Page 116 of The One I Love
It’s why I put off leaving Paul. It’s why I kept delaying my talk with Shane. And it’s why I’m just now sitting down with my mom and Barb to tell them that there is no wedding. At least for now.
Hopefully that’s true.
When I told Shane the ball was in his court, I knew he’d need a few days. I didn’t expect a week. Now with every day that goes by, I’m getting more and more scared that he’s taking my words as an ultimatum. And I never meant that. I just wanted him to think about things, to take a step back to see the bigger picture.
But what if that bigger picture is him and I not together?
“Don’t freak out,” I tell myself as I see my mom’s car pull into the driveway, Barb sitting in the front seat next to her. I called them over today because no matter what Shane decides, I have to tell them there’s not going to be a wedding, and there never was an engagement.
And there might not be an us.
I didn’t want to tell them without Shane, but my hands are tied. They had Whitley make appointments to look at venues today. Dresses, flowers, and DJs were one thing, but venues? I know if there is a date available, money would be put down. They wouldn’t even blink twice. And we can’t have that.
“Hello? Amelia? Are you ready?”
“In the kitchen, Mom.”
I sit at my table, clasping my third cup of coffee of the morning like my life depends on it.
“Amelia? Why aren’t you dressed? We have to be at the banquet hall in a half hour.”
I look up to Mom and Barb, who each look concerned as I sit at my kitchen table, still in my pajamas. “Have a seat. I need to talk to you both.”
“Is everything okay?”
I shake my head as they each take a seat. “No. Yes. I don’t know.”
Mom reaches for my hand. “Amelia, you’re scaring me. What’s the matter?”
“Mom. Barb. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it, dear?” Barb takes my other hand. “No matter what you say, we’re here for you. And for Shane. Where is that son of mine, anyway?”
I don’t answer the last part of her question. “It’s about the engagement.”
“Is it about the party?” Mom asks. “I know many haven’t RSVP’d, but we’ll fix that. You know the whole town wants to be there. Apparently, something happened on Facebook and no one can see it. It’s very odd.”
“It’s not that, Mom. It’s…” Here goes nothing. “There is no engagement.”
“Excuse me?”
I look to Barb, whose eyes are abnormally large right now. “The engagement. It’s off. Well, it was never on. But it’s off.”
“Amelia, why are you speaking nonsense?”
“It’s more than nonsense, Tammy. It’s plain cruel,” Barb says. “How dare you joke about something like that!”
“I’m not joking. We’re not engaged. We never were. It was a lie.”
They both release my hands like it’s burning them. I look over to Barb, who seems shocked. Then there’s my mom, who looks like she’s about to cry.
Fuck, I knew this was going to be bad. But it’s my own fault for letting it get this far. Hell, for even suggesting we do this in the first place. These are the consequences of my actions.
“How can it be a lie?” Mom says. “You both are…the way you look at each other…”
“He put a picture of you on his mantel!” Barb yells. “Of course you two are getting married!”
“Because we’retogether,” I say. “We aren’t getting married, but we are together. Well, at least I think we are.”
