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“Someone will be right with you!” Hazel chirps, not breaking stride. “Have a lovely day.”
I look around. “Over there,” I point to a villa, set back from the main resort buildings with its own private pool. We hurry over, making our way through the lush gardens to the entrance. There’s no sign of life on the front porch, and the drapes are pulled shut.
Hazel knocks loudly on the door. “Housekeeping!”
No response.
“Avery?” she tries. “Come on, please, I know you’re in there. It’s me, Hazel. We just want to talk.” She sighs. “I have French fries!”
That does it.
A shuffling noise come from inside, and then the door is swinging open to reveal Avery – except, this isn’t an Avery I’ve ever seen before. Her face is bare, her hair is a mess, and she definitely doesn’t look like a woman about to walk down the aisle in front of two hundred-plus A-list Hollywood guests.
“Go away,” she says, sniffling. “Tell Robert, I’m not marrying him. The wedding is off!”
20
HAZEL
“You don’t mean that.”
We follow Avery inside the villa, my mind racing to get control of the situation. I planned for a bug invasion, freak winds, and orchid allergies to threaten the ceremony today – not the bride suddenly getting cold feet and calling the whole thing off.
“It’s just a little pre-wedding jitters, it happens to everyone!” I reassure her. The place is a mess of room service dishes and discarded clothes: dark and dim and depressing. I go throw open the drapes, flooding the dark room with sunlight, and give her a bright smile. “I bet the minute you’re in your dress, with your makeup done, all the nerves will melt away!”
“You can cut the pep talk.” Avery gives me a withering look. “You don’t need to pretend anymore. We all know, this wedding’s been doomed from the start.” She mooches over to the couch and throws herself down dramatically. “First the mosquitos, then the slime, and the rainstorm… The universe has been telling me loud and clear that this is a bad idea, but I just didn’t listen.”
“So, we’ve had a few… hiccups,” I admit. “But that’s all behind us. Everything’s perfect now! You should see the set up, all the flowers and the décor. And the butterflies! It’s everything you wanted. A dream come true.”
She shrugs, swamped by the massive hotel robe. “Dreams change.”
I send Josh a helpless look. ‘Do something’I mouth.
“But… what about my uncle?” he steps up. “You’re just walking out on him?”
“Yes, what about Robert?” I agree. “You’ve been telling me all week how much you want to build a life with him. How compatible the two of you are, and how much fun it’ll be.”
“That was before,” Avery says with a sigh.
“Karina, his old girlfriend? That’s nothing! Nostalgia talking,” I insist. Then I elbow Josh.
“She’s right,” he agrees. “My uncle didn’t invite her. That was my fault. I’m sorry. I talked to Robert this morning,” he adds. “He’s still planning on marrying you. He’s getting ready for the ceremony right now.”
“See?” I beam. “It’s all just cold feet. Once we get you back to the hotel, and in that amazing dress, you’ll feel like yourself again. ”
But Avery shakes her head. “I’m not talking about Karina. She’s not the problem. I can’t marry Robert, because ofyou.”
I stop. “What?”
“Both of you,” Avery continues, looking at Josh. “Seeing you together, watching you fall in love…”
Love?
I gulp, panic striking through me. “What? No! We just met!”
“And you can’t help it.” Avery gazes at us, a wistful expression in her eyes. “You’ve just got it, right from the start. Sparks.Magic. You can’t see it, Hazel, but the way he looks at you…” she continues. “It’s how Robert looks at that ex of his. And I want someone to stare at me that way. Ideserveit,” she adds fiercely. “You were right. Talking about waiting for true love, being brave enough to wait. I can’t settle for less. Not now.”
“But… but…” I flounder, my head spinning at her words. I have sparks with Josh, yes, butlove?
