Chapter Thirteen
Present Day
Downtown Portland, Oregon
The Reception
“Attention, wedding party!!” Botoxed Muffy claps as quietly as possible at us all lining up to get the wedding started. “Let’s get with our partners! Make sure you haven’t forgotten bouquets, tissues, rings…” She glances around at all of our faces. “Are we ready?”
I kind of feel like we should all yell, ma’am, yes ma’am here and watch her finally smile. She’s been bossing us around, yelling and just being generally obnoxious for the last thirty minutes. With it being so close to the wedding and the fact that guests are just beyond the doors she’s standing in front of, this is the quietest I’ve seen her yet.
“Once I open these doors we will walk down the aisle just like we practiced last night.”
“Today is the day, Ems.”
“The day our siblings get married? Yes I know, Jack. I’m here.”
“No… The day we talk.”
“I don’t think this is the time or the place.”
“No time or place has been right for you, for two years. Please let me do this, Em. If not for you, then for me.” He stares down at me, a hesitant sad smile on his face.
Even though I wanted him to gain twenty pounds and lose his hair, I’m glad he didn’t. He’s still just as gorgeous as he was two years ago, and even though I don’t want him to, he still stirs up something inside me.
“Fine, I’ll give you ten minutes to say what you need to say.”
“Thank you.” He nods with a smile and reaches down pulling my hand into the crook of his arm and holding it there like he’s taking me hostage until we’ve had this conversation.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting ready to walk down the aisle.” He grins down at me, knowing that wasn’t what I was asking, and not seeming to care at all. I guess he thinks he makes all the rules today. “Do you like him?”
“What?” We take a step forward and I glance up at Liam, who’s walking down the aisle with Greta hanging off him like a trophy wife. Which, now that I think of it, I’m sure is her destiny in life. She’ll become some bitchy trophy wife and make anyone’s life miserable that doesn’t bow to her greatness. I refuse to be one of her victims.
“The bartender, do you like him?” Jack stares towards the front of the room as he speaks. “Romantically…?”
“How do you know he’s a bartender?”
“I know things,” he says, as we take another step forward.
“You don’t know anything.”
“I know you just met him.”
“Wha—”
“SSHHHHH!” Muffy glares at us, motioning for the couple ahead of us to start down the aisle.
“Why do you think that?” I whisper, as quietly as possible, but Jack just shrugs his shoulders and holds my hand even tighter. “You’re wrong, anyway,” I say through a clenched-teeth smile. “I met him in Dallas.” Think Emi, think. I need a good lie and I need it fast. I can’t believe I didn’t think of the whole possible backstory before this moment. I should have known Jack would research him; he’s a lawyer.
“No, you didn’t,” he says under his breath, smiling at the crowd.
“Yes, I did.” I hiss through clinched teeth, moving my lips as little as possible so no one notices us. I suddenly spot Lily’s face, her eyes wide, a questioning smile. We obviously aren’t being as subtle as I thought we were. Thankfully the end of the aisle comes quickly and we part ways before the music changes.
Hannah and her father step into the doorway, both beaming with excitement. Hannah truly does look lovely in her giant fluffy princess gown. When I glance over at my brother he’s fighting back tears, but looks as in love as I’ve ever seen anyone. They’re perfect for each other. I smile at him when he looks my way, but immediately notice that Jack and Liam are both watching me, with very different smiles on their faces.
Liam’s smile is that smile every girl wants to see. The one they make internet memes out of that say something like Find a man that looks at you like Joe Biden looks at Obama. Honestly, that smile freaks me out far more than it should. I didn’t really come here to find love, or anything like it. This is supposed to be something just short of a business arrangement. But this smile, the kiss last night and his flattery has somehow convinced everyone but Jack that we are almost a couple.
Jack, though? His smile is almost a silent plea that is piercing right through my soul. It’s the same smile he would use when we were together and I was mad at him. Which was rare. How is he doing this to me? He’s got me wondering things that have nothing to do with getting back at him.
I force a small smile back in their direction, but for some reason my eyes are on Jack. Damn him. It was so much easier to be in control when I was two thousand miles away.
