Page 2 of Fear of Love
“We’ve been talking about it, actually.” Mila played with the stem of her champagne glass. “We both want to get married, but we don’t want to overshadow Josie and Wyatt’s big day. So, maybe in a year or so.”
“That’s exciting, though,” I added, even though the thought of walking down the aisle made my heart drop to my stomach.
“It is. We aren’t in a rush. I mean, we’re basically married at this point. Waiting another year won’t change that.” She shrugged.
“You guys are meant for each other.” I’ve seen the way Bryton dotes on her. Never mind the fact that he looks at her like she hung the moon.
Tasha walked back through the archway, interrupting our conversation. “Oh, champagne.” She grabbed a glass from the table. “What are we talking about?”
“Mila getting engaged,” I said, sipping the pale yellow liquid.
Tasha hummed. “It’s going to happen soon. I can feel it.”
“That is, if Trevor doesn’t propose first,” Mila interjected with a wink, which only made Tasha blush.
Her chin dipped. “We haven’t been dating that long.”
“Oh, please. That guy looks at you like the world is about to end,” I snorted into my champagne glass.
Being the only single person in our friend group,I’ve had a front row seat to all my friend’s relationships. I’ve watched Wyatt bring back the light into Josie’s life by just loving all of her. I’ve watched Trevor teach Tasha it’s okay to love and to be loved. And I’ve watched Bryton treat Mila like a goddess that she is.
I’ve been friends with the girls long enough to see them get into healthy relationships. From the moment she walked into my office, I had a feeling Josie would leave a lasting impression. Our friendship began after I hired her as a photographer for my magazine. With her infectious personality, it was impossible not to love her.
It took no time for Josie to introduce me to Tasha and bring me into their little group. Meeting Tasha Davis was a tiny bit intimidating. Aside from the fact she’s gorgeous, with blonde hair, stunning gray eyes, and a body most models would kill for, she’s also insanely smart.
Her parents were well-known in Toronto for owning a huge law firm, which, in turn, put Tasha in the limelight. Instead of following in their footsteps to be a lawyer, she became a counselor. So along with being brilliantly beautiful and sharp-witted, she was also insanely kind.
Mila, I’ve known the shortest, but the moment we met, I knew we were going to hit it off right away. She’s one of the sweetest, funniest people and, not to mention, stunning. Her dark skin always glowed, and her curly hair made me jealous on more than one occasion. She was an event coordinator, which was how she met her boyfriend, Bryton.
I was surrounded by couples, and a seventh wheel whenever we all hung out. Seeing everyone together, happy and in love made my chest ache. While I had no plans of ever falling for someone again—not after what happened—I still felt envious of my friends and their relationships.
I rarely let anyone close, choosing to be alone over giving my heart to someone who would eventually crush it. So, instead, I’d take crashing everyone’s date nights. Thankfully, my depressing thoughts were halted when Josie walked out of the changing room.
I shoved all those thoughts back into their little box in the back of my mind.Not today.I was here to be with my friends and help Josie find the perfect dress. I didn’t need to ruin a perfectly good day by dwelling about things in the past.
At the sight of Josie in the first gown of the day, the three of us gasped. She looked absolutely breathtaking. The silk dress was stunning. It had a tight bodice that hugged her waist before draping down to the ground.
“Wow,” Josie whispered, staring at her reflection as she stepped onto the platform.
“You look amazing, Jo,” Tasha said with watery eyes.
“I really do,” Josie laughed, sniffling. She twisted and turned, taking in her appearance in the mirror. “It’s really pretty.”
“But?” I supplied. The way her brows furrowed and pinched, I could tell she wasn’t fully in love like she was supposed to be.
“I think I want something a bit more… flowy and less silky.”
“That’s perfectly fine!” Tasha said without hesitation. “You have tons of options.” She helped guide Josie back to her dressing room.
“You’re coming over for the house warming party on Sunday, right?” Mila asked a few minutes later. Part of me wanted to say no and come up with an excuse that I couldn’t, but I already bailed on the last two get-togethers. Plus, it was at Mila and Bryton’s new house they just moved into.
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“Good. Bry bought enough food to feed the whole neighborhood so everyone needs to come,” Mila said with an eye roll.
“The amount of food these men eat is beyond me.”
Watching them scarf down endless amounts of food, you’d think they hadn’t eaten in years, but with how many calories they burn a day, practicing and playing in games, it made sense. It was unfair they could eat so much without gaining a single pound.
