Page 63 of Take Me to the Wedding

“I don’t want to make Lilly feel bad. And we should get back—tonight’s the last night. I feel like I ruined the weekend for Ani.”

“I don’t think Ani’s had that great a day either,” Brax said, “but it has nothing to do with you. She’s still angry with Tyler—I guess he told Marin straight-out that her son almost got you and Sam killed.”

“He’s not wrong,” I said. But knowing Tyler, that probably didn’t come out in a civilized way. “Tater’s not a bad kid. He just needs all that boy energy directed somewhere else besides trouble.”

“That’s very generous,” Gabe said.

I shrugged. “How’s Sam doing?” I asked. I looked around. “Does anyone have my phone?”

“Lilly took it,” Brax said. “She said you were getting a lot of texts from Sam.”

Was that why she wasn’t giving it back? If that was the case, this situation was more complicated than I thought. “Sam’s okay?”

“She’s more worried about you,” Brax said. “We’ve been updating her.”

“Lilly’s also aware of you two square-dancing the night away the other night, just FYI,” Gabe said. “She’s mentioned it several times.”

Aha. I wondered if that had been what started Lilly down this path of suddenly being interested in me again. “I care about Sam,” I said.

“Sam?” Brax cleared his throat. “Sam, as innot Lilly?”

“Yes. Sam,” I said firmly.

Gabe heaved a sigh. “I speak for Brax when I say we’re both thrilled.” Across the room, Brax gave a thumbs-up as he scrolled his phone. “But be careful,” Gabe warned. “Lilly seems to be really shaken up by your near-death experience. I can see this train crashing from miles away. I don’t even need the red lights or the guard rails at a crossing.” He made flashing-light motions with his hands.

“Okay, I’m back,” Lilly said, bursting through the door. A plastic bag with more magazines hung from her wrist. In her hands, she held a drink carrier holding four coffee drinks. “I couldn’t resist a skinny chai. And as a special treat, I got you all one too. With soy milk.”

Forget the throbbing pain. I was literally going to starve to death. As I viewed Lilly, I seemed to see her for the first time. Cute, bubbly, agreeable. But not perfect. Not someone who understood who I was on the inside but who saw me as someone who needed dance lessons, nicer clothes, and a taste for vegan food.

Lilly handed me a coffee, dumped the plastic bag in my lap, and then added her massive purse and chunky sweater. “You don’t mind carrying a few things, do you?”

I held out my hand. “Only if you give me my phone back.”

“Oh, I must’ve forgotten,” Lilly said, rummaging through her purse. “Here you go.”

Funny, but the woman who gave me grief on every front, who openly said she wasn’t looking for a relationship and wouldn’t ask for help if her life depended on it was all I could think of.

“Cay, I was just so frightened,” Lilly said as the nurse wheeled me to the entrance where the guys would pull up in Gabe’s car. “I’m so relieved you’re okay. I-I’ve been thinking about what you said. How this weekend was good for us. How we needed a chance to reconnect.”

The ER nurse was getting an earful, which didn’t seem to concern Lilly. “I’m glad too,” I said. “It’s good to call youa friend.” I put as much emphasis as possible onfriend.

“A friend?” she asked, teary-eyed.

I wasn’t sure what she was getting at. Was she glad of that or… was she wanting more?

I did not want more.

This I knew. The realization came as a relief, not a disappointment.

I found my answer. “We spent a lot of years together. I’m glad we can finally put everything behind us and be friends.” I’d said thefword twice. I could only be clearer if I was cruel, and I didn’t think that was necessary. At least, I hoped more elaboration wouldn’t be.

“I mean, when I saw you fall down that hill, I-I just?—”

She got even more teary. That was another thing I’d just recalled: her emotions. So many of them. Up and down all the time.

The nurse had backed up and was now examining items in the gift shop windows behind us, undoubtedly still hearing every word.

I didn’t have an urge to comfort Lilly physically. Which also surprised me. “I’m glad you didn’t want me to die,” I said, joking. “That’s a good sign. I mean, there was a time when you probably came pretty close to feeling that way.”

---