Page 94 of Everything After

“Honey, you worry way too much,” Holly chided, cutting me off again. “This wedding is going to be perfect and if you don’t feel comfortable, I’ll postpone the wedding until after your baby is here.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” I said, smiling.

“No? Watch me,” she muttered, defiantly. “You’re my Maid of Honor. If you’re not comfortable, then I’d tell my daddy to rearrange the date.”

My heart clenched on hearing Holly’s affection for me. She’d been my shoulder to cry on during my college days, my second female ride or die in the absence of Elle. Yet, until I’d arrived in Miami, I’d only ever spoken to Holly over the internet.

She had been my ex-bestie, Saffy’s friend first, and Saffy had been the reason we’d both even gone to study at Florida State University in the first place.

We’d all shared an apartment in Miami, until Saffy quickly abandoned us both for a guy. She’d been having an affair with a married man back in Oklahoma who eventually left his wife. As that had left Holly and I in a strange state with no one we knew, we quickly became close friends.

“Alright then, I guess I’ll leave myself in your capable hands,” I told Charlotte.

“Don’t you fret now, honey,” Charlotte drawled out in the same Southern Texan accent as Holly. “Y’all’re gonna look just stunning once I’m done with these beautiful gowns. Then she mumbled conspiratorially, with her hand shielding her mouth, “This ain’t my first rodeo with a woman in the family way… if you know what I mean.”

“Now, let’s get that dress fitted and Charlotte will be sure to leave plenty of room beneath those layers to accommodate your growing belly,” Holly encouraged.

Once we headed up to the master bedroom, Charlotte laid the dress carrier out on my bed, drew down the zipper and a gasp ofdelight left my mouth. The dress was an exquisite golden satin, draped in a layer of shimmering deep bronze organza, then another intricate layer of Swarovski crystals attached to ivory lace.

“Oh, Holly, this dress is incredible.”

Holly chuckled. “Glad you like it, but this isn’t a patch on my wedding dress.”

As Charlotte lifted the hanger out of the dress carrier, excitement danced in Holly’s beautiful eyes. “Go on, let’s see you in it,” she ordered.

“Okay, what do I do?” I asked once I’d stripped down to my underwear.

“Hold your arms up and I’ll put it on over your head. With all this organza, stepping into it would be asking for trouble.”

Doing as she asked, I held my hands in the air and allowed Charlotte to slip the dress on over my head. When the layers fell to the floor it was just a tad short to wear heels.

“Wait,” said Holly, reaching into her purse and pulling out a dust bag. “My wedding is going to be a long day. There’s nothing worse than sore feet when you’re expected to crack a smile at will,” she admitted. She took a pair of gold-colored ballet flats out from the dust bag and handed them to me. “Everyone on my side of the party will be wearing these.”

Glancing at the simple footwear, I could have kissed her because I knew from my onstage experience of wearing heels, my feet felt as if I was murdering them at times.

I was in no doubt that a twelve-hour wedding event, that required poise, balance and grace, would take its toll on my posture in heels. So, Holly had already considered comfort would be the order of the day at her wedding.

Slipping on the ballet flats, I wandered over to my full-length, free-standing mirror and took in my appearance. “Oh, Holly… I-I’m speechless.”

“Yeah, I knew you would be. I’m so glad you love the dress. That was Saffy’s reaction as well… and you know how she likes to talk.”

My heart stuttered in shock as I reeled round to face her. “Saffy?”

Holly cast me a sheepish look before she shrugged and twisted her lips, like she was disappointed with herself. “I’m sorry, I should have told you before.” She flashed me an unusually tight smile, then continued. “Saffy is the one person in my life that left a stain on my heart. I thought we’d be forever friends, yet I’d never spoken to her since she’d left us like that. Sometimes, I’d wished I’d gone after her, said what I’d felt about her shitty behavior, then made my peace.”

I knew exactly what Holly meant. Saffy had been someone I thought would always be there. I think that’s why I was so hurt by what she did.

Saffy had been my sole reason for studying in Florida in the first place. I’d even delayed going to college for a year to join her, and she left me devastated when she deserted me for some guy back home before the end of the first semester. I’d given up life as I’d known it back home, only to find out the hard way that I came a poor second to her married lover.

“Please, say it doesn’t matter that I invited Saffy,” Holly pleaded. “A lot of good came out of you coming to Florida—my friendship with you for one and?—”

Holly looked close to tears when I shook my head, and I realized she thought I was backing out. “You’re right, it doesn’t—not now. I wouldn’t have met Alfie if I hadn’t come… nor have the life that we have.”

Holly huffed out a deep, relieved breath and the strain that I’d seen on her face just moments before, had gone. “Thank you,” she mumbled with fat tears in her eyes. “Now that I’ve told you, I think we should meet up before the wedding partyrehearsals. It would give you an opportunity to clear the air with her, just like I did.”

“I agree, no offense, but unless I have said my piece, I don’t think that I could stand in a room full of your bridesmaids and act like nothing had happened.”

“Great.” Holly clapped her hands together, a wide smile of relief on her face.