Chapter 104. Big Ass Mistake: pt. 4

The wedding.

Aunt Lydia had handed me the clipboard that morning with a quick, excited hug. “Sweetie, can you keep an eye on the exterior designers? Make sure the arch is centered and the flowers match the palette. You’re my rock today.” Her smile was so bright it almost hurt to look at it. I’d nodded, forcing enthusiasm into my voice, and spent the next few hours drifting between the garden tents, greeting distant cousins and great-aunts I hadn’t seen since Mom and Dad’s funeral. They pinched my cheeks, told me how much I’d grown, how much I looked like my mother.

Now there were only thirty minutes until the ceremony. I was still in yoga pants and an old hoodie, hair in a messy bun, while the other bridess floated around in silk robes, sipping mimosas. Panic spiked. I mumbled an excuse about checking something upstairs and bolted for my room, taking the steps two at a time.

The door clicked shut behind me, and I exhaled shakily. I’d showered earlier, thank God, so