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A heavy sigh came from Carly’s direction, though Emilie wasn’t sure if it was from relief or frustration.
“Get me out of this dress. Now!” Right there in the waiting room, Ava made Carly untie the bow, unzip the dress, and then help Ava climb out of it as if it was covered in ants. She twirled around in her dress slip. “Don’t tell anybody I couldn’t fit in it.” She faced Emilie and Carly with a glare.
Emilie looked at her nails instead of Ava’s angry face. The situation was getting out of control, and she would’ve sat there and stayed silent, but she wasn’t the old Emilie. “Ava, we’re not you. No one’s going to say anything. Stop getting mad at Carly for something you decided.” Oh, that felt good. She should’ve spoken her mind a long time ago.
Ava seemed as surprised as Emilie. “But... Emilie, you’re supposed to—”
“Support you. That doesn’t mean getting upset at the people who are helping you.”
Ava sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. “If I’m paying top dollar for this, it has to be the best, but you’re right, Emilie. Everyone here’s trying to help. Carly, let’s go.” She gripped the sides of her slip and headed to the dressing room.
Keeping her gaze on the floor, Carly grabbed the ruined dress and mumbled to herself all the way down the hallway.
Emilie sighed and sat on a bench in front of a row of bridesmaid dresses. They blurred into a fuzzy cloud as she stared straight ahead. Could she back out without hurting Ava? No, that was sure to ruin her attempt at closure. Why did she need it so much? Couldn’t she move on without mending every broken relationship?
Someone tapped her from behind, making her jump. Carly, and she was smiling brightly.
“Emilie, can I help you find something for your own wedding?”
“Oh, no.” Emilie’s fear of being caught rose in her throat and strangled her voice. “I-I’m not ready.”
Carly’s hopeful face turned into desperation. “Please. Please let me do this for you. Just try one.”
Emilie felt sorry for the younger girl. The job was probably her first one, and after dealing with Ava, she needed a boost. It wouldn’t hurt to try on a few dresses.
“Okay, but just a few. How about the one with a three-quarter sleeve I liked.”
After she gave Carly a few guidelines of what type of dress she liked, she waited in another dressing room.
Ava’s voice carried through the thin walls. Emilie didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but her voice was hard not to hear.
“I can’t believe it either.” Ava’s screeches made Emilie’s back muscles tense. Couldn’t anything be easy with Ava? “I fit in that dress a few weeks ago, and I haven’t broken the diet once. Do you think she’ll charge me for the rip? I don’t think I can afford any more.”
Emilie clucked her tongue. Of course. If her money was on the line, she’d be stressed, too.
It was quiet for a second before Ava spoke again. “Finn, I really don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re my lifesaver.”
After another minute of hearing Ava gush, Emilie heard the thunk of her phone hitting the floor. Seconds later, Ava started crying.
Emilie paced the little stall. If she said anything about money, Ava would be embarrassed. Still, she couldn’t say nothing. Finally, she tapped on their shared wall.
“Ava, are you okay?”
It was painfully silent before Ava’s voice sounded through the walls. “Of course, I’m okay. Are you trying on dresses?”
Emilie sighed. Why was she putting on a brave face for her? “Yeah. Carly talked me into it.”
Ava mumbled something she couldn’t hear.
“I can help if you’re having”—Emilie lowered her voice to a quiet whisper—“money issues.”
Ava coughed and tapped the walls a few times. “What? No, I’m fine. I mean, if you have a couple of thousand dollars it wouldn’t hurt.”
Emilie paused, the silence deafening in her ears. So this was about money, and not just a small sum. Before she could answer, Ava laughed. “But I would die before taking from you. I’ve done enough harm already.”
Emilie wasn’t going to argue with her on that point. “Do you want to come in here?”
“Ah, I really shouldn’t. In fact, I’m late meeting Finn.”
