Page 11 of Flowers in Your Hair

“Right,” I say, remembering her text from earlier. “What’s up?”

“Shortly after you left, Zack texted me.”

My brows pinch at the mention of my ex. “Okay? What did he say?”

There’s a pause. “He asked me out on a date.”

“He what?”

“Yeah, he asked me out, and I agreed.”

I give myself a moment before I reply. Tessa knew how Zack and my relationship ended, and how he didn’t always treat me the best. “So your news is that you went on a date with him? Why did you wait six months to tell me?”

“It wasn’t just one date.” She breathes heavily. “We’ve actually been together now for five months. I’m moving in with him, so I figured now is the time to tell you.”

Shock is my first emotion. I bite my tongue of all the expletives I want to hurl her way, but I know that wouldn’t be smart. “I… I don’t really know what to say, Tessa. I’m not going to lie and say I’m not hurt by this. He didn’t treat me well. You were there when he pointed out how much weight I’d gained after starting that new birth control.”

“He’s changed, Josie. He’s a completely different person. He’s supportive, and kind, and I love him so much. And to be fair, you had gained a lot of weight.”

“That’s not the point!” Do I really need to explain this to her? “The point is that he didn’t treat me with respect, and now you are with him, and just expect me to be all hunky dory with this?” I stop myself before I say more. “I need some time to sit on this, to be okay with it. This hurts, Tessa.”

“Josie, I’m sorry, but I love him. He’s not who he was with you, and I want you to be supportive of this relationship. I think he might be the one.”

“I might have been more supportive if you hadn’t lied to me for months, Tessa. Just… I need some space, please. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to talk.”

The line is silent, and then there’s a click and a beep, letting me know that she ended the call.

Velma has curled up in my lap, seemingly sensing my discomfort, so I soak up all the love and warmth that she’s providing me. Maybe I’m being overdramatic, but the way Tessa went about this hurts. I don’t know how to reconcile the fact that the man who shot down my hopes and dreams and body shamed me more than once is dating the person who is supposed to be my best friend.

6

ANDREW

Ihop off the bus, gravel crunching under my feet with each step I take toward the reception. I was distracted the entire ride, not feeling as present on Isaac’s day as I would like to. I just couldn’t wait to get back and see Josie, see if she’s single, then hopefully ask her out on a date. If she’s single of course. If not, I’ll just walk away with my tail between my legs.

The ride was a bit hectic, with the wedding party doing shots, and the guys taking turns dancing on the built in stripper pole. Which, I mean, I did go a round on. Can you really blame a guy? I’ve already put on a wedding dress today, so it’s not like I can get any more embarrassed. Plus, it was fun.

Marley is off to our side, snapping pictures of us stumbling off the bus. Everyone is well past tipsy, and on their way to buzzed. I can feel the heaviness of alcohol in my head, but I’m determined to slow down and stay even keeled.

“Mar,” I call, moving off to stand behind her. “Have you seen Josie?” I’m careful not to disturb her too much, making sure she gets the shots of everyone having fun, and the bride and groom kissing as they step down the stairs of the party bus.

Megan has her bouquet in one hand, and a White Claw in the other. Isaac has an arm around her waist, tugging her in for a long, and… messy kiss as soon as they are on solid ground.

Marley multitasks well. “Yeah, she left about twenty minutes ago after she got everything set up. Why?” It’s hard to tell, but I think I can see the remnants of a smirk behind her camera.

“Fuck,” I curse under my breath. “I was going to talk to her. Figure out if she’s single.” With the bride and groom stepping around the side of the building for a moment alone, I now have Marley’s full attention.

“Oooh, Andrew, do you have a crush?” taunts Marley.

I stutter over my words, trying to come up with a reason as to why I don’t have a crush, but then I remember that I’m no longer in high school, and Marley could be of assistance in these circumstances.

“Yes.”

“Well, I do know this…” She draws the words out. “She told me she’s single. We were talking a bit earlier.”

Hope blooms inside my chest, my heart pounding harder with each second that passes. “Marley, you’re a genius.” I step to the left about to head toward where Isaac and Megan are, but Marley stops me, resting her hand on my arm.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

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