Page 91 of Marry Me

“Stop that.”

“What do you want from me? I’m trying to survive here.”

“I want you to take today, lick your wounds, and then explain to Allison what you’re feeling. Let her decide. For all she knows, you’re living it up, enjoying the single life, happy to be rid of her.”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Not everyone’s in your head, Megan. You have to express yourself to be understood.”

“I don’t know that I have that in me.”

“Well, I beg to differ, and I hate seeing you like this. You’ve been a shell of yourself for a long time now. Ever since you ended it.”

“You know, I made the decision last night that I was going to ask Ally for another chance. I woke up this morning even more sure of myself. Only to hear she’s on the fast track to marriage. How’s that for my timing?” She let her head drop back onto her chair. “If that isn’t a clear signal from the universe, I don’t know what it is.”

Kelsey tossed her hands in the air. “I don’t know what to do with you. I love you. I’m here for you, but sometimes you frustrate the hell out of me.”

“I can see that,” she said dully. “The little lines on your face are all furious.”

Kelsey touched her face in outrage. “See? You’re aging me prematurely. Also, I’m calling your mama.”

Megan sat up. “Don’t you dare.”

“Oh, I’m doing it. You need to listen to reason, and she’s the only other hope we have. Mama Kinkaid is getting a call soon.”

She didn’t have the energy to fight. She could barely string a thought together after emotionally downshifting with the news. “Fine. You win. Call her. Honestly, nothing really matters at this point. I’m going to take today and come back tomorrow, resigned and ready for…whatever.” It was lackluster at best, but it was all she had. She felt depleted, as if someone had turned down the volume on her soul. The vibrancy she walked into work with was long gone, along with Allison, the only person on Earth she wanted to speak to.

Yet Ally was long gone.

Chapter Twenty

I have no idea why we have to accomplish all of this in two weeks,” Betsy said in a huff, trying on her fifth dress of the day. She stood atop a small stool surrounded by three mirrors in the bridal salon. Allison had already selected her own dress, opting for simple and, hopefully, classic. A white A-line dress, slightly off the shoulder with a short train, accented with a small amount of lace. She didn’t feel the need to go all-out the way she always imagined she would. This whole thing had been kind of a whirlwind, and honestly, that was how she preferred it. Why drag it out? Brent had asked her sincerely to reconsider his proposal late one night on his couch after they killed two movies and a bowl of buttery popcorn.

“We’re great together, and I miss you,” he said sincerely. “I miss the us that used to be, and I can’t help but hope that now that the clouds have cleared, your path seems a little more clear. Is there a chance of that? Marry me, Allison. Let’s do this.”

And rather than agonizing over her feelings for one more uncomfortable second, she’d said yes.

“Do you mean it?” he asked, standing from his spot on the couch. He didn’t get on bended knee this time, and there was no fancy setup. No, this discussion was just the two of them in a living room. No fanfare. No photographers. No audience.

She nodded. “Okay. Let’s get married.” The words felt heavy as they left her lips, but freeing at the same time. They’d been spending so much time together, but he hadn’t so much as kissed her yet. That came next. Once he heard her answer, his lips were on hers, and she closed her eyes, bracing for whatever feelings would burst forth.

Fondness. Familiarity. Comfort.

Okay. Those things counted for a lot, and to compare would be wrong.

No, she didn’t sink beneath his lips like she did Megan’s. She didn’t yearn for more the very second they touched, but in so many ways, that was exactly what she needed now. A steady, nonterrifying ship to calm her waters. Plus, she really liked Brent, and they would have a good life together. And maybe once they were married and settled, she could finally shelve the thoughts, memories, and longings of the person who still visited her dreams and left again each morning like a cruel trick.

She shook herself free of the memory and turned to Betsy, as she examined her profile in the mirrors. “Two weeks is completely doable, and wouldn’t you say we’ve drawn this thing out long enough?”

“Well, I can’t argue with that. But there’s so much to do, to accomplish. I’m going out of my mind on your behalf. I mean, do you even have time to enjoy it? What do you think of this one?” She turned, showing off an emerald-green sleeveless dress that looked dynamite on her.

“A, actually, the faster planning is fun. B, you look gorgeous. Let’s go with this one. Yeah?”

Betsy placed a hand on her hip, kicked the hip to the side, and struck a sexy pose in the mirror, the same one she’d employed since they were teenagers to test out her sex appeal. Highly obnoxious but it also made Allison smile. That was Betsy for you. “I vote yes. I could work the aisle in this.”

They made an appointment for alternations, Allison handed over Brent’s credit card, and they were off to meet their wedding planner, Jason, to sample a round of cake flavors. Unsurprisingly, these appointments reminded her so much of Megan and their consultations in the early days. Jason was no Megan. He was detail oriented, efficient, and friendly, but he didn’t come with that magical flair that made her feel as if everything was going to be perfect. That was Megan’s gift alone.

“What are you feeling about this one?” Jason asked, pursing his lips in anticipation. His incredibly round glasses perched on his nose, beckoning her to answer, and making her think she wasn’t hip enough to meet his expectations. He nailed the sexy nerd vibe. “The strawberry custard filling is very popular.”

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