- Lucy -
My hand was shaking so bad I could barely do my eyeliner.
“You okay?”
I looked up to see Fiona standing in the doorway of my bedroom. “Yeah,” I said. “I’m just a little nervous since I haven’t seen him in a while.”
“I know, but you shouldn’t be. You look beautiful.”
I rolled my eyes and leaned away from the mirror. “Maybe I should just wear this then?” I said, stretching my arms out to flaunt my robe. “If it looks so good.”
“You know what I mean,” she said, folding her arms. “So far so good.”
I sighed. “I just hope my hand stops shaking before I get there. If I fuck up Claire’s hair, the whole family will want to kill me.”
“You won’t fuck it up,” she said. “You could do an updo in your sleep.”
I forced a smile.
“Isn’t that what she wants? Something simple?”
“Yeah.”
“So you have nothing to worry about.”
I nodded, wanting to believe her.
“What can I do to help you get ready?”
“Nothing,” I said. “Everything is pretty much under control.”
She walked behind me and sat on my bed.
“Thanks again for helping me with my hair,” I said into the mirror.
“No problem.”
“I’ll definitely feel more comfortable around his family without the purple streaks.”
“I’m glad I could help,” she said. “What else can I do?”
“Actually, I already put everything I need to style Claire’s hair in that bag by the closet.” I turned and pointed with my eye pencil. “But if you want to have a root through it and make sure I’m not missing anything, I would really appreciate it.”
“Sure,” she said, sliding off my bed and kneeling down by the bag.
I put the cap back on my eyeliner and picked up my eyelash curler.
“He still hasn’t called, huh?” she asked, keeping her eyes on the bag.
“Nope.” I clamped the curler down on the lashes of my right eye. “Just the text saying when he would pick me up today.”
She shook her head. “That’s cold.”
“He’s embarrassed and ticked off with me,” I said, grabbing my mascara. “I get it.”
“Yeah, but he hasn’t even given you a chance to explain.”
“I know, Fi, but what am I going to say when I have that chance today?” I leaned forward and laid the mascara on thick, wiggling it from the base of my lashes to the tips.
“Blame it on me,” she said. “Say I told you not to tell him.”
“That’s nice of you,” I said, picking up the curler and shifting my focus to my left eye. “And trust me, the thought crossed my mind, but that won’t cut it. He deserves an explanation.”
“You might have to admit that you’ve liked him all along.” She looked up and shook the jumbo hairspray bottle next to her ear.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Otherwise, why wouldn’t you have told him?”
“I know.” I picked up the mascara again and swiveled it inside the tube. “I just hope that’s good enough for him.”
“It will be,” she said. “It has to be. He’s not going to throw your friendship away over the fact that you lied by omission one time.”
I shrugged. “I hope not,” I said. “But I’ve seen him cut people loose for less.”
“You’re not people though. You’re Lucy Ryan.”
I rolled my eyes. “For whatever that’s worth.”
“I think you should bring more bobby pins.”
“Really? I thought I put a whole box in?”
“You did, but if the whole bridal party’s hair goes to shit, it’s going to be on you to save the day.”
“Good call. Do you have some I can borrow?”
“Yeah,” she said. “And some extra hairspray is probably in order, too.”
“If you say so.”
“I just can’t decide if you should take an extra curler in case yours burns out or something-”
“Jesus, Fiona. Are you trying to send me into a panic? It’s not going to burn out!”
“Do you want to bring mine just in case?”
I groaned. “Well now I have to say yes, don’t I? Otherwise it will definitely blow and I’ll be up the creek.”
“Sorry,” she said. “I just want you to have a perfect day.”
“I know. Me too,” I said, screwing the lid tight on my mascara. “But I keep forgetting that today isn’t about me. It’s about Claire.”
“It’s about you and Aiden, too.” She got to her feet. “This is the day you have to fix this thing, this thing that is all my fault.”
“I hope I can,” I said. “Now grab those supplies before we forget.”
“Right.”
I put one last sweep of powder on my nose and went to my closet. I knew Aiden was expecting me to wear black like I always did, but after Fiona and I discussed my options at length, we decided I needed a new dress.
I swallowed as I stared at it. I probably should’ve at least gone with a dark color so as not to shock myself so bad, but it was too late. Plus, the dress I liked was only available in a bright sunflower yellow.
But I kept reminding myself that the important thing wasn’t the color. The important thing was that it was wedding appropriate and covered my scars because it had one full sleeve. The other side of the short dress was shoulder-less and sexy, without being over the top.
Which was important because Aiden’s family was as classy as they were conservative. Therefore, the goal was to look attractive without calling attention to myself, even if that meant forgoing my default color choice. Nancy probably wouldn’t even recognize me.
I took a deep breath and stood on my tiptoes so I could take the dress down from where I’d hung it on the closet door. I’d been staring at it all week in an effort to psych myself up to wear something so out of character.
I could hear Fiona rummaging in her room like a burglar so I slipped my robe off and stepped into the dress, pulling it up over my one arm and smoothing it down over my hips. Then I stepped in front of the full length mirror beside my closet.
I didn’t even look like me. I looked like I’d raided Taylor Swift’s closet or something. I was like a ray of pale sunshine. I had to admit, though, there was something striking about the contrast between my dark hair and the yellow dress. Best of all, it hugged me in all the right places.
“Oh my god, Lucy.”
I pursed my lips and turned towards the door.
Fiona was hugging the spare hair supplies to her chest. “You look fucking gorgeous.”
I exhaled at the compliment, relieved that I didn’t look as uncomfortable as I felt. “Zip me?”
“Of course.” She walked over and crouched down, dropping her stuff on the floor.
I turned around and let her zip me up.
“Can I see it with the shoes?” she asked.
“Sure.” I bent over, picked up the shoe box, and set it on my bed. When I removed the lid, I pulled out the first nude heels I’d ever owned.
“I am so borrowing those once you break them in.”
“Anytime,” I said, turning towards Fiona and the mirror.
“You are going to steal the freaking show.”
I saw myself blush in the mirror. “I don’t know about that,” I said. “But I have to admit, these shoes make my legs look really long.”
“You’re a total smoke-show.”
“Don’t make me laugh right now. I’m so nervous I could pee myself.”
“Well, you’re wearing the dress for it.”
“True.”
Fiona walked up and pushed my hair over my shoulders. Then she pulled one piece forward. “There.”
When she stepped back, I could see the yellow streak we’d hidden in my hair to match the dress.
“That’s better.”
I smiled. “Thanks for your help, Fi.”
“My pleasure, she said, bending over to load the extra stuff she gathered into the bag. “I can’t wait to hear all about it. ” She stood up. “Call me if you need anything.”
I nodded.
“Seriously, a band aid, an extra set of hands, anything at all.”
“I will.”
She put her hands on my shoulders. “I know you’re nervous, Luce, but try and have a good time.”
I gave Fiona a hug and squeezed her too hard.
“Aiden will have no choice but to forgive you. You’re going to be the belle of the ball, I promise.
I stepped back. “I wish you could come with me and boost my confidence like that whenever I needed it.”
“I’m only a phone call away,” she said.
“I know.”
And then we heard a honk.