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I laugh because that’s totally Aubrey and why I love her so much. She doesn’t hold back when she’s excited about something.
She continues, telling me about how they had sex so many times she was sore. And that they don’t want to wait long, so the wedding will be in October.
October… my stomach plummets.
“That’s so fast. What about next spring? Spring is so nice. And it gives you a full year to plan the wedding of your dreams.”
She looks at me over the rim of her coffee cup.
I hate that look.
The pity look.
The “it’s okay to be upset, but you’re going to survive” look.
She sets down her cup and squeezes my hand. “You’ll be my maid of honor, right?” I nod, pushing back the tears threatening to spill.
“Even though…”
I nod.
“I knew you would and that’s why I love you so much. It’ll be painless. Well… not painless, but I already told Declan that there will be no dance with the bridal party. And you’ll walk down the aisle yourself—he’ll be standing next to Declan at the end of the aisle already.”
“Perfect, so I can actually enact what it would be like to walk down the aisle to him as if it were our own ceremony.”
She tilts her head and frowns.
“Forget I said that. Sorry.” I wave away my petty words.
“The only thing you have to do together is walk back down the aisle after the ceremony. Stand next to him during the receiving line, and that’s it.”
I squeeze Aubrey’s hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’m a big girl. He’s a big boy. Everything will go great. I’m your maid of honor, so I’ll make sure of it.”
She smiles, but still looks a little hesitant. “Thanks.”
“Has Declan already asked him?”
If I’m lucky, maybe he won’t be able to make it. Maybe he’ll have some big professional soccer player thing he’s committed to. But I know nothing would keep him away from his best friend’s wedding, just like nothing would keep me from Aubrey’s side.
Damn us and our loyalty.
“He called him this morning before I came here.”
“And?”
“He’s going to be Declan’s best man.”
I sigh.
Rylan Greene.
I can barely think his name without it feeling like a knife turning in my gut, but in six months, my arm will be hooked around his.
God, my entire life has orbited around that man since the age of six. For a brief moment in time, I thought we’d be where Aubrey and Declan are now, but I couldn’t have been more naive. For Rylan and me, love wasn’t enough. Pure and simple. We wanted it, we really did want us to work out, but love only takes you so far. Sometimes life gets in the way.
“Calista?” Aubrey waves her hand in front of my face. “See, I told Declan we should just elope.”
I squeeze her hands. “No, Aubrey. This will be a great day and we need to celebrate. You need to be happy. And it’s been so long coming, I want it to be everything you ever dreamed.”
