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“If I have anything to do with it, absolutely.”
She sighed, pulling off her veil before flopping back on her bed.
“You’re doing an awful lot of flopping.”
“Well, I can’t help it,” she whined. “I’m floppy.”
When she flailed her arms a little, we started to laugh. Then we were cackling.
“I’m a fucking furious squid,” she said between gasps and the wild thrashing of her arms as she flopped about like a fish. Which set off a new round of laughter. When we finally calmed down a little, she wiped her eyes, her face still all scrunched up and red. “I think I’m broken.”
Instantly, her smile turned to tears as a deep and terrible sadness overcame her. She began to cry in earnest.
“Oh, darling, no. Come here.”
I tried to get her to sit up, but she went dead weight and started to giggle again between sobs, halfheartedly flailing her arms.
“Furious squiiiiiiiid,” she wailed, cry-laughing.
“I think you really are broken,” I said, laughing again as I tried to intercept her arms so I could grab her around the waist. Finally, I gave up with a sigh, the stone in my chest heavy with concern.
“Will you stay with me until the wedding, Jess?” She sounded so small, like a little girl. “I don’t want to be alone.”
Being here meant not being with Remy. My heart split and splattered, but there was nothing to do except say, “Of course,” as I stroked her hair.
“Thank you.” She sniffled, finally picking herself up. “Although honestly, it might not be for long.” She waggled her brows as she reached for a tissue.
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” she started, blowing her nose. “I overheard Davis and Henry talking about you last night. Henry’s going to make a move on you! Maybe you’ll end up staying with him after all.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I know! It’s finally happening!”
My thoughts had exploded into teeny tiny bits of what the fuck. “But...what about Annie?”
“He said they’re just friends. There’s nothing going on with them. He said...let me make sure I got it right.” She glanced up at the ceiling. “It’s time. I’m finally going for Jessa. Maybe we’ll be married this time next year, too.” Cass squealed and giggled and bounced and I did my best to pretend to be excited. Mostly I just sat there with my mouth gaping.
“He . . . where did you hear this?”
“Through a door over where the guys are staying. I was supposed to be asleep, but I’m a nosy, nosy liar. Well? Aren’t you excited?”
“No, yeah. I’m just shocked, that’s all.”
“But like, good shocked, right?” She nudged my arm with her elbow conspiratorially.
“Yes, of course.” I paused. “It’s only that...well, I’ve been thinking.”
She waited. “About what?”
“Well, only that I’m not sure if I really want Henry after all.”
Her face melted into some form of quietly confused fury. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Cass, think about it. I’ve held him on high my whole life. He’s been the pinnacle, the cherished thing I could never have because let’s be perfectly clear—I could never have him. He brought a date to your wedding, and he must know how I’ve felt about him. We had a marriage pact, for God’s sake, one that expires immediately. All he’s done my whole life is string me along, and like a fool, I followed him around and waited. Well, I’m through waiting, that’s all.”
She stared at me for a long moment. “Does this have anything to do with my cousin?”
