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I immediately thought of all the ridiculous nicknames that Andrew had given me through the years. As my eyes welled up with tears once again, I took a deep breath. No more crying over Andrew, I thought firmly. At your most vulnerable, he left you. It’s time to toughen up. Never let them see you sweat, and never be vulnerable. Andrew is just like the rest of them, just like every other man. And they simply can’t be trusted.
I pasted on a smile through my tears and wiped my eyes as gracefully as I could. “Nope,” I said. “It’s just Alicia.”
Because Michael and I changed the date of our courthouse “wedding,” none of the people who were supposed to be there could make it.
“It’s the big one that counts,” my mother said, flapping her hand dismissively.
“I have to work,” Jeremiah said, shrugging.
After I begged and pleaded, Cat rolled her eyes. “I’ll be there,” she grumbled. “But I won’t like it.”
Michael didn’t have any luck with his side of the family and friends, either. “They’re all working or busy,” he said, shrugging. “Guess we go without them.”
“I mean, maybe we should hold off,” I suggested. “Since barely anyone can go.”
“No,” Michael said. “We can do it tomorrow instead. It’ll give us one more day to find someone.”
I sighed.
“How many people usually attend the marriage license signing, anyway?” I asked Andrew later on that night. We were sitting in the coffeehouse that we met in when we reconnected. I was starting to think of it as “our coffeehouse”—even though it was a chain.
I knew Andrew would be there for me, no matter what. Despite the fact that he left me two years ago, he had always been a constant in my life. I called him to ask him to meet me in the coffeehouse because I needed his help, and I knew he wouldn’t abandon me.
Or at least, that’s what I hoped.
Andrew shrugged as he fiddled with the sleeve on his drink. “Couldn’t tell you. I’ve never been married before.”
I gave him a sidelong look before taking a gulp of my coffee. Putting down the cup, I sighed.
“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter anyway,” I said. “We need two witnesses, and we only have one, so we’ll just have to go with the original plan. Unless,” I said, looking at him briefly before looking away, “you’ll be our second witness.”
“Your what?” Andrew startled, turning his gaze on me with furrowed brows. “You want me to do what?”
I fiddled with my own cup. “Be our second witness?” I repeated, a question in my voice.
He sighed. “Alicia—”
“I know it’s a big ask.” I pleaded with my eyes as I started to shred my napkin. “I know you don’t agree with this marriage, and you hate Michael—”
“Hate’s a strong word. I don’t like the guy, but I don’t hate him.”
“Then do it for me, Andrew. Please. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t really important to me.”
“Alicia, ask me to do anything else. But don’t ask me to witness you throwing your life away.”
“Andrew, please,” I said this on a whisper. “Please.”
Andrew was silent for a moment, chewing on his bagel slowly. After swallowing, he finally said, “You’re sure you love him?”
I grimaced even as I said the word. “Yes.”
“And he loves you? You’re sure?”
“Yes, he loves me. I’m sure.”
“Then I’ll do it.”
“Do what?”
