by Amber Garza
I know the minute I hit the parking lot because my car bounces over the gravel, rattling my body. There aren’t many cars in the lot yet, so I easily slide in next to one. Stepping out of the car, I glance up at the small building in front of the lot. I know that’s where the bride and groom get ready.
I’ve been to enough weddings here to know my way around. Beyond the building I’m walking towards is the field where the ceremony will take place, and on the other side of that is the area where we will most likely have the reception. Thinking over the events of the day make my insides knot. Man, this isn’t going to be quick, is it? Usually when I attend a wedding, I’m in and out. I sit through the boring ceremony, eat a few appetizers, and then I jam. Today I don’t think I’ll get off so easily.
As I approach the building, I spot Emmy and Chris standing off to the side chatting. She’s wearing an unflattering bridesmaid’s dress, her hair pulled up in a bun, but she looks pretty. Emmy may not be as good looking as Talia, but she’s attractive. I’ve always thought so. If not, I never would’ve dated her. However, her looks weren’t the main thing that drew me. Most of the guys think I went out with her because she’s Cal’s sister. And I do think that was part of it. Deep down, I did always hope Cal and I would be friends. He practically ran the baseball team last year. Having him as an enemy made things difficult. If he’d been an ally things would’ve gone more smoothly for me. But I should’ve known we’d never be friends. He was too loyal to Chris.
But Cal wasn’t the main reason I asked Emmy out. Mostly I did it because she was a challenge, and challenges entice me.
Ducking my head, I hurry toward the front door hoping to bypass Chris and Emmy. They do seem to be deep in conversation.
“Look who finally decided to show up,” Chris’s voice stops me.
Inwardly groaning, I lift my head and turn to him. “Oh, what? Were you missing me?” I speak to him as if he’s a baby….or a tiny puppy.
“Not even a little bit,” Chris mumbles.
Perturbed, I shrug. “Well, I can leave right now. Would that make you happy?”
“Actually, that would, yeah.” Chris’s lips curve upward a tad, his head nodding slowly.
“Fine.” I throw up my arms. “It’s not like I want to be here anyway.” Honestly, I’d give anything to get in my car and drive as far from this place as possible.
“Okay, okay.” Emmy steps between us. “C’mon, you guys.” She carefully looks from me to Chris, her eyes narrowing. “It’s your parents’ wedding. You two need to figure out a way to get along…at least just for a few hours.”
Chris sighs, bobbing his head up and down in agreement. Then he glances over at me. “Emmy’s right.” Man, he is so whipped. “Besides, I know my mom really wants us to get along.”
That was the wrong thing to say to me. “Well, I don’t give a damn what your mom wants.”
Chris’s eyes flash, and he steps toward me. “Watch it.”
And there’s the Chris we all know and love. I have to fight back the chuckle that sits in my throat. Pushing his buttons is way too easy. Too bad he’s not a video game. “Or you’ll what? Punch me in the face again?”
“Try me.” Chris’s hands fist at his sides.
“Oh, yeah. Go for it. I’m sure your mom will be really proud,” I goad him, and the fight withers in his eyes.
Shaking his head, he steps back. “Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? If I ruined the wedding?”
My shoulders rise and fall. “Not gonna lie. It wouldn’t be the worst thing.”
Chris glares at me. “Why are you even here, Josh?”
I’m irritated with the question. It’s not like Chris has been all for this relationship either. “Same reason you are.”
His brows raise. “To support my mom?”
“Hell, no,” I say. “I’m here because my mom told me I should come. Told me I’d regret it if I didn’t.” It’s not the entire reason, but it’s a big chunk of it. Still, I have no idea why I admitted it to Chris. Perhaps it’s because I know he’ll understand. I can’t stand the guy, but I do respect his need to protect his mom. That’s something I get.
My answer seems to have shut him up. It’s the first time since I’ve arrived that he doesn’t have a comeback. Instead, he just stares at me wearing a perplexed expression. Opening my mouth, I’m about to ask him where everyone else is when I spot Talia walking up. My mouth goes slack at the sight of her. Not only am I stunned that she showed up, but she also looks so gorgeous that I find it hard to breathe.
