Page 5 of Finally a Bride: Best Friend's Brother

And they were M2B…

I wrap her up in my arms and she buries her head in my shoulder. “Did you know he was thinking of…” I don’t even know how to finish the question without sounding insensitive.

She grinds her forehead into my shoulder. “No. Not at all.”

“Mallory, I’m so sorry. I wish I knew what to say, but I don’t think there’s anything to say to make this better.”

She gasps for breath. “What am I going to tell everyone?”

“Do you want to try to find him and talk?” Maybe she can head this off before she has to tell everyone.

Her head shakes back and forth. “You know Cedric, when he decides something, he’s thought it through and no one’s changing his mind. Well, except about marrying me, apparently. He’s always telling me that new information is valued information. I guess he had new information that he wasn’t ready? Happy? Fuck, I don’t know what he is, other than coming.” She stands and paces, the strong woman returning. “Damn lawyer training. There’s no talking to him. He’s already done the pros and cons and presented the closing arguments in his head. The fact that he made Vander do his dirty work is something I wouldn’t have expected, but…” her chest hiccups, “I just know it’s a done deal. I can’t believe he waited.”

She plops down next to me. “I’m so numb. It doesn’t seem real. Maybe it’s just a joke. A really shitty joke, but maybe if I text him…”

It’s the grieving process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I’ve seen it in my job as a counselor. There’s no timeline for each stage, but man, that first one can a bitch.

I can’t stop the tears. I physically hurt for my friend.

She looks at her phone. “Well, that’s not happening.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. This is on Cedric. He could’ve come to me long ago. He’s so good at hiding secrets. I should’ve been prepared, but fuck, I’m blindsided.”

She woke up today and had no idea that her dreams were going to be crushed. Her heart probably feels like it’ll stop.

If they weren’t meant to be, can I really believe that anyone is?

And do I really want to chance feeling like this?

McCabe

The gazebo is built. Not without a lot of bitching and moaning on both sides. My father’s method is find a piece and try to make it work. Mine is find the instructions and follow them. I won out when he dropped a four-by-four post on his foot and had to hobble around.

Yes, I chuckled a little. Seeing him not perfect reminds me that no one has to be.

I enter the hall and the feeling has changed. People are standing around and whispering to each other. It’s not the frantic, pre-event action of before.

My eyes scan for my sister… who am I kidding? I’m looking for the woman. The woman with the smirky smile that I can’t get out of my head.

I find one of Mallory’s bridesmaids and walk over. I remember her with her red hair and smile that used to have silver braces, all perfectly aligned now.

“Hey, Sonja, do you know where Mallory went?”

She looks to the woman on her right and she nods. “She and Ella went into the women’s lounge. It’s been a while since they went in there. We think something’s wrong.”

I take out on a dead sprint. I left when my sister was going into high school and I missed so much of her life, but if there’s something wrong, I’m here to make it right.

I swing open the door and the mystery woman is rocking her in her arms. “What’s wrong?”

Mallory looks up and her eyes are rings of red and black from mascara and I just know… it’s not happening.

I ball my fists and if that asshole was here, he’d be on the…

Nope, that’s not me anymore. But I’d make an exception.

“Mal, oh fuck. Cedric bailed?”

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