Page 63 of Raise The Bar
Were my arm not firmly being held by Amos, I’m certain I would have face-planted into the lush carpet. I steady myself with his help.
“I’m fine. Sorry. I don’t wear heels often,” I lie. My eyes dart back to the sea of faces to make sure I didn’t hallucinate him. Unfortunately, I did not. There in the crowd, right where I first spotted him, is Mark. His iron gaze is locked on mine and it takes all my strength to keep going forward. I’m grateful that Amos is still holding on to me tightly, as if he thinks I may trip again.
Why?
How?
Why?
I have no idea why this is happening or how he got on the guestlist, but what I do know is that his presence has shaken me to my very core. I feel a wave of nausea flood my body and focus on taking slow breaths until my stomach settles.
We make it out of the room, and through the sunlit halls. Jessica leads the pack as we will be going directly outside to take more photos. Everything is a blur, but I keep putting one foot in front of the other, holding onto Amos like he’s my only tether to this mortal plane.
Finally we’re outside and I swear, fresh air has never tasted sweeter. I drink it in, filling my lungs over and over with the salty harbor air.
We are once again arranged for pictures, this time me with Amos and April with Phil. I do my best to follow directions, but I must keep losing my focus because the photographer repeatedly calls me out for being out of sync with everyone else. At one point June catches my eye and wordlessly asks if I’m okay. I nod, smiling as convincingly as I can. Before I look back at the snapping camera, my eyes meet April’s. If June was looking at me with concern, April is looking at me with nothing but smug victory.
She couldn’t have…she wouldn’t have.
I force myself to fix my face and do exactly what the photographer says. When she releases us, we begin to make our way back inside. I draw myself up to April’s side, gently pulling her away from the rest of the wedding party.
“April,” I’m unable to keep the tremble out of my voice. “Who did you invite to the wedding?”
Her answering grin is so triumphant that any lingering doubt in my head has been vanquished. “Are you having fun yet, Magpie?” I always thought April was a spoiled, pain in the ass, but at this moment there is something darker, much more cruel in her smile. She’s Maleficent, Cruella Deville, and Ursula all rolled into one.
“Why?”
“Why not?” she shrugs, still smiling. “Weddings are boring and I knew Junie’s would be no different. I just wanted to liven things up.” She pulls her arm out of my weak grasp and sashays towards the hotel entrance. “See you inside!” she calls over her shoulder.
I stand frozen in the courtyard. I know that I need to go back inside, but I don’t want to. I want to steal away to my hotel room. I want to get in a car and go home to Betty. Hell, right now I would rather jump into the harbor itself than be in the same room with Mark.
Today isn’t about you. This is June’s day.
I know my sister and I know without a shadow of a doubt if I told her what was going on, she would have him removed. But I don’t want to give April the satisfaction of being responsible for a scene at June’s wedding.
You can get through dinner, I tell myself. Get through dinner and then retire to the hotel room with a headache. You’ll be at the head table, you won’t even have to speak to him.
When I make it inside, the rest of the bridal party is waiting for me. I tell them I had to use the restroom, which everyone seems to accept. Everyone but April of course.
Dinner will be starting soon and Jessica lines us up to enter the reception. I hear the MC address the crowd and I prepare myself for go time. April and Phil are introduced first and they enter the room to polite applause as Celebrate plays over the speakers. Next up are Amos and I and our reception is similar, if maybe a bit louder. We make our way to the head table and stand by our chairs as we wait for the bride and groom.
I am painfully aware of Mark’s location as he’s at the same table that Callum would have been at. I don’t look anywhere in that direction, but I know he’s watching me. I can feel his gaze. Colin and June enter the room to more cheers and applause and I shout my approval louder than anyone else in the room. It feels good to be able to yell, to just throw my head back and crow at the top of my lungs.
They make it to the head table and we all sit down as the music fades. The MC starts warming up the crowd with some jokes and I think I’m home free.
“Maggie,” my sister says through her teeth, her smile never wavering. “Why is your ex-boyfriend sitting with Phil and Amos’ wives?”
Shit.
I cement my own smile on and lean in close to whisper. “April invited him.” I feel her tense. “I’m handling it,” I assure her. “We’re ignoring him. He’s not even here.”
“I’m going to murder her,” she seethes through her toothy grin. “Slowly.”
“I’ll help,” I promise.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I insist, so firmly I almost convince myself. “I’m so sorry, Junebug. I didn’t want anything to put a damper on your day.”
