Page 101 of Offside Angel

“Tablecloths,” Taylor drawls. “You thought of that last night, texted me in a panic, and I bought some at Home Goods on my way over this morning. There are only four tables, so I won’t even ask for reimbursement. I am nothing if not generous.”

I sigh, but it does nothing to loosen the knot of anxiety in my chest. Even with all of the help I’ve had at my disposal, it’s been there all week.

“Girl, breathe.” Taylor inhales slowly and exhales, but I can’t even pretend to follow her. It’s hard when I’m too busy hyperventilating.

Me being on the verge of a mental breakdown is why Jemma and Rachelle decided to be anywhere other than this room, I’m sure. That… and I asked them to double-check that all of the bulbs in the string lights are working.

The realization hits me all at once.

“Oh, God, I’m a bridezilla! I need to go grab Jemma and Rachelle. They should be in here, not working in the backyard.”

Taylor blocks my path to the door and shakes my shoulders. “Don’t make me slap you, Mira. It will smear your makeup.”

“And it would hurt.”

“And it would hurt,” she agrees. “Though that’s not my main objection. Also, it’s your wedding day and the only thing I should be doing is pinching you because you feel like you’re in a dream! That’s the kind of blood, sweat, and tears I’ve put into calling up every favor I’ve been saving with businesses all over the city to make this wedding happen on time.”

“God, you’re right.” I go to clap my hands over my face, but I stop when I remember the painstaking work the makeup artist put into my eyeshadow. So I end up staring at my palms. “Everyone has put so much work into this, and I’m so stressed I haven’t even thanked you all.”

Taylor wrenches my hands away. “No, you’re so stressed that you haven’t even enjoyed it! You’ve gotta stop and smell the flowers, Mimi.”

She leads me towards the tall, gold-framed standing mirror in the corner of the guest room we’ve commandeered as the Bridal Suite.

Zane and a horde of hockey players moved most of our stuff from the condo to the new house a couple days ago. Most of the boxes are unpacked, but this room was left intentionally bare. Today, when I arrived, there was a velvet sofa, the gilded mirror, and the softest robe I’ve ever felt in my life. From Z was the only thing written on the note left behind.

Zane stayed over at Daniel’s last night. It’s only been eighteen hours since I last saw him, but it’s almost embarrassing how much I miss him.

Taylor jerks me to a stop in front of the mirror and stands over my shoulder. “Look at yourself.”

For the first time all day, I do just that.

There wasn’t time for a custom wedding dress, but I found the perfect off-the-rack gown at the first boutique we went to. Zane loves my sundresses so much that I went for something without a lot of structure. Sheer tulle straps flow into a lace bodice with floral appliques that trail down the flowing skirt. Even if I’d had a full year to search for a dress, I still think this is the one I would have chosen.

The makeup artist took my half-sarcastic direction of “totally natural, but ethereal and flawless and angelic” very seriously. My skin is glowing. And for the first time in a week, my hair is in thick waves over my shoulders instead of a tangled knot on top of my head.

I smile. “I look?—”

“Absolutely fuckable,” Taylor finishes. “Too hot to handle.”

“Taylor!”

She shrugs shamelessly. “I call ‘em like I see ‘em, darling, and Zane is going to lose his mind when he sees you.”

At that moment, someone knocks on the door. Taylor throws herself in front of me like a shield. “I don’t care how convincing you think you are, lover boy, you can’t see her until the wedding!”

“What? Zane has been trying to see me?” I instinctively start to look for my phone before I remember Taylor stripped it off of me first thing this morning. The same way Daniel, apparently, stole Zane’s phone.

The door cracks open and Daniel’s face appears. “It’s just me and—” His eyes go wide at the sight of Taylor in her bridesmaid dress. Taylor chose the strapless version of the silk rose dresses I selected and Daniel seems to approve wholeheartedly. “You are a goddess, Tay. Absolutely gorgeous.”

“You’re supposed to compliment the bride, idiot.” Taylor rolls her eyes, but her cheeks are a brighter pink than they were a second ago.

Daniel pivots to smile at me. “You are radiant, Mira. Can we come in?”

“‘We’?”

He throws the door wide to reveal that my hallway is absolutely stuffed to the brim with a thousand pounds’ worth of hockey players.

“We aren’t supposed to see her!” Davis covers his own eyes and throws a hand over Reeves’s while he’s at it.

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