Perfect Imperfection

by Jennifer Preston

  “Fine,” Layla huffed. “But, how can I live vicariously if you won’t help me out? Plus,” she leaned in close, “we both know you, of all people, could use a good make out tonight. So let’s not take it off the table, shall we?”

  Bri’s face flushed bright red, and she really hoped Seb hadn’t overheard that. Judging by the pink in his cheeks, though, she wasn’t that lucky. Quickly, before Layla could humiliate her any more, Bri grabbed Seb and pushed him to the car.

  “Bye, Lay,” she called back, refusing to look back at her friend.

  “Bye, Bri,” Layla returned sweetly. “You’d better get those lips ready!”

  Groaning, Bri pulled open the door of Seb’s Mustang. Just before sliding in, some instinct made her glance back at the restaurant. Sure enough, Cole stood just outside the door, watching her intently. His jaw was clenched, his posture stiff. Bri started to wonder what had him so upset, but then told herself that she didn’t care. Forcing her thoughts and attention away form him, she got into the car, and this time she didn’t look back.

  Chapter 5

  Bri’s alarm went off, and she rolled over groggily to hit the snooze button. She was so not ready to get up yet. She’d stayed out way too late last night and had only gotten a few hours sleep. She was exhausted. Speaking of which, why had she even set that stupid alarm in the first place?

  Her eyes flew open, everything snapping into place. It was Layla’s wedding day, and Bri absolutely could not be late. She jumped out of bed, took a quick shower, grabbed her dress and her makeup bag, and ran out the door, shouting a hurried goodbye to her family.

  Layla’s mom answered the door, an excited smile on her face. In fact, Layla’s whole house was buzzing with excitement and activity. A bunch of Layla’s relatives had flown in for the wedding and were staying at the Monroe’s. It was a big house, but it still felt overrun. Bri opened the door to Layla’s room to find it full of people. Aunts and cousins were scattered around in various stages of readiness. Bri had to stand on her tiptoes before finally spotting Layla across the room.

  “You finally made it,” Layla teased from her seat at the vanity. “You almost missed all the fun.”

  “Hey,” Bri grinned. “You know I’m the one who brings all the fun. Now that I’m here, we can get started.” She bent over and kissed the top of her best friend’s head. “You ready for this?” she asked softly.

  “Yes and no,” Layla smiled nervously, her large brown eyes finding Bri’s in the mirror. “It’s finally here, you know? And reality is starting to set in. I’m getting married today. It’s a little surreal.”

  “I can’t even imagine,” Bri squeezed her. “I’m sure I’d be freaking out about now if it were me. As long as you’re not thinking of running away and never coming back, I think you’ll be fine.”

  “No,” Layla laughed. “It’s definitely not that bad.”

  “Good. Then let’s get you ready.”

  Bri helped Layla with her hair, and it brought back memories of them getting ready for dances together back in high school. It amazed her how far she and Layla had come since then. So much had changed, and yet so much had remained the same. Sniffling, she hurriedly wiped away a nostalgic tear, before Layla could see it.

  “Don’t you dare start crying on me,” Layla glared at her. “My mom’s been in tears all morning, and if you start too I’m going to lose it. And I’ll never forgive you if my face is all puffy and splotchy for my wedding.”

  Bri laughed. “Sorry. I promise I’ll hold myself together for you.”

  Layla reached up and squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

  After Layla’s hair was curled and pinned beautifully over her shoulder, Layla’s aunt took over her makeup. Bri sat down to do her own makeup, and then curled her own auburn locks, leaving them cascading down her back. She slipped into her black satin mermaid-style bride’s maid dress and toed on her heels.

  There was a soft knock on the door before Layla’s dad peeked his head in. “Are you ready? It’s time to head out.”

  Bri watched Layla suck in a deep breath and nod. There was a bustle of activity as moms and aunts and cousins rushed to grab all the necessary items, and then loaded them in the waiting car outside. Bri stepped over to her friend, who had sat motionless amid the flurry of chaos around her.

  “Ready to go?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I think I am.” A beautiful, awe-filled smile broke out over Layla’s face, and Bri knew there was nothing more to worry about. No more nerves, no more apprehension; Layla was ready.

