“Yours, yes. Now, answer the question,” she says, fighting a grin of her own.
“I love him, Tess. I always have, and I know I always will.”
“But?”
“But… this is what he does. He’s never wanted to see me with anyone else. He hated that I was dating Hunter. It had nothing do to with Hunter himself. We all know he’s a great guy. That makes it even worse. I just left him there. Standing in front of our family and friends as I ran with my tail between my legs.”
“I know it seems harsh, but just think about if you would have gone through with it. You didn’t want to marry him, Reese. Doing so under false pretenses would have been worse than leaving him at the altar. Especially since he was waiting for marriage.”
“I know,” I sigh, tilting my head back against the seat and close my eyes. I don’t know how I let things get so screwed up. “It’s not that I didn’t love Hunter,” I say. “It’s that I didn’t love him enough. Not the way I should. You know?” I peek an eye open to find Tess watching me.
“Now boarding Flight 9874 to Mexico,” the announcer calls over the PA system.
“I’m going to call Nix really quick before we board.” I watch as she pulls out her phone and makes the call. It’s short and sweet. She tells him we’re getting ready to board and that she loves him. “Ready?” she asks, sliding her phone back into her purse.
“Yes.”
“Thank God for travel insurance,” she quips, standing and picking up her carry-on. “I’m excited it’s my first time out of the country.”
“Mine too.”
“Are you disappointed that you’re missing Hollywood?” she asks.
“Not even a little bit. That was all Hunter. He wanted to see the Hollywood sign, and shop on Rodeo Drive.”
“It was your honeymoon too, you know?”
“I know. When he brought it up, he was so excited I didn’t have the heart to tell him no.”
“You know what I think?”
“What’s that?” I ask, taking another step forward in the boarding line.
“I think that you knew deep down it’s not what you wanted. I think that Cooper coming to you was the best possible outcome. Regardless of how things turn out for the two of you, I think your decision to walk away was the right one. That’s why you let him make all of the decisions. That wedding wasn’t you, Reese. Not one single factor, other than you being there, had any of you in it. Your heart and soul weren’t into it.”
“Miss,” the attendant calls for my attention. I step forward and hand her my ticket and passport. She does her thing and sends me on through. I step forward and wait on Tessa to join me.
Once we’re in our seats, and our carry-ons are put away overhead, I turn to look at her. “How did I let it all get so out of control, Tess?”
“Do you want me to answer honestly or tell you what’s going to make you feel better?”
“Both?” I say, then immediately reply with, “Honestly.”
“You love him. It’s as simple as that, and by him, I mean Cooper. For years you secretly held onto hope that the two of you would one day be together. You can’t just turn it off, Reese. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t. I think Hunter was… is,” she corrects, “a nice guy. He was safe and comfortable, and he was there when Cooper wasn’t.”
“Oh, God.” I cover my face with my hands. “I’m such a terrible person.”
“No, you’re not. However, you’re going to have to talk to Hunter and Cooper eventually. We can’t hide out in Mexico forever. I have a wedding to finish planning, and I intend to be there from start to finish.” She leans into me, a smile playing at her lips.
“I’m happy for you. You and Nix have it all together. Talk about relationship goals.”
“Honestly, you could have the same thing. You kind of already do with Cooper. Sure, it’s been a bumpy road getting to this point, but you both love one another. It all hinges on if you want to make it work.”
“I know he loves me. We’ve been in each other’s lives since we were kids.” He loves me, but the jury is still out on if he is truly in love with me. There’s a big difference between the two.
“It’s more than that.”
“Is it? Why, all of a sudden, is it okay to jeopardize our friendship when it wasn’t a year ago? Okay, it’s been longer than a year, but you get my point. Why now?”
“I have my suspicions, Reese. However, I’m not the one you need to be asking these questions to. It’s Cooper. He’s the only one who can give you the answers.”
“A week from now, he’ll realize it was a mistake. All of it. The confessions of love… last night. By the time we’re back home, he’s going to have realized his misstep.” Tessa mutters something under her breath that sounds like stubborn. I open my mouth to ask her, but the flight attendant begins her speech.
Once we’re up in the air, we both decide a nap will do us some good. It takes me a while to fall asleep, but when I do, it’s no surprise that it’s Cooper I see in my dreams.
Mexico is beautiful. When our plane landed, there was a limo driver holding up Tessa’s name. She immediately called Nixon, and he told her that since she and I were only planning a spa day the week of their wedding, she could consider this her bachelorette party.
“I mean, it’s not really a party if it’s just the two of us,” I tell her as we’re sipping our fruity alcoholic drinks on the beach outside our villa. Yes, villa. Nixon went all out.
“It’s all the party I need. It’s more than I wanted, but I have to admit. A week with my bestie on the beach before embarking on married life is just what the doctor ordered.”
“Look at us. Me running from marriage and you running toward it.”
“I wouldn’t say you’re running from marriage. You’re simply changing lanes. Whether you’re ready to admit it or not, we both know Cooper is where your heart has always been. If I’m being honest, I’m excited to see how this plays out.”
“What?” I turn to look at her.
“You’re in denial. The two of you have switched roles. For years you held out hope that the two of you would be together, as lovers and as friends. Now, he’s on board, and you’re worried he’s lost his mind.” She laughs. “It’s going to be fun.”
“I’m glad my life amuses you.”
“Oh, it does,” she says teasingly. “I’ve been around for the Cooper and Reese show for years. I’ve been rooting for the two of you. Hell, we all have. Now, it’s time for the two of you to cheer for yourselves. It’s time for you to decide what you want and allow your heart to accept that you can have the man of your dreams.”
“What did they put in that drink?” I ask. “You know as well as I do he’s going to regret this.”
“What is this exactly?” She smirks. “I still don’t know why you needed clothes or how that dress of yours got ruined.”
My face heats, and it’s not from the hot sun beating down on us. “Things got… interesting.”