Wish Upon a Wedding

by LuAnn McLane

  “Sophia, please tell me what happened in there. What garbage did Ashley say to you?” He searched her sweet face for clues. “It’s driving me crazy. I need to know.”

  Sophia tilted her head up to look at him. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears and it clawed at his heart. “You know, Avery, I think that forgiveness is the hardest thing that we have to face in our lives. But it’s also the most freeing feeling. I finally forgave my father for loving money more than spending time with his family. It was his loss and I feel sorry for him now instead of anger and resentment. And he knows his mistake but it’s just the way he is. I love him in spite of his faults.”

  When she stopped talking, Avery wondered where in the world she was going with this conversation. Confused, he prompted, “Sophia, I don’t know—”

  “Sometimes forgiveness is all it takes to make our world right again. We all make mistakes.”

  His heart thudded. “Sophia, if—”

  “Let’s just get back in there, shall we?” she asked lightly, but instead of waiting for an answer she started walking. Having no choice, Avery walked with her, turning over what she’d just said in his mind, trying to make sense of it all. But he could tell by her firm steps and the stiff set of her spine that Ashley wasn’t going to get the best of Sophia . . .

  Unless she already had.

  Avery went through the motions. He ordered another round of ales, laughed at Max’s jokes, and helped put the finishing touches on the bachelorette and bachelor party weekend.

  When Ashley kept steering the conversation to old times, Avery quickly changed the subject, not wanting Sophia to feel left out. Besides, he didn’t want to relive the past with Ashley; he wanted to start a future with Sophia. He was going to let Sophia know that important detail as soon as they could politely make their exit.

  “So, are we all set?” Zoe asked. She looked down at the notes she’d taken. “The girls will drop the guys off at Norris Lake for a houseboat weekend, while the girls stay in Gatlinburg in a chalet.”

  “I’ve got a gorgeous one rented,” Ashley said. “And if the boys make an impromptu visit, I’m sure we won’t mind,” she added with a wink in Avery’s direction. “Just like they used to do when we had weekend sleepovers. Remember that, guys?”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Max said with a frown at Ashley. Avery wanted to give him a high five.

  “Oh, I’m just teasin’,” Ashley said with a pout.

  “Yeah, we already discussed that, Ashley,” Zoe said with a surprising edge to her voice. “We won’t interrupt each other’s weekend. We’re only riding with each other for the convenience and to save gas since the lake is on the way.”

  “Oh, come on, Zoe, y’all just need to lighten up,” Ashley said with a bit of a bite to her tone as well. Could it be that Ashley was finally wearing thin on his sister? It was about damned time. “I do believe that you’re getting a bit of wedding jitters.” She rolled her eyes and then looked at Sophia. “I don’t envy you and your little bridal salon. Brides can be such a pain.” She made a face at Zoe as if expecting her to laugh but Zoe shook her head and took a drink of her ale.

  “White Lace and Promises is a dream come true for me,” Sophia said. “I’ve always loved getting a bride ready for the most important day of her life. Jitters are normal. I’m very good at calming the bridal party down and making the day extraordinary, as it should be.”

  “Better you than me,” Ashley said and made a duck face. Avery wondered if she realized how goofy she looked. He wanted to take his phone out and take a picture of her so he could show her.

  “I’m okay with that,” Sophia said airily. Avery wasn’t sure but by the sudden look of pain on Ashley’s face he had to wonder if Zoe had just given her a hard nudge beneath the table. Good, Ashley deserved to be squashed.

  “We’ll pick you guys back up Sunday afternoon,” Zoe said, and then looked across the table at Sophia. “And thanks for being so understanding about the date change. I know it’s sudden and I’m truly sorry.”

  “No problem. I’ll be busy,” Sophia assured her. “I hope you guys have a really fun time.”

  “Thanks,” Zoe and Max both said, but Ashley remained silent.

  Avery took Sophia’s hand and squeezed it. He was a little bit ticked at Zoe for not being on his side when it came to the date change, but then again, she catered toward Ashley just like he used to do. He supposed old habits die hard. Lucky for him those days were over. “You ready, Sophia?”

  “Yes.” Sophia nodded. “I have a long day tomorrow. It was nice to get to spend time with you,” she said to Zoe and Max, and then flicked a brief glance at Ashley. “I’m really looking forward to when you and your bridesmaids come in for the trial run for your updos. Start getting pictures together. I’ve got some lovely hair jewelry from Nicolina Diamante or you can go with a weave of fresh flowers from Flower Power to complement the color of your dresses. There are lots of fun choices and we’ll explore them all. If you have any pictures to send me ahead of time that will be really helpful.”

  “I’m looking forward to it too,” Zoe said, and Avery thought he caught a little look of guilt in Zoe’s eyes. Well, good. Perhaps after having her seeing him with Sophia she would finally get the message that he was done with Ashley and had found someone really wonderful. “My mother wants you to do her hair for the wedding too. Have you met my parents yet?”

  “Not yet,” Sophia said. “I’m sure they’re lovely folks.”

  “I adore Carla and Tommy,” Ashley said with a smug smile. “My mama and Carla were best friends just like Zoe and me. Isn’t that just the coolest thing?” she asked Sophia.

