Fiona
THE DRIVE TO THE AIRPORT in Shay’s car was stressful. Rowan was watching Mack and Marty on her phone. They were staying in the same spot. Which could mean they were waiting at a gate already and could board at any minute. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact Mack could be running off and that Marty was going with him. It didn’t sound like either of them.
“They’re still there,” Rowan said glancing down at her phone. “How close are we?”
“Ten minutes with the traffic,” I said hoping I was right. Time was running out for me to kill both Mack and Marty. How could they do this to Shay? “Men are bastards. None of them can be trusted. I told Shay this already. But no she had to fall in love and want to get married.”
I didn’t like the words coming out of my mouth in front of Marty’s best friend. I didn’t want Marty to know any of my thoughts. Although once I had told him almost everything. Back when I trusted him like a fool. Just like Shay had trusted Mack.
“Not all men are bad. I may not want one myself but not because I think they’re bad. If met some terrible bitches. I think love and attraction can cause pain no matter who you are.”
Shooting an angry glare at her I said, “He left my sister at the alter!” Not yet, but he was planning to.
“I agree it’s a shit thing to do. But I learned years ago that you should listen to both sides of a story. Get the facts. Assuming you know something always leads to heartache. Makes you lose someone you didn’t have to.”
The way she said it made me feel as if she was directing her words to me. I didn’t like her acting as if she knew something about Marty and me. She wasn’t there. “Exactly. There are two sides. You’ve heard one of those sides.”
“Are we talking about your sister or you?”
Gripping the steering wheel tighter, I watched for the light to turn and glared straight ahead.
“Because your sister strikes me as someone who will listen to the other side of the story. She wasn’t ready to let go. She’s letting you hunt Mack down, isn’t she? Seems to me she wants to fight for the man she loves.”
I wanted to ignore her. To drown her out. To pretend I didn’t hear or understand what she was saying. But my temper was hard to control and I snapped.
“Are you saying I didn’t love Marty enough to fight for him? Seriously? I told Marty I would marry him. I came back from France and told him yes. And he told me he’d been with Mary Grace while I was gone. A year later, we start to find our way back to each other and I walk in to find my best friend naked in his arms in my living room asleep. Please tell me what other side there is? Because I don’t see one!”
I did love Marty. I knew I always would. But that was because I was stupid. My heart was weak and I had nothing to fight for. Marty didn’t love me enough. I couldn’t trust him. I wasn’t the kind of woman who accepted whatever she got. I was worth more.
“Did you let him explain? Either time?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper but not quite.
“There was nothing to explain.” I pulled into the parking lot and found the first spot. “We have to hurry,” I said ending the conversation.
She glanced at her phone. “They are still in the same location. Follow me,” she said as we began to run toward the spot her phone said Marty’s phone was.
“You’ll have to call him. We aren’t allowed through security without a ticket.” I said realizing this for the first time.
Rowan paused and looked up ahead at the different airline check ins and shook her head no. “They aren’t that way,” she said then nodded down toward baggage claim and pick up. “They’re there. At least Marty is that direction.”
Maybe Marty wasn’t with him. Rowan started in that direction no longer running since a plane wasn’t about to take off with him on it if he was that way. A million different scenarios played in my head as we got closer.
“There they are,” Rowan said.
I looked ahead and spotted them. Both of them. And to my surprise, Shay’s mother was with them. The other side of the story. The one I hadn’t imagined. Mack was here to get Ada. He was surprising my sister.
I felt tears sting my eyes and I blinked them back. I’d get emotional over the love behind this later. Shay was okay. She was going to be perfect. Mack would always take care of her. Put her first. My doubts and insecurities had made me think otherwise. I’d thought the worst.
“MARTY!” Rowan yelled out stopping them. They all turned around. Marty’s expression went from confused to concerned and back to confused. Ada smiled brightly as she recognized me.
“Fiona!” She was pleased to see me.
“What the fuck do you two think you’re doing?” Rowan demanded when we closed the distance between us and them.
I touched her arm to stop her. She was right. Her gaze swung to me. “Have you changed your mind about killing them?”
“It’s the other side of the story,” I said knowing Rowan would understand what I was saying. I motioned tow Ada. “Rowan, this is Shay’s mother Ada. Shay loves her mother dearly and her not being here has been hard on Shay. Mack’s surprising her.” My eyes stung again with tears and I tried desperately to make them stop.
Rowan didn’t miss it though. She gave me a kind understanding smile and nodded. “Got it.” She turned to Ada and held out a hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am thrilled that Mack isn’t at the airport running away from your daughter and that Marty isn’t helping him.”
In one sentence Rowan had explained the entire situation. Impressive.
“You thought I was leaving Shay?” Mack asked incredulously. “Why would you think that?” he almost sounded angry about it.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the hysterical bride in the hallway this morning ? Fiona here had to calm her down and promise to help find the runaway groom.” Rowan was handing it to them all nice and clear.
“SHIT!” Mack said grabbing for his phone, then cursing again. “I forgot it’s dead,” he sounded hysterical himself.
Marty shoved his phone into Mack’s hand. Mack dialed and walked away from us.
“My delayed flight has caused more trouble than I realized. Lordy that girl of mine has an imagination. I hate my being so late caused all this drama.”
Rowan shrugged. “Sometimes bad shit has to happen to open our eyes.”
I knew who that comment was directed at. And I also knew she was right. There was another side. One I never listened to. One I thought I wasn’t strong enough to hear. But time had passed. Too much time. And I didn’t deserve the other side now. But he deserved forgiveness. Regardless of his side of the story. One day when I thought of Marty, I’d like to remember good memories. Not painful ones. Only I could change that.