Page 124 of When Wrecked Meets Ruined
“Ugh. I don’t know. My brothers think they are. Coincidentally, they both ended a relationship a few months ago.”
“Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence. Maybe this is their second chance.”
“My mom still lives in Cypress Springs. My dad lives here. I’ve watched him go through a lot of women over the years.”
“Maybe none of them meant anything to him.”
“Maybe.”
I wondered if it was possible… could they have their second chance after all these years?
Was I thinking about her parents? Or about Ridge and me? I plucked a mint leaf from my drink and chewed on it, contemplating. It had been four years and seven months since I last saw him, and I had no idea how he would react when we were in the same room again. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be pretty.
“So, sure, I want our wedding day to be amazing and perfect,” Quinn said. “But even if it isn’t, I’m marrying the man I love. The only man I’ve ever loved. And I get to spend the rest of my life with him. So, I talked myself down from the ledge, and I went surfing. And I thought about how lucky I am and how none of the little things really matter. Our wedding is only one day, but our marriage is for a lifetime.”
I looked at my friend, who had been by my side through thick and thin since the sixth grade. It didn’t matter that we’d gone our separate ways in life or lived over a thousand miles away from each other. She was still my best friend. My person. She was still the girl with stars in her eyes and a heart as big as Texas.
An optimist. A romantic. A girl who had gone after her dreams and made them come true.
“I would totally be gay for you. Any chance I can knock Jesse out of the running?” I folded my hands in prayer. “Tell me it’s not too late.”
She sighed dramatically and put her hand over her heart. “I would be gay for you too. But I already bought the dress. And Jesse tattooed his name over my heart and made me promise I’d never cheat on him.”
“Ugh. Men. They’re so possessive.”
“Yep. Guess I’m stuck with the old ball and chain.”
We both cracked up. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. It felt good. Carefree and easy.
I couldn’t believe I was here. In California. In this beautiful life. I settled back in my seat and reminded myself to breathe. I felt my tension ebbing away and my shoulders relaxing.
“I keep waiting for you to ask,” Quinn said, giving me a pointed look.
I knew what she was referring to.
The elephant on the roof.
There were a million things I wanted to know, but only one of them was pressing. “Is he…” I cleared my throat and tried to pass it off as casual interest like I didn’t care one way or the other. “Is he bringing a date?”
“No. I told him he wasn’t allowed.”
A laugh burst out of me. “He wasn’t allowed?”
“Nope,” she said with a triumphant grin.
I breathed a sigh of relief, but then I wondered if he’dwantedto bring a date.
Did he have someone special in his life?
Did he ever ask about me, or had he forgotten all about me?
“Anything else you want to know?” Quinn prompted.
I wanted to know a million things. But I shook my head, and I didn’t ask.
Not that day or the next.
CHAPTERFORTY-FIVE
