“Uh huh.” A perfectly perfect eyebrow raises above her perfectly perfect—except for how they don’t work, but whatever—eyes. “Other synonyms exist, by the way.”
“Do a spin!” I order, exiting the comfort of Liam and Amber’s couch.
Frank groans. “She’s gone mobile, people.”
“She’ll be okay,” Amelia replies, following me up. She smiles at me, so pretty, and I smile back.
“You’re so pretty!” I tell her. “Brian is the luckiest guyever!”
She bites her lip, cutting her smile in half. “I thought that was Will.”
“Ohhh,” I nod. “Yeah. Him too. Luckiest men ever!”
Liam clears his throat, and I turn, toasting him with my… oh, I seem to have lost some champagne. I frown. “What happened to my drink?”
“You spilled it,” Amber notes. “On the floor. Please be careful. I don’t have any mafia princes here to scoop you up should you fall, and I’d hate to waste a perfectly good meet-cute opportunity.”
I blink. “Mafia?”
“Would you prefer a stalker or a kidnapper?” she asks. “I’ve already done a fight-club ringleader, but I can work with you.”
Huh. Maybe he can be a chef. An evil chef…
“Ruby,” Liam says. “Elodie wanted to see a spin.”
Oh, right! I did!
I beam at Liam, luckiest man ever, down the pitiful remains of my drink, set my empty flute on the coffee table, and join Ruby on the other side of the room. “Spin, Rhubarb, spin!”
Ruby scowls. Sniffs. Does the itty-bittiest of spins.
Her dress flows around her, the white satin lyingjustright to show off the curves of her body. Her corset top brings forth images of villainess coolness and Will drooling.
My bestie ishot.
“Are you comfortable?” I ask. “Because if you’re comfortable, that’s totally the one. You look—”
“Amazing? Incredible?” she interrupts. “Will’s the luckiest man ever?”
I giggle. “Yeah, that.”
She sighs, rolling the fabric of the skirt between her fingers. “It’s alright, I guess,” she mutters.
I squeal, tackling her for a hug. “You found your dress!”
Her arms wrap around me, matching me squeeze for squeeze, and she sniffles. “Not that it matters,” she whispers. “I could get married in a ratty old T-shirt for all I care.”
Tears hit my eyes, sudden in their intensity.
“I’m so happy for you,” I gush, pulling away so that I can look her in the eyes while I blub. “Even if you’d be fine in a ratty old T-shirt, I’m glad you’re getting a dress fit for a queen instead. Youarea queen, and you deserve every good thing that you could possibly ever want and more. A man who loves you so much that he’s already spent half his life dedicated to you. An amazing boss. An incredible best friend.” I hiccup. “I love you so much, Ruby. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you in my life, but I’m grateful to infinity that you’re here. You’re going to have the best wedding ever. I promise.”
Ruby’s eyes soften. “I love you, too, Sunny. I don’t know what you’re on about with that ‘deserving me’ nonsense, butIpromiseyouthat you’re amazing, incredible all on your own. You don’t have todoanything to ‘deserve’ anyone.”
I’m not. I’m really, really not. But I love that she thinks I am.
Warmth filters through my chest as the rest of the bridesmaids—plus Liam and Frank—join us to fawn over my gorgeous bestie. As much as she’ll let them, anyway.
Frank whistles, cursing the fact that she’s already married to her “dear Norman” and has no reason to buy another wedding dress. “Elodie’s right, Ruby. You lookhot.”