In a stupor, I maneuver around Chris and Emmy and hurry toward Talia. I want to grab her and pull her close, but I don’t. I stop directly in front her, my gaze catching hers. “You came,” I state.
She shrugs. “I made you a promise.”
It’s not the answer I was hoping for, but I keep my mouth shut. The last thing I want to do is piss her off.
“I shouldn’t have threatened to back out. No matter what happened with the plan, I told you I’d come today, so here I am.” She sweeps her arms out, and I get a good look at her body-hugging dress. If only I could be that dress I’d never ask for anything else again.
“Thanks.” It’s all I can come up with. I can tell she thinks she’s being nice, doing the right thing. Only that’s not what I want. I don’t want to be an obligation for her to check off her list; her good deed for the day. I spilled my guts to her yesterday. She has to know I want more from her than that.
“Josh.” My dad comes rushing up. “Good. You’re here. I need you and Chris to come inside now.”
I nod at Dad and then glance back at Talia. “I’m sorry.”
“No.” She waves me away. “Go. Do what you need to.” Her gaze flickers over to Emmy and I notice the slight frowning of her lips. They aren’t friends, and by the way Emmy’s pursing her lips, I doubt either of them wants to be. I can only imagine how this conversation will go.
“You sure?” I lift my brows, that overprotective side that normally only comes out for my mom rearing its head. It throws me a little.
“Yeah.” She shakes her head. “I’m a big girl, Josh. I’ll be fine.” Her brows furrow as if my behavior is baffling. And I guess it kind of is.
“Josh,” Dad repeats my name impatiently, and annoyance bubbles.
“I heard you the first time,” I snap.
“Smooth,” Chris mutters as he walks past.
“Screw you,” I say. Then I step around Talia. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Good luck.” She throws me a wary look. “Looks like you’ll need it.”
I chuckle, glad she came. Suddenly this day doesn’t seem nearly as bad as before.
TALIA
“I see Josh is his usual friendly self,” Emmy says sarcastically, waltzing up to me.
“Cut him some slack. This is a tough day for him,” I snap before I can stop myself. Emmy and I have never been friends. Not really. The only time we ever hung out was when she used to tag along with Ashley. But I always knew Ashley was just playing her, so I didn’t bother to bond with her. I figured the relationship wouldn’t last long, and I was right. However, the one thing I remember about Emmy was that she was perpetually nice about everyone. Rarely did she gossip or speak ill of another person. Therefore, it irks me that she so easily thinks the worst about Josh.
“It’s not easy for Chris either, but at least he’s attempting to have a good attitude,” Emmy shoots back, surprising me.
The other thing I recall about Emmy was that she had no backbone. Apparently that has changed. “I guess we should all be thanking our lucky stars for that, because if Chris was his usual angry self we’d all have to duck and cover.” It’s a low blow, especially since I came here with the school bad boy, but she asked for it.
Emmy’s head snaps up so hard I fear her neck will break. “Chris isn’t like that anymore. He’s matured, which is more than I can say for Josh.”
“Wow.” I toss a strand of hair over my shoulder. “I really though
t you were over him.”
“Who?” Her eyebrows knit together.
“Josh.”
“I am over Josh.” Her cheeks redden, and I almost laugh out loud. It’s so easy to get under her skin. Clearly, that is one thing that remains the same.
“Usually when a girl gets this worked up over a guy it’s because she has feelings for him.” I lean in close and whisper, “You might want to tone it down a little around Chris so he doesn’t get jealous.”
Emmy frowns. “Chris has nothing to worry about. I’d never want to be with Josh again. He’s the most selfish person I’ve ever met. The only person he cares about is himself.”
“That’s not true,” I mutter. “Why do you think he’s so pissed about this wedding?”
“Because he hates Olivia.”
I shake my head. “Trust me, it has nothing to do with Olivia.” Staring at her, I’m dumbfounded. “You really don’t know anything about Josh, do you?”
