Chapter 2-1
1138 Words
CHAPTER TWO
ANNA
At brunch the following Sunday, Melanie Wilson, my best friend of over a decade, choked on her avocado toast.
It was my fault, really. She'd taken a bite at the exact moment I'd revealed that I'd run into Rowan. Her ex-boyfriend.
Melanie coughed so loudly that, over the din of the brunch service, other restaurant goers turned their gazes toward us. I pushed her mimosa toward her, and she downed its contents in seconds.
"Rowan?" she gasped. "You're kidding. Tell me you're kidding."
I considered telling her I had been joking, Rowan had probably moved to some far-off island years ago, of course it hadn't been him—
"It was him." I grimaced. "He confirmed it three times."
"Oh my God." Melanie was now downing not only her glass of water, but mine, too. When she noticed that an older woman was staring at her, she snapped, "Take a picture, it'll last longer!"
The woman huffed and returned to her eggs Benedict with a sour frown. I shot her an apologetic look.
"I haven't heard that comeback since the nineties," I said, trying to lighten the mood.
Melanie just rolled her eyes.
Melanie had never been the calmest person. Although she was unfailingly loyal and pretty much down to try anything, she had a quick, fiery temper. I'd always been the one to defuse situations where Melanie had wanted to go on the attack. It was probably why I'd gotten so good at planning weddings.
Her temper was also why I'd confessed about the Rowan incident now. I was a terrible liar, and it was better to let Melanie know. Besides, Rowan and I hadn't done anything. Once I'd realized who he was, I'd practically sprinted back inside to the wedding, leaving him totally confused.
I'm sure you're wondering: how had I not recognized my best friend's ex? When Melanie and Rowan had been dating—about five years ago now—I'd been in San Diego for that year to help my parents. My dad had gotten in a bad car accident, and my mom couldn't care for him by herself.
By the time I'd returned to Pasadena, I'd met Rowan one time before the pair had broken up.
Besides, the man I'd remembered hadn't been as dynamic as the Rowan I'd met at the wedding. The Rowan Melanie had introduced me to five years ago had been standoffish. He'd barely said five words to me the entire time we'd eaten dinner together.
When he'd ended things, I hadn't been surprised. I hadn't told Melanie that, of course. She'd been devastated for months.
"I thought he'd moved away," said Melanie. "I could've sworn I'd seen an update on f******k about him."
I shrugged. "Apparently not. And apparently we know some of the same people."
Melanie took a large bite of her toast. "So, how did he look? Was he ugly and fat now? Please tell me he is."
I looked heavenward. He's even hotter than I remember him? Yeah, Melanie would love to hear that from me.
"He looked about the same," I hedged.
"What about his hairline? I remember he was starting to go bald when we were dating."
"Well, if he is bald now, he has a great toupee."
That remark made Melanie laugh. "Too bad you couldn't yank it off him. Man, I'd love to see him again." Melanie smiled evilly. "Make him squirm. Or cry. Rip off his toupee and then kick him in the balls."
"Let's not get arrested now."
"No jury would convict me."
I just sipped my mimosa.
Melanie stabbed a piece of arugula, making me glad I wasn't a vegetable on her plate right now. She had murder in her eyes.
"Well, if you see him again, promise me you'll tell him to go f**k himself," she said. Based on her tone, it wasn't a request. It was an order.
I c****d an eyebrow. "Mel, I'm not running him over. I can see in your face you'd want me to."
"Just a little bump. Or just a roll over his foot."
I laughed, shaking my head. "You're crazy."
That made her face turn red. She pointed her fork at me. "Don't gaslight me. You know he was a d**k to me."
I sobered quickly. How could I forget? I'd spent many nights listening to Melanie cry on the phone, to the point that I'd gone over to her place more than once to check she was okay. She'd lost weight to the point that I'd encouraged her to talk to someone. Melanie, being stubborn, had refused.
I hadn't realized she'd still harbored this much anger, though. It made my gut twist with guilt for flirting—and fantasizing—about Rowan that night. Even though I hadn't even known who he was at the time, I knew Melanie well enough to know she wouldn't be so forgiving of that transgression.
"I know things ended badly between you two. I was there, remember?" I said.
Melanie's expression softened. "I know you were. You picked me up and put me back together." She took my hand and squeezed it. "I'll never forget that. I'm not sure what I would've done without you."
"Probably burned his house down."
She smiled evilly. "Probably." Her expression turned serious. "I mean it, though: stay away from him. He seemed so amazing at first, but when he started showing his true colors, everything changed. He froze me out. It was like, one day he just…stopped caring. I tried so hard to get him to care about me again, but he only turned colder and colder."
"You guys weren't compatible."
"Maybe. But he also wasn't interested in saving the relationship. He made the decision without even consulting me, and then it took him months to man up and end it." Melanie's mouth twisted. "Even when I'd begged him to tell me what was wrong."
I sighed. "I doubt I'll see him again."
"But if you do. . ."
"I'll scowl at him every chance I get. I do so solemnly swear." I crossed my heart for emphasis.
Melanie's mood lightened soon after, especially once I began telling her about the shenanigans at the wedding. Melanie had been my biggest cheerleader when I'd decided to be a wedding planner and bridesmaid-for-hire.
She'd even given me money as a birthday gift to fund the business. When I made it big, she'd wanted me to use my connections to meet Ryan Reynolds.
"Pretty sure he's married," I'd told her, laughing.
"So? I don't want to sleep with him. I just want him to tell me something sarcastic and maybe sign my boobs for good measure."
So when Melanie asked me for something—like avoiding her ex-boyfriend Rowan Caldwell—I had good reason to say yes.
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