Beach Wedding

by Cruise, Bella

  “Don’t move.” I cut him off. “I’m on my way.”

  I hang up.

  “Sounds like you found her,” Luke says.

  “For now.” I quickly text Marcie the details and tell her I’m on my way before looking back at Luke. I still want to reach out and touch him, but I can tell, it’s too late. Like he said, maybe we were broken a long time ago.

  I swallow back the ache that’s slicing through my heart. “Take care,” I say, turning away. I don’t wait around to hear what he says in response – if he says anything at all.

  I’ve lost him for good, but I can’t lose anything else. I have to find Pixie, and put this shattered wedding back together. It’s the only thing I have left.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I make it to Marathon without breaking any speed limits – barely. The motel is a run-down place on the outskirts of town, with a broken neon sign and a row of identical rooms running along the motor court.

  I see Buster tied to a post outside a room on the end, so I head straight there. I tap on the door. “Pixie? Pixie, Theo, open up. It’s me!”

  The door cracks. It’s Theo. “You didn’t bring anyone, did you?” he asks, looking nervously around.

  “No, but it’s not them you have to worry about.” I push the door wider, and see Pixie sitting cross-legged on one of the narrow twin beds. It’s a shock to see her without make up and hair all perfect. In a pair of pink sweatpants and a tank top, she looks like a college kid on vacation, not the face of a massive TV brand.

  “Are you OK?” I ask, breathing a sigh of relief. “You can’t just run off like that without telling anyone! We were all worried sick. Half the staff is out looking for you!”

  Pixie’s lip wobbles. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be mad at her.” Theo crosses to stand beside her. He takes her hand, and gives me a fierce look. “It’s not Pixie’s fault. She couldn’t stay and marry him -- because we’re in love.”

  I try to process it. Park Avenue Princess Pixie, and Theo the wedding charmer? I look closer. I’ve seen him flirt his way through every ceremony, but that was different. He means this. He really loves her.

  I sigh, defeated. “You are so fired.”

  Theo lifts his chin. “I don’t care. I don’t care about anything, as long as we’re together.”

  I can’t deal with this right now. Theo looks ready to duel for the love of his woman, and meanwhile, Pixie is just sitting silently by – like she’s done all month now.

  “You, out.” I grab Theo’s arm.

  “But—”

  “But nothing. Pixie and I need to have a chat. Girls only.”

  I shove him out the door. Then I go sit on the bed beside Pixie, and try to think clearly. “Talk to me,” I tell her. “What’s going on?”

  Pixie’s lower lip tremble turns to tears pooling in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have just left, but I didn’t know what else to do. My parents were… and Clyde… and then all the production…” She sniffles. “I just had to get away! I couldn’t think straight.”

  “And can you now?” I ask gently. There’s noise outside, but I ignore it. Pixie’s hanging on by a thread here, and I need to get her back on solid ground.

  “I don’t know!” Pixie wails. “Theo’s like, so amazing, and when I’m with him, I don’t have to think about anything else. He’s just, you know, he’s Theo, and he makes me laugh, and feel good, and none of it is for the cameras.”

  “But what about Clyde?”

  “He’s so cool, too.” Pixie blinks. “But, whenever I think about actually saying ‘I do’ and spending the rest of my life with him, I break out in hives. Look!” she holds out her arms, which are covered in a bumpy red rash.

  “That might just be the sheets here,” I point out.

  “You said if I didn’t want to marry Clyde, I could just leave.”

  “Yes.” I say slowly. “But have you thought this through? You need to be sure you want to end things with him. Not just a little, but a hundred percent sure.”

  Pixie sniffs. “I don’t know! I’m supposed to be having my bridal breakfast right now, with all those amazing little pastries and cakes your friend made…”

  “Don’t worry about the cakes. You can buy a box any time. Focus, Pixie.”

  She gulps. “Everyone will be waiting for me, won’t they? My family, and the bridesmaids. God, I can imagine what Lulu and the rest of them will say. They’ll have a field day if I call it off. And the tabloids too!” Pixie’s face changes. “Maybe I should marry him. I mean, it’s just a ceremony, right? I could do it, and then decide later. Maybe it won’t be so bad. I mean, I’ve been acting all this time for the cameras. One more day reading the right lines won’t make a difference.”

