“It’s not a story. Her dad did die.”
“And you had to be the one to comfort her, did ya’?”
“She’s one of my oldest friends, and she needed to talk.”
“Didn’t look like talking to me.”
“Knock it off, Michelle.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Hey, you’re in the wrong here. Not me.”
He took a few steps closer. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Only because I interrupted you.”
“Hey!” He grabbed her by the arm. “Don’t go telling Maggie stories.”
Michelle gritted her teeth and squeezed her hands into fists. More than anything, she wanted to punch him in the face, but she didn’t want to ruin the night for Maggie. She would wait until tomorrow to tell her what she had seen.
“I’m not kidding, Michelle. Don’t say anything.”
“Or what?”
“I know you never told her what happened between us at the skating rink. I don’t think she’d be too happy to hear about that after all this time. Her fiancé and her maid of honor? How do you think she would feel about that?”
She didn’t know what to say.
Ben leaned in close and kissed her on the cheek. “Enjoy the party,” he said smugly.
Michelle despised him at that moment, and she knew his type all too well. She wondered how many other girls he had taken into dark corners during his relationship with Maggie.
Oh, dear sweet Maggie.
11
The last place Michelle ever thought she would be on her twenty-second birthday was standing in a dressing room trying on wedding gowns, but that’s exactly where she found herself. Maggie had roped her into modeling for a photo shoot at a new bridal boutique in downtown Grand Rapids in the hopes of building up her photography portfolio.
Michelle slid the dressing room curtain to the side and walked out into the bridal shop, where two of Maggie’s photographer friends were already waiting in wedding gowns.
“Michelle, you look beautiful.” Maggie motioned for her to step up onto a pedestal surrounded by mirrors.
She moved into place and looked at her reflection. The dress wasn’t her style with it’s long lace sleeves and beaded detail, but she did feel pretty.
Maggie walked over and handed her a bouquet of flowers, then lifted the train of the dress, letting it fall smoothly behind her. “OK, turn slowly toward me.”
Michelle did as Maggie requested, and the train twisted slightly as she turned.
“Perfect!” Maggie declared, raising her camera and snapping a few photos. She paused and peeked up at Michelle. “Try not to look so miserable.”
“Sorry.” Michelle smiled weakly. “I told you I wouldn’t be very good at this.”
“What are you talking about? You’re gorgeous.” Maggie looked through her camera viewfinder again.
Truth be told, Michelle had only agreed to the photo shoot because she felt guilty for never telling Maggie what she had seen at the engagement party. She was too afraid of what might happen if Maggie ever found out she kissed Ben. And maybe she had been wrong. Maybe he was just comforting a grieving friend. She seriously doubted that, but she wasn’t willing to risk losing Maggie over it.
The three girls took turns posing in several gowns each, and Michelle could see how happy the whole thing made Maggie. She was totally in her element all afternoon.
When it was time for Michelle’s last dress change, she took the gown handed to her and walked into the changing room. She heard the chime on the door signal someone entering the shop, though it was supposed to be closed for the photo shoot.
As she walked out into the room again, she spotted Simon standing next to Maggie, talking with one of the other girls. He glanced up and caught sight of her, and his mouth dropped open a little.
“Hey,” Michelle greeted him as she took her place on the pedestal again.
“Chelle …” Simon seemed awestruck. He couldn’t find words.
She looked at herself in the mirror. Now this dress was totally her — strapless and smooth with a fitted waist and a little poof to the tea-length skirt. With its satin striped border, it reminded her of the “bell dress” Julia Roberts wore in the movie Runaway Bride — only shorter.
Her eyes met Simon’s again. He was staring at her in a way she had never seen before, and she liked it. A lot.
“You look amazing.”
Her cheeks warmed, and her stomach was doing somersaults.
“Seriously. You’ve never looked so beautiful,” he gushed.
She tried to act casual. “Thanks.”
