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My phone buzzed with an incoming text—
Dax:Dani, we have to talk.
Wow, not even a ‘hello, how are you?’
I hastily typed a response.
Me:Is everything OK?
Uh-oh.Don’t tell me you’re not going to be able to meet me at Hillcrest for my sister’s wedding.
The three little dots flashed on the screen, indicating Dax was typing.
Dax:I’m sorry, but I’m not coming.
Me:Are you stuck overseas?Can you not catch a flight in time? It’s okay if you arrive a day or two late. The wedding isn’t until Saturday. We can always extend our stay for a few days to make up for lost time. I miss you.
I sounded desperate and bit my nails as the three dots began to flash again.
Dax:It’s not that. I met someone else.
I gasped. He couldn’t be serious.
Me:What? Who? Where?
Dax:It doesn’t matter, Dani. I haven’t been feeling our relationship for a while. My career is skyrocketing, and I need to be with someone who can keep up with me and who I don’t have to worry about being photographed with.
Me:What are you saying? You’re worried about being seen with me?
Dax:Look, it’s no secret that you’ve put on weight. The paparazzi are all over it. I saw the latest photos this week in Gossip Girl magazine. It’s been fun, but I can’t have you tarnishing my image. I hope you understand. All the best.
I threw the phone across the room as my eyes welled with hot tears.
“Pass the popcorn bowl,” I said to Mariah. She handed it to me without saying a word, and I hungrily dug in.
***
Two hours later, the bowl was empty save for a few unpopped kernels and I’d moved on to a tub of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream, taking bites in between fresh bursts of tears. Crumpled tissues lay scattered around me like giant white balls of snow. I felt pummeled.
“I can’t believe Dax would do this to me,” I sobbed for the hundredth time.
Mariah handed me the last clean tissue from the box. “What a jerk! He doesn’t deserve you, Dani.”
“You’re right,” I sniffled. “I suppose it’s a good thing I’m seeing his true colors before we married.”
She nodded and patted my knee. Absolutely. Someday you’ll look back and be glad that at least he was honest about being a selfish, narcissistic louse, so you didn’t have to waste any more time or energy on him.”
“I hope so,” I replied, scooping up another spoonful of the chocolatey goodness and placing it in my mouth. The cold treat helped soothe the heat of my emotions, even though I didn’t want to think about how much sugar I was consuming. Sugar was strictly off-limits according to Willow. But desperate times called for desperate measures—Right? Besides, after skipping dinner, I was starving.
“I’m worth more than just my appearance,” I muttered, even though I wasn’t sure I really believed what I’d said.
“Of course you are!” Mariah slammed her fist into a sofa cushion. “Look, Dani, I see people every day who’ve been injured or are sick. Some will never recover, and lives are cut short. As human beings, our bodies age and ultimately fail. No one escapes. Love can’t be based on superficial things like looks or material wealth, because those things are only temporary. And that isn’t even love, anyway, it’s lust. Love is about much more—it’s a connection on every level, body, mind, and spirit. You have to know that’s true.”
“I do,” I confessed. “It’s just that I thought Dax and I had something more between us than just a physical connection, but I guess I was wrong.”
“Like I said,” Mariah continued, “better that you know now.”
“But what am I going to do about my sister’s wedding?” I wailed, having forgotten about my trip to Hillcrest temporarily.
