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Chapter 7
Mysti May
5:16 PM FRIDAY
“Fuck, I love Tijuana!” Becky shouts, tossing her suitcase on the bed in our luxury bridal suite.
Percy and Sammi follow suit, unzipping their suitcases and hanging their dresses in the hotel closet.
“Let’s get drunk!” Sammi chimes in.
“Let’s get naked!” Percy adds.
I’m still obsessing over Brendon when I step out onto the balcony for some fresh ocean air, but the beauty of Playas de Tijuana slaps me right in the face, reminding me to be grateful for everything I have.
I’m still engaged to a really solid guy, I have a suitcase full of sensible clothes…
And you know what? Fuck it. This is my last chance to spend some quality time with my best friends while I’m still single, and I’m not going to ruin it by obsessing over a college crush.
I turn around and rejoin the party. Inside the room, Sammi is pulling out what looks like a very expensive bottle of tequila.
“Friends, shall we toast to Mysti’s impending doom—I mean, nuptials?” she begins.
“Ha ha.” I’m trying to have a sense of humor about it. I really am. “None for me, thanks. I don’t want to drink on an empty stomach.”
If I tell them I hate tequila, they’ll know I’m lying. If I remind them I’m not drinking because Norbert told me not to, they’ll tie me to the bed and force the tequila down my throat just to spite him.
I mean, is it really so bad to have a fiancé who cares about my liver function? I grab a bottle of water from the mini-fridge and make a big show of pouring the liquid into one of Sammi’s plastic margarita cups.
That’s when I realize I’m arguing with myself, not my friends. They’re throwing back shots and ignoring me completely. I sigh with relief and relax into a wicker chair.
See? I can stay sober, get married, and still have fun. Sort of.
“To Mysti May,” Becky says, holding out her shot glass.
I lift my water cup and join the toast, glad to have friends who will still love me even when I’m old and boring. And boring is definitely what I will be if Norbert has his way. I wonder if Brendon cares what his fiancée does at her bachelorette party.
I doubt it.
“It’s a good thing you’re getting married at the same time as my brother,” Becky tells me. “Otherwise, I would be at Henrietta’s bachelorette party right now, and I use the termpartyvery loosely.”
“What’s old Henpecker got planned this time?” Percy asks. “Her shower at your mom’s house was boring as hell.”
“Youwent to her shower?” I turn to Percy, surprised that she was invited to one of Becky’s events when I apparently was not.
Percy turns red. “Uh…does someone want to explain it to her?”
Sammi and Becky exchange glances, silently passing the unpleasant task back and forth like a hot potato.
“Fine, I’ll do it.” Sammi jumps up from the bed and puts her hand on my shoulder. “Becky was in charge of the food, so she asked Percy to help with the baking. She would have asked you to come, too, but Percy and I thought it would be a bad idea.”
I’m speechless. I’ve been friends with Becky’s family for years. I can’t say that I’m all that interested in getting to know Henrietta as a person, but it would have been nice to at least spend some time with Becky and Brendon’s mom.
“Seeing you and Henrietta together would have depressed me too much,” Becky adds. “I always hoped Brendon would bring home a fun sister-in-law for me to hang out with—someone more like you. I’ve tried to make friends with Henrietta, but she’s so…”
“Go on.” I know I shouldn’t torture myself, but I can’t help it. For reasons I can’t explain, it makes me feel better to think that maybe perfect little Henrietta isn’t so perfect after all.
Becky takes a deep breath.
