Page 101 of Snowed In with Four Firemen
“Good,” she says. “But I’m not done with Chloe. We need to do something about Chloe,” she says.
“What do you have in mind?” I ask.
“You’ll see,” she says with an impish smile.
CHAPTER 29
EMILY
I standat the entrance of the hall, all decked out in my bridesmaid dress, greeting the guests as they trickle in for Hailey’s wedding. My heart flutters with every compliment about the decorations. I can’t help but feel a little proud of what we’ve managed to pull off—especially with the last-minute chaos.
As each guest enters, I smile, nodding in greeting, but there’s this low hum of nerves under my skin. I haven’t seen Hailey since yesterday. Does she even want me at the wedding anymore? I know it’s a ridiculous thought but I know how tempestuous my friend can be.
Ben arrives, his eyes lighting up when he sees me. He leans in to sneak a kiss on my cheek. “You look amazing,” he murmurs.
I blush under his gaze. “Thanks,” I say, trying not to think of all the things he did to me last night. I had sex with each of them, and every bit of it was amazing. I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around that.
“Hailey is looking for bridesmaids,” he says, motioning to the other girls who are already walking past me.
I blink at him. “Oh.”
“That includes you, maid of honor,” he says with a nudge.
For some reason, my heart skips a beat. I don’t know why I’m nervous. This is my best friend. She has known me since we were in diapers, and she’s the person I look up to the most in the world.
Taking a deep breath, I follow Ben toward Hailey’s dressing room. As soon as I step inside, the emotions hit me like a wave. Hailey’s standing there, getting the final touches on her wedding gown, and she looks…breathtaking. She’s glowing, not just from the makeup or the dress, but from the sheer happiness radiating from her.
My chest tightens, a lump forming in my throat. I didn’t expect to feel this emotional, but seeing her like this—it hits hard.
Hailey turns, her eyes softening when she sees me. She smiles, and in that moment, it feels like the tension between us never existed. “Emily,” she says, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Before I can respond, Chloe saunters into the room, a smug look plastered on her face. “Oh, look at you, Emily,” she says. “Doesn’t that green look good on you.”
Her tone suggests otherwise.
I clench my teeth, my mood souring instantly. Chloe’s wearing something outrageously flashy—a dress that screamslook at meinstead of letting the bride have her moment.
“Didn’t think we would see you after yesterday’s drama,” she says. The others in the room look at each other.
Before I can say anything, Hailey steps in. “She’s my maid of honor, of course she’s going to be here.”
Then, to my surprise, she wraps me in a tight hug. The warmth of her embrace pulls me out of my thoughts, and I hug her back, relief flooding through me. I hadn’t realized how much I needed this.
As we pull apart, Hailey’s eyes are filled with the same emotion I’m feeling. She doesn’t say anything, but in her silence, I know things between us are healing. We haven’t talked about everything yet, but we will. There’s no rush today. Just knowing she’s not mad anymore is enough for me.
Before I can respond, Collie enters the room, beaming. “I’ve got some good news, everyone,” she says, clapping her hands together. “The roads are finally starting to clear.”
There’s a collective sigh of relief from everyone, especially Hailey, who grins wide at the news. “That’s amazing,” she says. “So I’ll be able to make it to my honeymoon, after all.”
Everybody laughs, and even I find myself grinning before it quickly fades at the thought of the guys. Everybody will leave.
I’m happy, but I’m also sad. It’s been such an intense few days, and despite everything that’s happened, part of me isn’t ready to say goodbye yet.
As Hailey turns to look in the mirror, adjusting her veil one last time, I catch a glimpse of Chloe out of the corner of my eye. She’s standing there, arms crossed, clearly not pleased with any of this. She obviously expected some drama between Hailey and me.
The wedding is about to begin, and there’s a buzz of excitement in the air as everyone begins to line up. Chloe, of course, is front and center, practically skipping to Jace’s side with that smug, overconfident smile plastered on her face. She clearly thinks she’s going to walk down the aisle with him in front of everyone, basking in the attention.
I stand back, watching the scene unfold, feeling a bit left out. I had hoped things had settled, but Hailey had already allowed Chloe to be a part of the wedding party. It doesn’t make sense to create drama right before the wedding.
