Page 13

Thirteen

Jade

The bell chimes again, and Alara walks in. “Oh my god, seriously? I’m the savior today, Rowan. Always stealing my thunder.” She shakes her head with a smile and walks past him. “Hey, Henry.”

“Alara,” he says and looks away from his teammate and his girlfriend. His gaze lifts to Eloise, who is still standing stoically on the pedestal, soaking in the sight of herself in a wedding gown.

I watch him without him knowing. The look of recognition when he spots Eloise has him shifting his attention to where I sit in the chair.

With a stunned look, Henry propels himself forward. “Jade? Eloise?”

Alara hands me my coffee, not paying attention to the invisible string between Henry and me. “Can I at least be your saviors?”

“Thank you.” I accept my coffee, and she sets Eloise’s on the table.

“You look gorgeous.” Alara sits where Kyleigh was, blowing on her coffee. “Did she make you try on the one she wants first?” Alara rolls her eyes. “First dress rule,” she says in a voice pretending to be Kyleigh.

I’m trying not to concentrate on the fact that Henry has rounded the chairs and is sliding into the one next to me. “I would have brought you a coffee had I known you were here.”

I beg my body not to react to his closeness, but it doesn’t listen.

“Eloise, getting married, huh?” he asks her.

She smirks at him through the mirror. “Henry, adopted a son, huh?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “I guess I did do things a little backward.” His gaze shifts to me and back to Eloise. “He’s a lucky guy. You look beautiful.”

She nods. “Thanks.”

She stares into the mirror, her hands running down the sides of her dress. I’m sure it’s a big decision, and she’s just nervous. Plus, she’s always been one to second-guess her decisions. The whole people-pleaser thing has always been in full effect.

“Why are you two here?” Alara asks. “I thought you were in season?”

Henry chuckles. “We have a game on Monday.” He looks over his shoulder. “And do you even have to ask? They’re attached at the hip. We were getting snacks to watch the football game, but we had to detour here.”

“Football?” Eloise asks with no small amount of disgust in her voice.

“Minnesota.” Henry looks at me, and my stomach somersaults. Our alma mater.

“Oh my god. I can’t believe I didn’t clue in!” Alara points at me. “It’s you.”

I frown. “What?”

“I was there that night at Peeper’s. Left almost right after you arrived, but you’re the girl who stunned a room full of hockey players into silence.” Her head rocks back. “How did it take me this long to figure it out? But now, seeing the two of you together, I remember.” Her finger shifts between Henry and me. “God, you like the hockey guys too?”

“I’m going to get out of this dress.” Eloise steps down from the platform, almost as if she’s having an allergic reaction to the fabric.

“I’ll help you.” I put my coffee on the table and stand.

“I’m fine,” Eloise murmurs, dashing into the hallway.

Henry grabs my wrist before I can leave.

“And that’s my cue.” Alara gets up and walks away.

“Watch the game with us,” he says.

My shoulders slump. “Henry.”

“Bodhi is at my grandparents’ for a few hours. And I just really want to… I don’t know. But the way we keep running into one another has to mean something, right?”

“Only that Chicago is smaller than we thought.”

He shakes his head. “Please, Jade. One afternoon. And we’ll have the distraction of football, and the guys and Kyleigh will be there, I’m sure.” He turns toward them. “Ky, you watching the game with us today?”

“Of course, I love it when you guys yell and scream at the TV as if you’re on the field.” She goes back to talking to Rowan.

“So that’s a yes.” Henry stares me down.

“I don’t know. Let me check on what Eloise is doing, okay?” I slide my wrist out of his grip and walk into the back hallway.

The dress lies in a puddle on the floor, and she’s half dressed, throwing her sweater over herself when I slip inside the changing room.

She looks at me, rushing to get her clothes on. “Hey, I’m really sorry, but I have to go. You good? You can get home, right?”

“Eloise, what is going on?” I grab her upper arms, and her body relaxes when she meets my gaze.

“Nothing. I’m good. I just… I need some air.”

“I’ll go with you.”

She shakes her head. “I’ll call you, okay? I’m sorry.”

She twists out of my hold and walks out of the changing room.

I hang up the dress and walk back into the main area of the shop to find everyone’s eyes on me. “Um…”

“It’s okay, I see it a lot. It can be nerve-racking and a lot of pressure once you start looking for your wedding gown. I’m sure she’s fine.” Kyleigh waves off my concern.

She has more experience than I do with brides, but I thought there would be tears of happiness, not Eloise practically ripping off the dress and running out of the store.

My gaze flickers to Henry standing with his hands in his pockets, waiting for me to give him an answer. I really want to accept Henry’s invitation. But my life is a mess, and Henry has his entire life mapped out and a son who doesn’t need some woman making his dad sad or giving him false hope.

I grab my coffee and whisper to Henry, “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Then I say my goodbyes to Kyleigh, Alara, and Rowan before rushing out of the bridal shop like Eloise 2.0.