He had a goofy look on his face, until the click of Maggie’s camera shutter pulled his attention in her direction. Then it was all questions about photography and what lenses she was using and what settings were best for the lighting.
“I’m working here, Simon,” Maggie declared, obviously annoyed.
Michelle was secretly pleased by her reaction.
Simon watched silently while Maggie photographed a few final pictures of the models. When she wrapped the session, Simon walked over to Michelle and hugged her.
“Careful of the dress,” she ordered with a smile.
He took her hands in his and stepped back. “Look at you. Wow!”
“Simon.” She had never felt so shy before, and she let go and spun around to distract from it. The skirt lifted and fell softly around her. It made her feel truly beautiful. And after seeing the look on Simon’s face, she was glad she had decided to help Maggie out.
“You should wear that to dinner tonight.”
“Are we going to dinner? I thought we were just doing pizza and a movie.”
“It’s your birthday, and I’m taking you out. Is that OK?”
“Sure. Just let me get changed.”
“OK. I’ve actually got an errand to run first. Can I come back and get you in like fifteen minutes?”
“Sure.”
He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips and that charming smile of his, then headed out the door.
Michelle went to the changing room and reluctantly removed the dress. She reached up and touched her bottom lip. She knew Simon meant the kiss as nothing more than friendship, but her lips were tingling from the contact. She hung the dress on the hanger and stared at it longingly. She had never been the kind of girl to dream of her future wedding, plan it out to the tiniest detail, or pretend to be a bride when she was a little girl. That just wasn’t her. Marriage had never really been for her. But if she were ever to get married one day, if it was in God’s plan, this was just the dress she would choose. And for the first time in her life, she daydreamed about her wedding. She imagined Simon waiting at the end of the aisle, looking at her exactly the way he had earlier, and she wanted that moment to be real someday.
When she emerged from the dressing room, Maggie was helping the store owner take care of the gowns. Michelle held the dress out to Maggie, but when she grabbed for it, Michelle pulled it back teasingly.
“I knew you liked that one. It’s gorgeous on you, Chelle.” Maggie smiled.
“It really is pretty.” She released it to Maggie, who put it back on the display rack. “Someday maybe.”
“Maybe someday soon.” Maggie winked.
“I doubt that.”
Maggie slid some dresses to the side, and she suddenly gasped. “Oooh, look at this one.” It was lacy, long, and flowing. It looked like Maggie.
“Try it on.”
“No, I couldn’t. I haven’t even started dress shopping yet.”
“Now’s as good a time as any,” Michelle insisted.
Maggie giggled. “OK.” She snatched the dress and ran off to the changing room.
A few minutes later, Simon returned to the shop with a small bouquet of flowers in hand. “Hey, are you ready to go?”
Michelle held up her index finger as Maggie emerged from the dressing room.
“What do you think?” Maggie lifted the skirt a little as she walke
d. “Does it look good?”
“So good,” Michelle replied.
Maggie stepped up on the pedestal. Her mouth fell open slightly as she saw her reflection in the mirrors, and tears began to well up in her eyes. “This is it. This is the one.”
Michelle was about to respond when she glanced over at Simon. The look he gave her earlier paled in comparison to the way he was looking at Maggie now. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, and her heart began to ache.
How long had Simon been harboring feelings for Maggie? And why had she never noticed? She thought of Simon’s reaction to the news of Maggie’s engagement, how much her dismissive attitude always got to him, the longing in his eyes when he looked at her, and the sweet tone in his voice when he called her Canon. Michelle hadn’t been completely blind to the truth. She had seen glimpses, but she ignored them all, because she had loved Simon Walker from the moment she met him.
Simon suddenly noticed Michelle watching him, and he nervously cleared his throat. “Happy birthday, Chelle.” He handed her the flowers. “These are for you.”
This sweet moment was completely ruined by the nagging jealousy in the pit of her stomach. “Thank you, Simon. They’re beautiful,” she managed.