  Pixie grips my hand, her eyes full of indecision. “Tell me, Ginny, you have to decide for me. Just tell me what to do!”

  I pause. This is it, the moment I could nudge her safely back to earth. I could promise, everything will be all right, the ceremony doesn’t have to mean a thing. Better to go through with it than cause such a big scene; better for my job, for Marcie, for the network too. She doesn’t even have to sign the marriage licence, that part isn’t scheduled until later. Just walk down that aisle, say ‘I do’, and make life a whole lot easier for a whole lot of people, myself included.

  But my heart is already aching for the man I’ve lost – for the second and final time. I can’t bring myself to steer her away from her heart’s desire, when there’s a guy outside the door who would do anything for her, even risk ruining his whole career. Maybe Theo isn’t the love of her life. Maybe Clyde isn’t either, but she can’t figure it out like this.

  And I won’t be the one to push her down the wrong path, away from true love.

  “Pixie, listen to me.” I take both her hands in mine and look into her eyes. “You have to follow your heart. You already know, deep down, what you have to do.”

  “But I’m scared,” Pixie whispers.

  “I know. It’s scary to go after what you want most in the world, and risk it all falling apart. But that’s a risk you have to take. Don’t take the easy way out, whatever it is. You’ll only regret it a hundred times over, for the rest of your life. Don’t just run and hide. You have to own up to your choices, and face them head on.”

  I swallow, feeling the ache of regret echo deep inside me. “I ran once,” I admit. “I was young, and confused, and couldn’t see any other way. I left without saying goodbye, and it was the worst mistake of my life.”

  Pixie frowns. “So you think I should go through with the wedding?”

  “I didn’t say that.” I shake my head. “But whatever you choose, you have to make the hard choice, and be honest with the people in your life. Clyde deserves an answer either way, and Theo does too.”

  Pixie deflates with a sigh. “I know.” she mutters.

  “But more important than being honest with them is being honest with yourself. Don’t run from the way you feel. The man I left, I went because I was scared to love him. Scared at how much he mattered to me, the power he had over my choices. I would have built my whole world around him, and that was too much for me.”

  “Would you take it back, if you could?” Pixie blinks at me.

  “In a heartbeat. I was so scared of losing him that I chose to be the one who left first. I guess I was trying to save myself pain,” I admit, thinking back to that dark night ten years ago. “But the truth is, I just hurt everyone more in the end. I broke something, the love we shared, and I can’t ever get it back again. It’s the biggest regret of my life,” I say sadly, picturing Luke’s distant expression. “So you need to be sure when you leave someone. Because sometimes, you can’t ever heal that wound. A broken heart stays broken, and it can’t be fixed back together again, no matter how hard you try – or how much you still love them.”

  There’s a pause, and then I hear a hushed whisper behind me.

  “Are you getting this?”

&
nbsp; I snap my head around, and see the motel room door ajar – and Neil wedged in the gap, his camera lifted. The red light winking.

  He’s filmed it all.

  Slowly, he lowers his camera and stands aside. He, at least, has the decency to look ashamed. Marcie is behind him, a look of pure fury on her face.

  I expect to feel panic. I’m the one who just hammered the final nail into this TV show’s coffin. But instead, a strange sense of calm washes over me. This job won’t be the most important thing I’ve lost today. Not even close.

  I turn back to Pixie. “Don’t worry,” I tell her. “You can do this.”

  But it’s not my place to help her anymore. I pick up my keys, walk past the crew, and leave.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Are you sure you can’t stay a little longer?”

  I load my last suitcase into the car and give my aunts a reluctant smile. “I’m sorry, but I should really be getting back to New York. It’s a couple of days driving, and my team there needs me already.”

  Rae sighs, and gives me a hug. “We’re going to miss you, sweetheart.”

  “I don’t know why you’re leaving now,” Bettina adds, looking put out. “So what if that Porter boy doesn’t know a good thing when he has it. Stick around and make him sorry!”