“It was so beautiful,” I say to Lily as I walk into the reception room. Amelia really spared no expense with this wedding. Sheer panels hang from the ceiling, backlit with soft lighting. Giant crystal chandeliers hang over every table with centerpieces of all white flowers taller than me. “Did you see Evan as Hannah walked down the aisle?” I ask, mesmerized by the atmosphere of the room.
“I did,” she says, glancing at me as we stand near the bar. “I also saw you and Jack as you walked down the aisle. What was that about?”
“What?” I grab a glass of wine from the bartender and guiltily glance back at Lily.
“It looked like you two were arguing.”
“No. He was just being… Jack.” I spot Liam heading in my direction. “It doesn’t matter anyway.”
“I told you,” Liam says, planting a kiss on my cheek.
I can’t help but scan the room to see if Jack saw it. How dare he believe anything other than what we’re presenting? How could he even know I didn’t meet Liam until a couple days ago? There is no way he’s telling the truth.
“You told her what?” Josh asks.
“That she’d be the most beautiful girl in the room.” Both Lily’s and Josh’s eyebrows rise in confusion.
“That’s too sweet.” I force a pinched smile in their direction to gloat about me being the prettiest. “It’s not true, but it’s sweet.” It might not be completely true but that doesn’t mean I have to ignore it.
“I think it’s true,” Liam says to me, but his attention is on Lily and Josh’s disbelief.
“Thank you. How was Greta?”
“She’s an odd one, that’s for sure. She kept asking what I thought of your hair. And your spray tan.”
“Why should she care about those?”
“I don’t know, but she made sure to tell me what a morning you’d had, how everything had gone wrong for you, and that you’re always this unlucky. She advised me to run as far from you as possible.” He laughs when he says it. I, however, can almost feel the steam rising from my head. How dare she try and control the situation through my date!
Wait… Did she…?
“You don’t think—” I start to ask Lily, who is nodding her head.
“It makes sense, considering nothing went wrong with any of the other girls.” She inhales through her nose, her nostrils flaring. “I can’t believe we didn’t see this before!”
“She sabotaged me?! For what?” I say it far too loud, causing people near us to turn in our direction.
Right then she and Jack walk into the room. Without a further thought I start marching towards them until I feel a hand pull me to a stop.
“Emi, I don’t think this is a great idea.” Liam tries to stop me but I pull away from him and stomp my way to them.
“YOU BITCH!” I spit at her in a quiet hiss but I can’t seem to keep it very quiet. “You did this.” I point to my hair and Greta starts to back away from me, putting Jack in between us as a human shield.
“What’s going on?” Jack asks, looking back and forth between Greta and me.
“She hates me… For what, though? You know she tried to make me look like a complete fool today?”
“Come on…” Jack glances at a trembling Greta. “She would never…” His face drops in disbelief when she doesn’t offer any explanation or denial.
“Ask her… Ask her about my hair, or my spray tan…”
“PLEASE WELCOME, OUR STAR COUPLE… MR AND MRS… EVAN AND HANNAH HARRISON.” The DJ interrupts us and we all stop to glance at the doors that Evan and Hannah are running through, hand in hand.
“Emi, let’s not do this here.” Lily and Liam are now at my side, trying to convince me to walk away from Jack and Greta. But I can’t.
“Not until she admits it.”
“Girls… What is going on?” Amelia approaches us, glancing back and forth between us. “I’m not sure what’s happening, but let’s move it outside the reception.” She corrals all of us out into the hallway, Greta keeping Jack between us as a buffer. “Now what is the problem?”
“Tell them, Greta.”
“There is no problem, Mrs Cabot.” Greta shrugs her shoulders with a nervous laugh, probably trying to convince herself that she hasn’t been caught.
“How did you even get in my room to change the shampoo?”
I wait for her to answer, but she just rolls her eyes.
“Or the spray tan, how did you set that up? The hairdresser who fried off my hair, was that planned or was that just a lucky coincidence?”
“Puh-lease. You can’t prove I did any of that. You’re just bad luck… always have been.”