“Shall we go?”
“Let’s.”
12
Michelle never imagined she would have to wait five years to wear the bridesmaid dress that hung in her closet. Maggie and Ben should have been married already, but Ben dragged his feet for three years before setting a date. It didn’t surprise Michelle at all given what she knew about him, but she felt horrible for her sweet roommate.
Living with Maggie during that time had been miserable. She became a sad, paranoid, stressed-out version of herself. And Ben’s nasty habit of blowing her off back in college carried over into their engagement. He constantly stood her up, but always with an excuse. None of them were good, but Maggie forgave him every time. The closer they got to the wedding, the more times Michelle walked in the apartment and found Maggie crying on the phone with Ben or just plain crying. It didn’t seem like the happy time it was supposed to be.
Guilt nagged at Michelle daily. She wished she had been honest years ago about what she saw at the engagement party. Maybe then Maggie wouldn’t be in this situation. Ben was no good. That was a fact. But what could she do? Maggie was determined to marry him in two months time.
Simon had his own opinions about the wedding, and they became more and more frequent as the big day neared.
“Ben is such a jerk,” he would say. “Maggie deserves so much better.”
She suspected he had other reasons for not wanting Maggie to marry Ben, but she knew he would never reveal them to her.
One night, after finding Maggie in tears again, Michelle could stand it no more.
“Maggie, please don’t be upset at me for asking this, but do you really want to marry Ben?”
A look of shock crossed Maggie’s face. “Why are you asking me that? You know how much I love him.”
“Yeah, but why do you love him?”
“That’s a stupid question.”
Michelle shook her head. “No, it’s not. It’s a valid one.”
Maggie sat speechless.
“Brides should be happy. This is supposed to be a celebration.”
“There’s a lot to do with the wedding coming up and with work. We’re both just a little stressed.”
“A little?”
Maggie stood from where she sat at the kitchen table and walked to the refrigerator.
“I don’t mean to upset you or hurt your feelings. I just want you to be happy, Mags, and you don’t seem very happy. You haven’t for a long time.”
The refrigerator door slammed shut.
“You know you’re allowed to change your mind. You don’t have to go through with the wedding.”
“I am happy with Ben,” Maggie snapped, “and we are getting married on June twenty-sixth.”
After that conversation, tensions were high at the apartment. Maggie barely spoke to Michelle, which made the invitation from her grandparents to come for a visit the perfect escape. Michelle was on edge as she drove toward their house near Springfield. She knew getting away from the apartment was a good idea, but part of her worried that Maggie would be even more upset if she walked out and shirked her maid of honor duties. The bridal shower hosted by her and the other bridesmaids was only a week away, and she had also promised to help address wedding invitations.
She wasn’t looking forward to this visit with her grandparents. Not that she didn’t love them for all they had done for her, but every conversation centered around her career. They thought she was overqualified for her receptionist job, which they were right about. Even when she got promoted to office manager, they still weren’t satisfied. They were quick to tell her how much they wished she would use the degree they had paid for to get a better job.
She wished for things, too. She wished they had been more than just financially supportive. She wished they had given her encouragement rather than criticism.
As she neared their street, she prayed that maybe this visit would be different.
The garage door on their light blue, ranch-style home was wide open when she arrived. Their Buick was inside, and an unfamiliar SUV sat in the driveway. She entered the house through the breezeway, dropping her bags just inside the door.
“Hello?” The house was silent, but she heard muffled voices coming from outside. She walked through to the back door of the garage and stopped dead in her tracks.
On a shiny new swing set in her grandparents’ yard was a giggly little girl with chestnut brown ringlets.
“Higher, Daddy,” the little girl cried.
Michelle’s heart tightened in her chest at the sight of her father.
“Hold on tight, Ava.” Robert pulled back on the chains and let go.
Ava giggled and let out a gleeful shriek.
