Page 140 of You're so Bad

“No, but she asked me not to talk to her or look at her unless I have a premonition I need to bring to her attention.”

Ah, there’s the Bianca I’ve gotten to know over the last several months.

The salads are taken away and we’re brought dinner—a rubbery chicken course that has Grandpa promising me a ribeye after we leave.

Josie pushes her plate away. “Maybe they should have kept the steak.”

“But you said it would give half the people here food poisoning,” I say in disbelief.

“We might have been in the safe half.”

“Can I come to Texas Roadhouse?” Darrell puts in hopefully.

“I don’t know who you are, son,” Grandpa Frank replies. “And I don’t want to trouble myself to find out.”

Then the DJ announces it’s time for speeches. Fantastic.

Grayson, the best man, goes first, delivering a long speech about Colt and “his girl” helping him after he accidentally ordered a hundred pizzas to be delivered to his house.

Except I’m the one he’s talking about, not Bianca. We brought the pizzas to a local homeless shelter and had ourselves a party.

It’s an unintentional mistake, I’m sure, but there are a few embarrassed coughs that suggest Bianca’s not the only one who’s picked up on it.

He settles back into his seat after confused applause, and Bianca takes the mike from the DJ.

“Thanks for that interesting story, Grayson. So glad you’re here.”

Colter has anoh shitface, and I catch him typing something onto his phone. Grayson picks up his phone and then goes pale. Maybe Colt warned him to take off, because he whispers something to his date, Melly’s friend. Before Bianca says another word, they’re booking it.

The bride clears her throat. “Now, I’d like to invite my maid of honor, Shauna, up to talk to y’all. As you know, Shauna’s the one who introduced Colt and me.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Grandpa Frank says without lowering his voice.

“Good luck,” Josie tells me in an undertone as I get up. “This isn’t going to go well.”

Fantastic. Exactly what anyone would like to hear from a psychic.

I flash her a thumbs up as I head over to the DJ stand and claim the mike from Bianca, whose smile looks like it has turned to stone. For a second, I have a flash of sympathy for her. She didn’t want to be like her mother—the kind of person who holds everyone to unachievable ideals of perfection—but she’s become that way. It’s incredible, the hold people who are no longer in our lives can have on us. It’s been like that for Leonard too.

As Bianca returns to her seat, I look into the crowd and catch sight of Josie, peering at me through that necklace.

Then I clear my throat and start to talk.

“I think we can all tell Bianca and Colter are perfect for each other,” I say, waving a hand in the direction of the happy couple. She’s whispering something to him. He has a dejected expression, but as soon as everyone glances their way, their faces crease into smiles. “I’ll be honest,” I add, “I wasn’t thrilled when I found out they were getting married, and I only accepted her invitation to be maid of honor because she posed it like a dare. Any of y’all who know me know I’m not the kind of person who can pass up dares.”

Someone gasps, but I continue. I’m not going to be a dick, but I decided to scrap my sawdust speech and be as honest as possible. Maybe Bianca figures it’s best to sweep the past under the rug, but people remember—Grayson’s speech is proof enough of that—and she’s the one who wanted me to be here. Maybe this is what she needs to move forward. Maybe she needs me to forgive her in front of everyone.

I meant what I said—I won’t forget, but Icanforgive.

“I was hurt by the way they began their relationship, but I’m not upset anymore, because I’ve realized love does crazy things to us. They saw something in each other they couldn’t pass up.

“I know what that feels like. Many of you have met Doc, who came to the…very memorable sleepover camp in the woods with some of us.”

Someone laughs, and another person gives a hoot that isn’t picked up by anyone else. I pause, swallowing. “The two of us hadn’t known each other long, but when he found out my grandmother had made up a little white lie about me having this hotshot surgeon boyfriend, he insisted on following through and coming to the wedding events with me. I’m glad he insisted, because if he hadn’t, then I wouldn’t have fallen in love with him. So, what I’m saying is that I may be the one who introduced Bianca and Colter, however unintentionally, but they returned the favor.”

I glance at them. There’s an inscrutable look on Bianca’s face, and I can’t tell whether she wants to kill me or is accepting my forgiveness. “So I’m thankful to them, and I know they’re going to do great things together. I mean…look at those pompoms.” I gesture to a decorative arrangement hanging from the middle of the veranda roof, obviously a Queen Bee original. “Those are some big balls, Bianca, am I right?”

She actually laughs, and Colter hugs an arm around her. It’s a nice moment, until someone shouts out, “Does this mean Doc’s not a doctor? Because he gave me medical advice about a sensitive matter.”

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