AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When I arrived, Carmela was gone, but Camden was standing with a horse and Jade in front of him. They seemed to be talking, and it suddenly dawned on me that we hadn’t clued Camden in on anything. That must have been why Carmela had been trying to get to him so fast. But where was she?
Jade said something to him and laughed, and Camden turned his attention toward me, walking closer. His expression was confused, and I instantly knew Jade had blown our cover. She traipsed away in the carefree hurricane way she seemed to do with everything in life, and Camden came over to me shaking his head.
“Dude, I thought you were just pretending to be her boyfriend. Now you’re engaged?” he asked.
I grimaced. “Yeah, that kind of came out of nowhere. Trevor was being a real ass and I couldn’t help myself.”
Camden continued to just shake his head. “I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into,” he said.
“I do man. It’s just for a couple of days.” I withheld the information that I wanted to see if this could be real after the weekend was over. I didn’t want to say anything to Camden without talking to Carmela first.
“Well just don’t get any funny ideas staying in a romantic cabin with my little sister,” he said with what sounded like a warning.
It took everything in me no to look guilty. “Of course not, man. I’d never try to get with your sister. I’m sleeping on the couch,” I lied.
“Good. Well, have fun I guess,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder before he walked off.
I felt bad for lying to my best friend, but until I knew how Carmela felt about it all, I wasn’t going to say a word.
17
CARMELA
"You mean I went through all that to make sure that she was able to live out her dream of riding a horse to her ceremony, only for her to decide she isn't going to do it?" I asked, staring at Mark.
"They are still riding the horses," he reassured me. "Camden said Jade told him this morning that she and Trevor thought it would be more meaningful and symbolic if they surprised the guests by arriving to the reception on horseback."
I stared at him for a second.
"I don't know what that means."
"I don't, either. Something about riding off into the sunset, or ride or die, or something. I'm not sure. Anyway, they want to make a dramatic arrival to the reception on horseback, so we need to make sure everything is in place for that," Mark said.
"Including my most tolerant state of mind," I said.
Mark laughed and reached out to pull me into a comforting hug.
"Don't worry. You're going to be just fine. Remember, you're a blissful bride-to-be now," he said.
Now it was my turn to laugh. "Exactly. If I check out in the middle of the ceremony and my eyes go glassy because I just can't anymore, people will just think I'm off in my own world dreaming about my own wedding."
I giggled and shook my head. It was so nice just being with Mark that I’d almost forgotten we were at a wedding, which meant actually going to the ceremony. When he said we should probably get going so we weren't late, my stomach sank. This was going to be extremely difficult. As much as I could honestly say I didn't want to be with Trevor, that didn't mean the idea of watching him marry the woman who used to be my best friend sounded like fun.
Them getting married with me sitting there in the audience was like having a front-row seat to a dramatic presentation summing up the failures in my life. Not only was that the man I thought I was going to spend my life with, but he was getting ready to stand up there at that altar with the woman I always imagined as my maid of honor. They even had the same groomsmen and bridesmaids who Trevor and I would have had at our wedding.
Essentially, they’d taken my vision for my wedding day, kicked me out, and squeezed the wedding party in to create their own. It wasn't something I was looking forward to witnessing.
I was dreading the experience right up until Jade and Trevor took each other's hands and I saw them exchange a smile. I’d anticipated having a lot of feelings during the ceremony, and I was absolutely having them. But they weren't for Trevor. They weren't even for what could have been.
All the powerful emotions I was experiencing were for Mark. I was teasing when I said if my face went blank people would just think I was lost in fantasizing about my own wedding, but now that I was sitting in the decorated seats watching the two of them gaze at each other, I realized it was actually happening.
