AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We entered the dining room, and I paused, momentarily taken aback by the piles of stuff taking over the large table. There were tiny gift boxes, ribbons, candy-covered nuts, chocolates, and other little odds and ends to make up the party favors for the wedding. I stared at the organized chaos with a dropped jaw.
“Is it too much?” Mandy asked, her tone tinged with worry.
Slamming my mouth shut, I turned to her with what I hoped was an enthusiastic smile.
“Of course not! It’ll be great. We’d better get to work, though. It looks like it might take a little while.”
She nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry none of the other bridesmaids could make it tonight.”
“No need to be sorry,” I assured her. “We’ve got this. Tell me what your game plan is for all this stuff, and we’ll get going.”
Mandy hurriedly went about telling me how each box was supposed to be put together, what all went in them, and how the ribbons were to be tied on top.
I paid close attention to her instructions because I didn’t want to screw up and cause her anymore stress.
Once we got started and she continued chatting about all the details of the wedding that needed to be completed at that point, I zoned out a bit.
It wasn’t that Mandy was boring or that I didn’t enjoy her company, but I knew this was the type of conversation where I just needed to sit back and listen, nothing more.
She needed to vent and talk through everything on her mind. I was just a sounding board, really, but that was okay. It was what she needed at that moment.
“…and then, of course, there’s Ryan.” She sighed after some time. “I don’t know what happened, but Jason seems to be really mad at him right now.”
I jolted out of my daze at the mention of Ryan, instantly on alert.
“Oh?” I murmured. “Is that so? You don’t know why Jason might be upset?”
Mandy shrugged. “Not a clue, and he won’t talk about it. I haven’t wanted to pry because it’s really none of my business, except for the fact that Ryan’s supposed to be the best man. I’m holding out hope they figure it out in time for the wedding, though. Otherwise, Henry might get promoted from ringbearer.”
She said the last part like a joke, but I could hear the strain underlying her tone. This thing with Ryan was freaking her out, but she was doing her best to hold it together. I felt a little bad because I knew it was partially my fault that Jason was angry with Ryan, but I didn’t know if there was anything I can do to actually fix it.
“I’m sure they’ll figure it out, though,” Mandy rambled on. “They’re best friends. I bet they figure it out in the end. They have to.”
I give her a reassuring smile. “I’m sure they will. They were always getting into little arguments when they were kids, and they always worked through them. They’ll be able to get through whatever it is bothering them now.”
That did seem to bring Mandy some relief. She released a long breath and her shoulders visibly relaxed.
She sighed with obvious relief. “Thanks, Sam. I’m so glad I have you in my corner with me.”
I was glad I helped her feel better, but I couldn’t help feel a bit of anxiety in the pit of my stomach. I hated the idea of Ryan and Jason being at odds with each other, and I felt so guilty that it was because of me.
“I just wish Jason would tell me what Ryan did,” Mandy murmured. “I can’t imagine him doing anything really bad. Every time we’ve met up with him in the city, he’s always seemed so serious and stern. It’s really intimidating, to be honest. But he also seemed like he was honest and straightforward, so I don’t know that he would lie to Jason about anything.”
Her description surprised me.
That was not the Ryan I knew growing up. He was always warm and friendly. A bit of a troublemaker, like Jason, but he had a big heart and a wicked sense of humor.
Though, I suppose he hadn’t been warm and friendly to everyone back then.
There’d been times I could remember him being cold and standoffish when we’d been around others…it’d always struck me as strange, because he’d seemed so much like his father in those moments.
Despite my best efforts to push him from my mind, though, memories from the night before popped up in my head, specifically the moment when we’d almost kissed.
I’d seen the intent in his gaze as he’d looked down at me, and there was a split second when I’d been tempted.
I hated admitting it, but there was a small part of me that was still attracted to him, that still thought he was the most handsome man I’d ever seen, that remembered what it had been like to have his hands on my bare skin.
A shiver ran down my spine. I needed to stop that. I needed to not think about his touch, or his kiss, and remember that he was a bad man who would only break my heart again.
