Page 62 of Unyielding
“Whoa, I guess we were pretty drunk by then. Eli usually doesn’t get that showy in public.” Fiona laughed. “Me, on the other hand…”
Zoe chuckled.
“Yeah, tell me about it,” I said, rolling my eyes. “My back was sore for two days after all that twerking.”
“Can I see the rest of them?” Fiona asked, pulling the laptop closer before Zoe even answered her.
“Make it quick, please,” Zoe said, looking at the stack of papers in front of her. “I still need to upload them to our site.”
“It’s so cool you built your own wedding website instead of using one of those plug-and-play sites,” I said, leaning over so I could look over my sister’s shoulder as she flipped through the slide show. “The photographer you hired did an amazing job.”
“I would’ve done it myself, but I was a little busy hosting.”
“Aw, look how pretty you look in this shot, Shan,” Fiona said as she pointed at the screen. “You need to let me do your hair and makeup more often.”
It was a close-up image of me smiling off into the distance. With the party lighting and hazy backdrop, it was a dreamy shot.
“She looked amazing, but your sister is a natural beauty. She doesn’t need all that extra floofy stuff.” Zoe paused and looked at the screen. “Although youdidlook pretty hot that night.”
I stared at the photo on the screen and had to admit that I really had been glowing. The makeover had helped, but I knew the real reason was because Declan had been there that night too, looking at me in a way that lit me up inside.
I’d been glowing for him.
The realization triggered a fresh rush of pain in my chest, so I pushed the laptop away without a word.
“Well, Shannon doesn’t have a choice about getting gussied up on your wedding day,” Fiona huffed. “Everyone in the wedding party is getting the professional treatment, right, Zo?”
“I mean,” Zoe said, glancing between Fiona and me as if she sensed a fight brewing, “I’m not going toforceit on anyone, but yes, I hired a couple of girls to be our glam squad for the day. And they both know how to tailor what they do to each person, so they won’t make you feel spackled or anything, Shannon, I swear.”
“Whatever,” I said quietly as I cradled my chin in my hand. “Don’t forget that I don’t need that plus-one after all. Make sure to update your spreadsheet.”
“I hate that. It sucks.” Zoe reached across the table and clasped my hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. “You holding up okay?”
I nodded. “Yup. It’s the story of my life. I should be used to it by now.”
“Excuse me?” Fiona asked, giving me an incredulous look. “What do you mean by that?”
I tsked at her. “Come on, it’s not like I ever had a line of guys outside my door like you. I’m not the dateable type. I’m too…”
“Confident? Badass? Successful?” Zoe offered, and I ducked my head shyly.
“You’re also delusional,” Fiona said accusingly. “What the hell do you mean about not being dateable?”
“Guys go for women like you and—” I stopped myself from invoking Becca’s name. “Girls that… aren’t me.”
“Um, think again, dummy,” Fiona said, sounding every bit the bratty little sister. “The problem isn’t that guys don’t like you, it’s that you act like you don’t have any interest in them! You put out this vibe that you don’t want to date anyone.”
“No way. You’re wrong,” I answered, shaking my head.
“Did you forget about Aaron Klein?” Zoe asked gently. “That guy was head over heels for you for years.”
“Yeah, and he was also two years behind me and weighed less than a feed bag. He doesn’t count.”
“Well, do you need us to compile a full list of lovesick guys to convince you?” Fiona asked. “Zoe, can you think of anyone in high school that liked her but was too chicken to ask her out?”
“Uh, yeah, like a million. I used to try not to get jealous about it. The entire soccer team had a thing for you.”
I felt color rush to my cheeks, remembering the time they’d opened the windows on the bus as they were leaving for an away game to serenade me.
