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My forehead wrinkles. “Yes, why would you ask that?”
She shrugs. “Just making sure. You tend to deal with your problems by yourself and never share much with us.”
“That’s not true.” My lips press into a thin line.
“Come on, Mandi, ever since Mom and Dad divorced, you’ve put your own needs and wants to the side. I just want to make sure Noah is what you want,” she says.
The funny thing is Noah is what I want, but I don’t like the way I’m getting him.
“Girls!” my mom shouts. “Your ride is here.”
Nikki waits while Posey and Chevelle collect their things to take to the inn. “He is what I want, Nik. I wouldn’t marry him if he wasn’t.”
She embraces me, and I suck back tears. Part of me wants to unleash it all on my sister, but that would be betraying Noah.
We get in the limo we rented for the day, along with my mom and Rylan.
“Hey, Ryguy, I heard you’re walking down the aisle with Calista Bailey?” Chevelle loves to bait him about Dori’s granddaughter.
“Not my idea,” he deadpans.
“They also have a soccer tournament tomorrow. Rylan is going to drive them and there are supposed to be some scouts there,” Mom says.
“You guys are playing together?” I ask.
“Not enough girls, so we had to do a mixed team this year.” Rylan stares out the window.
“It’s okay to like her,” Posey says.
Rylan rolls his eyes. “Why don’t we talk about how Mandi might be pregnant?”
All eyes fall to my stomach.
“What?” I ask.
“Everyone’s concerned this wedding isn’t real, but no one’s considered you might be pregnant. I figure you’ll try to pretend it’s a honeymoon baby.” Rylan’s smug expression says this is payback for all the times we’ve given him hell over Calista.
“There’s no baby, and who doesn’t think this wedding is real?” I look around and each of my sisters and my mother dip their heads. Oh god, I don’t know what to do. Do I just tell them the truth?
“It was all so fast, we couldn’t make sense of it at first. But we see the way you love Noah now.” My mom smiles.
“And I have to hear how much you guys love each other every night.” Chevelle points at Rylan. “The pregnancy thing could be true. They’re like rabbits, you guys, I swear.”
“Chevelle!” I screech.
“What? It’s true. Multiple times a night? You guys really can’t keep your hands off one another. But it’s beautiful. Just saying.” She smiles while Rylan looks horrified. When he looks present again, she says to him, “It’s not all that great. Don’t go trying it until you love someone, okay?”
“God, stop,” Rylan says, covering his ears. “I hate being the youngest in this family.”
We arrive at the inn, which I’m sure Rylan is thankful for. He’s out of the car before it’s barely come to a full stop.
We’re hurried up to a room set aside for me, and I’m hyperaware that Noah is in this building somewhere. It’s as if I can feel his presence.
I change into my dress, and the girls change into theirs. Dori arrives with Calista, who is wearing a beautiful navy dress that shows off how much she’s grown over the years. Her dark hair is twisted into an updo with little rhinestones in it. She’s shy and quiet and eventually disappears downstairs.
Emelia arrives wearing her white flower girl dress, and my mom hands her the basket of flowers.
Before I have time to process it all, it’s time to walk down the aisle. I cover my stomach with my hand, trying to calm my nerves.
