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“If she did it when you were at work, then you wouldn’t have noticed,” he says. “What about her parents?”
I shake my head, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel.
“I doubt it. Harper told me how she moved out of their house because they were overbearing. She wouldn’t go back there. But,” I hesitate on discarding the possibility, “do you think I should call just to be sure?”
“Her father is a tough man, but her mom and I might have struck up a friendship when they came to my office.”
“Then you should call,” he says.
Grateful that I didn’t come up with an excuse when Harper’s mom wanted to give me her contact, I go through my phone to find it. I call, but she tells me that Harper isn’t staying with them and ends the call.
“She’s not there,” I tell Caleb as my whole world comes crumbling down. “Harper is gone.”
Chapter 29
Harper
Tears well up in my eyes as I watch my best friend walk down the aisle in her stunning off-white dress with the long train. We spent two weeks going from one bridal shop to another to find the perfect dress for her.
It took long hours, but I was grateful that it helped me take my mind off Gabriel. It also helped give me time away from home since I had to move back in with my parents after leaving in such a hurry.
I never thought Mira would settle down because she enjoyed the fast life so much. I was the calm one, and even though I loved my job more than anything else, we always joked about how I’d find the man who would make me agree to a lifetime of marriage while she partied until she was too old to stand.
The wedding venue was a garden we found on a list given to us by a wedding planner my mom hired. Short of making herself the bride, my mom was invested in every step of the wedding.
I could tell she was compensating for my engagement which was just a cover-up. She was disappointed in me and pissed with Gabriel, something that she and my dad agreed on.
For the first time in a long time.
Mira was happy to have someone else handle the challenging aspects of wedding planning, so I didn’t have to tell my mom to back off.
Our eyes meet as she takes her position, and I whisper, “I love you,” while blowing her a kiss.
Caleb, standing in front of the officiating minister that my mom hired, wipes his eyes, and I can tell he’s been crying.
Everything is perfect.
And I am happy for her, I really am. It’s just…I had the same dream. It might not have been as sure or passionate as Mira’s, but I thought Gabriel and I were the endgame.
So, it’s a little hard to be a hundred percent happy while I’m the maid of honor, looking stunning, but nursing a broken heart.
The only good news is Gabriel’s absence. I haven’t seen him since I showed up at the church, and I wouldn’t hear anything about him from Mira when she tried bringing him up at the bachelorette party.
To me, Gabriel is my past, and I don’t intend on revisiting that any time soon. I’m already on the path to healing because the thought and mention of him no longer make me burst into tears.
Yet—I cannot help searching the crowd to see if he showed up at some point, but I don’t see him. I scan the audience so many times that I drown out most of what the minister says until I give myself a reality check with a stern reminder of the message he sent me that night.
The message that changed everything.
“He’s the past,” I mutter to myself. “So, stop looking backward.”
With a firm nod to myself, I refocus on the ceremony, listening to the minister talk about marriage. Caleb and Mira say their vows; everyone, including me, gets teary-eyed, and they kiss.
Everyone applauds, and they walk down the aisle together, smiling and waving at the people standing and clapping. I rub my temple as a headache begins to form, briefly contemplating skipping the reception to take a quick nap.
However, I know that this is Mira’s big day, and my absence will be noticed, so I shake my head and try to ignore the pain.
“Hey,” one of the bridesmaids walks up to me. I recognize her from one of Mira’s exhibitions I’ve been to. “Mira was hoping she could talk to you before the party starts. She said to call her.”
