AFTON BECOMING MRS. NICHOLAS Trembley was an issue that I needed to address. I didn’t know where to begin with this line of questioning. How? When? My fingers hovered over the screen of my phone as I attempted to dial Nicholas. Last count, I had half a dozen messages from Nicholas and double that amount from Afton.
Grady plucked my phone from my hands. “Sweetheart, you need to go back to Afton’s and look her in the eyes. This isn’t a phone call situation.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” he repeated, handing me a travel mug filled with coffee.
On a groan, I took the mug. “Fine, I’ll do it. Why do you make so much sense?”
His lips brushed against mine and he hummed. “I’m very wise.”
Taking the long way, I drove around East Harbour cruising up Main Street over to Harbour Drive. When I reached Afton’s place, I thought about turning around and driving right back to Grady’s house. I sat in my car, gathering my thoughts but everything was jumbled.
What am I going to say to her?
How long have you been screwing my brother? How long have you two been sneaking around? Ugly was not a good color on me.
The smell of white lilacs and Casablanca lilies filled the air with a sweet scent as I pushed open the front door. Vases of white hydrangeas were staggered throughout her kitchen and dining room. Afton loved white.
“Afton, are you here?”
I walked around her kitchen staring up at the coffered ceilings admiring the clean lines. My fingers traced the edge of the white marble countertop. I studied the shaker cabinets and the glossy white subway tiles. Lines, they surrounded me everywhere. They were beautiful, untainted by cracks and went on forever. A line—a path had led Afton to Nicholas and vice versa.
“Hey, Harlow,” the voice belonged to my brother.
Expelling a heavy sigh, I pivoted to face him. As he approached me, the morning sunlight glinted off the platinum band that hugged his finger. It had never been more difficult to formulate words.
“Did you two register somewhere so I that can at least buy a gift?” The words finally tumbled out of my mouth.
Shifting the newspaper from one hand to the other, he rolled his eyes. Nicholas wanted to laugh, a hint of a smile played on the curve of his lip. “It’s good to see you, sis.”
I stared at his wedding band, a circle that represented love and a lifetime commitment. It wasn’t a line. A line could only be intersected, a single spot at a time, a fleeting interaction before continuing. A circle . . . a circle was infinite, and infinitely connected, never to be broken.
I didn’t know what hit me, but in that moment, I realized that Nicholas had made a commitment to his person—Afton, my best friend. My brother had married my best friend. Suddenly tears carved paths down my cheeks. My heart stuttered in my chest and then I was full on sobbing. I was crumbling in front of Nicholas and I hated that I wasn’t part of that moment when he married Afton. I hated that I wasn’t part of the moment when she married Nicholas. Even more I hated that I’d been pissed off when he had something monumental happen in life.
He reached for me, pulling me into his frame. The rustling of newspaper mixed with the half-sobbing, half-hiccupping messy sound that flooded the kitchen.
“I’m sorry, Nicholas,” I managed to choke out. “I’m happy for you really, I promise.”
“Is that why you’re crying?” he asked, stroking my hair.
“Yes, these are happy tears,” I retorted, untangling from our embrace. “I’m fine, I swear.”
“All right, you’re okay.” Nicholas stepped around the corner.
Smoothing my palms down my cheeks and blinked through my tears.
Nicholas handed me a tissue. “Thank you,” I sniffled, and replied. When Nicholas pulled out a chair from the breakfast nook, the tears started all over again. He set the entire box down on the table and urged me to take a seat.
“I’ve never known you to be a crier, Harlow.”
“Well, you ran off and married my best friend and you look so damn happy,” I said, before drying my eyes and gracefully trying to blow my nose. Looking at my reflection in the microwave I was a serious hot mess. “Can I ask you a question?”
As he stepped up to the coffee maker, he nodded. “Always.” Nicholas poured two mugs of coffee and then handed one to me.
“How the hell did this happen?” When the question dropped from my lips, Afton sauntered into the kitchen wearing a pink and white striped pajama set. Her fishtail braid fell over her shoulder, as she leaned in to kiss Nicholas.
“I’d be happy to answer that question—every gory detail,” she said.
I blew the steam away from my mug. “No thanks, I just need the PG version.”
Afton approached me, and then pulled me into a hug. “For the record, I wanted you there but your brother wanted to elope. Blame him.”
We both laughed. “It’s all Nicholas’ fault.”
Chuckling he folded his arms over his chest. “I get the feeling a lot of things are going to be my fault.” Nicholas pulled a mug from the cabinet and poured a cup of coffee for Afton, adding a splash of skim milk.
Tears streamed down my face. “Fuck,” I blurted out, throwing my arms in the air. “You know how she takes her coffee.”
Before I knew it, Afton was crying and Nicholas was handing her the box of tissues. “Okay, I love you both, but you have got to stop crying.”
Pushing her shoulders back, Afton swiped away the tears. “All right, all right, we can do this.”
With fresh mugs of coffee, the three of us gathered around the table. My phone buzzed, it was Grady asking how it was going. I swiped the screen and typed a quick message letting him know it was all good.
Wrapping my hands around my mug, I said, “Tell me everything—PG version, please.”