“Justin, don’t argue with Calypso,” JC began, trying to get his cuff links in. “Don’t ruin today.”
“I won’t man. I’ll avoid her and everything will be fine.”
“Why won’t you talk to her? Just listen to her explanations of why-”
“Josh, man, you’re one of my best friends, but do not start on this. I don’t want to hear it.”
JC sighed, knowing there was no making Justin listen to reason then.
“Calypso, promise me you won’t fight with Justin,” Lorelie said to Calypso as they stood in the back of the church, getting dressed.
“I won’t. I’m going to avoid talking to him whenever possible, and if I have to talk to him, I’ll be polite.” She turned around so her back was to Lorelie and pulled her hair up. “Can you zip this up for me?”
Lorelie zipped up the back of the sky blue dress she’d chosen for her maids-of-honor. She stifled a gasp when she saw the deep purple bruise spreading across Calypso’s back. The dress just barely covered it. “What happened here?” Lorelie asked.
Circe walked in the room from the changing room just then, and distracted the two, so Calypso was spared from answering.
“You need to get dresses now, Lorelie,” Circe said. She gently took Lorelie’s dress down from the hanger it was on. “Go put it on and get back out here so we can put on your veil.”
Lorelie laughed as she took the dress from Circe and walked into the changing room.
“Hurry up,” Amaryllis said, impatiently. “We have so much to do still.”
Lorelie disappeared into the changing room. Ten minutes later, she walked out and presented her back to Circe. “Zip this up.”
After that, time seemed to fly. And before they knew it, Lorelie’s father, Michael, was walking into the small room. “It’s time,” he announced.
The entire wedding ceremony was a blur to Lorelie. Before she knew it, the preacher was presenting “the new Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Scott Chasez” to the packed church.
“Have fun on your honeymoon,” Circe told Lorelie as they helped her get out of her wedding dress and change into something simpler for the flight to Tahiti, where they were spending their honeymoon.
“I will.” She hugged Circe, then Calypso. “I hope things turn out good for you two.”
“We’ll survive if they don’t,” Calypso said.
“And if they do, then, things will be wonderful,” Circe commented.
“When JC and I get back, we’ll have to do something.”
“But we won’t be in Florida then,” Calypso protested.
Circe looked at Calypso. “I was thinking about staying longer. Joey and I need to talk, and I’m hoping to work things out between us. It would be nice if you could stay with me.”
Calypso looked at her hands, then into Circe’s bright green eyes. Circe’s parents would never agree to let her stay if Calypso wasn’t with her. But Calypso didn’t think she could stand the sight of Justin, happy and dating someone who wasn’t her. And Richard would probably take it bad. Just thinking his name reminded her of the pain in her back. She really couldn’t stay.
“Yeah, sure, I’ll stay.”
Circe hugged Calypso. “I always knew there was a reason why you were my best friend.”
Lorelie laughed. “Yeah, because she can get you out of trouble.”
“Shh, don’t tell Calypso my reasons,” Circe joked.
The three of them looked at each other and laughed.
“When are you going back to California, or wherever it is you’re headed to next?” Justin asked Calypso, trying to be civil.
Calypso looked at him. “Not for awhile. Circe wants to sty- she’s hoping to patch things up with Joey. So we’re staying for another few weeks or so.”
“Why do you have to stay, too? Don’t you have a wedding to plan?”
“I can plan it from here. Actually, I’m not that involved in the planning of it. And I’m staying because Circe is my best friend and asked me to stay.”
“Why aren’t you involved in the wedding?”
“It’s not something I have much experience in, and my heart isn’t really into it. And, it’s too big of a wedding to plan by myself. So my mom is helping, so is Mikayla, and we’re getting a wedding planner.” She walked away, over to where Amaryllis was sitting.
Justin watched her go. He knew now that she wasn’t marring Galbraith because she loved him, so there had to be some other reason. And he wondered why.
“It’s none of your business, Timberlake,” he told himself.