  I bring her into the hug. “I wish I could change his mind, I really do. But he’s made it clear there’s no future for us. If he says it’s over, there’s nothing I can do.”

  I hear a snort. Jules is behind us, drinking from my bottle of goodbye bourbon. “You guys are such dummies,” she says affectionately.

  “Jules,” I warn her. We’ve been over this a dozen times since I told her I was leaving.

  “I’m just saying! If you leave now, you’ll prove him right. The only reason he called it off first was he thought you were going to pack up and go again. And here you are, right on cue.”

  I take the bottle from her. “I love you, too.”

  Jules begrudges me a smile. “It’s not fair! I was looking forward to hanging out again. Friday nights on the town, and Saturday morning waffles…”

  “We can do all of that!” I promise. “Come visit me in New York, anytime. And I’ll be back down here too.”

  Eventually, I add silently. When it doesn’t hurt to think about Luke, or look for his face on every street in town.

  “Fine,” Jules sighs exaggeratedly. “I guess I can come sleep on your couch rent-free in the Big Apple and eat my weight in fancy big city cupcakes.”

  “Atta girl.”

  We head back inside. I do a last check for any belongings I’ve left behind, but there’s a surprise waiting for me on the back porch: Pixie and Clyde, looking like they’re having a real heart to heart.

  Rae draws me aside. “I thought it would be good karma to help them work through this difficult time,” she whispers. Pixie looks up.

  “Ginny!” she cries, waving me over. “You’re just in time. You can be the first to know. We’ve called off the wedding.”

  “And you’re both OK with that?” I check carefully.

  “Yes,” Pixie beams. “One hundred percent.”

  Clyde nods along. “To be honest, love, I’m getting too old for these shenanigans. My ulcer’s been giving me terrible grief, all these late nights. No hard feelings, petal,” he pats Pixie on the hand. “You and the young Buck can go have your fun.”

  That’s when I see Theo pacing by the chicken coop, looking tense.

  “It’s OK, babe!” Pixie calls. “We’re good!”

  Theo comes racing back across the yard. He sweeps Pixie up and spins her around, and they both giggle with joy.

  “See?” Clyde tells me. His expression is wistful, but not heartbroken, I’m relieved to see. “Twenty years ago, maybe, but if I try that nonsense now, my back’s going to give out.”

  I shake his hand. “Do you know what you’re going to do next, now the show is done?”

  “Take a good long holiday,” he chuckles. “Maybe hit the road, play some shows. This old dog may not be learning any new tricks, but I’m still pretty good at the old ones!”

  I laugh, happy that this portion of the wedding project hasn’t ended in tears. Theo and Pixie are murmuring sweet nothings to each other on the porch swing, while Clyde ambles off to go talk to my aunts.

  “So this is where you’re all hiding.”

  Marcie stalks out onto the porch and looks around. “I should have guessed.”

  I brace myself for trouble, but instead, she just holds out her hand to Jules and gestures for the bottle. “You ruined my wedding and destroyed my career. The least you can do is pour me a drink.”

  Jules hands it over. “I’ll go get everyone a glass,” she says, and heads inside.

  Marcie slumps down in a chair and kicks off her heels, taking a swig. “These things have been killing me all week,” she says, shoving them off the porch. “And… wait a second…” she reaches up under her shirt, wriggles around, and then pulls her bra out from her sleeve.

  “Ahh,” she sighs happily, taking another swallow of bourbon. “That’s better.”

  I watch, confused. The Marcie I know would be tearing me limb from limb right now. Has she been body-swapped and forgotten to mention it? “Are you feeling OK?” I ask gently. “I know things have been stressful…”

  “I’m great. Better than great. Do you know how good it feels to finally not have to give a damn?” Marcie beams. “Like right now, there’s no sound mic-ed to those two, we’re missing all the good stuff. Who cares?” She raises the bottle in a toast. “I have eighty-two voicemails on my phone—no, make that eight-three—but I don’t need to answer, I know what they all say. ‘Grave disappointment’, ‘Dereliction of duty’, blah blah blah. Brent beat them to it. He summoned me just an hour ago. I’m done!”

