Page 59 of Love Letter Lost
Audrey and Chloe gave me questioning looks from where they stood near the food table, and I shook my head. Tonight was about Livvy. My fight with my mother could wait.
“You’re here now, and that’s what matters.” Amber called from where she sat on the couch. Her face was covered in a light blue face mask, her hair clipped up in a lopsided mess on her head. In my opinion, it was the best she’d ever looked.
I quickly changed into my pajamas and joined in the fun. I painted my toenails while I listened to the girls quiz Livvy about her honeymoon plans. They were flying to Japan for two weeks to meet David’s extended family. The evening passed in a junk food, pampering haze, and the ache in my heart eased as I forgot about my mess of a personal life.
“Time for the best part,” Livvy called as the activities wound down. “Who’s up for Truth or Dare?”
Several girls groaned.
“We’re not 12 anymore,” one of Livvy’s bridesmaids said with a laugh.
“Besides, what would we dare?” Chloe asked. “We’re adults. Anything even remotely interesting would be illegal.”
“Fine,” Livvy replied, her lips still quirked in a grin. “How about we just play Truth?”
I hesitated, worried where the conversation might go, but when everyone, agreed I knew there was no way out. Instead, I settled on the couch between Audrey and Chloe and hoped the game would quickly lose its appeal.
“I’ll go first, since I’m the bride.” Livvy tapped her finger on her chin as she looked over the group before settling on someone. “All right, Cami,” a red-headed girl I vaguely recognized from Livvy’s high school photos jumped. “Who was your first kiss?”
Cami turned bright red before ducking her head. Finally, she responded. “Ian Evans.”
A shriek escaped the group, more questions following. Cami simply shook her head. “I’m not giving details. It’s someone else’s turn to answer a question.”
The game continued for several minutes with questions ranging from first kisses to worst dates and beyond. I had started to relax when Amber was asked a question.
The questioner was Kristy, a petite Native American girl Livvy had met in college. “We all saw you with the gorgeous Ridge Matthews. How serious are you two?”
The other girls nodded and turned to watch Amber as she answered.
Amber, who had since washed off the mask and returned her hair to some semblance of normal, smiled. “Well, nothing’s official, but I have a feeling it’s about to become a permanent situation.”
The other girls gasped and clapped their hands. Amber beamed under the attention.
“You’re so lucky.” This came from a brunette whose name I couldn’t remember.
“Any idea when it’ll be official?” Chloe asked, shifting closer to me on the couch.
“It could happen any day.” Amber gave a delicate shrug. “We did some ring shopping a couple weeks back. Ridge has excellent taste.”
The other girls shrieked and cheered as I sat back, trying to forget the large diamond ring Ridge had shown me. A rushing sound, like the buzzing of a saw, filled my ears, drowning out the conversation.
“Mallory?” Amber pulled me from my thoughts.
All the girls were watching me, curious looks on their faces.
“Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. What did you say?”
“It’s your turn to answer a question.” Amber gave me a wide grin and I felt my stomach clench. “Tell us the story of your first kiss.”
I paused a moment, debating. I could lie. I could write Ridge out of my life right now. Ignore the past. If he was marrying Amber anyway, did it really matter? But then Jefferson’s words about regretting the things left unsaid filled my mind. Maybe it was time to live with one less regret.
I looked over to see Livvy watching me, her eyebrows pinched together in concern. She was the only person in the room, outside of my roommates, who knew the story. She understood my hesitation, but I wasn’t hesitating anymore.
“It was prom, my senior year of high school.” Each word brought me closer to the big reveal. The tension in the room built, as if the others could tell this was more than a simple first kiss story. “After the dance, we drove to a park and sat on the swings, watching the stars. When we stood up, he pulled me close and kissed me. It felt like a movie.”
“You never told us his name,” Kristy observed.
“Who was it?” Cami asked.
