“Reese?”
I turned.
Fisher grinned before shaking his head and wiping his mouth to hide his grin. “Nothing. Just … go.”
I giggled all the way back to the driveway. My teeth hurt and my lips were frozen to my gums. A small group of people exited the house, and I used that opportunity to sneak back inside without drawing any attention to myself.
“Want to see Angie’s wedding dress?” Teena whispered in my ear as I snuck a handful of chips.
I turned, eyes wide, wondering if she meant to whisper that in my ear. Of course she did. I was Fisher’s best friend’s daughter. A family friend. Fisher’s ex-employee. Why wouldn’t I want to see his fiancée’s wedding gown?
“Um …” I shoved a few chips into my mouth to buy time and feed my anxiety.
“She’s in my parents’ bedroom. We’re not telling Fisher. It might freak him out. But it’s stunning. You have to see it.”
“Okay,” I mumbled, barely audible over the chips. I might have even spit a few pieces into the air on my reply. And I didn’t have that much of a choice anyway as Teena grabbed my arm and dragged me down the hallway and into the master bedroom filled with a handful of women, including Rory and Rose.
Angie stood in the corner, facing a full-length mirror, wearing a strapless white gown. Simple. Elegant. A perfect choice for her. She looked like a princess.
As she smiled, a tear trailed down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. “Sorry.” She sniffled. “I just always imagined my mom being here to see me in my wedding dress.” Another sniffle. “And I imagined my dad walking me down the aisle.”
Well fuck … (necessary use of the F-word)
She made my eyes burn with emotion, along with everyone else in the room. I wasn’t a total monster. She fell in love with Fisher when they were six. Six!
Rose shot me a tight grin. A “are you really going to try to take Fisher away from her too” look. I wasn’t trying to take Fisher away from her.
I. Really. Wasn’t.
Sure, I kissed him, but it was a complete lapse in all coherent thought. I would have kissed anyone standing in front of me when I got the text. Had Angie been there, I would have kissed her.
Really.
As for the kisses that followed that first kiss, they were mutual. Some might have even said they were Fisher’s idea.
“My girl.” Laurie hugged Angie. “We are your family. Always. You’ve felt like one of my own girls since as long as I can remember. And Fisher has loved you since his stubborn little heart knew what it meant to fall in love. And he’s going to remember you. And he’s going to feel like a fool for hesitating for one single second.”
Oh boy …
By that point, I had to wear a fake smile, not blink, and definitely not look at Rose. I had to lock up my most irrational feelings. The ones where my heart felt heavy because Laurie wasn’t hugging me. Laurie wasn’t saying how I was family. Laurie wasn’t reminding me that I owned Fisher’s heart.
To be fair, she had no idea that I was the one who Fisher invited to dinner. I was the one who took Fisher to Target. And I was the one (not that I was proud of it) who very inadvertently encouraged him to have sex with Angie. Basically, I was a superhero, and like all superheroes, nobody knew my true identity. I remained in the shadows being a do-gooder without an ounce of recognition.
So selfless.
Chapter Fourteen
“Where are you headed?” Rory stopped me as I failed in my attempt to sneak out of the house.
“I’m uh … going to Fisher’s to help him finish his shelving unit. Then I suppose we might order pizza or something. Just depends on how long it takes us to finish it.”
“Sounds fun. I need to finish a couple loads of laundry. Then Rose and I will order pizza, our treat, and head over. I found a new beer I think Fisher should try. Will Angie be there too? She prefers something a little sweeter like a Riesling or a Moscato. I can pick up a bottle for her too.”
There went our night, and there was nothing I could do about it. The smirk on Rose’s face confirmed it as she thumbed through a pile of papers from school.
“Sounds great. Give us a couple hours.”
“If we get there early, we’re good with waiting for you two to finish,” Rose said.
“Absolutely.” Rory nodded. “Tell Fisher there’s no rush.”
“Mkay.” I nodded, sulking out the door to my car. I would have walked, but the duo of Terrible Ideas and her sidekick Even Worse Ideas butted in on our night. I wasn’t putting it past them to call Angie just to make sure she’d be there too.