Page 35

Bailey

When Saturday morning dawns, the bed is cold where Charlie should be. My chest aches to see him. I guess I didn’t realize how accustomed I’ve grown to waking up next to him in the last two weeks.

It seems strange, leaving tomorrow. California just . . . doesn’t seem like home anymore.

The sun shines bright through the hotel windows as I make my way out to the main area of the suite.

I stop in the doorway, my eyes brimming with tears. Andi’s already in the makeup chair, her eyes closed as a makeup artist applies her eye shadow.

“Happy wedding day.”

The artist stops when Andi opens her eyes and beams at me.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Like a baby,” I lie, stepping to the small kitchenette and pouring myself a cup of coffee. The smell awakens my senses and my mouth waters. “You? ”

Andi lets out a sigh as the makeup artist resumes her work. “I slept great. Don’t tell Tom, but it was nice to get a break from his snoring.”

I laugh and plop down in the seat next to her. After just two weeks, I feel lost without waking up to Charlie’s warmth. I can only imagine two years later.

“Are you excited?” I ask. A second makeup artist comes out of nowhere and smiles at me. She starts cleaning my face with something cold that smells like cucumbers.

“I’m . . . happy.”

I side-eye her as my makeup artist, Catrice, I can see from her name tag, preps my brows.

“You don’t sound happy.”

“I don’t know,” she shrugs. “I guess, I thought I would be so elated.”

“Well,” I say carefully. I’m unable to look at her because Catrice is doing my eyes, but I feel like Andi’s watching me, gauging my reaction. “I think you’ll be happy when you see how pretty you look in your dress.”

She laughs, though it doesn’t sound very enthusiastic.

“Tom’s going to shit himself when he sees you.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“I’ve never seen my brother so . . . so attentive to someone he’s dating.”

“I am not dating your brother,” I groan.

I open my eyes and glare at her. She smirks, peeking at me as the artist puts mascara on her other eye. “Oh, sorry. Just screwing his brains out. ”

“Are you mad at me? For not saying anything sooner?”

She shrugs. “I was for a moment, but . . .” she sighs. “Then I saw you two together and the way he looks at you and I was relieved.”

“Relieved how?”

She’s quiet for a moment, thinking. “Both of you need someone. I never thought it would be each other, but seeing the look in both of you . . .” she stops for a second, fanning her face when tears well in her eyes. “Makes me wonder if I’m doing something wrong in my relationship.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.” I shake my head. “It’s just a fling. Some fun while I’m in town. There isn’t a long-term. No wedding.”

Unease prickles up my spine. I know I’m lying. I broke my cardinal rule. No feelings. I want to tell Andi how I’m feeling, but I can’t spoil her big day. Sad or not, the show must go on.

“Now,” I say, closing my eyes so Catrice can finish. “No crying or you’ll ruin your makeup.”

“You look so beautiful!” Kendra gushes, tears in her eyes. She inspects Andi from head to toe, looking for even a microscopic speck out of line. It’s sweet that Andi has her. I know how much it’s bothering her that her mom isn’t here with her on her wedding day, but she handles it with grace, hugging Kendra fiercely.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Charles asks, looking handsome in his suit. He cleans up well and he looks every bit of an older version of Charlie — someone I haven’t seen yet.

This is the longest I’ve gone without talking to him in weeks and it’s starting to set me on edge against my will. I miss him, as much as it pains me to say it. How do you go from hating someone to feeling like you’re losing your mind without them in the course of a couple weeks?

“God, Dad, yes. I’m sure,” Andi rolls her eyes and hugs him. I can see his eyes glisten when he pulls away, whispers something in her ear, and then places a kiss on her cheek. A pang hits me in the chest, remembering my own dad. I imagine he would have been the same on my wedding day. One thing’s for certain, he definitely wouldn’t have liked Drew. Dad would have killed him if he was alive.

A throat clears behind me and I jump, a burst of energy radiating through my skin so strong that it almost hurts.

“You look beautiful,” Charlie murmurs, his face guarded as he steps up in front of me.

I blush and smile softly. I feel like I can relax, like that spare piece of me has been returned after going missing. I feel whole . . . but also sick to my stomach.

This is going to end. Tonight. I fly back tomorrow and I can’t take him with me. Charlie and I had a fun couple of weeks. We got impossibly close, too close for comfort, even. My heart knows what it wants, but my head knows that can’t happen. He doesn’t want the things that I do and I can’t wait around for a man to decide I’m enough again.

“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice sounding too giddy, even to my ears. “You look okay, I guess. ”

He chuckles and takes my face in his hands, kissing me on the lips until the room sways around me. When he releases me, I’m out of breath and hot, like I had just run a marathon in the summer sun.

“Listen,” Andi snaps, waving us over to where we’re supposed to line up. “You guys can get a room later, but right now, I’m getting married and I feel like I’m going to shit myself I’m so scared.”

I laugh and pull Charlie along to our places and slip my arm through his. One last day.

Better make it the best yet.