VILLA OF THORNS

The Cafe Meeting

The Café Meeting

Two Weeks Before The Wedding

Katie laughed so hard that her stomach hurt. Her wavy black hair bounced as her body shook with laughter. Wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, she laughed even more, as Alina dramatically mimicked her disastrous attempt at twerking during their last girls' trip.

"That was a crime against your hips," Aria said, nearly choking on her iced chai. "A literal offence."

"It was the wine!" Katie protested between giggles. "And the damn heels!"

"The heels didn't make you do the chicken shuffle," Louisa teased, and the entire table dissolved into laughter again.

This—this was Katie's happy place. A late Saturday brunch with her girls. Her people. The ones who had carried each other through exams, heartbreaks, promotions, mental breakdowns, and now—weddings.

She looked around the table with quiet affection: Aria and Alina, always loud and wild and impossible to keep track of. Andrea and Hannah, her high school soulmates, calm and grounding. Wendy, observant and sharp as a tack. Louisa is perpetually organized and somehow still loveable. And then, of course—Milly.

Milly, her best friend since before she could even remember being alive. The kind of friend who'd held her hair back at parties defended her in school fights and bought her favourite ice cream for her every weekend.

Milly, who was getting married in two weeks.

"You've been staring at me weird all morning," Milly said, leaning toward her.

"I'm just soaking it all in," Katie grinned. "You're getting married. That's wild."

Milly gave her a look—soft, knowing. "You've always been my anchor. You know that?"

Katie laughed. "You say that every time I remind you not to drunk-text your ex."

"Because it's true," Milly said. "And I need you now more than ever."

Katie squeezed her hand. "You've got me. Always."

Their bond was something sacred—deeper than friendship, closer than family. It wasn't just years of shared memories. It was unshakable trust.

Their parents were besties, and their families were very close. Katie's mom had met Milly's mom in high school, and they had become best of friends since then, even up to this day.

Both girls were from wealthy families with Milly's family in the textile industry, while Katie's family owned one of the biggest law firms in the country.

"So, the bachelorette," Louisa announced, tapping her gold pen against her planner. "It's crunch time. We have two weekends left. Let's finalize this."

"Vegas!" Aria yelled, throwing her hands up.

"Too basic," Andrea countered. "We're grown women now."

"Speak for yourself," Alina grinned. "I want glitter and cocktails and bad decisions."

"How about a lake house?" Katie offered, sipping her vanilla latte. "Wine, pyjamas, spa day. We can still have a party vibe, but no crowds or random guys."

The group paused. Nodded. Murmured in agreement.

"I like that," Milly said. "Something cosy. Intimate."

"With p***s-shaped cupcakes," Aria added.

"And matching silk robes," Louisa said, already scribbling.

Katie lit up. "I'll handle the robes. Milly, you want blush pink, right?"

"Of course," Milly grinned. "You know me."

"You're literally saving this party," Andrea said to Katie. "You always do."

Katie smiled, a little embarrassed. "I just want it to be perfect for Milly. She deserves the best weekend of her life."

That wasn't just something she said—it was how she felt. All Katie ever wanted was to be the one her friends could count on. The one who remembered birthdays, who showed up early, who checked in after the party to make sure everyone got home safe.

She was the one who snuck extra Advil in her purse for hangovers. Who made playlists for road trips. Who knew how everyone liked their coffee.

She was the glue.

As the girls argued about Airbnb options, Katie found herself watching Milly—her bright smile, the way her eyes sparkled when she talked about Yannis; her fiancee, the way she held herself like someone who finally believed she was safe.

"I never thought I'd meet someone like him," Milly said as the table quieted. "Yannis is... solid. Reliable. And he sees me, you know? Like, all of me."

"Not hard to see perfection," Hannah said sweetly.

"Still, I feel lucky," Milly said. "And I know he's not perfect—he's bossy, definitely has control issues, and he's a neat freak—but he loves me in this... intense, steady way. It makes everything feel easy."

Katie smiled, genuine and wide. "You deserve that kind of love."

Milly glanced at her, eyes suddenly misty. "Don't cry," Katie warned, laughing. "It's too early for tears."

"I just love you guys," Milly said, holding her mimosa glass up. "And I'm so grateful I get to do life with all of you. Especially you, Katie. You've been there through it all. I couldn't imagine this day without you."

"To Milly!" Wendy toasted.

"To friendship!" Alina added.

They clinked glasses.

Katie blinked quickly to hide her own tears.

This was what life was supposed to be—joy, loyalty, shared dreams. Nothing could shake that.

Nothing would.

Milly had been her only friend since childhood until they met the other gutls in high school. Silly has always been the one to protect Katie from bullies, and she was determined to do everything she could to endure Milly got her dream wedding.

⸻

Later, as the group disbanded and the girls headed off in different directions, Katie and Milly lingered.

"You okay?" Milly asked as they strolled toward the parking lot to their cars.

"Yeah. Just happy," Katie said, linking arms with her. "You've finally got a good thing, Milly. I'm really proud of you."

Milly smiled. "You'll have your turn, you know."

Katie laughed. "Maybe. But right now, this is your moment. And I'm honoured to be part of it."

They hugged, warm and long, with no idea that something was about to unravel everything they thought they knew about each other.

But for now, the sun was shining. The day was beautiful. And Katie's heart was full of joy and gladness.