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I smirk at the memory of my slapping him across the face, then hide it with a head shake and turn away from him.
“It’s one evening, Charlotte, surely you can manage.”
“You’re such a guy. Don’t you know what this means? It’s not just the wedding. It’s planning their bachelor parties, the rehearsal dinner, speeches, keeping them both sane and from running into each other the morning of.” I motion between the two of us. “There’s a lot of coordination that needs to happen.”
He looks genuinely confused. “I don’t follow.”
I growl. “Ugh. I thought he was choosing Levi.”
“So did I,” he adds defensively.
“I’ll talk to Pepper. Tell her I’m…not emotionally ready to take this on.”
“You just said you’re fine.” There’s that edge to his voice again. The one that slices through me.
“Look, just stop sending me groceries.” I dip down to one of the bags and take out the blue and white box. “But I am taking these.” I lift the family-size box of Oreos and storm off to my car.
Even with no one around us, I manage to cause a scene. This little pairing my best friend refused to share with me is not going to work.
“I’m sorry, Pepper, I love you, but I’m not doing it. No way, no how.”
My best friend stares at me in amusement. “Okay, cowgirl, slow down. Who says you have to work with Noah on anything? Just do your thing and he’ll do his.” She brushes her hands like it’s that simple.
“Oh, sure,” I stand and begin pacing her living room. “If you’re okay with uncoordinated bachelor and bachelorette parties, accidentally running into your groom before the ceremony on your wedding day because your bathroom breaks weren’t pre-cleared and a mishmash of speeches from the bridal party because we didn’t discuss who’s speaking first or when, then I don’t know why you’re getting married at all.”
Pepper shakes her head softly and embraces me. “It’s okay. I don’t need a maid of honor. I really don’t need any of those things. It’s practically my third wedding. It doesn’t count. Plus, that’s a lot of pressure on you and I didn’t even consider the things you’d have to do. It was selfish of me.” She pouts. “My coming back to town was…selfish.”
I glare at her. “You’re a real bitch, you know that?”
She shines her perfect teeth. “Is it working?”
“Pepper. I was happy to do it all. Just not with Noah.”
“What happened between you two? I remember bits and pieces, but it still doesn’t make sense. How did you come to be known as “the cheater” in this town anyway? Especially since you’re so… innocent.” She glances down to my crotch as if I’d need a hint as to what she’s referring to.
I sigh and slump down on the couch. “The night we broke up, it was our one-year anniversary. I surprised him at his apartment—where he lived before he bought his house in the woods. He had long hours interning at a big law firm in Denver so I wanted to do something special. I cleaned his apartment, made dinner, even bought a sexy black dress. And you know black is not my color.”
Pepper scrunches her nose, knowing me well.
“We hadn’t had sex yet. Noah was very particular about it. He said he wanted to make sure I was ready, and we didn’t need to rush, and that I was special to him.”
Pepper reaches for her wine. “That all sounds nice. But I mean, everyone knows he wasn’t exactly a monk.”
“Nope. Far from it. But he never dated. I think I was his first real girlfriend which is why I gave him time. Maybe he didn’t know how to just be with a girl, how to differentiate between casual sex and something more intimate, you know?”
She nods and there’s a look of compassion that’s eerily similar to one my mother would give me.
I brush it off. “I was in no hurry, to be honest. Noah had this…reputation for being wild in bed…and I wasn’t experienced. So I guess I didn’t push it because…I was afraid he’d be disappointed and…grow distant.”
Now I know why I never told Pepper the full story. It makes me sound like a lovesick sap.
“So that night, we were kissing, it was so sweet and I… suggested we move things to the bedroom. He stopped, saying we’re moving too fast.”
“Ugh, the jerk.”
“I got angry, rambled like I do about how he keeps pushing me away and stormed out of the apartment.”
“Where did you go?” She knows the answer but I know she wants me to finish.
