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“Rick’s an idiot,” Meg declares with the kind of vehemence that would normally have me grinning. Right now, though, I’m still fighting back tears.
“Total moron,” Anna adds, her brows knitting together in solidarity. “You’re incredible, Lily. If he can’t see that?—”
“It’s his loss,” Bethany finishes.
But even as they rally around me, I can’t help but wonder… What if there’s something inherently unlovable about me?
The idea spirals, its tendrils wrapping around my heart, squeezing tight.
“Then why?” I choke out, the question more to myself than to them. “Why would he leave me at the altar?”
Silence blankets the limousine, a shroud none of us knows how to lift. My eyes find the champagne bottle nestled in the ice bin. Without a word, I lunge for it, my movements jerky and erratic.
I wrench off the foil, twist the cork until it gives way with a pop that should signify celebration. I bring the bottle to my lips and tilt it back, taking several long gulps.
As I lower the bottle, a sharp rapping on the window startles me. I turn to see my parents’ faces etched with concern, their palms pressed against the tinted glass. They’re mouthing words I can’t hear, or maybe I simply don’t want to.
“Please,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper as I face my bridesmaids. “Don’t open the door.”
Meg nods, reaching over to hold my hand, her grip steady.
“Where did he go?” I ask.
Anna shakes her head. “I don’t know. I saw him run off like a scared rabbit. I doubt he’s even still here.”
“He shouldn’t be,” Bethany says. “If he knows what’s good for him.”
I sigh. I appreciate their support. Of all the women I’ve met in my life, these are the only three I know for sure I can trust. Whatever is said in this limo won’t leave this limo.
“Rock bottom has a basement,” I murmur.
My parents have stopped knocking on the window, but I know they’re still out there somewhere, waiting to pounce. They won’t blame me outright for any of this, of course. They’ll say everything they are supposed to about Rick — about what a cowardly, wimpy man he is — but deep down, they’ll wonder what I did wrong.
Did I push him away somehow? Was I not supportive enough? Not feminine enough?
“This is my fault,” I rasp. “I did this.”
“Hey, no.” Anna shakes her head. “Don’t you dare say that! You are Lily Campbell. You are strong, brilliant, and kind.”
“Then why?” The word is a jagged tear in the fabric of my composure. “Why did this happen to me?”
Bethany leans forward, her face a mask of righteous indignation. “Because men like Rick can’t handle a woman who’s out of their league. He doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you.”
“Feels more like I’m cursed.” I drop my head back and stare up at the mirrored ceiling. “No man wants me. Maybe… maybe I’m destined to be alone.”
“Stop it, Lily,” Meg says sharply. She squeezes my hand tighter. “You’re not destined for anything except what you choose. And you definitely don’t need a man to make your life complete.”
Their words should comfort me, but they fall short.
“Maybe it’s time to accept it,” I whisper. “I’ll end up an old maid, withering away without a family of my own.”
“Seriously, screw that.” Meg scoffs. “You’ve got us. And you have a heart big enough to love all those kids you help with your charity. Family isn’t just blood, Lily. It’s where love resides.”
“Easy for you to say,” I retort, though the bitterness is aimed more at myself than her. “You haven’t been left at the altar in front of four hundred people.”
The moment the words are out of my mouth, I regret them. She doesn’t deserve to be spoken to in that way.
“Okay, maybe not,” Meg concedes. “But we’ve all been knocked down before. The point is you get back up. You always do.”
