Page 1 of Something Borrowed
Bryony
“You could sound a little more excited about this weekend. Your big brother’s getting married,” Vaughan says, sipping her cocktail.
“I am excited.” I try to put as much joy into my voice as possible, but I know I’ve failed.
“You know, for a self-professed wedding lover, you have a really weird issue with being involved in them.”
“I’m not involved. I’m their planner,” I argue.
“Believe what you like. Refusing to be a bridesmaid doesn’t mean you’re not a part of this one. I just don’t get it.” Her eyes search my face as if she’ll find the answers. Sucking in a breath, she slams her glass down on the table and leans towards me. “I’ve got it!” she exclaims a little too loudly, causing the group at the next table in the bar to look our way. “You’re jealous.”
“What? Don’t be silly. I’ve told you before, I’m not interested in all that.”
“That’s just it, though.” Her eyes continue to drill into mine. “You love weddings. You plan them, for fuck’s sake. It doesn’t make sense that you wouldn’t want one of your own.”
“I’m not jealous,” I argue, but it falls on deaf ears. “I just don’t—”
“Who was he?”
I shake my head from the whiplash of her topic change. “Who was who?” My brows draw together as I try to figure her out. It’s Thursday night and Vaughan is celebrating having a few rare days off from the hospital. She’s already drunk her way through one cocktail too many, so she could be talking about anything right now. Although, the way she’s looking at me with a knowing glint in her eyes has my stomach twisting with dread.
“The one who turned you off the idea of your own happily-ever-after.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Do you want another?”
Snatching my clutch from the table, I walk towards the bar on trembling legs. I’ve managed to keephima secret for ten years. The only two people who know anything happened between us are he and I. But sadly, only one of us had our heart ripped out in the process.
Bryony
Iburst into the room with my clipboard under my arm to a scene I wasn’t expecting. My sister-in-law-to-be is perched on the edge of the bed, breathing into a brown paper bag while both my mom and hers say soothing words and rub her back.
“Tessa, it’s going to be okay. Calm down,” she soothes, but I can tell by the slightly clipped tone that she’s about as fed up with Tessa and her dramatics as I am.
I thought offering to plan this wedding, as my gift to them, was a good idea. It meant I was able to get out of any bridesmaid duties and spend the day mostly hidden in the shadows ensuring everything runs smoothly. Unfortunately, I had no idea that my brother’s usually laid-back, happy-go-lucky fiancée was going to turn into the bridezilla from hell. I’ve worked with a few demanding brides during my career as a wedding planner, but Tessa, she really takes the cake. And now, here I am putting up with all her crazy ideas and demands for free. It was probably the second worst decision of my life.
The first of those bad decisions…he’s currently on his way to this very hotel to spend the weekend celebrating this wedding. I haven’t seen or heard from him since the day he walked away from me, and I’m not sure I’m ready to now. But he’s my brother’s best man so I’ve got little choice in the matter.
Putting my own issues aside, I grip my clipboard a little tighter and prepare to hear what Tessa’s latest end-of-the-world drama is.
“Amber can’t come,” she gets out between breaths. “She’s been told by her doctor that it would be unsafe to fly.”
Amber is Tessa’s very pregnant maid of honor. It caused enough panic a few months ago when she announced she was expecting. Tessa just about had a heart attack, but Amber swore she’d be here. Sadly, pregnancies don’t always go as planned, and Amber’s has been hard going by the sounds of it.
“I can’t get married without a maid of honor. I just can’t.” Her breathing increases once again and Mom pushes the paper bag back towards her mouth.
Both mothers glance at each other over Tessa’s head. Both look exasperated with the bride-to-be.
Mom’s eyes turn to me, and a heavy ball of dread settles in my stomach. I know exactly what’s coming before her lips even part. “Bryony can stand in.”
Fuck.
“No, no. I’m sure if Amber can’t be here then no one would be better. Right, Tess—” My words falter when I see hope shining in Tessa’s eyes.
“Would you?”
“You’ve got two other bridesmaids. You don’tneeda maid of honor.”
“But everything will be wrong without one. I can’t have an even number. Maid of honor and two bridesmaids is how it has to be.”
