Page 100 of The One I Love
Amelia looks over to me for help, which I don’t know how to give her right now. This is like being able to see the car accident in progress but not being able to do a damn thing to stop it.
“Mom. Tammy. How about we take a breath? Maybe go back to Amelia’s house and sit down and talk. Away from all of the craziness.”
“We will, but we need to get this all rolling,” Barb says. “Mona!”
Mona turns toward my mom, six plates somehow balanced on her arms. “Yeah?”
“Hold a spot for me for the groom’s cake. I know Shane loves your red velvet. I’ll call you later and let you know the date.”
“You got it!”
“Mom, I don’t think we’ll?—”
“You shush,” Mom says to me after she gives me a kiss on the check. “We’ll be over early next week so we can start going over everything. But you two just sit back and relax. Tammy and I have this all under control.”
I stand, slack-jawed, as our mothers walk out of Mona’s hugging everyone who congratulates them. Amelia and I don’t move. How can we? I’m trying to process everything that’s just happened, and, oh yeah, we’re still in the diner, where everyone thinks we’re engaged.
I see Simon, Luke, and Mariah walk toward us, concerned looks on their faces.
“What just happened?” Mariah asks.
“I have no idea, Pipsqueak. I have no idea.”
Chapter 30
Amelia
I pacewhen I’m nervous. Or stressed. Or feel like I’m not in control of a situation. Needless to say, I’ve made so many laps around my living room in the past hour that I’m pretty sure I’ve walked a marathon.
“What in the hell just happened?”
I’m asking the question out loud, but I don’t expect Shane to have an answer. He looks just as lost and confused as I do. Only he doesn’t pace. He sits and stares at the floor with his hands clasped.
“Mom? Shane? We have another problem.”
I roll my eyes in frustration as Mariah comes down the stairs. “What now?”
“Grandma and Shane’s mom created a Facebook event for your official engagement party. They’ve invited the whole town. And they’re asking for people to submit pictures of both of you over the years for their slideshow.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!”
I plop down on the couch next to Shane. I can’t paceanymore. I feel like this is a freaking tornado, and we’re caught in the twister.
“Thanks, sweetie,” I say. “Can you give Shane and I a minute? Also see if Oliver has RSVP’d? He still doesn’t know because this keeps spinning out of damn control.”
“On it. I’ll hack into their Facebooks. I’m pretty sure Grandma’s password is her birthday or something. I can also change the settings to cancel it, but for Grandma to still think it’s there. Anything else?”
“See if anyone posted pictures of today and get rid of them. Any means necessary.” I realize that yes, I’m telling my child to violate someone’s privacy. But at least she’s using her powers for good.
Mariah gives me a nod as she heads back upstairs. When I look over to Shane, he seems even more defeated than just a minute ago.
“An engagement party? Shane, what in the world is going on?”
He slowly sits up and looks at me, and my heart immediately hurts from the sadness in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s not. I’m in this as well,” I say as I hold open my arms. He comes into them, and for a minute we just sit like this, comforting each other. For the first time in what feels like hours, I feel some sort of peace.
Then I see the ring still on my finger. In the chaos I must have forgotten to take it off.
