Poppy rises and flings open my closet door. She shuffles through my wardrobe. “This one?”
She holds out the dress to me, and sure enough, there’s a blemish on the bottom of it.
That figures. I shouldn’t wear white anyway. I’m damaged goods.
The thought is enough to make my heart sink. I have no business falling for a guy like Collin. He doesn’t know the full story of my life with Nelson—doesn’t know the grip that man still holds on me. He deserves way better. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts.
“I’ll find something else.” I drop my legs to the side of my bed and stare at my closest. “It doesn’t have to be a whole thing.”
Poppy puts her hands on her hips. “Magnolia Kasper, you’re getting married. Please believe it’s a whole thing.”
A twinge of guilt makes my shoulder blades feel pinched. “I know. But you know what I mean.”
“Come on, Noli. Do it for us. Poppy is wearing Gram’s wedding dress, so we didn’t get to have the whole shopping experience. This might be our only chance.”
I frown. “What about you? We should definitely wait and do our big excursion when you get married.”
“That day might never come.” Rose flops back onto my bed, tossing her hand over her eyes dramatically. With mock sincerity, she adds, “It’s me and my books these days. I’m banking on dying an old maid. I’ll leave all my money to my cat.”
“You don’t have a cat,” Poppy says.
“I will before I die,” Rose answers seriously, as if she’s given this plenty of thought. “I better get on that, just in case the end is near.”
Poppy snorts and shakes her head at Rose before she swings her attention to me. “Never mind. Come on, Noli. I’ve planned a whole day. We’re going to get our nails done, and then we’re going dress shopping.”
I glance over at my sisters, both of them staring back at me with blue eyes so similar to mine. I hate that I’m lying to them about all of this, but they can’t know the truth—especially not now, since my feelings are so confusing. It was one thing to be doing a business-transaction marriage. Collin gets a wife for his campaign. I get a husband to help with my Nelson issue. Easy peasy. But now...
I take a deep breath. Better to just appease them. “Fine. Can I shower first?”
Rose and Poppy squeal.
“Of course,” Poppy says over her shoulder as she shuffles Rose from the apartment. “Rose is going to run to the café to grab us coffees so we’re caffeinated.”
“Yes,Iam because Poppy is so obsessed with her fiancé she can’t stand to go the whole day without seeing him, so she’s going over to see Mack while you get ready.“ Rose arches her eyebrows at Poppy who sticks out her tongue in return.
“Sorry, not sorry,” Poppy says. “Noli gets it. When you find someone like we have, you’ll get it, too, Rosie.”
“We’ll see,” Rose scoffs. “In any case, you can count on me for coffee. I’ll be back in a half hour, and I expect everyone to be ready to go. That means no dawdling with Mack, Pops.”
“No promises.”
They continue their banter as they make their way down the garage stairs. The service door opens and closes, and then it’s quiet.
I fall back on my bed and grab for my phone. I’ve got a couple texts from Collin and one from Nelson.
I grit my teeth and delete the latter, trying my best not to read it first. I almost manage, except I see one word:tramp.
I squeeze my eyes shut.
I keep blocking his number, but he keeps finding other ways to text me. New phones. I’m guessing they’re burners or friends’ numbers. I’d change my number, but I’m on a family plan with Rose and Poppy, and I don’t want to answer to them about why I’m messing with it. And then of course there are the letters. Nelson must’ve figured out Collin’s address, because he’s sent me two notes mailed to Collin’s house—no return address, of course. Collin has dropped them off here for me. It’s been on the tip of my tongue to tell him the whole truth about them, but I keep chickening out.
I click over to Collin’s messages, desperate to fill my brain with thoughts that are not, in any way, related to Nelson or the disaster I made of my past.
I skim Collin’s first message and can’t help but laugh.
Collin:Good morning, future wife-y. How’d you sleep?
Collin:Hopefully dreams of me and my good looks didn’t keep you awake too long.
