Of course, my annoying little sister from another mister is having none of it.
“Sooooo, speaking of weddings…” She unleashes her spirit fingers at me, doing a goofy, shimmying happy dance. “Maybe there’ll be more weddingbells ringing in the near future?Hmm, hmm, hmm?”
Because time is ticking and we need to get outside to the courtyard—and the last thing I need is Hailey slipping and telling her big-mouthed friend Renee that I’m in love—I march toward her, quiet and determined.
“Hailey, sweetie. Honey. Sugar.” I force a tight smile, deepening my stare. “I’m going to hold your hand when I say this to you. Lincoln Bridges and Ijuststarted dating. I’ve been planning weddings forever, and only a fool would rush into marriage just because everything feels right, and they’ve known the guy forever. And I’mdefinitelynot that kind of fool.”
She nods slowly, biting her lip as if to stifle a laugh. “You? No, you’redefinitelynot that kind of fool. Where would anyone get an idea like that?”
I’mnotthat fool…am I?
All my insecurities claw to the surface of my mind. What if all this doodling is actually just repressed teenage infatuation from being love-starved? And for that matter, at this big age, am I just scared of being alone? Is this my last shot? What if I end up hurt again? What if I lose myself in Linc the way I did in Julian?
What happens to the divorcétante? Do I become the remarriedétante? Whatever the hell that is.It doesn’t even have a cool ring to it.
Worse, what if marriage isn’t something Linc wants?
Lord,Jesus, I’m a cautionary tale.
Pause, peace, power.
Hailey’s shoulders tremble, and it’s almost painful to watch her trying to hold in her laughter.
For a moment, I stare at her deadpan, mentally rummaging through my own words, playing Whac-A-Mole with my insecurities. Everything does feel right with Linc, and I’ve known him forever. Isn’t that theonlyreason to rush in?
Playfully, I roll my eyes at her. “Ugh, just let it out.”
And let it out Hailey Winston does.
The cackling is downright insulting—and hilariously contagious. For what feels like an entire minute, we’re bent over, laughing so hard we can barely breathe.
“Girrrrl…” Hailey’s holding her chest. “If you could see yourself doing mental gymnastics.”
I’m cry-laughing. “Shut up! I’m scared.”
“It’s love between grown adults, not a horror movie,” she says, and I literally cannot breathe, thinking about Linc calling me a scream queen. “Girl, no need to check under the bed. You’re not in danger.”
Of course, humor turns out to be the gateway to gabbing, because once I start telling her about Linc and me, she can’t shut me up. We talk about everything. The love stuff, yes. But the part I haven’t told anyone about is the nerves. I’m freaking petrified of the magnitude of my feelings.
“How can I feeleverythingwhen it’s barely been a few months?” I throw up my hands, shaking my head in disbelief. “None of it makes sense. And now he’s been acting all nervous, and I’m scared of even wanting more. You know, it’s not like the last go ’round worked out so well.”
Loudly, she sucks her teeth. “Why are you acting like this is some one-night stand and he’s your new boo? It’s been a few months, yes, but it was over a decade of being with sorry-ass Julian when you should’ve been with Linc.”
Well, whenyou put it that way…
The door to the main hall cracks open, and Hailey and I freeze.
“What are you doing here, Nora?” Hailey asks, coolly, her posture going rigid.
That’s right. I’m not asleep or being punked.
Nora Whitfield steps into the ballroom cautiously, her stance hesitant, striking green eyes wide with nervousness, and IwishI had it in me to be mad.
But I can’t even hold myself together.
A hysterical laugh stirs in my belly and explodes into the air. “Are you serious right now? You detonate my marriage, get knocked up by my ex-husband, and sic your #TeamNora fandom on me, andyou’retiptoeing in here? Oh, you are a piece ofwork,honey.”
“Ebony, I… I need to tell you the truth.”
