Page 4 of The Bell’s Toll (Wanderlust Emporium Presents, Season One)

“Yes,” she says, taking the card and balling it up and tossing it into the trash. “Let me get rid of these. I’m pretty sure they were an accident.”

She grabs the roses that must have cost a fortune and quickly rushes out of the room. Once she’s gone, I turn to Nisha.

“Was that weird to you?”

Nisha nods. “But you know this is probably hard for her. Seeing her baby do something she will never get a chance to do. By the way, where is uncle rolling stone?”

I have to laugh out loud. Ever since we were old enough to understand the dynamics of their relationship, Nisha has called him that.

I shrug, walking over to the window seat in the room. “Probably somewhere appeasing his wife. You know she’s not happy about him wanting to sit beside Mama during the wedding.”

Although Vanessa and my mama have never gotten along, she has always been nice to me. She told me once I was the only innocent one in what her husband and my mom did. She said she could never hate me. Her daughter—now that is another story.

Nisha comes and flops down on the seat beside me. “How are you feeling? Today is your day, and I want it to be special. Don’t go stressing over those crazy ass adults that should know better.”

Anytime my mother, father, and his wife are in the same place, some shit goes down.

Mama and Vanessa haven’t gotten into a physical altercation since I was twelve.

Now-a-days, Mom ends up crying and depressed, while Vanessa is usually mad and drunk.

The only person who is unbothered is usually Daddy.

It’s one reason I didn’t want them all at my wedding.

But whatever Romeo Williams wants, he gets.

That feeling in the pit of my stomach hits again.

“Do you think I’m making the right decision?” I ask Nisha. “I mean, I love J, but something feels off.”

“You’re getting married, Siah. Everyone has cold feet before they get married. That’s normal. This is a huge life change.”

I’m shaking my head before she finishes. “I feel like it’s more than just nerves. Something is telling me this isn’t what I’m supposed to do.”

She watches me suspiciously. Her brown eyes narrowed. “If you’re having second thoughts, tell me now. We can blow this place. I’ll have you down in Mexico in no time.”

This is why I loved this girl. She was truly a ride or die. She isn’t lying. If I told Nisha that I changed my mind, she’d have no problem going out there and telling everyone to go home and would stand up for me if anyone tried to say something.

But maybe she’s right. I’m only getting cold feet because this is a life changing event. I’m sure that when I say I do, and we kiss as husband and wife, I will feel better.

Shaking my head, I laugh. “I’m just being ridiculous. I think my nerves are getting to me.”

She looks at me before speaking. “Okay. But if shit doesn’t feel right, don’t do this. I know Aunt Angie preached and forced it down your throat that you should marry him, but don’t let her issue become yours.”

I take in her words, letting them register. Mother was a huge part in me agreeing to this marriage. Yes, I loved Jamieson, but I never had that itch to walk down an aisle. Mother repeatedly told us we needed to marry. So, when he asked, I just said yes.

“I’m good,” I say with assurance I wasn’t sure I had. “It’s just nerves.”

She and I talked for another ten minutes before the door opened again.

My mother walks back in along with the rest of my bridal party.

I had only six bridesmaids, including Nisha.

Two were friends from college, one was a friend and employee, one was Jamison’s sister and the last was my sister. She was a favor to my father.

“Siah, you look so good,” Mallory, my old college roommate, gushes. Her sister locs are curled and hang down her back with one side pinned back.

“Thank you, Mal.”

“I don’t think I would have picked that dress. Not with that body type,” my sister says, looking down at her nails. “But it looks…. cute.”

Nisha takes a step toward her, but I put up a hand to stop her.

“Thank you, Rochelle. I can’t wait to see the dress you will wear at your wedding. When is it again?”

Nisha snorts before she chuckles. Mallory and the others cover their laughs behind their hands. Rochelle looks up at me and her eyes damn near spit fire.

Her fiancé called off their engagement months ago.

It was a huge thing. Daddy even asked me to postpone my wedding because of it.

That was the one request he nor my mother could talk me into.

We still don’t know why her ex up and called it quits.

I just know we all got the group text that said he was done with her.

A smile slowly lifts her lips. “We can’t all have a man that’s as good and faithful as Jamieson.”