  The beaming bride-to-be grabbed her bag, wrapped her arm through Bri’s, and they walked out to the car.

  “You look fabulous, by the way. Trying to make someone a little jealous?” Layla grinned, quirking an eyebrow at Bri.

  Bri threw her a stern glare. “Don’t start,” she chided. “Besides, today isn’t about me. It’s all about you, so let’s keep our focus where it should be.”

  Layla laughed. “Good to know we’re on the same page.”

  They pulled onto the freeway and headed south to San Diego. The famous red spires of the Hotel Del Coronado greeted them as they pulled up to the picturesque hotel where Layla was getting married. The ocean broke onto the hot, sandy beach just to the left of them, and Bri paused to cast it a longing glance before following Layla into the large dressing room where she would finish getting ready.

  Multiple relatives popped in and out over the next hour, receiving assignments and giving updates, or just stopping by to chat and catch up for a few minutes. Someone pulled Layla’s mom out to check on something, leaving Bri and Layla alone for the first time all day.

  “So,” Layla gave Bri a small smile. “Any advice for tonight?”

  “For tonight?” Bri’s brow crinkled, until she realized what Layla was asking. “Ah,” she smiled knowingly. “You and Devon really waited. I’m impressed.”

  “Yeah, well, we don’t have to wait anymore. Were you nervous with… for your first time?”

  Bri was grateful for Layla’s discretion, but the direction of this conversation was making her very uncomfortable. Not because she and Layla hadn’t talked about sex before, but because those were dangerous memories of Cole that she fought to keep locked up and buried.

  “Yeah, I was at first,” she admitted. “It was like the lead up was more nerve racking than the actual event. Don’t feel like you have to rush it. Just let things take their own course. I promise, when you’re ready it’ll feel right.”

  “You’re sure? Because right now, I’m more than a little nervous.”

  “That is totally normal,” Bri assured her. “Don’t overthink it, and don’t worry about it. Things will work themselves out. How about we focus on getting you through the ceremony first, before you jump right into the honeymoon.”

  “You’re right.” Layla stood and hugged her. “Thanks, Bri. You’re more than just my best friend, you’re my sister. And no matter what happens, nothing will ever change that. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Lay. You’re my sister, too, and I’ll always be here for you. Always.”

  Layla’s mom slipped back into the room. “Alright sweetheart, it’s almost time,” she smiled at Layla, her eyes glistening.

  Layla stepped back and nodded, turning to the white garment bag hanging on the door. “Let’s get this baby on, then,” she beamed.

  Layla’s dress was a vision of old Hollywood glamor. The Lazaro gown fell from sheer straps, dipping to a low but elegant v in the front. The form-hugging bodice was covered in swirling designs in gold thread and crystals, and fell in ruffled scallops from her knees to the floor, where it pooled softly around her. Train-less and veil-less, it fit Layla’s personality to a tee.

  “Oh my,” her mother breathed. “You look more beautiful than I ever could’ve imagined.”

  Layla hugged her mom, and Bri slipped out to give the mother and daughter a moment of privacy. Bri felt her own tears threatening and quickly forced them back. She couldn’t cry
now, not before the ceremony. After a few minutes, the bride emerged, and her entourage followed her to the outdoor tent where the men were waiting to line up.

  Bri tried not to notice how good Cole looked in his tux as he took his place next to her, but it was impossible.

  “You look very lovely, Bri,” he murmured, his eyes taking her in.

  “So do you,” she replied, all civility, but felt her cheeks flushing. It wasn’t a lie. The guy could rock a tux, she had to give him that. The lean cut highlighted his tall frame in all the right places, and he wore it like a second skin. His hair was gelled and swept back in the front, like a sophisticated Hollywood A-lister. He looked freaking gorgeous and her eyes refused to turn away.

  Cole’s eyes seemed to be having the same problem as they roamed over her form-fitting dress. She felt heat rush through her, as his eyes darkened with desire and her body responded. His gaze caught and held hers, and the rest of the world fell away.

