The Bride’s Secret

The rain came down so hard it blurred the road ahead. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my heart pounding louder than the thunder outside. My phone sat on the passenger seat. I shouldn’t have looked through it. I knew that, but when Lidia’s name kept appearing over and over again, I couldn’t stop myself. “Come over now”. “ I have something to tell you.” The words replayed in my mind until I thought I would lose it. Every time Javier and I were about to get married, she found another reason to stop it. Everyone was sick and tired of her games… so was I. But amidst all of it, she was my best friend like a sister to me. She knew every embarrassing story from my childhood, every fear I never admitted aloud, every dream I tucked away because I was too scared to chase it. I should just drive home and let her sit in silence with her petty schemes. Instead, I snatched my phone from the passenger seat, pushed the door open, and ran through the rain. Before I could knock, the door swung open immediately. Lydia blinked in surprise. “ Elena?” She stood there in an oversized sweatshirt, her hair tied into a messy bun. Without answering, I brushed past her and stepped into the house. “ What did you need to tell me?” I frowned, ignoring the way my coat dripped water all over the place. Lidia pushed the front door shut and leaned against it. “Okay…” she said, folding her arms across her chest. “What’s with the dramatic entrance?” My gaze wandered around the living room. A podcast played on the television. A mug of tea rested on the coffee table, its steam curling into the air. I sighed, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. “ When is this going to stop Lidia?” The words came out quieter than I expected. Lidia frowned, pushing herself away from the door. She searched my face as if trying to figure out whether I was joking. “What are you talking about?” I laughed under my breath, though nothing about this felt funny. “ Every single time Javier and I are finally happy… “My voice cracked. “ You always find a way to ruin it.” Lidia blinked several times. “ What?” She laughed and shook her head. “ Elena, where is this coming from?” “The fake kidnapping.” I ticked one finger into my palm. “The rumors” I ticked another finger. “ The little comments you keep making about Javier.” “ You really believe that's what's happening? Her voice rose just enough for the mug on the table to rattle. the glass tremble “ Can’t you see? He doesn't love—” “ Stop.” I pointed a trembling finger at her. “ Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” “ Elena…” Lidia wrapped her fingers around her mouth. “You’re just jealous.” Lidia stared at me almost as if she hadn't heard me well. An empty laugh escaped her but it died as soon as it came. “ Jealous?” she repeated quietly. I folded my arms tighter across my chest. “What else am I supposed to think?” Her jaw tightened as she looked away. I thought she was about to throw me out. But then she walked to the window, watching the rain slide down the glass. “If I keep quiet,” she murmured almost to herself. “I’ll lose you.” “ You’ve already lost me.” “Elena…” She shut her eyes. She turned back slowly, and her voice became unsteady. “What if everything you believe about Javier is a lie?” “ Stop.” “ If you would just listen for five minutes—” “ I don't want to hear another word about him.” “ He chose me,” I said. They sounded convincing. So why did they hurt so much? Why did I feel like I was trying to convince myself instead of her? Vanilla-scented candles burned on the shelf, filling the room with a scent that had always made me feel at home. Tonight that warm scent turned my stomach. What had happened to my best friend? Tonight it made me want to throw up. Lidia stared at the phone in her hand for a long moment. “ I’m giving you one last chance to know who you are marrying.” A cold chill hit my stomach, but I shoved it down and stood my ground. “Stop…” The phone began to ring. Every unanswered ring made my heart beat louder. “ Lidia…” My voice came out barely above a whisper. She kept staring at the phone screen as though willing Javier to answer. “ Hang up now!” I took a step toward her. She took one back. The movement was so small most people wouldn’t have noticed it. I didn’t know her anymore. The girl I grew up with felt like a stranger standing across the room. How had we gotten here? “ I’m not your enemy,” she whispered. “ Then stop calling him,” I uttered desperately. “ I can’t.” She shook her head so hard the loose strands of her hair escaped her bun. “ Why are you doing this?” “ Because tomorrow you’ll marry a man who will destroy you.” I didn’t let that phrase sink in before throwing myself toward her. Lidia gasped, jerking the phone out of my reach. We stumbled into the edge of the coffee table. The phone slipped from her grasp and clattered across the floor. “ Stop this, Lidia.” “ You need to know!” She cried out, pushing me away. I stumbled backward, bumping into the arm of the couch. “ I can't let you marry him.” She spat out, putting the phone behind her. “ Haven’t you done enough, Lydia? Haven't you?”I snapped, rushing at her again. Her fingers buried themselves in my hair. Pain exploded across my scalp, forcing a sharp gasp from my lips. I clawed at her wrist. “Let go! You're hurting me.” But she didn’t. Instead, that made her pull harder. I felt strands of my hair slide between her fingers. I shoved her with both hands… just enough to get free. And that was enough. She stumbled backward. One foot searched desperately for balance. The rug folded beneath her heel. “No…” Her arms shot out. She grabbed at the empty air. I reached for her… our fingertips brushed. I thought I caught her. I thought. Then her sleeve slipped through my fingers. “Lidia!” Her body twisted sideways. The back of her head struck the corner of the coffee table. The room seemed to tilt beneath my feet. Around me, the television audience burst into laughter. “ Lidia?” My voice sounded small and strange. I staggered toward her on trembling legs and dropped to my knees. “ Lidia?” My fingers hovered over her shoulder. “ Say something.” Silence answered me. Blood crept slowly across the floor beneath her hair. No… Don't do this to me, Lydia. No, no, no. Please, Please don't do this. Wake up please. What do you want me to tell them? Then her phone, forgotten on the floor, began to vibrate. Javier. The name glowed across the screen.