AllFreeNovel
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I’m ready to move to Mikey’s side and ask where Maliki is, but I’m stopped by Liz.
“He’s not here tonight,” she states, irritated.
She doesn’t bother asking if I need a drink. She knows why I’m here.
Liz has the same dark hair as Maliki but with softer features and kinder eyes. Well, kinder when they’re directed at anyone but me. She’s older than Maliki, and according to him, she moved into the mother role when theirs left.
“Stay away from my brother.”
“What?” I stutter out in surprise.
“You sent him an invite to your stupid wedding.” She gives me a frigid stare. “That was pretty fucking shitty, you know.”
This is what I was scared of.
She’s right.
I wavered on inviting Maliki to the wedding. Would it piss him off to invite him … ornotinvite him? I was unsure but finally mailed the invite. Maliki ignoring my text, asking if I could stop by the bar, gave me my answer. He’s pissed.
I muster up the courage to defend myself even though I feel like an absolute ass, like Ellie said. Guilt consumes me.
“It’d have been shitty not to invite him.”
“You’re so clueless.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re marrying another man, but you come here to hang out with one you’renotmarrying. Is that not a warning that,I don’t know, you shouldn’t get married?” She taps her temple.
She’s right, but the wedding is paid for, family member flights are booked, and my mother is over the moon.
“Can you tell him I stopped by?”
“Nope.”
All righty then.I clench my fingers around my phone. It’s been in my hand all night while I’ve waited for a reply from him.
“No offense, but you’re a selfish brat,” she continues without allowing me a chance to speak. “Grow up. You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.” She gives me a tight-lipped smile. “Have a good night, and leave my brother the hell alone.”
* * *
I have cold feet.
Not ones I can fix with tugging on a pair of comfy UGGs.
Cold feet about marrying Devin.
The night before our wedding.
The closer it gets, the more nervous I get.
Devin is nice. Sensible. Secure.
Maliki is wild. My future with him would be a mystery.
That’sifhe’d even want anything more than just friendship.
When we used to close together, he made it clear that we were staying in the friend zone.
