But it wasn’t a text from Asher. It was a text from Shelby.
I swiped my phone on so I could read the rest of her text.
Shelby:Girl, I’m so sorry. I will not plan Asher’s wedding if you don’t want me to. Coralie just grabbed me and bombarded me. But I’m A-OK to tell her no.
I shook my head as I read her message. That’s not what I wanted. If Asher wanted to hire Shelby to plan his wedding, I wasn’t going to stand in her way. It was sweet that she was worried about me, but who planned his wedding wasn’t what made me feel weird about the whole situation.
I didn’t want to lose my best friend. But over the last month, that was exactly what had happened. I had been left here, watching my entire life move forward without me. And no matter how hard I begged for it to stop changing, it refused.
I knew that wasn’t fair to Asher. He wanted us to be something that we couldn’t be, and I was the selfish friend who was content with the way things were. I’d put myself in this situation. I was just struggling with who I would be—who I would be to Asher—once all the changes were finished.
Me:Don’t be silly. I think this is a great idea. You will do amazing. Asher’s lucky to have you.
A few seconds ticked by before Shelby responded.
Shelby:You are the best. I am so excited. I came home and talked Miles’ ear off about it.
I smiled.
Me:I bet you did.
Shelby:Night, Ella! I’ll keep you posted on all the happenings.
Me:Night
I stared at my phone, knowing that Shelby was done texting me, but anticipating another text to come through. A text from Asher.
He would always text me after a night at the bar to remind me to put some ibuprofen on my nightstand with a glass of water for the morning. It felt strange that he hadn’t sent me one yet.
Was our friendship truly over?
My heart ached as I set my phone down. I didn’t want this. I wanted Asher in my life. I wanted him to be my friend. I wanted to believe that our friendship could withstand anything.
And then, feeling like an idiot for sitting on my couch and mourning a friendship that still existed, I picked up my phone and found my text message chain with Asher. If he wasn’t going to text me, that didn’t mean I couldn’t text him.
Maybe he was waiting for me to text. Maybe he was waiting for me to signal that I was okay with everything. That things weren’t going to be weird between us—at least on my end.
If I wanted my friendship with Asher to have a chance, I needed to make more of an effort. And that started with being interested in what was going on in his life. That’s what a true friend did, and I was Asher’s true friend.
Me:I’m so excited for you and Coralie. If there’s anything you need, let me know. And if you’re looking for a best man, I’m always here.
I sent off the text and then set my phone back down on the couch while I grabbed another chocolate from the bag. I was halfway through eating it when my phone chimed. I stuffed the rest of the chocolate into my mouth before picking up my phone.
Asher:Aww, I appreciate that. Coralie loved meeting you, too. And best man…I hadn’t even thought about who I was going to ask…
Me:Well, you need to think about that, Mr. I’m-Getting-Married-in-a-Week
My stomach lurched as I read back my words. Asher was getting married in a week. That was insane to me. Sure, Asher had made some rash decisions in the past. There was a time when I thought him moving to Harmony had been a mistake. But those paled in comparison to him getting engaged and married in a month’s time.
Was he really in love with her, or was this somehow related to me and his confession? I didn’t want to think it, but that hypothesis seemed determined to root itself into my brain.
When he didn’t text me right away, I wondered for a moment if I’d said the wrong thing. But when I reread the message, it seemed fine. What was there for him to get upset about? Sure, I had my doubts about this wedding, but I’d kept those doubts to myself.
Asher:Yeah, crazy.
That seemed like a strange reaction from a man who was marrying the woman he loved. I hated that I knew Asher’s tells. It made me question everything between us. In the past, when he got quiet, it meant he felt backed against a wall. Was that what was happening? Did he feel pressured to get married?
I couldn’t imagine why. It wasn’t like this was the 1700s. Marriages of convenience weren’t a thing anymore. I closed my eyes and tipped my head back. I just wished I could ask him what was going on without making it sound likeIthought he was doing something wrong.
