Page 31 of Little Gray Dress

The ping of metal against glass grabs both our attention and when we turn I see Jack standing at the front of the room waving me up to him. “Gotta go.” I whisper to Lily and make my way through the crowd to him.

“If you haven’t met her yet, this is Emi, my beautiful bride-to-be.” He smiles sweetly at me before turning back to the crowd. “I want to thank you all for celebrating our engagement with us. It means so much that you’re all here. I hope you’ll join me in toasting Emi and me in our journey towards the altar.” Jack turns to me taking my hand in his. “I want to thank you, Emi, for two things. The first is for saying yes, and the second, the most important, is for allowing me to experience what the saying All you need is Love really means. You’ve truly changed my world for the better and I can’t wait to become your husband.”

A unanimous “Ah” fills the room and I quickly wipe the tears trying to escape from my eyes. Thankfully he knows just how bad at speeches I am, and he gives me no opportunity to talk through the kiss he’s planted on me in front of a room full of strangers clapping.

Chapter Nine

Present Day

Downtown Portland, Oregon

The Rehearsal

“Is he coming tonight?” Lily corners me in the kitchen after everyone has finally disappeared to their rooms to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.

“Yes, Liam is coming to everything wedding-related, as if he came here with me for that exact purpose. Is it weird?”

“I don’t think so. As far as I know everyone else is a couple, so it would probably be weird for you if you didn’t have a date.”

“Here’s the thing, though…” I glance around the doorway to make sure no one is within hearing distance. “He didn’t really even hesitate to say yes, is that weird?”

“Maybe a little.” Lily shrugs her shoulders. “But that is exactly what you wanted, so I don’t know why you’re over-thinking it now?”

“Right. I don’t know why, I’m just nervous I think.”

“Maybe you’re nervous because since Jack you’ve only dated a handful of men and it’s never gone further than the first date.” Lily rolls her eyes.

In my defense, I just haven’t found a guy I like. It’s not like I’m some undatable freak. I’ve been asked out on second dates, I just never really feel like going. Why waste my time on someone I know isn’t right?

“What?!” Hannah appears from virtually nowhere and is staring at me through a shocked face. “You’ve not dated since Jack?” Her voice is all high-pitched again. Why does the only person that catches me in untruthful moments seem to always be Hannah?

“No, that’s not what I—” Lily tries to save me from her accidental announcement but it’s too late.

“I heard what you said. It’s been two years; how can you only have had a few first dates?” Her jaw drops open momentarily before she pulls her hand to her mouth with a gasp. “You still love him!”

“No, Hannah, I don’t.”

“Yes you do. That’s the only thing that would explain all this. You ran away from the barbecue the other night, you drank yourself sick at my bridal shower and you and Greta have been literally acting like jealous high-school girls ever since you found out she was engaged to Jack. You’re still in love with him.” She sighs, and paces between Lily and me. “Ems, this could change everything. Like, everything. You have to tell him.” She stops in front of me and grabs hold of both my shoulders. “Seriously, you need to tell him how you feel.”

“I am not in love with your brother, Hannah. Did he leave an everlasting scar? Yes. Did he break my heart into pieces more than once? Yes. Do I still love him?” I stall with my answer, not intentionally. I just don’t have one yet. I’ve tried to work out my feelings and it’s not as easy as one might assume. I want to be over Jack, trust me, I do. I just… can’t. “No. No. I don’t, I just didn’t expect to get here and find him engaged to my arch-enemy.”

They both give me an unsure stare. “What? I can have an arch-enemy, can’t I? She’s an absolute bitch. And you can’t tell me that you’ve never thought it too.” I point straight at Hannah, who frowns but doesn’t disagree. “I am not in love with Jack. In fact, I have a date tonight, and to the wedding.”

“He said yes?” Hannah asks, like it surprises her. Really, though, it only surprises me. I forgot she knew about that. Otherwise I might not have called it a date. It’s more of an arrangement.

“Of course, he said yes.” Lily defends me. “Look at her… She’s gorgeous.”

“Enough kissing ass for the spot of best friend. I have to get ready to wow him.” I give Lily a playful, almost not serious, glare.

“Which him, Em? The stand-in, or Jack?” Hannah purses her lips together, her face scrunched into a silent you can’t deny it look.

She thinks she knows me so well. Damn it! I wish I was a faster thinker when I need to be. But of course I’m tongue-tied. Hannah’s question is the exact question even I’ve refused to answer for the last twenty-four hours. “I don’t know yet.”

“Told you,” she snaps at me.

“UUUGGHH,” I moan to Hannah with an eye roll. “I’ll be down when I’m ready,” I say, in my most irritated voice.

“Wow! You are going to turn some heads.” Lily greets me in the hallway as I walk out of the wedding room carrying my dress that was sharing a bag with a few other options. “Isn’t that the dress?”

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