Amelia’s glare towards Greta makes even me shiver in fear. “Maybe we contact the spray tan employee and ask her? Surely that would prove your innocence, right, Greta?”
We all watch Greta open her mouth to speak, then suddenly decide against it.
Liam steps up beside me. “Greta, I do find it unusual that everything Emi just mentioned are the very same things you asked me about just before we walked down the aisle. Why did you care, if you had nothing to do with it?”
“Did you do these things?” Amelia asks her.
Greta quickly shakes her head in denial, but the glistening of sweat on her forehead isn’t the physical reaction of someone who is innocent. I know that from watching too many who-done-it TV shows.
“Fine, OK? I may have had something to do with them, but you totally deserve it. Look what you do to Jack when he’s around you. He hasn’t been the same since you got here. He’s miserable.”
We all look to Jack, who right this second looks less like someone miserable and more like a deer caught in the headlights. But I have seen the misery across his face. I might think it was me causing his misery if his entire attitude hadn’t changed today. In the last twelve hours, though, I haven’t seen him completely miserable at all. Up until right this moment I’ve seen traces of the Jack I once loved.
“How could you do this?” I ask her, my mind trying to understand how a person could be so evil. “I’ve never done anything to you.”
Amelia takes the center of the group. “Greta, there is something I’ve wondered about quite often these last few months.” Her arms are crossed in front of her and her pacing between us is more than nerve-wracking. “There was a story a friend of mine brought to my attention at your and Jack’s engagement party. And I’d like to get a straight answer from you on this.”
“Mom, don’t get involved.”
“This involves you too, Jack. I would think it would be of importance to you.”
Jack’s eyes widen.
“Elsie Graham, the mother of a girl called Madison Graham, told me a story I couldn’t quite believe at the time,” Amelia continues. Greta sucks in her breath and suddenly looks completely terrified, unsure where to run. “You are friends with Madison Graham, am I right?”
“Not really.” Greta shakes her head continuously.
Amelia frowns at Greta. “Maybe you’re not close any longer, but you were close a couple of years ago, correct?”
Greta is still shaking her head. “I wouldn’t say close, I knew of her.”
“You knew ‘of her’ enough to send her in Jack’s direction when he was looking for a new assistant?” This time, Greta doesn’t answer and just shrugs her shoulders.
“Wait a minute…” Jack interrupts. “Madison Graham, my former assistant? That Madison?”
“Yes.” Amelia nods her head and glances back at me. “This would be the same Madison.” Amelia sighs heavily and walks over to speak to Greta face to face. “I’m going to give you one chance to tell the truth. If you don’t, I will make sure you never fit in my crowd again.”
“You can’t do that,” Greta says, with a haughty look on her face. “I was already in that crowd without you.”
“Go on then, let’s hear the truth – or I’ll tell the story Elsie filled me in on.”
Everyone’s head turns to Greta, who immediately looks to the ground before grabbing Jack’s hand in hers.
“It’s nothing, really. I just… uh… That first time I met you, at the Christmas party, remember?”
Jack nods his head before subtly side-eyeing me. The misery Greta mentioned earlier is now unmistakably present. It’s her. She’s been causing it. He doesn’t want to be with her.
“I… uh… I couldn’t quit thinking about you, and you wouldn’t answer my calls, so I… I heard that you needed an assistant and my fr— a girl I knew from college was looking for a job. I thought she’d be a great fit so I sent her your way.” She shrugs her shoulders as if that’s the end of the story, but Amelia clears her throat and Greta sighs again. “I asked her to bring me up to you and get your reaction, but it didn’t faze you because of her.” Greta glares at me.
“Yes,” Jack says with a nod. Again our eyes meet momentarily.
“Go on.” Amelia says.
“So, I came up with a plan.” Greta is speaking in almost a whisper at this point.
“What plan?” I ask her.
“A plan to steal Jack from you.”
“My God,” Liam says next to me under his breath. “She is crazy.” He looks at me, his eyebrows narrowed but eyes wide.
