Page 1 of Lyrical

Isnatched the heart-shaped box out of Perry’s lap, earning me a stuck-out tongue.

“Pay attention,” I said. Bridal books and magazines were circled all around me. “I’m taking this more seriously than you.”

She grabbed her chocolates back, giving me a look that’d put a toddler to shame, and popped one in her mouth with the wrapper still on.

“Ugh,” she garbled, pulling the black paper through her lips.

“Serves you right.”

I slid a heavy book across the floor and it smacked into her knees. I was sitting cross-legged on my living room floor, cold oak hardwood under me, and the least she could do was try to pretend she was interested.

Perry sighed and picked up the hardback, rifling through it. “Seriously, Jills?” She flipped the book around, showing me an inside page of a woman wearing a bridal safari hat. “This is what you want me to wear?”

“No, what I want is to know what your damn problem is.”

My voice rose higher than intended, and from an outsider peeking in, it’d appear like I was the bridezilla, and she was the maid of honor trying to calm me down before I breathed enough fire to incinerate the place.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just not that into it right now.”

“You don’t have the luxury not to be into it, Perry. This wedding is less than four months away, and it’s going to happen whether you’re ready or not.” I stuck my finger towards her face. “And I suggest you get ready. Got it?”

I took a deep breath. I needed to take a step back and chill something other than my ass. I definitelywastaking all this more seriously. Maybe too seriously, but really? The only thing we’d managed to accomplish so far was narrow down a dress and scarcely avoid getting kicked out of another bakery. There was only so much cake they’d allow you to sample, claiming to be undecided.

Something was up, and she wasn’t divulging. I picked up a magazine, paging through. I’d taken time off work to get these details nailed down, not to watch her scarf on two-week-old Valentine’s Day candy while I lost my shit.

“What do you think about this for a bouquet?” I flashed her one of the glossy inserts. “Gorgeous, don’t you think?”

She glanced up to see me holding an advertisement for allergy meds, featuring a large bundle of ragweed.

“Yeah, that’d be fine.”

She said it with a straight face, and I refrained from throwing it at her head. She was finally getting married to my brother after six-and-a-half years—the frickin’ love of her life—and it should be a monumental occasion for more than just one person in this room.

“Dammit, Perry.” I stood up, crossing my arms and towering over her. “You’d better start talking right now or—”

I had to sit back down; I felt a bit faint. Oh my God. What if she was having second thoughts? Was the impossible actually possible? What if she’d fallen out of love and it’d happened without me realizing it? Holy fuck. They were my favorite ‘together forever, happily-ever-after’ couple. Well, one of them, but—

“Ow!” I rubbed between my brows, noticing the culprit that had homed in right on my monster-sized line. I picked up the nut-spiked chocolate ball. Man, those things were sharp. It was like a little mace weapon. “What the hell?”

“Sorry, Jills. Had to do it. I saw that look on your face, and I knew exactly what you were thinking. And shame on you. How could you? You’re supposed to be my best friend.”

I scooted over and put my hand on her leg. “God, I’m sorry, Perry. But you really are acting weird here. Have been for weeks and you’re not filling me in, which is so unlike you.”

“That’s because I don’t know myself, but I swear it’s nothing bad. Honest. I still can’t imagine anything other than being with Stephen forever, and I still can’t wait to get married, but… I don’t know. Maybe I’m just getting bored with it all?”

“Bored?” My mouth dropped. “I thought this was supposed to be your dream wedding with your dream guy.Bored?”

“Maybe that was the wrong word. Overwhelmed?”

“Overwhelmed? I’ve been doing everything. Making phone calls, researching venues, dropping everything at a moment’s notice to go on your emergency cake-testing missions.”

“Hmm… okay, maybe overwhelmed isn’t quite right either. But isn’t it your maid-of-honorly duty to do whatever I want so I can rest up and look pretty for my big day?”

She gave me a sweet smile, and I gave her back a look that showed exactly what I thought about that. She parted with her sugar, setting the box aside and giving me a hug.

“I’m sorry, Jills. I’ll start getting more into it. I swear.”

“But shouldn’t it come automatically? Not something you have to force.”

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