Something about the way she says faithful rubs me wrong.

I guess I wasn’t the only one it bothered because Lexus speaks up. “What are you trying to say about my brother?”

Rochelle didn’t answer her. Instead, she looks at me with a smirk.

Finally, she turns to Lexus. “Nothing. I’m just talking.”

“That bitch is going to make me drag her by them ugly ass fake eyelashes,” Nisha whispers in my ear.

I own and operate a beauty bar. For the wedding, I told all my bridesmaids to come into the shop and get their lashes, nails, facials and brows done. My sister was the only one who didn’t show up.

“Ignore her. She just wants to make me angry on my day,” I say.

This is very typical of Rochelle. She was that child who liked to blow out my candles on my birthday cake. She’s always wanted the spotlight.

The door opens once again, and my daddy walks in with Vanessa at his side. I immediately look over at my mother. She tenses before looking away. This is the shit I didn’t want to happen today.

“Look at my baby girl.” Daddy coos. He walks over to me with open arms. I allow him to embrace me. His medium height frame dwarfed me in my flats. He smells the same as he has my entire childhood. Like spice and leather.

“You look beautiful, baby girl,” he pulls back and stares down at me.

“Thank you, Daddy.”

Vanessa comes up to me next. “Little Joy,” she sings, looking me over. “You are going to knock Jamieson over when he sees all those curves in that dress.”

My short 5’5 frame and 200 pounds were fairly proportionate. I had a whole lot of ass and hips, a handful of tits and a little belly. My dress was a size sixteen. I liked my weight. I had no health concerns, and I was active. Nobody was ever going to make me feel insecure about my body.

“Thank you, Vanessa.”

“Maybe when you’re done with your dress,” Rochelle starts. “You can loan it to your mother in hopes that one day she’ll find a man of her own.”

My mother gasps. Her eyes seem to water before she rushes out of the room.

“Oh, you got us fucked up,” Nisha says, taking her earrings off.

“Rochelle,” my father barks, turning to his youngest daughter. “You will not disrespect Angie like that. You need to apologize.”

“She’s not apologizing,” Vanessa snaps.

Rochelle smirks.

“But she was out of line,” Vanessa cuts her eyes over at her daughter, wiping the smirk off her face.

“I’m going to go check on Angie,” daddy says, glaring at his wife.

“If you do, you will not bring your ass back into my house tonight.”

No one speaks. Although I know she’s bluffing. She’s made that threat to my father so many times. And every time she lets him back in. I don’t know what it is about Romeo Williams. He must have a dick crafted by the gods, cause these two women are stupid dumb for him.

He looks over at me and then turns back to Vanessa before turning and walking out of the room in search of my mother.

Vanessa stands stoically in her spot even after he leaves.

“I’m so tired of this shit,” Rochelle shouts. “You deserve better than that, Mama. Having to share your man with a bitch he got pregnant—”

“I’m being a lot calmer than I should because it took me a while to get in this dress,” I say. “But if you disrespect my mother one more time, I will say fuck this dress and drag you across this got damn floor.”

Yes, we were in a church, but at the moment, I didn’t care. God knew my heart and my temper.

“And in case there is any confusion,” Nisha adds. “I will help.”

Rochelle stares at me, and so much hatred blazes through her gaze. Vanessa has every right to hate me. I am a product of her husband’s infidelity. A reminder that the man she loves, laid down with someone else. Rochelle, however, does not have a reason.

It’s no secret I got the short end of the Romeo stick. He lived with Rochelle and Vanessa. They got the most time with him. When he came to visit mother, he was so busy making up for the time he was away, he didn’t notice me.

If anyone should be angry, it was me. She had no right to treat me or my mother like this.

“Chelle, let’s take a walk,” Vanessa says.

Vanessa turns to me once more, and a sad smile lifts her lips. “Enjoy your day, little Joy. You look gorgeous.”

The room remains silent as she and Rochelle walk out leaving the rest of us alone. The moment the door closes, Nisha turns to me.

“That’s why her wig lifting. And neither of you heifers better not tell her.”

We all burst into laughter. Even though my cousin has the ability to lighten my mood, I still feel that pressing feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something tells me this day will only get worse.