“I thought I did,” she mumbled.
“Why didn’t you tell me? How could you not tell me?”
Britt winced at Savannah’s furious words. “I’m sorry—”
“We’re best friends!” She lifted one hand off the steering wheel, then dropped it back down. “Who is he? How long have you been dating?”
“He’s a guy I met online.”
Savannah looked at her. “Oh, Britt. Seriously? Why didn’t you introduce him to me? I could have vetted him for you.”
For some reason, her words irked Britt. “Because I thought I could handle it myself.” Obviously, she couldn’t. She’d been played, so badly played. Her heart ached so much she could hardly stand it.
“He was at the party tonight?” Savannah asked in a softer tone.
“Yes. His parents own one of those massive houses. He could live there too, for all I know.”
“You don’t know where he lives?”
She thought he lived at the apartment complex where she’d picked him up that one time. But he could have pretended to live there since he never invited her inside. “Just take me home, Savannah.”
“But—”
“Please!” She couldn’t stand to explain her folly, even to her best friend. It was so humiliating, so agonizingly painful.
Then she realized if she went home, she’d have to face her mother. She couldn’t do that. “Never mind,” she said, sitting up straight. “Can you take me to Maude and X’s?”
“That wacky couple at the art store? And I mean that in the most complimentary way possible.”
“Yes.”
Savannah paused. “I will, but I really want you to stay with me tonight. We don’t have to talk about the party, or the guy, or your parents. We’ll just hang out and play games or something.”
Britt considered it, but talk would eventually turn to Savannah and Justin’s wedding and the upcoming shower next weekend. Her stomach started to burn. How was she going to face all that now? Her mother was angrier than Britt had ever seen, and she was supposed to help with the shower. And Britt knew she couldn’t stand to listen to Savannah’s happiness, even though she was glad for her friend. “I just want to go to Maude’s.”
Savannah didn’t say anything, but the temperature in the car dropped at least five degrees. For the rest of the ride, Britt gave directions, and Savannah silently followed them. When she reached Maude and X’s townhouse, she pulled to a stop.
Britt opened the car door. “Thank you.”
Silence.
“Nowyou’remad at me?” Britt blurted out the words before she could stop them.
“Don’t I have a right to be? You didn’t tell me about your boyfriend, and you’d rather spend time with Maude and Z—”
“It’s X—”
“I don’t care!” Savannah closed her eyes, gathering herself. “Britt, I don’t understand what’s going on. This isn’t like you.”
With those words, everything inside Britt crumbled. She was right. Being a maid of honor, keeping secrets, going out and having fun, dating a gorgeous guy—especially that—were things shedid. She’d been pretending to be someone she wasn’t. That stopped now.
“I can’t be in your wedding,” she said flatly.
“Britt—”
But she was already halfway out of the car. “Find someone else.” She slammed the door.
Tires squealed as Savannah zoomed away. Britt stared up at the night sky, barely seeing the twinkling stars sparsely scattered across it. Her insides turned to ice as she made her way to the front door.
