous time at his wedding, whereas I sat up all night thinking of ways to find his passport and burn it in the firepit.
‘I’ll take you,’ he tells Lou, quick as a flash.
‘The road is blocked,’ she reminds him. ‘And… how?’
‘There’s a bike, in the shed,’ he tells her. ‘Molly and I rode to town on it. We’ll be able to ride around the block in the road – I know, I can’t take you all, but I can get you there, you can be getting ready…’
Lou runs over and kisses him on the cheek.
‘Life saver!’ she tells him. ‘Get the bike, I’ll get my things.’
Nita looks at him like he’s lost his mind.
‘You are not putting her on the back of a bike on her wedding day,’ she tells him.
‘He is,’ Lou says. ‘If it’s the only way I can get there, I’m doing it. I can put my dress in my bag, strap it to my body. I’m doing it. You guys can wait for the taxi, you don’t need hours having your hair and make-up done.’
I smile, just a little. Whether this is a good idea or simply her only option, it’s turned the day around for her, and it’s good to see. Well, why panic and wallow when you can be proactive? At least Travis is good for something.
Lou dashes off to grab her things.
‘Morning,’ Travis says to me with a smile.
‘Morning,’ I reply flatly. ‘I didn’t think we’d see you here this morning.’
‘Yeah, well, it was a great wedding,’ he says, smiling as he rubs his eyes. Then he detects my tone and his smile drops.
‘Are you?—’
As Travis speaks, he reaches out to touch my shoulder. I violently pull away, freaking him out a little.
Before anyone can say anything else, Lou appears again.
‘Lou, seriously—’ Nita starts, but Lou cuts her off.
‘See you there,’ she tells her giddily. ‘I’m getting marrieeeed.’
I’m glad that Lou is getting to the venue on time, of course I am, but something about it being fucking Travis who saves the day makes me so, so angry. He’s the villain in all of this and yet today he gets to be the hero.
I grit my teeth while he and Lou get on the bike and cycle off, but when they’re gone, I can’t hold it in any more. I snatch Travis’s bag from the hallway.
‘He’s so fucking smug,’ I mutter, storming out back to sit by the pool. ‘He thinks he can do whatever he wants, use whoever he wants, get away with everything – and then swoop in for the glory. I hate him.’
‘What are you doing?’ Willow asks.
‘I’m throwing his stuff in the pool,’ I say, marching towards the patio.
‘Why?’ Nita replies, baffled.
‘He deserves it,’ I tell them, my anger boiling over. ‘For being so – so fucking nice and helpful and – and fucking married!’
‘What?’ Nita asks. ‘Travis is married?’
‘As of yesterday,’ I tell her.
Willow grabs my arm, stopping me just as I reach the pool.
‘Hang on, stop, don’t do that,’ she tells me. ‘Molly, you’ve got it all wrong.’
‘Nolan was never the one getting married,’ I tell her.
‘I know,’ she replies. ‘We’ve been, erm, sort of… hooking up.’
‘Willow, you scoundrel,’ Nita says, impressed. ‘So…?’
‘So, obviously I’m not going to sleep with a taken man,’ she replies. ‘He came clean to me, told me who was really getting married – it’s Owen.’
For a moment, I just stare at her.
‘Owen?’ I check. ‘But he said he was the best man…’
‘Travis is the best man,’ Willow corrects me.
‘Molly, he really is the best man,’ Nita points out. ‘In every way. What are you doing?’
‘But I…’
‘You’ve got it all wrong,’ Willow tells me – I’m surprised at how tactful and supportive she’s being.
‘Willow, look, I’m impressed in a way, but what about girl code?’ Nita reminds her. ‘You should have told us the truth, about Nolan.’
‘I know that now,’ she replies. ‘But I, well, like him, and he told me it was a secret, so…’
‘Forget it,’ Nita says. ‘That’s not what’s important right now. Molly, what are you going to do?’
‘I need to fix this,’ I tell them. ‘I need to go see him, right now.’
‘We’ll have to wait for the taxi,’ Nita says.
‘No, we won’t,’ I reply. ‘There’s another bike.’
‘Can you ride a bike?’ she calls after me as I head for the shed.
‘I’m going to have to,’ I reply. ‘I was so awful to him just now. I need to fix this. Plus, how hard can it be? I used to be able to ride one…’
And, you know what they say: it’s just like riding a bike.