Page 20 of Wild Ever After
I take the last tequila shot.Oh, I’m going to regret that one tomorrow.“Thanks for making this night suck a lot less. For a few minutes, the prospect of figuring out how I’m going to pull off a wedding without a groom didn’t seem so bad.”
“I’d do it. I’d marry you, if you wanted.”
Too many seconds pass before his words sink in. My head snaps up and a small giggle escapes my lips. I wait for him to tell me he’s kidding or to laugh, something, anything to acknowledge the hilarity of his words.
“Why?” I finally ask, when it’s still unclear if he’s joking or not.
The girls yell for me to join them on a little makeshift dance floor in front of the jukebox as “Single Ladies” starts playing.
“Does it matter why?” He lifts one shoulder in a shrug and pays for our drinks.
My head spins. Piper and Dakota come over and drag me out to dance with them before I can think of what else to say. Declan follows, standing with the guys off to the side and watching us dance our hearts out to Beyonce.
I meet his gaze as my friends scream the lyrics around me. I’m still waiting for him to crack a smile or do something to indicate it’s all some elaborate joke. Why in the world would Declan want to marry me?
And why do I not totally hate the idea of taking him up on it?
* * *
I don’t get any more alone time with Declan Wednesday night. We hit one more bar and then crash at the hotel. Thursday morning, we all have breakfast together before we head back, but all I can do is focus on not throwing up.
Scarlett drops me at my apartment with a smile and a squeeze. I didn’t have it in me to tell anyone else about my conversation with Sam. I will, just not today.
“See you tomorrow,” she calls as I walk up to my apartment building.
It’s strange being back in the small apartment I share with Sam. Shared, I guess. I keep thinking he’ll show up any minute and tell me he changed his mind and can’t live without me. He doesn’t, of course, so I throw myself into work. There are a million last minute things to do before the wedding. I’m writing two articles that will run while I’m on my honeymoon. One on gifts for the wedding party and another on the rehearsal dinner.
The actual wedding article is going to be written by Melody herself and will be the feature story of the summer print issue. I get to do a follow-up in the fall issue, a short piece on the honeymoon and life as a newlywed. It could very well be the break I’ve been waiting for since I penned that first blog post on wedding cake.
I have my eye on a Features Editor position. Rumor has it that there’s going to be an opening soon and I want it. I want it badly. The pay is better and it’s one step closer to my goal. But do I want it bad enough that I’ll marry someone besides Sam? Ugh.
* * *
On Friday, I still don’t have my answer, but everyone else is carrying on like this wedding is happening, so I do too. Scarlett is hosting a brunch at her house with just us girls, and I show up, hoping an afternoon with my friends will provide some sort of clarity.
I know the sensible solution is to suck it up, tell Melody the wedding is off, and face the consequences, but I just can’t seem to make myself do it.
She has connections all over. Plus, the exposure of the articles has been more than I ever could have dreamed (that was a positive until now). There is no way I’m going to get another job in this city if I mess this up. I’ll be the girl that faked an engagement or the bride expert whose fiancé dumped her the week of her wedding. I’ll have to move, change my name, and start all over. New York City has too many people for me and California is too blonde. And dammit, I don’t want to go down like this.
Piper, Dakota, and Scarlett stare at me intently as I tell them about my conversation with Sam.
“It’s really over?” Piper asks, a hint of hope still present in her tone.
“Yeah. He’s gone.” I set my mimosa on the table in front of me. “If I can’t find somewhere cheap to live in the next week, I’m going to be homeless on top of everything else.”
I can’t afford our apartment on just my salary. My paycheck as a staff writer for the magazine is barely enough to cover half the rent.
“You can move in here,” Scarlett says so matter-of-factly that my heart squeezes in my chest at the offer. I really hope I don’t have to take her up on it. She and Leo just moved in together a few months ago. They don’t want a third wheel around.
“How are you going to tell everyone about the wedding?” Dakota asks.
“I’m not.” I stuff a cracker stacked with three kinds of cheese into my mouth.
“Good. Make Melody deal with all that,” Scarlett says.
We’re sitting outside on the patio. The house has a great outdoor space and today is the perfect day to use it—warm, sunny, with a light breeze. The doors from the dining room are pushed open, and I can faintly hear Leo, Tyler, and Ash inside playing video games.
Piper nods her agreement, and my palms start to sweat as I reach for the courage to tell my friends I’m still going through with the wedding regardless of Sam backing out.