  Sophia nodded.

  Avery shifted in his seat, not liking the direction the evening was suddenly going. They seriously needed to get the hell out of there—and fast. “We’ll see you around,” he said and couldn’t quite keep the impatience out of his voice.

  “See you this weekend, Avery. It’s going to be a blast,” Ashley said. Avery pointedly ignored her comment.

  “We promise not to get too wild,” Max said to Sophia who smiled back at him. “I’ll be the voice of reason.”

  “Since when?” Avery asked with a grin at his friend. Damn, he missed Max.

  “Since I’m getting married.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Ashley said. She put her hand to her chest. “I, for one, fully intend to get a little bit crazy. Isn’t that what these weekends are for? One last hurrah?” Ashley cooed with a nudge to Zoe who shot her a frown. “What? Why on earth are you so uptight tonight?” She flicked Sophia a glance as if she was somehow the culprit. “Oh . . . I get it.”

  “Okay, we’re heading out,” Avery said and extended his hand toward Sophia. He grasped her fingers firmly as they made their way toward the entrance.

  “I’m going to say good-bye to Grace, if you don’t mind.”

  Avery leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. “No, take as long as you like, I’ll meet you at the front door. I’m going to make a stop in the men’s room.”

  “Okay, I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.” She smiled but he could tell that she was upset and rightfully so. He felt like going back in there and giving Ashley a piece of his mind but didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of letting her see how riled up she’d gotten him. And since he didn’t know what went on in the ladies’ room he felt at a disadvantage. Damn, he wanted to know!

  Avery tried not to dwell on what Ashley might have said to Sophia and put a smile on his face when he met her at the front door. After they were seated in his truck he finally said, “Well, I’m glad that’s behind us. Thanks for coming with me, Sophia.”

  “Oh, Avery, your sister is really nice. She and Max make a great couple. I can tell that they are completely in love. She’s going to make such a beautiful bride.”

  “Thanks, I miss hanging out with them,�
�� Avery said, and then could have bitten his tongue. “Max and I have been friends for a long time and you already know I’m close to Zoe.”

  “Oh, I know. This can’t be easy for you.”

  “Yeah, it hasn’t been, but now that Zoe’s seen how good we are together we can start doing more things with the two of them. Why don’t we plan a barbecue at my house soon?”

  “Sure.” Sophia nodded but her smile still seemed distant.

  Avery felt a flash of anxiety grip him hard in the gut. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Do you want to come back to my house or head to your place?”

  “Actually, Avery, I’m really tired so if you don’t mind I’d like to go home.”

  When she didn’t mention inviting him up, his anxiety kicked it up a notch. “Okay,” he said with pointed reluctance and started up the truck. “But thank you again for coming with me tonight.”

  “You’re welcome, Avery, but you don’t have to keep thanking me.”

  Sophia remained silent on the short drive back but Avery was uncertain whether or not to approach the subject of what went on in the bathroom again. Unfortunately, whatever happened with Ashley felt like a time bomb ready to explode and he didn’t have any idea how to defuse it since he was clueless as to what was said.

  Avery reached over and took Sophia’s hand and although she didn’t pull away, she didn’t slide a smile his way or make her usual cute remarks. She failed to sing along with the music on the radio and seemed deep in thought. When they pulled into her parking lot he found a vacant spot and killed the engine. “Mind if I come up for a little while?” he asked and when she hesitated, dread mixed with the anxiety he was feeling. “Sophia, are we going to talk about it?” he asked gently. “We need to.”

  Sophia looked at him with uncertainty in her eyes. After swallowing hard she lifted one shoulder. “I don’t know.”

  “Can I please come up for a minute so we can figure this out? I don’t want to do this in the truck.”

  “Okay,” she finally softly agreed.

  Dread made his footsteps feel heavy against the pavement. He opened the passenger door and assisted her down but instead of playfully falling against him like she usually did, she held herself away. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss away whatever was bothering her. She did take his offered hand and he felt a slight tremble as his heart pounded with slow dread. Whatever she was going to say wasn’t going to be good. He could feel it hanging heavy in the air between them.

  Instead of kissing in the elevator like they were prone to do, Sophia kept her eyes on the numbers. Avery’s mind raced and he braced himself for whatever she was going to tell him. The abnormal silence felt thick and unnatural. He wanted to hear her laughter, see her sweet smile.

  Once they were inside her apartment she walked over to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water. “Want one?”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Avery nodded, thinking he could use something stronger but went over to sit down on the sofa. Sophia sat in a chair and unscrewed the cap on her water bottle. After taking a sip she inhaled a deep breath. She played with the cap, screwing and unscrewing as if the action helped her gather her thoughts.

  “Sophia, please just tell me what’s on your mind.”

  She went still for a long, agonizing moment. “Ashley confessed to me that she cheated on you with a Cougar baseball player.”

  Avery’s pulse quickened and he sat there stunned, not knowing what to say. “She . . . she did?” What the hell!

  Sophia nodded. “She also told me that you said that she was the love of your life.” She looked at his face as if searching for answers.

  “Of course, I did, Sophia. I proposed to her—remember?”

