Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 24266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Leo waited until the doors shut before motioning for me to follow him into an adjoining room.
“Quick question.” He crossed his arms. “Who the hell are all those other groomsmen?”
I smiled. “Carmen’s brothers and cousins. She thought it would look weird if I just had a best man while she has thirteen bridesmaids and two maids of honor.”
“You must really love her.”
“I do.”
“Then why aren’t you acting like it?”
“Huh?” I crossed my arms. “What are you talking about?”
“Everyone has been laughing and joking all day, and you’ve been a stone toad.”
“It’s nothing. I’m just off.”
“Getting cold feet?”
“No.”
“Then are you cheating?”
“I’ve told you to stop psychoanalyzing me.”
“Because if you are cheating, best friend or not, I’ll be forced to rip you to shreds.”
“I’m not, but someone told me Carmen may be cheating on me.”
“Well, pay someone to look into that, and when they’re wrong, count your blessings and keep it moving.”
“You don’t think she is?”
“I don’t know her well enough to say.” He shrugged. “Do you think so?”
“No.”
“Perfect. Listen to your gut, but still get it investigated to be sure. In the meantime, can you smile and behave like you’re excited about marrying her for the rest of this session today?”
“Okay.”
He headed toward the door, but then he slowly turned around.
“Who’s the ‘someone?’”
“Huh?”
“Who is the someone who told you about Carmen?”
“Dahlia.” I paused. “It’s probably jealousy and last-minute sabotage, right?”
He stared at me.
“Tell me she’s trying to ruin my life all over again because she realizes she messed up the best relationship she’s ever had in her life.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
“She cheated on me before, and now she sees how silly that was and she’s trying to sow doubt into my relationship with Carmen.”
Silence.
“Why are you so quiet now?” I asked. “Say something.”
“I do know Dahlia,” he said. “Almost as well as you do. She’s a lot of things, but we both know she’s never been a liar.”
“What about a cheater?”
“I’ve told you time and time again that I never believe she actually cheated on you.”
“No, really. Whose side are you on, Leo?”
“What the hell do you want me to say?” he asked. “Let’s stalk the hell out of Carmen and see for ourselves?”
“What a brilliant idea…”
FOURTEEN
Dahlia
I need today off. Is that alright?
Aunt G.
Of course, it is. It’s *your* garden.
You know what I mean, Aunt G.
Take all the time you need, Dahlia. I understand.
“Order for Dahlia?” The barista set a cup on the edge of the counter. “Cinnamon latte, no foam?”
“That’s me,” I said, cutting through the small crowd. I picked it up and made my way outside.
I was trying to do something different today, trying to see if I could go one day without crying over my mother or thinking about Everett.
I’d failed miserably, of course, but I was progressing.
Stepping into the nearby grocery store, I strolled to the magazine aisle, determined to drown myself in celebrity gossip.
“Dahlia?” a familiar soft voice said from my left.
I didn’t look over.
“Dahlia, is that you?” The woman moved closer, and I shook my head.
“It's not me," I said. "You’re confusing me with someone else."
“I don’t think so…” Everett’s mother gently cupped my face and turned me toward her.
Then she looked into my eyes.
“I promised my son I wouldn’t bother you outside Blooms and Letters, but I’m here for you whenever you need me, okay?”
I nodded, and she pulled me into a hug.
“I wish he was marrying you instead,” she whispered. “He belongs with you, Dahlia.”
Her words broke me—triggering soft sobs, and she held me close for what felt like forever.
Before I knew it, she was driving me home.
FIFTEEN
Everett
Leo was officially the worst co-conspirator for a stalking mission.
We’d be on this “case” for three days straight, watching Carmen’s moves the moment she left the house in the mornings, and somehow, I’d restrained from strangling him and locking his body in my trunk.
Carmen’s daily routine—driving across the state for shopping, wedding and house planning, more shopping—was as entertaining as watching grass grow, and Leo’s commentary made it even more insufferable.
“We need more cheese puffs,” he said, leaning back in the passenger seat. “I can’t completely focus on today’s assignment without fresh cheese puffs.”
“You know what?” I cranked my engine. “I think we can just call this all a wild goose chase and move on with our lives.”
“Not yet,” he said. “She has two more things on her schedule today: shopping for custom shoes and a dress fitting. We’re just now getting to the exciting part.”
“You’re being sarcastic, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” He laughed. “Look, if Carmen was cheating on you, and hey—maybe she was—we have no way of proving it. If Dahlia caught some guy sending her flowers or something, it could’ve just been some asshole from her past, but that’s not a crime.”
“Once and for all, Leo—” I looked over at him. “Whose side are you on?”