“I’m not crazy.” Greta glares at Liam, presumably having overheard his comment. “I was just in love. I asked Madison to make sure that Jack dumped Emi. What happened is not what I expected, or planned, but it worked.” The nonchalant shrug of her shoulders makes me want to run across the room and strangle her.
“Are you telling me that you sent Madison into my office that day?” Jack immediately pulls his hand from hers and walks away from her.
“Not exactly.” Greta follows him. “She did that on her own; I just told her when to do it. Madison knew Emi was coming to meet you for lunch that day, so she made sure Emi would catch you… uh… ya know.”
“No… I don’t know. Catch me what?” Jack suddenly turns towards her, his face flushed and showing a glare I’ve never witnessed before.
“You know… with her.” Greta’s shoulders shrug again.
I immediately look at Jack. Our eyes lock. She did this. She ruined my life. She ruined our life. She did it on purpose, and she doesn’t even care. Suddenly I find myself feeling dizzy, my hand over my mouth and unable to say anything. I feel like I need to sit down before I fall over. I glance around the room, panicked. Everyone looks as shocked as I feel.
“I wasn’t with her,” Jack says, and turns to me. “This is what I’ve wanted to talk to you about.” He walks over to me but doesn’t get too close because Liam suddenly grabs my hand protectively. Jack frowns when he sees it but turns his gaze back to me. “I didn’t sleep with Madison that day. Or any other day, for that matter. I was gone that morning at a meeting across town, which you knew about. When I came back she was in my office, nearly naked, and threw herself at me. I tried to push her away, but she was all over me and I didn’t want to risk hurting her. When you walked in she had pushed me on to the couch with her and it just…” Jack’s eyes glisten over with emotion and he stops talking for a moment. He sighs heavily while running a hand through his hair again. “I never slept with Madison, Ems. She kissed me, yes, but I never kissed her back. I would never have done that to you.”
I stand stunned. I felt Liam drop my hand a moment ago, my free hand still covering my own mouth. I blink back the tears as quickly as possible but one escapes, sliding down my cheek and causing Jack to reach up and wipe it away.
His hand stops at my neck. “I’m sorry I let you down.” When his voice cracks, my tears spill over like a waterfall that I can’t control. He didn’t cheat on me with Madison? How could he not have said this for two whole years?!
“I can’t…” I say to Jack. “There’s something else.”
“What?” he asks.
I force myself to breathe and quickly wipe away the tears. “It wasn’t just Madison.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. It’s because of her.” When I glance at Greta she has an evil grin on her face knowing exactly what I’m talking about. “I saw her, at our apartment later that day. I went to talk to you, but before I could get out of the elevator I heard your voices and you let her into the apartment. Our apartment, Jack.”
“You saw that? Why didn’t you tell me?” Jack is standing with a hand in his hair again, his jaw hanging open and brow furrowed in confusion.
“Come on… I walked in on you… doing I don’t know what with Madison, and then later that same day I find practically the same thing with Greta! What was I supposed to say?”
“Nothing happened between Greta and me. Yes, she showed up at our apartment, and yes, I invited her in, but it was to tell her to back off. She’d been relentless with the texting and calling my office. I’d avoided her the whole time and I’d finally had enough. I needed her to know that her and I would never happen. I needed her to see how serious I was when I asked her, for the thousandth time, to leave me alone. She was there maybe five minutes and I sent her home. Right?” He looks at Greta, who nods with tears streaming down her face.
“He didn’t want me. Because of you.” She spits the word you like it’s poison. “When I did finally win him over, we were perfect until you showed up again. Right, baby?” She tries to sidle up to Jack, but he shakes his head and backs away towards his mother.
“No, we’re not perfect, we were never perfect. In fact, we’re over.” He doesn’t even look at her when he says it; he stares at the floor and then looks up at me his eyes filled with regret. Yet again, it nearly tears out what’s left of my heart.
“WHAT?!” she squeals. “You’re going to let her do this to us?”
The moment the words come out of her mouth, the sorrow in his eyes turns to a rage I’ve never seen in Jack, and he turns his attention directly to her.
