Page 39 of Not a Friend (Crescent Light #1)

Now

I never said I was a smart man.

“ A re you sure you can’t come boating with us today?

” Kieran asked for the fifth time that morning as he laced his shoes.

We’d come back to the suite to get ready for the day, me bristling the whole time from what happened at breakfast. Now, his insistence that I back out of helping Gemma in favor of getting shit-faced with him was downright irritating.

I sighed. “No, Kieran. For the last time, Gemma needs help, so I’m helping her.”

“Haven’t you helped her enough, though? I mean, it’s her wedding. Why has she been making you do all the work?”

Spoken like someone who had only been a groomsman once in his life and had the privilege of simply showing up twenty minutes before the ceremony.

“Because she’s my best friend. As a bridesmaid, you help out wherever you’re needed. It’s what you do.”

“But she didn’t make you a bridesmaid.” He pulled a sweatshirt over his head. “That would take away from her spotlight too much. ”

I laughed humorlessly as I changed into a pair of jeans. “They don’t have a bridal party because they didn’t want a bridal party. And just because they don’t have one doesn’t mean I’m any less needed. Look at Jared; he’s the best man, whether or not he stands beside Grant tomorrow.”

“Whatever you say.”

I couldn’t wrap my head around why he was being so selfish about the stupid booze cruise. Or why he was pressed about me helping Gemma when I gave him the heads-up weeks ago. Or why he had to bring it up in front of everyone at breakfast.

“I feel like you’re pissed at me,” he said. “If you don’t want me to go on the boat thing, I won’t go.”

“Just go, it’s fine.” I didn’t have time to debate back and forth with him; I was already running late meeting Gemma. Plus, I didn’t want him around if he was just going to complain about helping or make underhanded comments about Gemma the whole time.

“Are you sure?”

“Unless you want to steam dresses and fluff flower arrangements…?”

He made a face, already reaching for the door. “Hard pass.”

“Exactly.” I turned to him. “You go have fun. There’s supposed to be a big group going anyway. You’ll have a way better time there than here.”

Almost all of Gemma and Grant’s college friends were going to be on the boat, in addition to all of Gemma’s cousins under the age of forty, her brother, and now Kieran.

With one last goodbye, Kieran left to meet up with Michael and join the bus heading to San Francisco.

I took a brick path to a huge suite overlooking the vineyard, which was being used as Gemma’s bridal room. When I let myself in, the first thing I saw was Gemma’s wedding dress hanging off the windowsill of the massive circular window that took up most of the far wall.

“There you are!” she sang, crossing the living area to wrap me in a hug.

“Here I am,” I muffled into her blonde waves.

“Everything okay?”

Damn her and her ability to see right through me.

“Of course!” I lied. She pulled away to hold me at arm’s length, assessing me. I played up my tone. “Why would anything be wrong?”

“No reason.” Gemma ran her hands down the length of my arms. Soothing.

Petting. “Just checking on you. You just seem a little tense. And, you know…” She hesitated.

“Nate made the trip after all. If I knew he was going to be here, I would have told you. Apparently, he told Jared to tell Grant, and, well, you know how that goes. Good thing I had overflow tables built into the seating chart.”

I felt my guard slip out of place and pulled the inside of my cheek between my teeth. “I’m fine.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t,” she said simply, plopping onto the large white sofa in the middle of the suite. “So… has he said anything to you?”

I sighed deeply and followed. “He found me last night at the party.” I curled my legs under me as I got comfortable. “I was caught off guard, so I didn’t stick around for much of a conversation. Then after the game, I basically told him to fuck off and leave me alone.”

She snorted.

“I felt really bad about it, but then I saw him again this morning, and we talked more. Just pleasantries, mostly. I don’t know. I’m trying not to dwell on it. Kieran has been acting weird.”

“How so? ”

Well, for starters, he doesn’t really like you. And I’m not sure he likes anyone else.

“He bailed on helping today; he’s on the booze cruise with Michael. There’s this possessiveness, this alpha-bro thing he’s doing. I’ve never seen this side of him before.”

“Jealousy can be kind of hot in the right context.”

“Not this context,” I countered, “and it gets worse when Nate’s around.

I honestly think pissing on my leg would be a more subtle response at this point.

It’s driving me insane.” My usual image of the confident, striking Kieran was morphing gradually into exactly the kind of guy I actively made a point to stay away from. Arrogant. Controlling.

I shook my head. That’s not Kieran. That may be how he’s acting right now, but that’s not who he is.

“Does he still not know? About you and Nate?”

I heaved another sigh, dropping my head into my hands. “No,” I admitted. “Nothing.”

Gemma hummed her acknowledgment. Not a judgmental hum. Just one that said, Ahh, I see.

“We don’t talk about our exes,” I explained, mostly to reassure myself.

She already knew the situation. “We never have. He never brought any of his exes up once we became official, so neither did I. And I didn’t want to lay it all out for him before coming here on the likely chance that Nate wouldn’t be here.

Crescent Light is prepping for a European tour, for crying out loud!

I didn’t think airing out all the dirty laundry to Kieran would be worth the trouble because Nate isn’t…

” I gestured wildly. “He’s not… He isn’t part of my life!

He is someone we hung out with in grad school. The rest doesn’t matter anymore.”

Gemma laid a hand on my knee. “I hear you. And I’m going to say this next part because I love you, and we don’t lie to each other. ”

My teeth scraped against the skin of my lip.

