Reliving Yesterday ✔

Chapter 16.

It's too late to back out now, isn't it? It is. I can't do this to Bianca. Well, it's not like I've known her all my life, right? But I'd be letting her down. I don't do that. Right? I don't want to let down Blake.

Blake.

He's over there, talking to his future brother-in-law, and he looks so happy. Both of them do. Bianca and her mother are going over plans with the Wedding Planner, who rushed into the seamstress' place like she owned it. They look like they're glowing, too. The other bridesmaids are engrossed in some conversation. Probably about the memories from back when they were some Kappa Kappa Gammas. 

The best men look equally deep in conversation, probably about their expensive Rolex watches they got straight from Switzerland. Well, there's the exception of one of them, who's just listening, occasionally throwing dirty looks in my direction, like I somehow did some great injustice to him and insulted his great ancestors, and glowering, probably scheming ways he could get rid of me before the wedding. He'd better come up with one before they actually fit me for the bridesmaid's dress, because that'd just be a waste. 

And then there's my father, sitting in a corner with Blake's dad, trying to keep up with the conversation, but frequently looking over at me with the most anxious look I've ever seen on his face, like I was a ticking time bomb.

I was standing over on a side, near the seamstress' mantlepiece, listening to the whirring of the sewing machines at work in the other room. I probably looked like a nervous wreck. I probably looked worse than that, because my father excused himself from the table and was walking over to me. I tried to smile.

"Anyone would think you're the bride's father," I tried to joke, "Really dad, take a chill pill."

He pressed his lips together and looked at me for a while. "If this makes you uncomfortable, we could tell them you don't want to -"

"No, Dad," I told him, shaking my head, "I don't want to let Bianca down. She's been so nice to me and I really don't want Parker to think that gets to me, OK? I'm fine. You can go eat the little cookies Adrienne demanded that we get."

Adrienne was the wedding planner and you do NOT disagree or argue with her when she's got the look. Any look. Unless you're the bride. Or her mother. Not even the groom. Just the bride and her mother.

"If you're sure," he said, looking down at me, curiously.

"I'm sure, dad," I assured.

He leaned down and looked into my eyes. Finally, he sighed. "Your mom would be proud of you."

"I hope so."

He gave me a tight smile and kissed the top of my head before he walked away.

Sara, the designer at the seamstress' place walked in. "We'll take the girls first, shall we?" So all the girls followed her into the next room. There were those little boxes you stand on for the fitting lined up neatly in one corner. There were also six seamstresses seated.

"They'll be taking your measurements, OK?"

"So you're with the really tall, dark haired guy, aren't you?" May, one of the other bridesmaids asked me.

I nodded.

She smirked. "He's yummy. Lucky you."

"Yeah," I replied, vaguely.

*

"Oh," Hanna said, scrunching her face up in a grimace when she heard who my wonderful groomsman was. "Oh, Lexi, baby, your life sucks."

"I know."

"Maybe," she said, her eyes widening, "This could be a good thing. You could be able to, I don't know, like, rekindle things with him. Ask him why he's been so mean to you."

"Fat lot of good that'll do," I replied. I still hadn't told Hanna about the time at that party when Parker and I kissed. All I know is that mentioning that he's been mean to me and asking him why may not be such a great idea.

"Think about it," she said, "If you ask him, like in the middle of a dance routine, he can't even run away. He'll either have to tell you or at least very firmly tell you to shut up. Either way, you'll know what he thinks."

"Yeah, for example, if he yells at me, I know that he hates me, for sure," I said, flatly, rolling my eyes at her.

"No," she snapped, hitting me with one of my pillows, like she said the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hey, you cannot assault me with my belongings."

"Shut up and listen," she said, leaning close to me, "If he finally gives and talks during your dance, you'll have answers, but if he comes off as distant and stand-offish, you'll know that he's either hurt or hiding something really big."

I nodded, slowly. "Wait!" I said, suddenly, widening my eyes, "We have to dance?"

Hanna rolled her eyes. "What did you think this was? A get-together for science geeks? It's a wedding, you dingbat, of course there's going to be dancing! And if this is anything like my cousin Jean's wedding, you'll be walking into the reception hall on Parker's back."

"ON HIS BACK?!" I clapped my hands over my mouth.

"Oh, shut up," she said, smirking and rolling her eyes again, "It's not like you've never done it."

"OK, OK. But can we talk about something else now? Something other than my miserable past with my ex-best friend Parker, which is nothing more than a memory now?" I asked, rolling onto my stomach.

"OK, Jane Austen, whatever you say. How about the very cute boy who asked you out?" Hanna suggested, rolling over to me.

I couldn't help the blush from creeping on to my cheeks. "What about him?"

"Can we talk about how he took you home to meet the parents? Do you know how many dates it was before I went to meet Jackson's parents?"

"Technically, he wanted me to meet his sister. Not his parents."

"Same difference. Someone's getting into the game."

"It's nice having Blake around."

"Yeah. I'm sure it is."