  Tearing her eyes away, she tried to calm her pounding heart. She refused to get sucked into his vortex of hotness. She turned her attention to Layla, and the ceremony, and making it down the isle without falling on her face, blocking out as much of Cole’s presence as she could. She could do this.

  The music began, and Bri glanced back at Layla, grinning at the beaming smile on her friend’s face. This was it.

  The ceremony was in an outdoor garden. The isle was covered in a swirling pattern of white rose petals, set off by the verdant green grass beneath them. Matching white flower arrangements graced the head of each row of white chairs. The minister and Devon waited in front of a beautiful, flower-covered arch. The sun was just beginning to set in the west, painting the sky in streaks of fuchsia and gold.

  Devon’s face beamed as Layla came down the isle, and Bri couldn’t hold back her happy tears any longer. Layla’s dad kissed her before taking his seat by his wife, and the ceremony began.

  Bri couldn’t contain her happiness for her friend. Layla and Devon were two of the best people she knew, and they deserved their happily ever after.

  “I know pronounce you man and wife. You may…”

  The guests erupted in applause, as Devon couldn’t wait for the minister to finish before excitedly kissed his bride. Bri laughed as Devon swung Layla around, and the happy couple walked back up the isle as husband and wife.

  Her heart so full of joy it was bursting, Bri even had a smile for Cole as they followed the bride and groom. Grinning back at her, his hand brushed hers as they walked, squeezing gently, and she didn’t pull away.

  The rest of the guests followed to the beachfront reception lawn, where multiple round tables, adorned with more flowers and candles, had been arranged around a wooden dance floor, complete with a DJ table.

  Bri found her seat, happy to find Claire and Seb at her table. Cole, of course, was seated next to her, and Bri made a mental note to “thank” Layla for that later.

  Dinner was served, toasts were made, the cake was cut, and then the floor was opened up for dancing. Claire pulled Bri out to dance, and Bri let go of any remaining discomfort as she and Claire lit up the floor. Seb joined them, and the three of them laughed as they made fools of themselves. Bri could feel eyes watching her from the edge of the dance floor, but she refused to look over. She would not let Cole dampen her spirits.

  Some time later, the DJ switched to a slow song, and Bri felt a hand brush her arm.

  “Dance with me, Bri,” Cole’s smooth voice demanded in her ear. He turned her and pulled her into his arms, not giving her the chance to decline. He held her close, not giving her an opening to slip away. “I need to talk to you.”

  Claire and Seb edged away into the crowd, leaving Bri to her fate. Traitors. She glared up at Cole, upset that he’d been able to catch and pin her so easily.

  “I don’t want to talk to you,” she replied.

  “Too bad. You promised you’d hear me out. This seems like the best way to insure that happens.”

  “Sneaking up and cornering me isn’t the way to get me to listen to you,” she shot back.

  “But this way, you can’t run away,” he grinned as he squeezed her closer, pressing every part of her against him. His hand was warm and strong on her back, his chest hard against hers, and her breath quickened. “Just give me a chance to explain now, and I promise I’ll leave you alone the rest of the night. Deal?”

  “Fine,” she replied grudgingly. “But, you’d better make it quick.”

  He tilted his head in acknowledgement. “First of all, I need to tell you that you were right.”

  Bri’s eyes snapped up to his, not expecting that.

  “You were right about everything: about school, Jordan, my mom.” He took a deep breath. “I should have listened to you. I should have stayed at Duke and finished school. I should have sent my mom packing the minute she tried to sneak back into my life. I should never have listened to Jordan.”

  “Oh yes, how is Jordan?” she sneered. “You two still heterosexual life partners?”

  “I wouldn’t know how Jordan is.” He gave her a wry look, ignoring her barb. “I haven’t spoken to him in over a year.”

  “What?” Bri was shocked. “Why?”

  “After the draft, I cut out all of the people I didn’t want in my life any more, the people who were only after what they could get out of me. Jordan, Jillian… and especially my mom.”

  “Your mom?” she asked, sadness seeping through her at the pain and regret on Cole’s face as he nodded.

