Page 62 of That Secret Something

“Got anything stronger?”

Oh damn. This must be bad.

Did she know? No. Of course not. If she did, the welcome wagon would’ve involved a few screams and a broken nail or two, I was sure.

I swallowed. Everything is fine. Relax. “Wine? Gin?”

“Gin. Lots of it.”

I nodded, unable to stop the dread building in my stomach. Was this a different type of raid, perhaps? Was she going to get me when my defences were down? Question me about Rebecca?

Oh god, I’m not ready for this.

I scurried to the kitchen, kicking Rebecca’s shirt under the chair as I passed, and pulled the gin out of the cupboard, sneaking a glance behind me. But Lily hadn’t noticed; she was too busy staring into space.

My heart squeezed at the sadness on her face. Something must be really bothering her. Stop being paranoid and focus on your friend. Not everything is about you, Jess.

I poured two glasses, one much stronger than the other, and handed the stronger to Lily. She sat down cross-legged on the rug, reminding me somewhat of when we were teenagers and used to hang out in her room, gossiping about school and crushes and things that didn’t seem important now.

A part of me missed those simpler times. Thinking about it, I couldn’t remember the last time we’d just enjoyed each other’s company and hadn’t talked about the wedding.

I took a seat on the rug opposite her, despite the sofa being free, and sipped my drink. The cool liquid soothed my throat, taking the edge off ever so slightly.

Lily knocked back three strong gulps and let out a satisfied gasp. “Thank you.”

I studied her face. Dark bags were grouped under her eyes, and a deep frown line was etched between them. She seemed to have aged thirty years overnight.

“Lily, talk to me. You’re scaring me a little now.”

She sighed. “I don’t know, Jess. I just didn’t expect to feel like this, you know? Getting married is supposed to be the best day of my life. So why do I feel so…dejected?” Her blue eyes flicked to mine. “Is it worth all this stress for just one day? I used to think differently, but now…” She trailed off, focusing on something behind me.

I prayed that Rebecca hadn’t left any more of her things lying around. Focus, Jess.

“Weddings are very stressful, that’s true,” I said. “But don’t let stress ruin it for you. Remember what’s at the heart of the day. What’s really important is you and Tyler. You two are meant to be together; all the rest doesn’t really matter.”

“Doesn’t matter? Of course it matters.”

“To who?”

Her gaze switched back to me, but she didn’t say anything.

“You have to do what makes you happy. Forget about what anyone else wants.”

She combed a hand through her hair, another long sigh escaping her mouth. “I think I’ve been going a bit overboard,” she admitted quietly. “All this with Erica Lundwood just seems stupid now. I don’t know why I let myself get so worked up about it. I just wanted to have the best wedding day possible, to outclass her. But why? Why do I even care about her? You’re right, I don’t really. Not when I think about it properly.”

“You two did always have this weird competition thing going on. Maybe it’s time to let that go. Just focus on you, and that should take some pressure off. Everyone who’s going to your wedding is there for you and Tyler. All the rest is just…stuff.”

She nodded and took another sip. “You’re right. That poor boy. I’ve been an absolute witch recently.” We both shared a laugh, and then she continued, “Remind me about this conversation when I’m thinking about divorcing him in a few years.”

“Noted. Have I mentioned that divorce parties are actually becoming more popular?”

A smile played on her lips. “Tempting.”

We finished our drinks, and I went and fetched two more.

“So, anything else stressing you?” I asked. “Let me help.”

“You’re already doing such a great job. I feel like I haven’t been here for you, Jess. I don’t know anything that’s going on in your life.”

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