  “I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I really am. I know how much this event meant to you.”

  “Oh, who gives a rat’s ass anymore?” she sighs. “I’ve been trailing that girl around for three years now, putting up with all of her airhead friends. I spend my Friday nights reviewing tape, and my weekends writing scripts, and what do I have to show for it? Nothing! The only long-term relationship I have is with my dog-sitter, and he charges by the hour.”

  “So, you’re OK?” I’m still so confused.

  “I will be, in about five drinks time.” Marcie gulps, looking over at me. “Don’t beat yourself up. Sometimes, you can’t avoid the drama.”

  “Bourbon all around,” Jules says, re-emerging with a tray of glasses. “And guess what I found still in the cooler in my van? Three tiers of pure chocolate decadence.” She displays the amazing wedding cake – and a knife. “It’d be a shame to let all this buttercream go to waste.”

  She starts slicing, and soon we’re all sitting around with a drink and a massive wedge of cake. Jules, Pixie and Theo, Marcie, even Clyde and my aunts. The most unlikely set of drinking buddies I can imagine. But having made in through the past crazy month, I’m so thankful to have had this chance to spend time with them all.

  “To the end of the road.” Marcie lifts her glass in a toast.

  “The end of the series,” Pixie pipes up, smiling. “You’ll be fine, Marcie, I know you will. Any company would be lucky to have you.”

  Marcie rolls her eyes, but she still looks happier than I’ve seen her in weeks. I guess it’s a weight off her shoulders not to have to deal with the madness of Pixie’s world anymore. Meanwhile, Pixie herself looks pretty content, munching on a slice of wedding cake with Theo’s arm around her shoulders.

  “What about you, Ginny?” Pixie asks. “What are you doing next?”

  “I have a few clients waiting on me back in the city,” I tell them, trying to be upbeat. The last thing I want to dwell on right now is the one person who isn’t at this table. Luke. “That should keep me busy – unless they’ve already heard about my big failure.”

  “Don’t worry,” Marcie tells me. “It’s not your fault. As far a
s the press are concerned, it’s all because of Pixie. No offense,” she adds, reaching for more cake.

  “None taken!”

  I look over at Theo. “I didn’t mean it, before,” I tell him. “If you want to come back to work, I’d love to have you.”

  “Thanks, boss.” He grins. “But mind if I take some vacation? Pixie and I have some traveling to do.”

  She glances over at Clyde. “Sorry babe, you don’t mind if we use the honeymoon, do you? It’s non-refundable!”

  Clyde looks up, distracted. “What’s that? Oh, no love, you go ahead. Never liked the tropics anyway. All those mosquitos, buzzing around. Give me a camper van and a night in the desert any day.”

  Bettina lights up. “Have you been to Joshua Tree?”

  “Been there?” Clyde chortles. “Love, I wrote my first album there. I was off my head on peyote, howling at the moon. Good times.”

  “Peyote!” Bettina laughs. “Those were the days. Now all it takes is a full-caff latte and I’m buzzing all afternoon.”

  I finish my cake, and reluctantly check the time. “I should hit the road,” I tell them. “I want to make it up to Jacksonville by tonight.”

  My aunts and Jules get up. “We’ll see you out,” Rae says, linking her arm through mine.

  “Take some cake for the road!” Jules wraps me up a couple of slices, and joins us out front.

  I pause by my car, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with emotion. “Thank you, guys,” I sniffle. “It’s been really good seeing you again.”

  “Oh, hush you,” Bettina gives me a brisk hug. “Just as long as you don’t wait another ten years to come back and visit.”

  “I won’t, I promise.” I hug Rae, then Jules. She grips me tightly.

  “Don’t give up on him,” she says stubbornly. “I’ve never loved anyone the way you guys love each other. You can’t just walk away from that.”

  I give her a smile, and finally get in the car. “See you soon,” I call, meaning every word as I start the engine and head down the drive. I won’t let another decade go by without keeping these people close in my life – this town, too, in all its crazy glory. Soon, their waving figures go out of view, and I reach the turning on the highway