Page 65 of Almost Never

Chapter Eighteen

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One Year Later

“You’re sure she’s going to be there?” I ask Henry for probably the hundredth time in the last twenty-four hours.

“Dude, this is my sister we’re talking about. She’ll be there.” He shakes his head at me. “She’s not going to miss her friend’s wedding.”

It’s been a year since I’ve spoken to Hope.A fucking year.And while the last twelve months has flown by, it still feels like an eternity since I saw her face or heard her laugh. God how I miss her. So much so that I’ve become friends with her brother and make frequent visits to see her mom simply because it makes me feel closer to her.

I don’t know why I still care so much. I don’t know why after the way she blew me off and cut off all ties with me that I can’t shake her from my system.

It was hard enough before that night in New York. After? Well, now it feels impossible. Being with Hope was like being woken up after years of sleep. It’s like this fog lifted and suddenly I knew exactly where I belonged. I’ve never seen anything more clearly than I did that night.

And then, just like that, the rug was ripped out from underneath me. And while I’ve done my best to move on, deep down I know I’m still stuck in the past. Still staring down at my phone while I read what was meant to be the end of me and Hope.

I didn’t accept it then and I don’t accept it now. I can’t.

“Did you get your suit for the wedding?” Henry pulls me from my thoughts.

“You’re wearing a suit?” I give him a questioning look.

“Itisa wedding,” he reminds me.

“Yes, a wedding we are not in. Why would you need to wear a suit?”

“Because this is Bella. I don’t know if you remember much about her from high school, but she’s kind of a princess. This wedding is likely going to be one fancy affair, and I’m not going to be the schmuck that shows up underdressed.”

“Is that your way of telling me I should go shopping?” I grunt.

“Pretty sure I already told you that you needed to. Unless you just so happen to have some fancy suit laying around your house.”

“That would be a no.”

“Then perhaps you should stop dragging your feet and get your ass to the store. The wedding is tomorrow. Besides,” he pauses, “if you want to impress my sister, you may want to pull out all the stops.”

“Impress her?” I question.

Is that what I’m trying to do?

I don’t have to think about it long to know that is exactly what I want to do. I want her to see me and immediately regret the way she ended things. I want her to know that she made a monumental mistake that day—something I’ve known all along.

I have no idea what changed. How we went from making love to not speaking for a year, but I sure as hell intend to find out.

“Maybe I should get a suit,” I finally continue.

“Yeah.” Henry chuckles. “As in today.”

“Fuck. I hate shopping.” I rack my brain, trying to think if I own anything that I might be able to make work.

I was originally planning on wearing a nice pair of jeans and a button down, but now I’m thinking I should take Henry’s advice and get a suit. Besides, if it wasn’t for him I’m not even sure that I would have been invited. I lost touch with most of Lucy’s friends after we broke up. Bella among them. But Henry was somehow able to convince her to invite me.

It may be a pity invite, but it’s an invite all the same. And it will put me in the same room with Hope, which is the only reason I wanted to go to begin with.

“Okay, well I guess I should get going then.” I blow out a breath. “You’ll text me when your sister gets in.”

“I will. Though from what my mom said, her flight doesn’t land until late.”

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