A strong urge to flee overwhelmed her. She wanted to sneak out, grab her bags, and drive away before anyone saw her. This was not at all what she had expected.
“Michelle.” Grandma spotted her.
Darn it!
“Come sit with us. Have a glass of iced tea.”
Michelle hesitantly walked into the back yard. Her father looked over at her and waved.
She walked on without a response and sat next to her grandmother, who handed her a glass of tea.
“How was your drive?” Grandma asked.
“Fine.” She was mad, fuming really.
“Is something wrong?” Grandma was clueless as ever.
“Why didn’t you tell me Dad was gonna be here?” she asked quietly.
“He just showed up this morning. We didn’t know he was coming.”
Michelle didn’t know whether to believe her or not. She glanced across the yard.
“I thought you’d be happy to see Avey.”
Michelle turned her eyes on Grandma. “Why would you think that?”
“Because she’s your little sister.”
“I’ve never even met her before.”
Grandma’s mouth dropped open.
Did Grandma really not know that? Does she really not know her own son by now? This was a huge mistake.
Michelle crossed her arms. Before her stood this man, who was supposed to take care of her and love her and push her on the swing, but he had never done a single one of those things. He barely seemed to notice her presence. She watched him lift Ava and swing her around. Ava laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. He squeezed her and kissed her on the cheek, and all Michelle wanted at that moment was to curl up in a ball and die.
As Robert carried Ava across the yard in her direction, Michelle’s heart began to race.
“Hello, Michelle. How are you?”
“Fine.”
“Ava, say hello to your big sister, Michelle.”
Ava’s eyes grew as big as saucers. She looked back and forth between Dad and Michelle.
Mic
helle stared at the adorable little girl, not quite sure what to say to her.
Ava wiggled out of Robert’s arms and walked over to Michelle. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
“You’re my sister,” Ava declared.
Michelle nodded. “I know.”
Ava suddenly climbed into her lap and ran her little hand over Michelle’s long, brown waves. “You’re pretty.”
“So are you,” Michelle replied, touching one of her sister’s ringlets.
Ava wrapped her arms around Michelle’s neck in a hug. “I’ve never had a sister before.”
Michelle’s heart turned to mush. “Neither have I.” She held tightly to Ava and breathed in the smell of her strawberry-scented kid shampoo. Her eyes stung as tears threatened.
And just as quickly as their conversation began, Ava jumped down and ran back to play on the swings again.
Michelle glanced over at her father, who was watching his little daughter lovingly, and the jealousy burned within her. What’s wrong with me? Why doesn’t he love me like he loves Ava? Why am I never enough? For anyone?
As the afternoon wore on, her father carried on long conversations with his parents and doted on Ava the whole time, but barely said two words to her.
When Grandma got up to begin preparing dinner, Michelle followed her into the kitchen. She could no longer take the torture. “I’m sorry, Grandma. I can’t stay.”
“But you just got here. I thought you were staying for the whole weekend. We were planning to go to Easter service. We can take Ava to the Easter egg hunt.”
“Well, you can still take her, but I have to go.”
Grandma looked at her with disapproval. “You should be here with your family.”
The tears burned Michelle’s eyes again. “Do you have any idea how hard this was for me?”
Her grandmother looked at her in confusion.
“I can’t sit here and watch Dad and Ava together. It’s too much.”
The back door opened and in walked her father. She could tell by the expression on his face that he had heard her.
“Great!” Michelle glared at her dad. “You know what, I’m just gonna say it. You suck.” It was a juvenile thing to say, but her teenage side started creeping in. All the things she had never had the guts to say to him when she was that age were about to burst out. “Would it have hurt you to spend a little time with me when I was Ava’s age? Would it have been so hard to push me on a swing or teach me how to ride a bike? Or buy me a bike for that matter?” Tears streamed down her face now. “You were never there for me. How could you just leave me? How could you do that?”
Until Then (Cornerstone Book 2) Page 12
