Page 93 of Resistance Training
Then Aubrey stands up and gives me a hug, and I stage-whisper into her ear, “I just realized you totally planned for it to rain on your outdoor wedding so no one would be able to tell when you were crying.”
She pulls back and frowns at me. And then she smirks. “No regrets. My hair looks amazing when it’s wet.”
“It really does. And don’t worry.” I take her hands in mine. “Your secret’s safe with me, you witch.”
She looks behind me and sighs. “You should see the way he looks at you, Vivi,” she says, clearing her throat. And that’s when I know for sure that she is going to cry. “He’s always watching out for you. He loves you so much. You know that, right?”
“I do.”
“I’m so glad.” She touches my face as mascara-stained tears stream down hers. “I’m so glad you got this second chance.”
“It’s all because of you—don’t cry. How is your mascara not waterproof?”
She waves her hand dismissively, sniffling. “I don’t even care. You’re really for-real happy now, aren’t you?”
“So happy.” I reach for a napkin to dab at her cheeks.
“It’s all I wanted. You deserve to be so happy.”
“I know. Stop crying. I don’t like it.”
“Okay. Is my face a mess now?”
“No, you look so beautiful.” I dab beneath her eyes one more time. “This is how the kids are wearing eye makeup now, so as always, you are right and perfect.”
She inhales and sighs. “Yeah.”
Eric’s best man taps at his glass, so Aubrey and I take our seats.
I stare across two tables, at Bradley. Granny and her boyfriend are talking his ear off, and he’s nodding and laughing but smiling at me. He’s doing that thing where I always feel like he’s with me, even though we have to sit at different tables during dinner. He does make me feel so comfortable. We’re still in the blissful new part of dating, but since we knew each other for years when we were teenagers, despite all that time apart, it still feels very cozy when we’re alone together.
I even tooted once after eating a breakfast burrito a couple of Sundays ago, and instead of being mortified like I would have been around Jeremy for the entire two years we lived together, I thought of what Aubrey had said about being comfortable with Eric and I looked directly at Bradley and laughed. He also laughed. So far he has not tooted around me, which makes me angry. The good news is we know a lot of fun ways to work through our anger.
When the toasts are over and Aubrey is dancing with Dad to “Steal My Girl” by One Direction, because she didn’t want to cry, I get up to join Brad at his table. As I pass by Jeremy’s end of the head table to get there, he nods at me again. I nod back. This has been the extent of our conversations this weekend, and it’s really all we need to say to each other at this point. Before I reach my destination, I feel a tap on my arm and turn to find Duckface looking at me.
I had only ever seen her in pictures before, and in every single one of them she was making a model-y duckface. Apparently that’s just her face. “Hi. I’m Langley.”
“I figured—hi. Nice to meet you.” I hold out my hand to shake hers, and she takes it.
Her hand is smooth and cold, as expected, but she seems nice enough.
In my peripheral vision I can see Brad sauntering over, slowly, staying slightly out of the way, just being nearby in case I need him. Or in case he decides I need him.
Langley keeps glancing over at him, because of course she does. But she says to me, “I just wanted to thank you for saying what you said in your speech. It was kind of you. I was really nervous about coming to this event. I almost didn’t.”
“Oh, well, I’m glad you did. I hope you’re having a good time.”
She scans my expression, because my tone suggested I wasn’t only asking about the wedding. Blinking, she lowers her chin and tucks her hair behind her ear and says, “Of course. Everything’s perfect.”
“Okay. Great. Well, enjoy the rest of your night.” I give her arm a little consoling rub, because I actually kind of feel sorry for the lying, cheating duckface.
Brad takes two strides and he’s by my side with his arm around my waist. “She definitely looked like she wanted to run away screaming.”
“Huh?”
“Because you’re so hot.”
“What are you talking about, you nutjob?” I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his neck.