She purses her lips. “I know enough.” The words are spit out in disgust, and I recognize them. In the past I felt the same way about Josh, but now I know better.
“Clearly you don’t. You have no idea what kind of guy he is,” I say, getting more and more heated with each word. “His anger about this wedding has nothing to do with Olivia or Chris, or even Josh himself. The person he’s trying to protect is his mom.”
Emmy’s face visibly softens. “Oh.”
“So before you go spouting off about what a jerk Josh is, remember what he’s lost. Remember what his mom has lost, and then ask yourself if it’s fair to expect him to act like this is a celebration.”
Emmy’s bottom lip trembles slightly, and she bites down on it. “You’re right,” she speaks so softly I hardly make out the words. “And I get it. Chris is protective of his mom too. I think that’s the main reason Josh and Chris don’t get along. They’re both trying to do right by their own moms.”
A little of my anger withers. I know she’s right. Regardless of what I said earlier, I always liked Chris. He’s a good guy. And he and Josh are more similar than I had originally thought. Now that I’ve gotten to know Josh, I see that. Maybe there’s hope for them yet.
“Hey,” Josh’s voice cuts into our conversation.
Flinching, I spin around. “Hey.”
Josh’s gaze slides over my shoulder, his eyes shifting between me and Emmy. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I nod emphatically. Probably too emphatically, so I slow it down. “What’s going on? Aren’t you supposed to be busy doing groomsmen duties?” My attempt at joking falls flat, and I can tell he notices.
“Probably, but I wanted to come out here and check on you.” The concern in his voice almost breaks me. When did Josh go from being cold and heartless to this super sensitive guy? And, more importantly, is it real or just an act?
“I’m fine,” I say. Emmy and I may have been arguing a little, but it’s not like I’ve never argued with a girl before. This is pretty much a normal day for me. However, usually, I’m defending myself, maybe one of my friends. The weird part of this is how staunchly I defended Josh. Not only that, but everything I said, I meant. It makes me wonder if coming here was a mistake. My feelings for Josh are confusing at best. The only thing I know for sure is that Josh isn’t trustworthy. Sure, he sounds sincere, but I’ve known Josh for a long time. And I’m certain this nice version of him will vanish as quickly as it appeared. It’s only a matter of time. “You should probably get back to the guys. Your dad probably needs you.” More cars are pulling into the lot. “I should probably find a seat anyway.”
Conflicted, Josh shifts from one foot to the other. Then he reluctantly nods, running a hand over his head. “Yeah. Okay.”
When he blows out a ragged breath, it hits me that maybe he hasn’t come out here to check on me. Perhaps he needs some comfort. Stepping forward, I tentatively touch his arm. “What about you? Are you all right?”
His lips curl upward, his gaze shooting down to my hand. “I am now.”
Despite the bizarre circumstance, I chuckle.
“I’ll see you in a bit.” Winking, he steps away from me and hurries toward the building where his dad and the rest of the groomsmen are.
Emmy comes up behind me, her shadow casting over my shoulder. “I gotta say, when I first heard about you and Josh I was skeptical. I thought for sure you two were just using each other to get back at Hayes and Ashley. But now I can tell it’s deeper than that.”
I swallow hard. Soon enough the truth will come out, but I don’t have to share it today. No, today Josh needs me to keep going with the plan. He needs me to be the supportive girlfriend, so that’s what I’ll be.
“I mean, I’ve never seen Josh act like that with a girlfriend before,” she continues.
“Act like what?” I whirl around to face her.
“All concerned and sweet. It was weird.” Her gaze washes up and down my body as if she’s seeing me for the first time. “He really cares about you. I can tell. And after the way you defended him earlier, I can tell you feel the same way.” My stomach churning, I force my head to bob up and down in agreement. “I’m glad you two found each other. You both deserve to be happy.”
“Thanks,” I croak, surprised at her words. Emmy has no reason to like either of us, let alone wish us happiness. Then again, Emmy has always had the ability to see everyone with rose-colored glasses. It’s why I was so bothered by her words about Josh earlier. It was so unlike her. Even after Ashley admitted to using and betraying her, she eventually forgave her, and now they’re besties again. It’s baffling.
