Page 2 of Three Pucking Wedding Dates

“Life is full of disappointments, Oakley,” Tina replies coldly. “It’s time you grew up and faced reality.”

“Reality?” I retort, shaking my head. “Reality is that you don’t care about anyone but yourself, Tina. You or Georgia. You want everyone to follow your twisted narrative, but I won’t be part of it. I’m not going.”

“Enough!” Tina’s voice rises, and I can see the ice in her blue eyes beginning to crack. “You’re being selfish and immature.”

“Me? Selfish?” I sputter with disbelief. “You have some nerve!”

“Oakley!” A firm hand grips my shoulder, and I turn to find my father standing beside me. His face is creased with concern, and his eyes plead for understanding. “Calm down, sweetheart. This isn’t helping anyone.”

“But, Dad…” I start to protest, but he shakes his head firmly.

“Come with me,” he says quietly, guiding me away from the confrontation. As we retreat to a quieter corner of the house, I can still feel Tina’s icy stare on my back.

They’re the ones being unreasonable, yet I feel like I’m the one being punished.

“Oakley, I know it’s hard,” my dad says gently, wrapping an arm around my shoulders once it’s just the two of us. “But you need to find a way to get along with them. We’re all family.”

“Family?” I scoff, echoing my earlier words. “What kind of family does this to each other? They’re not my family, Dad.”

“Life is messy, Oakley,” he replies with a sigh. “And people aren’t always fair, but we have to keep moving forward.”

I frown as I struggle to find the words to express my frustration. “It’s just so unfair, Dad,” I finally manage, my voice cracking.

“I know, sweetheart.” He looks at me with sympathy in his eyes. “But trust me, you’re better off without Dan. Wouldn’t you rather find that out now than later? You deserve so much more than what he could ever give you. Let him be with Georgia. Let him be her problem.”

“Maybe,” I say hesitantly, not entirely convinced. But then I think about Georgia, her smug smile and growing belly, and a spark of defiance ignites within me. “You’re right. Let her have him. I didn’t want to marry him anyways.”

“That’s my girl.” Dad smiles, his face softening. “Now, the best way to get back at someone is to show them that you’re not affected, so you’re going to go back in there, congratulate them, and accept their invitation.”

“But, Dad…”

“If you don’t want to do it to be the bigger person, then do it for me…to maintain the peace.”

I look at my dad, a part of me still desperately wanting to say no. But I can’t say no to him, not when he’s done everything for me my entire life. I still don’t understand how he could pick someone like Tina, someone who’s the complete opposite of how my mother was, but I guess it’s not for me to understand.

I’ll never do another favor like this for him again.

“Fine.”

He smiles and rubs my cheek. “That’s my girl.”

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the unpleasant task ahead, and follow my father back into the lion’s den. The tension in the room is palpable as we approach Georgia and Dan, both of them wearing wary expressions.As if I’m the problem.

“Congratulations on your upcoming wedding,” I say through gritted teeth, forcing a smile that I know doesn’t reach my eyes. My resentment simmers beneath the surface, like a pot about to boil over.

“Thank you, Oakley,” Georgia replies, her voice dripping with false sweetness. Dan simply nods, his gaze never quite meeting mine. “You may actually have fun if you manage to find a date.”

Manage to find?What, as if I can’t find a guy to go with me? The taste of bile lingers in my mouth as I try to force a smile and pretend everything is okay.

My hands ball into fists at my sides, but before I can stop myself, the words escape my lips. “Actually, Georgia, I’ll be taking not one, butthreedates to your wedding,” I snap, glaring daggers at her. Her eyes widen in surprise, and I feel the slightest hint of satisfaction at catching her off guard.

“Three dates?” Dan chimes in, his voice dripping with disbelief. “You must be joking.”

“Does it look like I’m joking?” I challenge, raising an eyebrow and daring him to question me further. The room falls silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. “I hope you didn’t think you were my only choice all those years.”

Dan’s nose wrinkles, and I’m happy to see the expression on his face.

“That doesn’t sound very ladylike,” Tina comments, her nose upturned toward me.

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