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“Bryan... Bryan was caught with Veronica. In our hotel room.”
She pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs. “Oh, honey.I’m so sorry.”
As soon as I hear the softness in her voice, I break into tears. “I hate them. I hate them both so much! How could they?”
“I’ll have your father take care of this.”
She pulls me into her arms, and I tremble, letting out all the feelings.
When I’m empty, I detach from our hug and wipe the remaining tears from my face. “There was so much time and money put into this wedding. I’m sorry, Mom.” She nods solemnly and puts the Rolls in gear to head toward the private airport’s exit.
We sit in silence as she merges onto the highway.
“I don’t think we should do anything rash.”
My head snaps to face her.
“He slept withmy best friend,” I say slowly.Not do anything rash? Like canceling our engagement?
Mom exhales, and I feel like there’s some devil’s advocate bullshit about to spew from her lips. Please, not now. Read the room—or car, whatever.
“You know, sometimes accidents like this happen. It’s not fair, it hurts, but men are idiots and occasionally forget to think. You and Bryan have been together for so long, do you really think it’s worth throwing away your relationship?”
I stare at her in horror. “What?!”
The orange streetlights along the highway maintain a steady strobe of light inside the car, and I wish I could see her face clearer.
“Jordana, there are relationship counselors that deal with this kind of thing every day.”
“Mom! You can’t be serious!”
“Look, you’re not even married yet. He’s probably trying to get it out of his system before the vows.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “I can’t believe you’re taking his side,” I whisper.
“I amnottaking his side! What he did was wrong! I’m simply trying to help make sense of it. That’s all.”
My hands are shaking. “What they did is unforgivable.”
“We’ll stop by your place, and you can pack a bag. All I’m saying is that you should take some time to think it over, after you get some sleep. You can stay with us for now, but we’re heading to Monaco in a few days. Your father will talk to the Davenports and get this all straightened out. It’s gonna be okay.”
There’s nothing to straighten out. I come from a reserved family, and a broken engagement will stir rumors. Is that what she’s worried about? Who cares! On top of that, she doesn’t even seem surprised, she’s more concerned with how to get the train back on the rails. It’s like I’m stuck in a nightmare and unable to wake up.
If I screamed, would anyone even hear me?
After I gather things from the condo and return to my parents’ house, I see the real best friend that would never betray me.
“Chicken Salad!” My big fluffy Alaskan Shepherd mix gallops into my arms and knocks me down. She whines and hops about, trampling me, and I wrap my arms around her big furry neck. I missed my dog so much. We sit up, and she trots in place before rolling onto her back so I can rub her belly.
“Someone’s happy to see you.” My mom chuckles.Bryan is allergic to dogs, so I couldn’t take Chicken Salad with us when we moved in together, and it broke my heart. I still come back to visit her often, but it’s not enough.
“Come on, pup. Let’s go to bed.” I stand, pick up mythings, and head up to one of the guest bedrooms. I take off the couture dress and pull my soft oversized college hoodie over my head—my emotional support sweatshirt.
My cheeks itch with dry tears. After I wash them and the makeup away, I’m ready to sleep. Hopefully, for days. The sun is peeking over the horizon when I draw the blackout blinds to the room. After wiggling under the covers, I realize how tired my body and mind are. I slap the top of the mattress, and Chicken Salad bounds up on the bed beside me.
She circles a few times, then drops down so she’s wedged against my side and lets out a deep exhale. We are reunited again, and all is right in her world. Mine is falling apart. I drape an arm over her warm back and haul her closer as a lump forms in my throat, aching like it does right before I cry.
5
