Part 11 (1/2)

”It is,” I say, emerging from the closet and shutting the door quickly behind me. ”It is absolutely stunning. And I don't look at it that much.”

”Yeah right,” he says with a little psh. ”You look at that dress more than you look at me.”

”That's because it's clean and smells good,” I snap back.

”Ouch,” he says, grabbing me by the waist. ”Why you gotta be so mean?”

”You think I'm mean? I'll show you mean.” I grab the neckline of my tank top and pull it down low, squeezing my elbows together at the same time so it makes my cleavage burst out. ”I bet you want to touch these,” I tease, taking a step backward.

Jace's eyes light up. ”Touch them? I want to bury my face into them.”

”Oh you do?” I say slowly, leaning forward just a bit, getting my b.r.e.a.s.t.s ever-so-close to Jace's now outstretched hands. He nods and wiggles his eyebrows at me. Then I stand up straight and let my s.h.i.+rt rise back into place. ”Too bad. We have to go to dinner now.”

”Oh my G.o.d, you're so mean to me,” he groans, his voice raspy with desire.

”Told ya,” I say, poking him in the stomach.

During dinner, Becca and I are a nonstop chatterbox of wedding talk. Jace doesn't add much to the conversation. He doesn't talk at all unless he's asking the server for more root beer. I know he's worried about Park, so I don't call him out on being quiet. I just let him have time to himself to think. Besides, Becca and I have enough to talk about to keep us entertained all night.

”Okay, so,” Becca says, setting down her fork and splaying out her hand. She points to her thumb as she begins listing things. ”Invitations are done and replied to, Cupcake cake is ordered, food is ordered, music is done, we all have our dresses and tuxedos...” She trails off when she reaches her pinky.

I pick up where she left off. ”We're getting flowers the day of, from some apparently awesome floral shop that I'm not allowed to know. And decorations have been either stored at our apartment or Mom's house and you guys will have it set up beforehand since I still can't see the venue of my own wedding.” I say that last part sarcastically enough to make Jace look up from his plate. He winks and then goes back to eating.

”Oh I almost forgot,” Becca says. ”We also have to make that ring box from Pinterest.”

”What is Pinterest?” Jace asks.

We both look at him as if he's missing a head or just sprouted a third eye. ”You're joking, right? We talk about it all the time.”

He shakes his head. ”Ya'll talk about everything all the time. There's no way I can keep up.”

”Pinterest is that website with all the images in little squares. I'm constantly showing you stuff on it.”

”Ahh, okay.” Jace nods. ”That's a cool website.”

”Yeah it is,” Becca says. ”We've pretty much planned her whole wedding with it.”

Jace startles suddenly and slides his chair back from the table. He reaches into his pocket and takes out his phone, squinting when he sees the number calling him. ”Nine sixteen. That's a Sacramento area code,” he says right before the swipes and answers the call.

Becca's eyes widen and we stare at each other in hopeful antic.i.p.ation. My stomach crawls up into my throat as I listen to Jace's end of the conversation.

”Hey, man. I'm glad you're not dead.”

Relief floods over me, followed by more dread. If Park is alive and well, then why didn't he show up? What's if it's because for some reason he doesn't want to be in our wedding?

Jace's features darken. ”No s.h.i.+t. What the h.e.l.l? How many people?”

Becca and I glance at each other. The moments that stretch between Jace's replies seem to take hours instead of seconds. ”I'm so sorry, man. Take care of yourself, okay? Seriously, don't worry about us, worry about yourself first and we'll see how you feel in a week.”

When he hangs up the call, Becca and I stare at him, but don't dare ask him for information. Luckily, he tells us anyway. ”Park was jumped on the way to the airport. A group of three guys. They stole his phone, his wallet, and his truck.”

”Holy s.h.i.+t,” Becca says. ”Is he okay?”

”They bashed him with a baseball bat, he said. But he said he was okay, just bruised. Said one of the guys had a gun so he didn't really fight back.” When Jace glances at me, I can tell he's seeking support. Someone to tell him it's going to be okay. And I wonder if this is what married life is likehaving each other's back for every situation, and just knowing what the other person wants you to say.

I wrap my arm around his and lean my head on his shoulder. ”The good news is that he's okay. It's better that his stuff got stolen than his life, you know? I'm sure he has insurance and stuff for his truck.”

”Yeah, he does,” Jace says. ”He's not worried about all of that. He said he can't get on an airplane without identification and he's not sure how quickly the DMV can get him a new driver's license.”

”Oh...” I say as chills creep over my arms. ”I'm so sorry, babe.”

Jace runs a hand through his hair. ”It's okay. I'm just...” He trails off, shaking his head.

”You just want your best friend at your wedding,” Becca says for him. ”I know I would.”

Chapter 18.

Three days before the wedding Jace has always been really great at keeping secrets and surprises from me. Like that time he arranged to buy me a car, he had spent weeks figuring out the details and I hadn't noticed a thing. And then when he was having my engagement ring custom designed for me, I hadn't noticed a change in his demeanor. He even claimed he figured out my ring size in my sleep, and I didn't even wake up. He's always been great at keeping a normal face around me, despite having other things going on in his mind.

Until now.

Park was only able to get a temporary paper license from the DMV. They had to order a real driver's license and said it would be two weeks before it was mailed to him. He couldn't find his pa.s.sport and without a valid photo identification, there's no way he's getting on an airplane. Jace keeps saying he's okay, but I know he's not. I've never seen him so distraught.

”He could drive here if he had a car,” Jace had said earlier this morning. ”But he doesn't because some a.s.sholes stole it. The cops still haven't recovered it.”

”Do you think his parents could rent him a car or something?” I asked. Jace shook his head. ”They're out of the country. On a second honeymoon of all things.”

”We can always have a party later and invite him. Then we can all hang out.” Jace had smiled at my idea and told me he would love that. Then he promptly stood up, announced he was taking a nap and slunk off. Before he went into our bedroom, he called back, ”If Park calls my phone, make sure you answer it!”

That was two hours ago. Becca and I are giving ourselves practice manicures for the wedding while Jace naps and I'm trying really hard not to worry about him. Becca's nails are painted a s.h.i.+ny purple with a faint sprinkle of tiny turquoise glitter. I am trying, very unsuccessfully I might add, to paint my nails the same turquoise-purple ombre as my wedding invitations. The technique involves two nail polishes, a sponge, nail polish remover on a Q-tip and a whole lot of cursing.

I think we're both taken aback when Jace's phone, which is on the coffee table, starts ringing. It has been silent ever since Jace left the room. I glance over at the screen and my eyes burst open. ”It's Park! Get it!”

”Why do I have to answer it?” Becca says. ”I don't even know him.”

”I don't know him either,” I say, nudging the phone toward her with the back of my hand. ”My nails are wet. I can't answer it.”

She sighs and picks up the phone. ”Um, h.e.l.lo? No...this isn't Bayleigh. It's Becca, the Maid of Honor.”