“And we hold each other accountable. Even if we don’t want to hear it.”

I nodded, silent.

“You probably should have told Kieran about the Nate stuff.”

My shoulders slumped, but she was right—hindsight is 20/20 and all that.

God, the amount of things I would do differently in hindsight.

“I can understand why you didn’t tell him. You thought it would be irrelevant. But now?” She held out both hands as if to say, Look at this mess we’re in.

I groaned.

“Do you still… like… have feelings? For Nate? Like, real feelings? I’m not accusing you of anything—you know I have your back no matter what—but, do you?”

Exhaustion tugged on my senses despite it still being morning. “I don’t know. I really don’t have a clue, and I don’t have the brainpower to think about it right now. Plus, I’m realizing I’m emotionally dumping on you the day before your wedding, and I feel like an asshole.”

Gemma laughed, throwing her head back and clapping once. “You aren’t an asshole, Oli Bear. I’m here for you.”

I groaned again, leaning forward until my forehead thumped against her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

She patted the back of my head. “You don’t need to be, but I’ll tell you it’s okay and that I forgive you because I know that’s what you need to hear.”

“Enough of the drama,” I dismissed, sitting straighter. “I am all yours. Put me to work. ”

She stood with a flourish and made her way to the walk-in closet, with me closely behind her.

“Grant and Jared should be in the courtyard moving the giant arch for the ceremony into the right place, along with some tables and other heavy stuff. He knows his marching orders, but I’ll have to quality-check it all here in a bit.

First things first, we need to steam my dress and my mom’s dress.

She’s being more of a diva than I am, I swear. ”

We took turns with the steamer, tackling layer upon layer of chiffon, switching places when our arms ached. Her mom’s dress took longer than hers, but we made quick work of the task.

“The florist will be here tomorrow morning to do the bigger installations, like the flowers on the arch and the big centerpieces for dinner, but we’re making the smaller centerpieces for cocktail hour and such by ourselves.

And by we, I mean you . I have to meet with the catering team to go over some last-minute changes, but I can help you as soon as I’m done. ”

“Totally.” I nodded. “Not a problem. I’m your girl.”

She clapped and forwarded me the floral inspiration photos I’d seen dozens of times. They were to be small, modest bouquets mostly made of roses and greenery in clear, crystal vases of varying shapes and sizes. Easy enough.

“The only thing is, there’s a ton of them.

I have all the vases outside, and buckets of flowers are being delivered in a few minutes.

We’ll store them overnight in the big walk-in fridge in the reception hall’s kitchen once they’re all finished.

The resort staff is making room for them as we speak. ”

We left the bridal suite and followed the path to the main building, circling to the grassy clearing where the ceremony would be the next day.

Plastic tubs filled with clear vases wrapped in bubble wrap sat stacked in the middle of the makeshift aisleway.

Grant and Jared huffed in the distance, barely visible as they struggled to maneuver a large wooden archway toward the end of the aisle.

“I think we should set you up at one of the big tables in the beer garden,” Gemma said, hauling the first plastic tub into her arms. I repeated the movement and followed her. “It can be like your little flower shop area!”

“Love it!” I called from behind her retreating blonde head. We set the tubs beside the long picnic table we’d played cards at the night before and made another trip for the remaining vases.

The archway was now centered nicely at the end of the aisle. Grant stood a few feet away, hands on his hips and gasping for air, admiring his work.

“Move your side back a little!” he called to Jared, who was still halfway hidden behind the arch. He bear-hugged his side of the wood and inched it backward, making Gemma cackle as she stooped to grab another tub.

“There!” Grant shouted. “Perfect! Gem, come look at this and tell me the placement is good because I’m about to set the damn thing on fire.”

Jared at last emerged from behind the archway, and—it wasn’t Jared.

It was Nate, reaching to remove the black baseball cap he’d put on after breakfast. He wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand before turning the cap around and securing it backward on his head. His cheeks were flushed pink, and his lips parted as he caught his breath.

I swallowed and had to blink away creeping memories of him looking that particular brand of disheveled in precarious positions.

“I—uh,” Gemma started, her stutter telling me I wasn’t the only one surprised by Nate’s presence. “I think it looks great right there! Great job, guys. ”

Grant clapped his hands and looked to the heavens, grateful to be done with the heavy arch.

“Where’d Jared get off to?” Gemma asked.

“He’s inside helping load in tables,” Grant answered, stooping to kiss Gemma on the cheek.

“Gross!” She attempted to push him off but failed since she was still balancing the tub against her hip. “You’re all sweaty!”

I grabbed the final tub and caught Nate’s eye as I rose.

He lifted his chin, the corner of his mouth ticking upward as he silently greeted me.

I pressed my lips together and quickly turned to take my tub back to the makeshift flower shop.

Gemma followed with her box a second later, plopping hers down with the rest.

“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know he would be here. I thought he was going on the stupid party boat thing.”

I waved my hand through the air, dismissing her. “Don’t worry about it! It’s fine, promise.”

When the flower delivery arrived, Gemma set me up with everything I would need to make the arrangements—gloves, clippers, floral tape, water—and set me to work as she left to meet with the caterer.

I was grateful for the solitude. Being surrounded by sweet-smelling flowers and having nothing to do but focus on my assignment was exactly the kind of mind-numbing work I needed to unwind.

Peace and quiet, at last.