“YOU did this to us,” he growls at her. “And I use the word us loosely. I’m not sure what we ever even were.” His finger is nearly touching her face as she backs away from him in fear. “You lied from the very start, you manipulated your way in.” He stops and stares at the floor. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it. I’ve been so hung up on—” He glances at me before turning back to Greta. “I can ever look at you the same again.” He looks at his mother as if they are having a silent conversation. “You need to leave.” Jack backs away from Greta before turning away from her altogether, not even waiting for her answer.
I look at Greta, whose face is now a mix of horror, disbelief and heartbreak. I’ve never seen anything more fitting for a girl who is pure evil. A piece of my heart starts to heal instantly, and I don’t feel even a little bit bad about it.
I thought I wanted to see Jack miserable, but that was before I knew what I now know. Seeing Greta finally get what she deserves is far better.
“Before you leave,” Amelia says, “you may hand over my mother’s ring.” She holds her hand out to Greta and we watch her pull her hand to her heart quickly.
“What? Jack…” She calls to him. He’s now standing near the reception entry doors. His tie has been loosened and his hair is ruffled from him continually running his hands through it.
“Goodbye, Greta.” He looks at me and then over at Liam before dropping his head and leaving the room.
“You bitch!” she screams at me before Amelia steps in between us.
“I’ve notified security, and if you don't go in the next five minutes, you will be escorted out of the building by them. It’s your choice.” She again holds out her hand for the ring, and Greta violently jerks it off her finger and hurls it to the floor. The stomping sound of her exiting before security arrives echoes in my head in sync with my heartbeat pounding in my ears. We watch the elevator doors close behind her, and finally, for a moment, I can breathe.
“Let’s all get back to the reception so we don’t ruin Hannah’s day.” Amelia nods a small smile at me before walking towards the doors into the reception room.
“We’ll just leave you two alone.” Lily and Josh sneak away leaving Liam and me standing in the foyer.
“I… uh…” Liam runs his hand through his hair nervously. “I’m so sorry. I know I’ve only known you a few days, but that made even me sick. Is there anything I can do?”
I shake my head, fighting back the tears, again. I feel like walking in on Jack and Madison has only just happened, and I’m losing everything for the second time.
“Do you need to go talk to him?”
“No,” I answer quickly, turning to Liam, and forcing a smile. “I don’t, there is nothing to say right now. Let’s get back.”
“Emi...” He gets closer and grabs both of my hands. “You have every right to be upset. If you want me to go, I totally understand.”
“Why would I want you to go?”
“I just… I know this is a lot to deal with, and I really think you and Jack need to talk.” He sighs the sort of sigh you make when you give people bad news. “Can I give you some advice?”
He continues without waiting for my answer. “You are an amazing woman. For months, my heart and my head have been a mess because of my break-up, and then you wander into my bar and make me see things in a way I haven’t in a while. But you have a lot going on here that needs to be sorted, and I think after all this,” he motions to the now empty foyer, “you should really see what you feel for Jack.”
“You think I should get back with Jack?”
“I think only you know the answer to that. But I do think you should work out what all this information revealed tonight means to you.”
“Oh.”
“I think it’s best if I go. You know where to find me.” He forces an almost sad smile and I watch him as he slowly walks into the elevator. He nods his head in my direction as the doors close behind him, leaving me alone with only my confusion to keep me company.
Another tear falls down my cheek before I can wipe it away. I can’t just fall apart, this is my brother’s wedding. I walk to the doorway and watch the excitement of the room. People dancing, eating, laughing, and here I stand with only half a heart left. Lily waves over at me from the table. The last thing I want is to ruin my brother’s wedding day. Whether I want to or not, I have to pull myself together.
“Where’s Liam?” Lily asks.
“He left.”
“Oh. Ems…” She smiles a pitiful smile at me and pats the chair next to her. “I’m so sorry, but I think he did the right thing. You need to deal with this right now.”
“I know.” I sigh and look across the room at Jack. He’s sitting at a table alone, staring at a beer bottle in front of him, looking as miserable as I’ve ever seen him. Even though I’ve no idea what should be said, I know I need talk to him about this.