Page 109 of When Fate Breaks
“I asked if you’re ready to go,” Lori Beth glares. “Well, honestly. It’s not really an ask at this point. We need to move…darlin’,” she adds at the last moment, realizing Blake is still in the room.
“Okay, yeah,” I reply, pushing the loose tendrils of my curled hair out of my face. “Let’s go.”
“Lovely,” Lori Beth replies, switching out her tight pained looking smile for a bright full one as she spins towards Blake. “And will you be riding over with us?”
Blake’s eyes tear away from me for the first time since entering the room. “Yes ma’am. That’s what I came in here to ask about, actually.”
“Oh, well you can certainly–”
“You can ride with Annie and me in my truck, Blake,” Leah chimes in, cutting off Lori Beth and saving Blake.
“Okay, thanks,” Blake nods. “I’ll meet you guys at the truck?”
“Sounds good,” Leah confirms. Blake looks from her to me as he turns to leave, and I’m not totally sure whether it was a small smile, or frown, or maybe a mixture of both that I catch right before he disappears from view and down the hall. “I’m just going to run to the bathroom before we go. Meet you out there?” Leah asks, touching my shoulder.
I give her a quick nod and she heads out the door. I turn around to grab my purse and start to leave, but Lori Beth is blocking the doorway, her arms crossed and head both tilted and shaking at the same time. Her eyes are darting all over my figure, causing me to look down, expecting a huge stain in the middle of my dress. When I find nothing out of place, I look back to her, my arms out. “What is it?”
“Something just isn’t right. It’s too plain.”
I blow out an exasperated breath. “Well, I think it’s a little late for that.” I am at my literal wit’s end with this woman.Why does she even care?
I try to leave but she holds up a hand, stopping me again. “No,” she insists. “It needs something else. Hold on.” Her stiletto heels click across the hardwood floor of my bedroom as she makes a beeline straight for my vanity. Without even hesitating or asking, she starts frantically ripping open the drawers of it and my old jewelry box sitting on its surface, rifling through everything with zero regard for my belongings.
“Lori Beth,do you mind?” I come up behind her. She completely ignores me, continuing to dig deeper in the drawers, quickly looking over random pieces of jewelry and other accessories she finds and discarding them on the tabletop and floor when they don’t meet her liking.Didn’t she say we needed to leave?“I mean, seriously, this isn’t necessary–”
“This.”
“What?” I question irritably, stopping in place.
“Not my style,” she says, examining whatever it is she’s holding, “but that’s to be expected, of course. It matches perfectly though. Wear this.”
“I’m really fine to go plain, Lori Beth. I’m wearing hoop earrings. I think we’re covered–” Before I can finish my sentence, Lori Beth is yanking my arm, leaning over it to fasten something onto my wrist. “What even is this–”
“So weird how the flowers match that odd dress color so perfectly. Whatever, it works. Let’s go. No more time to waste.”
“...Flowers? What–”
My jaw drops when Lori Beth releases her hold on me and I see what she’s fastened to my wrist. A thin rope like cord that’s color has faded with the years. Resin holding flowers. Baby’s breath. And forget-me-nots.
Blake’s bracelet.
She must have dug to the absolute furthest depths of my jewelry box. I have no idea the last time I even laid eyes on this bracelet. Nausea immediately forms in my stomach along with a lump in my throat. “Lori Beth, I– I can’t wear this–” I start to tug at the bracelet and panic quickly sets in as I realize that Lori Beth has done something like quadruple knotted it onto my wrist. It won’t budge in the mere seconds I have before Lori Beth is once again yanking my arm and pulling me out the door.
“Oh, stop being so stubborn. You’ve already made us late as it is.”
I’vemade us late?!
I feel red patches return to my neck as she all but drags me to Leah’s truck and throws me in the passenger seat. My gaze instantly goes to the mirror of my open sun visor, meeting Blake’s eyes and immediately looking away.
“See you there over there,darlin’,” Lori Beth purrs, slamming the door shut and making her way to her Cadillac.
Leah asks if I’m ready to go and I mumble something that could sound like a confirmation, too busy trying to nonchalantly unknot this bracelet that has somehow permanently secured itself to my body. I eventually give up as the venue comes into view, shoving both of my hands under my thighs and letting out a heavy breath through my nose, trying desperately to ignore the reflection of the blue-green eyes in the rear view mirror burning into my face.
20
SIX YEARS AGO
Istare out at the dark runway, eyes glazing over as the airport workers move about like ants in neon orange vests down below. I hear Matthew comment something from the row behind me, but my brain doesn’t have the capacity to register it at the moment. In all honesty, it hasn’t had the capacity to register much of anything over the last month.