  “As soon as I got my signing bonus, Lynette changed. Everything became about money. Suddenly, every conversation became about what she needed and how much could I give her. She would only call me when she needed money, and every time she came to see me, she’d manage to leave with at least a couple thousand dollars. Finally, I couldn’t ignore the fact any more. I’d been trying to convince myself that I was wrong, but she’d proven too well that you had been right all along. She didn’t, doesn’t, care about me. She’d only ever wanted the money. So finally, I gave her a choice, and an ultimatum. I was done being her personal ATM. I offered her fifty grand. She could either take it and never see me again, or she could stay in my life, but she wouldn’t get another cent.” He shook his head. “I could barely get the words “fifty grand” out before she jumped on it. She chose the money without a second thought.”

  “You didn’t give it to her, did you?”

  “No,” he smiled ruefully. “I sent her away without a cent. She didn’t deserve anything else from me, and I didn’t want anything more to do with her.”

  “I’m so sorry, Cole,” Bri whispered, her heart breaking for him despite everything. She’d known all along that Lynette had only been using him, but it was still hard to hear the truth. “I really wish I’d been wrong about that.”

  He gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry too, Bri. I’m sorry I was such a blind fool. I was wrong to ever think you would hook up with Seb or Matt behind my back. It was inexcusable of me to try to hurt you on purpose, to blame you for my own shortcomings and my inability to deal with things. The way I treated you was abhorrent, I know, and I’m still sick about it. I don’t expect your forgiveness; I know I don’t deserve it. But I want you to know that I know what I did was wrong, and there isn’t anything I regret more.”

  Unable to form a sufficient response, Bri dropped her eyes.

  “I know you probably don’t believe me, and I don’t blame you. And even though you probably won’t believe this, either, I need to tell you that the thing with Jillian wasn’t what you thought it was.”

  “Oh really,” she snapped, her anger surging. “So you didn’t sleep with her?”

  “No, I did.” This time he couldn’t meet her eyes. “There is no excuse for it, and I’m not trying to make one. I was so blinded by my own anger and failings that I couldn’t see anything outside my own problems. I was in a really dark place, and I made a horrible, horrible mistake. But you need to know that it was only that one night.”


  “Right,” Bri scoffed, her anger and outrage now tinged with pain and betrayal. That wound was obviously still open and raw. “It was just the one time. Hmm, why wouldn’t I believe that? Oh, maybe because you two were attached at the lips, hips and everywhere in between for months!”

  “We were never together. Never a couple,” he clarified at her scoff. “She wanted everyone to think we were, and I was more than willing to play along with her in public. That was a low point for me, and not something I’m proud of. But I swear to you, I never touched her again.”

  “And I’m just supposed to take your word on that,” she shook her head. “How stupid do you think I am?” Done with this conversation, she struggled to pull away from him, but his arms around her only tightened.

  “I know you don’t believe me,” he sighed. “But I wanted you to know the truth.”

  “Why?” she shot back, her struggle momentarily abandoned. “If you weren’t sleeping together, why would you let her fall all over you like that? Why would you let me, and everyone else, think that you were together if you weren’t?”

  “Because I knew it would hurt you,” he admitted, shame coloring his words. “I was stupid and vindictive. I wanted to hurt you like you’d hurt me. Or, like I thought you’d hurt me. I’m not proud of myself. In fact, I quite loathe myself for it. But how can I be honest with myself if I’m not honest with you?”

  Anger and pain roared through her. There was a small part of her that actually believed him. Believed him, and even felt a little sorry for him. What the heck was wrong with her?

  Damn him. Damn him for drudging all of this back up, for making her feel things she’d much rather keep locked up in that little box buried deep in the bottom of her heart.

  “Why are you telling me all this?” she demanded, tired of whatever game he was playing. “Why now?”

  “I miss you, Bri.” His eyes met hers unflinchingly. “Pushing you away was the biggest mistake of my life. I’ve lived the past year without you, lonely and miserable, and knowing that it was all my fault. I caused this; I’m the one to blame. And it kills me to know that there’s not a damn thing I can do to change it.” He paused to draw a long breath before looking up at her again. “I’m telling you this now because I want you back in my life, Bri. I’m miserable without you.”