“Oh.” Emmy glances out at the parking lot, her eyebrows shooting up. “Here comes Taylor and Cal.” Throwing up her arm, she waves at them, causing jealousy to snake around my heart. No one is ever that happy to see me. Well, no one except for Josh when I showed up today. “You made it.” Emmy draws Taylor into a hug the minute she approaches us. It’s odd seeing Taylor in a dress. She typically lives in ripped jeans and t-shirts. When Cal started dating Taylor, the two seemed night and day different. I still had a hard time understanding it. But honestly, today she looks nice, pretty even.
“Hey, Cal,” I nervously greet him when his gaze shifts to me.
“Hey.” He nods, an easy smile on his face, and I’m reminded of what a nice guy he’s always been. When Taylor and Emmy release each other, he looks at his sister. “Aren’t you supposed to be inside?”
“Probably.” She grimaces. “I came out here a little while ago to talk to Chris, and then I guess I got sidetracked.” Her gaze momentarily sweeps toward me.
“Well, I’ll walk you back inside. I wanted to say hi to Chris anyway,” Cal says before turning to Taylor and placing a gentle hand on her arm. “You wanna come?”
“No, it’s okay.” She shakes her head at the suggestion. “I’ll just find our seats.”
“Okay.” He kisses her swiftly and then pulls away. “C’mon, Em.”
Emmy starts to follow, but then stops abruptly. She nears her friend and whispers something in her ear. I know she thinks she’s subtle, but I can make out some of the words. She’s asking Taylor to sit with me. Of course Taylor’s response is a sharp shake of her head and narrowing of her eyes.
Not that I blame her. I’ve never spoken to Taylor before, despite the fact that we’ve had several classes together. In fact, I may have even encouraged some teasing of her back when she was pregnant. My stomach sours. Man, I really am no better than Ashley.
“Um…” I wring my hands in front of me. “I should go find a seat while there are still some available.” No way am I sticking around to be rejected by Taylor.
Emmy nods, reaching for Taylor’s arm. “Taylor will sit with you.”
Taylor blows out a frustrated breath and tosses an incredulous look toward Emmy. I fight against the hysterical chuckle that pushes at my lips as I take in the absurdity of this conversation. The fact that I’m the reject in this group is so laughable it’s making me feel like I’ve
lost my mind.
“It’s fine,” I say. “You don’t have to.” The last thing I want is pity, especially from Taylor and Emmy. I’m Talia Smith, queen bee of Prairie Creek High. I don’t need Emmy to force Taylor to sit with me. She should want to sit with me. Besides, I’m only doing this as a favor to Josh. After today, I’ll never have to socialize with any of these people again.
“She insists.” Emmy yanks on her friend’s arm, guiding her forward. “See you both in a bit,” Emmy says before scurrying off.
Exhaling, I march forward with Taylor following closely at my heels.
***
I’ve always loved weddings, and I’ve often dreamt of mine. However, I won’t be getting married at the rose garden or at Prairie Creek Christian Church. I want my wedding to be somewhere different, exotic, somewhere far from here. Perhaps on the beach, where I can wear a flowy dress and walk barefoot across the sand. Instead of music, the roaring of the waves will be sufficient.
Still, the rose garden is a pretty venue, covered in bright-colored roses, the grass a vibrant green. Too bad all this foliage is kicking up my allergies. After letting out a tiny sneeze, I wipe my nose and lift my head as Chris escorts Emmy down the aisle. The way he keeps throwing adoring glances her way causes envy to ripple through me. It’s not that I’ve ever wanted Chris. I just want someone to look at me like that.
Next, Josh escorts Maise down the aisle. I figured she’d be the maid of honor. She and Olivia have been best friends for years. I like Maise. Not that I really know her. But I’ve read some of her books, and I’ve enjoyed them. And she’s always struck me as a cool person, albeit a little flaky.