Smiling she lifted a shoulder. “Only the last few times.” Why did she admit that to him? It wasn’t any of his concern. Maybe it was because he was a lawyer and he had a talent of getting the truth out of people. Her father had mentioned how “amazing” he was in the court room.
“Ahh,” He nodded.
“Amy!” Sophia waved as she, Maddie, and Leya made their way towards Amy’s booth.
“Well, I hope you have a nice visit with your friends and I hope to see you at the firm’s picnic this Saturday.” His grin was a little more attractive then she wanted it to be.
“I’ll be there.” She really didn’t have a choice. Her mother would drag her there if she wanted to go or not.
Watching him turn and head back to the front of the house, Amy couldn’t help but notice how nicely his suit fit. She had to mentally smack herself. Men only end in drama with her, and she wasn’t in the dramatic mood.
“Who was that good looking hunk of meat?” Leya asked as she waddled up next to Maddie.
“Leya, you shouldn’t be looking at guys anymore.” Sophia scolded. “You’re a married woman now.”
“And twice the size you were the last time I saw you!” Amy gushed as she jumped up to give Leya a hug. “When are you do?”
After returning the hug Leya let out a noisy shy. “Not soon enough. Although it’s fun to watch Jasper and Victor get all mushy over her little dresses and shoes.” She loving rubbed her round belly. “I’m just glad it’s a girl. We need to even the score around the house.”
“Are you still going to name her after Victor’s late wife?” Maddie asked as she reached over to feel the baby kick.
“Annie.” Leya nodded. “I even got this really cute block design that spells out her name. Jasper hung it over the crib the other day.”
“That’s so sweet.” Sophia grinned.
Leya let out a short laugh. “Who would’ve thought I would’ve been the first, out of all of us, to have a baby?”
“You’re not too a head of the game,” Alethea informed as she and Amelia came up to the table. “We just found out that I’m having a boy!” She squealed.
Cheers and gasps filled the booth as everyone filled in the empty seats. Amy smiled and congratulated her close friends all too aware of the one seat that hadn’t been filled in over six months.
“Have you talked to Ella, Amy?” Amelia asked quietly.
Shaking her head, Amy rolled her water cup between her hands. “My mother told me that she should be back from Egypt sometime this month.”
“That’s what she told me.” Sophia agreed while she accepted the menu from the waitress.
Turning to her friend Amy couldn’t hold back her surprised reaction. “You’ve talked with Ella?”
Sophia nodded slowly. “Tristan wants to go to Egypt for some kind of sand-sport-thing. So I called Ella to see where in Egypt they were. You know, to catch up with them. But she said they were coming home this month.”
Amy did everything she could not to show her emotions. Ella hadn’t answered any of her calls.
“Amy, are you okay?” Amelia scooted closer as she gently placed a comforting hand on Amy’s shoulder.
“I think I really messed up this time.” Amy confessed softly.
“What do you mean?” Leya asked as she grabbed a roll from the center basket.
Amy laughed without humor. “Oh, let me count the ways…” When she got nothing but blank stares, she rolled her eyes. “I should have never gone after Colin to begin with. Then, like a lunatic, I throw them into a situation that was completely unconventional, and to top it all off I slept with Matt.”
When she heard all of her friends gasp at once, Amy inwardly groaned. No one had known about that little tidbit until now.
“When in the hell did you sleep with Matt?!” Leya asked as she choked on some of her bread.
“It’s complicated…besides I think Ella and Colin were already together when we—you know.” Amy explained while trying to avoid eye contact with any of her friends.
“You think?” Maddie’s question hung over the table like a noose.
Amy dropped her head down against the table. “I only made the mess bigger, didn’t I?”
“I wouldn’t say that. I mean, I saw Colin and Ella at all of our weddings they looked very happy.” Amelia shrugged. “If your goal was to get them together it worked.”
“She’s right. I’m sure sleeping with Matt wasn’t even close to your original plans. But, all-in-all, your plan did work.” Sophia stated mindfully.
Amy shook her head as she thought of the comment. If her plan had worked then why did Ella put such a distance between them? She needed to be truthful with herself; Ella might have got what was rightfully hers, but that didn’t mean she was happy with the way it happened.
Needing to get away for a moment, Amy excused herself. Maybe a cold splash of water on her face will help her get through this lunch. She could break down and freak-out when she got home.
While she tried to side step a large crowd of elderly women she found that it only led to more elderly women. When “excuse me” didn’t work and “may I just slide by” fell on deaf ears, Amy stood there for a moment wondering if she should just head back to the table.
“I never got to thank you.” The familiar voice nearly brought her to her knees.
Spinning around she came face to face with Colin. He stood tall and proud in his Armani suit, with a small smile on his ever-handsome face. It was hard for her to think that she once believed she could take something so beautiful from someone who truly respected it.
“A thanks isn’t necessary. I did what was right.” Even if it was completely unorthodox. “Although, I do want to know when you figured it out.”
He lifted a shoulder with a charming smile. “You and Ella might look a hell of lot alike, but you are complete opposites of each other.”
“So, you’re saying she gave herself away the second we stepped off that plane.” Amy laughed. She figured her twin would; Ella’s kind heart was too hard for anyone to ignore.
“Yeah, pretty much.” His deep chuckle took her for a moment. He never laughed like that when they were together.
Giving a look around, Amy searched the dinner. “Where is Ella?”
“Behind you.” Ella’s soft voice cut neatly through the crowd of chatty women.
Turning quickly Amy let out a quiet sob. There stood her twin, happy, healthy, and pregnant. She held out both of her hands to the small bump in Ella’s tummy. Overjoyed for her twin would be an understatement. Besides Colin, a baby was the only thing Ella ever really wanted in life.