  “Yes, I remember.” She took another swallow of her water. “She said that you still love her but that you simply can’t forgive her. And that I would forever be your second choice.”

  Avery felt a scorching flash of anger at Ashley and bit back an oath. “That’s complete nonsense.”

  “Is it?” Sophia frowned and started playing with the cap again.

  “Yes! Sophia, I enjoy being with you more than I ever did with Ashley. You’re everything she isn’t.” With his heart pounding he shoved his fingers through his hair. “And that’s a good thing.”

  “But don’t you see?”

  “See what?”

  “You might like me more than you do Ashley. She might drive you crazy with her selfish ways but that doesn’t mean that you don’t still love her. Let’s face it, if she hadn’t cheated you’d be married by now, right?”

  “But she did cheat!” Avery said hotly, and then it hit him hard what Sophia was getting at.

  “Maybe you should just dig deep and find a way to forgive her. Then you could go back to the four of you hanging out like old times. She made a mistake, Avery. People do. She said it was meaningless.”

  “Well, it sure meant something to me. She slept with another man while she had my ring on her finger. That’s not a mistake,” he answered, while trying to tamp down his anger. It wasn’t fair to Sophia for him to lose it. “Sophia, why in the world are you defending her? I don’t get it.”

  Sophia was silent for a moment. She looked at him with troubled eyes and finally said, “I’m not defending her. What she did to you was horrible. But unforgivable? I don’t know.”

  “Yes, it is unforgivable. How could I ever trust her again? Trust is the foundation of any relationship.”

  “And so is love.”

  Avery wondered where she was going with this but it felt like a runaway train and he didn’t know how to stop the momentum. “Of course. But you can’t have one without the other.”

  Sophia played with the cap again so Avery knew there was more to come. “But Avery . . .” She swallowed hard, licked her bottom lip, and then finally said, “You’ve never told me that you love me.”

  For a second, her statement actually took him by surprise. “I . . . I haven’t?” he asked, but he knew he hadn’t and that was such a stupid reaction. He’d meant to, wanted to, but he supposed there’d been that lingering fear of saying those three little words that gave the other person so much power to inflict pain.

  “No,” she answered softly. “I think I would have remembered that little fact.”

  “Sophia, I—”

  “Please don’t say it now,” she pleaded, her words trembling on her tongue.

  “But—”

  “I think we should”—she inhaled a breath—“stop seeing each other.”

  The runaway train picked up speed. “Sophia, no!”

  “You need to take a step back and figure out where your heart is. Maybe search for forgiveness.”

  “I know where my heart is!” He held her gaze for a moment but she looked down at the floor as if studying the design of the carpet. “Sophia, my heart belongs to you and only you.”

  “I know that you want it to be so, but you have to take a step back, examine your feelings, and make sure.”

  “I don’t want to take any steps back. Sophia, please don’t do this.”

  “We have to.” He could hear the anguish in her voice. “You know, I think that if we had simply started dating and not begun with the whole pretend thing, I would feel better about . . . us. But this started out being about Ashley. Tonight was about Ashley. I need to feel like . . . like this is about . . . me.”

  Avery squeezed his bottle of water so hard that the plastic crackled. “Sophia, I should have never made that damned promise to her! If I hadn’t—”

  “No,” she interrupted. “You made the promise to protect her reputation and to save your sister the hurtful truth, but maybe there’s more to it than you realize.”

  “What do you mean?” He shook his head, unable to believe this was happening.

  “If nobody knew what she did to you then you could go ba
ck to her without risking your pride.”

  “No, I won’t give you that. Sophia, you’re reading more into this than what’s there. You’re overthinking this. It’s your worry gene, remember?” he asked hopefully.

  “Oh, Avery, it’s more than just being worried.”

  He shoved his fingers through his hair feeling a wave of panic wash over him. “You’re not really being fair to me. You said earlier not to play into her hands so why are you letting her win?”

  “This isn’t about winning or losing. And it’s not fair to either of us. Maybe after the wedding . . . when all of this is behind you . . . maybe then we can . . . start fresh? When you have this all figured out.”

  “Sophia, no! There’s nothing to figure out. I want you at the wedding with me.” Avery patted his chest so hard that it hurt. “This is crazy. Look, I should have never asked you to come tonight. I knew she would pull something. But I couldn’t have predicted . . . this.”

  Sophia closed her eyes for a moment, pressed her lips together, and then looked at him. Tears were shining in her eyes and he wanted to gather her into his arms. “Don’t you see? It’s still all about Ashley. Even right now.”

  “Then let’s not allow tonight or any other night be about her ever again.” Avery wanted to stand up, pull Sophia to her feet and into his arms but he was suddenly afraid that she’d push him away and he wouldn’t be able to handle her rejection. “Sophia, she pulled out all of the stops tonight. I should have put her in her place from the very beginning. And I should have refused to change the date for the bachelor party.”

  “You tried, Avery. She seems to always get her way and I suppose old habits die hard.”

  “I’m so sorry. I feel as if I’ve let you down. No, I did let you down.” He leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees. “Sophia . . . can’t we try to talk this out? If we break up this will be exactly what she wanted.”