Page 74 of It Could Happen
“I’ve already talked with Leslie about this,” she says. “And she agrees with me.”
I glance at Leslie who nods without looking back at me.
“I’ve decided to cancel the bachelorette party,” she says. “Erica doesn’t need to worry about throwing another event for me—not right now. And my main focus should be the wedding at this point anyway. Will you back me up?”
Hell, yeah, I’ll back her up. This gets me out of a night of games and matching pajamas with Leslie.
“Of course, whatever you want.”
The sound of the door opening causes Andy to get up. Clint and Matt walk in and say hello to everyone. Matt sits down on the couch next to me.
“How are you, Tori?” he asks, leaning into me.
“I’m great. How about yourself?”
“All good now,” he says giving me a coy smile.
Well, I wasn’t prepared for that response.
“You’re funny.”
When I look up, I catch Tyler watching us curiously. Hmm … It shouldn’t bother him, considering he was engaged in a lovely conversation with Leslie when I arrived. And Matt’s a super nice guy. I enjoy talking to him.
Thankfully, Andy starts talking, which drags my attention away from Tyler.
“Okay, guys, I’m sure you all figured out that Christian isn’t a part of the wedding anymore, which means we had to rearrange the procession order. I’ve asked one of my cousins to step in as a groomsman to keep everything balanced.”
Caroline lets out a deep sigh. Obviously, they didn’t want an unbalanced bridal party. That’s probably a major wedding faux pas.
“Clint is going to stand beside me and walk with Erica,” he continues, looking to Caroline for approval.
She moves to the edge of her chair.
“Yes, and from there, Leslie will walk with Tyler, Matt with Tori, Jeannie and her husband Mark, and Rachel will now walk with Andy’s cousin Vincent.”
Leslie elbows Tyler, who gives her a quick nod. I have no doubt she’s behind that setup.
It really doesn’t matter because the wedding procession only lasts a few minutes. Everyone celebrates together at the reception.
“Obviously, we didn’t expect something like this to happen,” Caroline says, her face falling. “But, we have to make the best of the situation. Erica needs our support now more than ever.”
All of a sudden, the doorbell rings three times followed by the sound of it opening.
“I’m here, I’m here,” Erica shouts. She rushes into the living room, and her appearance is a bit startling. She isn’t the same put together Erica that I’ve come to know. She’s wearing a sweatshirt that looks about three sizes too large. Her hair is pulled up into a weird half up/half down messy bun. Her face looks pale, and she has dark shadows under her eyes. It’s totally understandable since the rug was completely pulled out from under her a few days ago.
“Sorry,” she says, digging into her bag. A few papers drop to the floor as she haphazardly pulls out her tablet.
Caroline moves toward her and places her arm around her.
“It’s okay. You didn’t miss anything.”
Tyler and I lock eyes again, and I feel a surge of adrenaline pulse through my body.
“I know, but I’m the maid of honor. I should’ve been here on time.”
Leslie stands up to help. “Relax, girl. Come sit down.”
She leads Erica to the couch and makes her sit down between her and Tyler. He pats her on the shoulder as soon as she sits.
