I shook my head hard against her shoulder.
Lifting my face, I managed a teary smile. “No, it’s not that. I’m just so happy to see you. These are happy tears, I swear.”
That got a laugh out of her. “You little goof, you had me worried!”
Then, she leaned in, her voice dropping to a secretive whisper, “Yoana, trust me, you’ll like this guy I’m setting you up with. He’s got it all- looks, charm, and a vibe that’ll remind you of those boy bands you used to be crazy about.”
To keep the mood light, I forced a look of surprise on my face. “Really? Well, then I guess I’m kind of excited.”
In my family, there was an unwritten rule that we were supposed to be married before we turned twenty–five. My parents were always going on about it, right up until they passed away in that awful car crash.
I had been stalling because of Simon, and Yvette had been on edge about it. She had been pushing me to move on, setting me up on one blind date after another.
She always said Simon was not the right guy for me. I used to defend him whenever she brought it up.
Looking back, I saw it as clear as day. I was too close to the mess to see the truth, but she saw it all from a mile away.
“Hey, do you want to meet your soon–to–be husband today?” Yvette asked.
My smile faded fast. “No, I’ll see him at the wedding tomorrow.”
She nodded, her eyes full of pity.
However, honestly, aside from that ache in my heart, I did not feel a thing for Simon anymore.
Yvette and I did a full lap around Westfield, and in the afternoon, we hit a bridal shop to try on dresses.
Eric Chapman, the man I was supposed to marry, was a no–show. Word was that he was a total workaholic–not the type to put work on pause for anything.
I figured that was not so bad. It meant I would have plenty of freedom once we were married.
In the middle of the dress fitting, Yvette handed me her phone. “It’s Simon. Do you want to talk? If not, I’ll hang up.”
Chapter 6
+25 Bonus
care of you. Quit the tantrum, I’m beat and not in the mood for this.”
His words made me laugh—a bitter, mocking sound. Did he really think I would never leave him, just because I used to love him so much?
“Simon, I’m not playing around. The baby’s gone. It’s the truth.”
I meant every word I said to Simon.
He heard what I said and lost it. “What’s your deal?! I just can’t figure you out anymore. You’d better come back before I blow a gasket, or no matter how much you plead, I won’t go easy on you!”
Before I could get a word out, Yvette ripped into him.
“Have you lost your mind? The baby’s gone! Do you even have a soul? Who do you think you are? Yoana would never beg you for anything, so buzz off!”
Yvette was panting with fury, ready to explode on my behalf. If Simon had been there, she probably would have slapped him silly.
Then, she wrapped me in another tight hug, comforting me. “It’s okay now, Yoana. That guy’s nothing but a monster!”
I was not really mad. I was over him and did not care about his words anymore.
Instead, I found myself calming Yvette down, who was still riding an emotional rollercoaster.
