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I nod. “Thank you.”
I reach into the pocket of my gown—small blessings—and bring out my phone as I walk away from the garden and towards the main building where the reception is being held.
Mira answers on the first ring.
“Hey, you—"
The words die on my tongue as someone steps in front of me, wearing a dark blue two-piece suit with a small smile on his lips. My chest swells uncomfortably, and my stomach bottoms as I stare at him.
“Harper,” he whispers my name. “I—it’s good to see you.”
“It’s not good to see you,” I snap and then mentally berate myself for not being able to control my emotions.
Everything comes flooding back—the disbelief I felt when I was reading that message, the anger that followed, and the ache in my chest as I drank until I blacked out.
How I hoped that he would find me as I packed my things from the apartment two days later, even though I had scheduled it at a time I knew he would be out.
When he called my mom, I wished Gabriel would have ignored her answer and come looking for me.
But none of that happened, and as the weeks went by, I slowly found a way to deal with the pain. It no longer made me feel like I was drowning in my sorrows.
And now…he’s here, and it feels like I was in denial this whole time.
“I’m sorry,” he exhales, and my eyes catch him tugging on the hem of his suit jacket. “I didn’t mean,” he turns when someone calls him and then back to me, “do you think we could go somewhere and talk?”
“I won’t take much of your time. I promise.”
I want to. I desperately want to hear all the excuses he has to give.
“Mira needs me,” I say instead, remembering that I was on the phone with her before I saw him. “I have to go.”
Gabriel nods and steps to the side to let me pass. My heart sinks in disappointment when he doesn’t try to stop or walk alongside me. He just…hangs back, as if what we had wasn’t worth fighting for.
Hot tears fall down my cheeks, and I wipe them away, practicing my smile so Mira doesn’t notice that my mood has shifted. I meet her behind the building, where she’s changed into a different dress.
Red, strapless, and short. And she looks—
“You’re stunning, Mira,” I tell her. “You look amazing. Caleb is a very lucky man. Tell him he’s going to have to pay for taking you from me.”
She laughs breezily. “I will. I wanted to tell you something.”
“Okay?”
“It’s about Gabriel. I know I should have told you before, but I wasn’t sure how you would react,” Mira sounds nervous as she takes my hand. “But I sent him an invite to the wedding.”
I know that already. But she doesn’t know I know, so it’s easy to make her feel less guilty.
“It’s all right,” I smile. “He’s Caleb’s friend and boss, isn’t he? And I know you’re worried, but I’m fine, don’t worry.”
Mira doesn’t buy my act because she squeezes my hand and sighs softly.
“One month isn’t enough time to get over someone you love, Harper. But I’m not going to push. Besides, he didn’t show up for the main ceremony, so I don’t think he’ll be coming after all. It’s better that way—I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Again, the less Mira knows, the happier she’ll be, so I keep the smile planted on my face.
“Yeah. I guess so.”
“And, that’s that. The reception will be quick because Caleb and I thought we should host a small party after for the people we know. You, me, him, and a couple of others.”