Ella smiled brightly as she allowed Amy to rub her stomach. “They’re the reason we came back early. I was having a hard time with heat in Egypt.”
It took only a moment for the word “they” to register. “Twins!” Amy nearly shouted.
“We can’t make-up our mind if we want to know if they are girls, boys, or one of each.” Colin beamed as he took a hold of Ella’s hand. The last time she had spoken to them Colin had talked about having a baby; he didn’t mention the media once. It was all about Ella. Ella wants to redo the spare bedroom for a nursery. Ella wants a baby right away. Ella has already started shopping for baby cloths. Every statement started with Ella and ended with a giant smile. It was bluntly obvious that he wanted these babies just as bad as she did.
“When he says ‘we’ he means me.” Ella corrected. “He can’t wait to find out.”
Colin smiled warmly at his wife. “I will wait if that is what you wish.” Turning her hand over, he gently pressed a kiss into Ella’s palm.
It felt good to see them together. Maybe her plan had worked after all. She had never seen either one of them this happy before. But then why didn’t Ella except any of her calls while she was away?
A thrill from Colin’s phone had him pulling a face. His annoyed reaction to the cell made Amy shake her head. This Colin was the one she had fallen for, although he obviously
had no real feelings towards her. He saw a marriage of convenience with her. But with Ella, he became the charming, awe-struck, gentleman that all women found attractive. Only with Ella though…only with Ella.
Giving Ella a quick, tender kiss, Colin smiled warmly at her. “I’ll have the limo waiting for you, whenever you’re ready.” He turned to Amy and nodded politely. “Thank-you, Amy.”
“You are very welcome.” She replied softly as she gave him a once over before he answered his cell. She never got a chance to know this Colin. Although, she suspected he never wanted her to.
Turning back to her sister Amy found herself smiling. Ella looked amazing, not just the natural glow from motherhood, but radiant. “You look amazing, and Colin…I knew you would make him truly happy.”
Ella dropped her gaze for a moment before she gestured towards Amy to follow her outside.
Amy followed without arguing. It was late summer, the weather warm but not overwhelmingly hot. As she let Ella guide her to a small garden just off the dinner, Amy couldn’t help but realize that it had been a little over a year since the last time they had met here. Only this time it was Ella with something important to say.
Sitting on a rod-iron bench, Ella patted the empty seat. “How’s everything?”
“You tell me?” Amy asked carefully. “Was Egypt everything you thought it would be?”
“Yes, I really enjoyed being there. Just the heat was too much. I tried to push through for Colin, but the moment he saw me with six fans and a gallon of ice-water, he brought me straight home.” She laughed.
Amy chuckled at the image of her poor sister sitting on a pile of pillows with fans of all shapes on sizes pointed at her. Unfortunately, their laughter stopped almost immediately. Silence fell between them for what seemed like an eternity, before Ella finally spoke.
“Amy, I don’t know what to say to you right now.” She confessed without looking up from her lap. “I was so scared at first that you would never forgive me. But, then you admitted to setting the whole thing up, and I became relieved. Then the more I thought about what you did and the way Matt had reacted to the whole thing…I didn’t know how to feel.”
“Ella, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry about everything! Colin was never mine to begin with. But, the way I saw him with you, the way you made him light up, I thought maybe I could just have a part of that.” Shaking her head, Amy tried to stay composed. “When you married Matt, I wanted to justify everything I did. Until I really saw you with Colin, then I just knew how wrong I was.”
“Amy, I’m not mad at you.” Ella said softly as she took Amy’s hands into her own. “In fact I’m happy. I just wish everything would’ve happened a little differently.”
Amy had to laugh at the comment. “Trust me, if I thought that just leaving Colin would have fixed everything I would’ve. No, I needed to put you two together.”
She could see the truth of her words sinking in. If she would’ve merely left Colin, he would’ve gone his own way. He would have never pursued Ella, and she would’ve stayed in her loveless marriage for who knows how long.
“I see.” Ella simply agreed. “Are you seeing anyone?”
“Nope. I’ve been too worried about you.” She confessed. “Besides, men have never really worked out for me. Even before Colin I had nothing but toads.”
“That’s because you haven’t found what you really want.” Ella clarified.
This time Amy’s laugh went belly deep. “Now that’s my problem! I have no idea what I want!”
Ella shared in her laughter for only a moment. “Amy, you deserve a happy-ever-after just like the rest of us.”
Even though she nodded she really didn’t agree with her twin. The thought of “a happy-ever-after” for her seemed unrealistic. Keeping that to herself, Amy helped her sister up and walked arm in arm with her back into the dinner.
As they made their way to the booth full of their friends Amy’s eyes caught Mike sitting at a table full of his colleagues. He smiled warmly at her as he tipped his head in her direction. She waved briefly as she past, not turning back until she reached her seat.
While all of her friends chatted happily away, Amy couldn’t help but look them over. They had all set out to make a change in their lives and they had all succeed. It was strange to think that so much had changed in only a year. All of them had completely different lives now.
Maddie and Sophia were lucky to find out who they really belong to before marrying the wrong man. Leya and Amelia went after their crushes and found out what they had been missing. Hell, even Alethea the shiest of them all won big with her man.
Glancing back at Mike’s table she noticed his brilliant blue eyes were trained right on her. Oh, who was she kidding? She knew exactly what she wanted. Drama. Plane and nowhere near simple.
Allowing a playful smile, Amy didn’t drop his contact. Who knows maybe Mike would be up for some drama? Happy-ever-after might just be in her future after all.
Table of Contents
Then
Madeline
Amelia
Sophia
Alethea
Leya
Ella
Now
Then & Now Page 29