I glance up at him, startled. Even if he does seem believable, I remind myself it’s all part of the act.
“I just want her to know how much this means to me, Bren,” Carmen adds, before motioning me to follow her to the showroom. “The other bridesmaids and groomsmen are inside, trying on their dresses and tuxes. The seamstress is concerned about whether Laila’s dress will fit correctly, so you’re first on her list.”
“Good luck,” Brendan says, heading toward the cheese and crackers.
Carmen guides me toward the fitting area while Isabella follows, her heels clicking across the polished tile. “We have so much to discuss, Scarlett. The bridal shower, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner?—”
“Stop, Mom. You’re overwhelming her.” Carmen halts in the middle of a vast showroom layered in velvet sofas, tufted ottomans, and gilded mirrors stretching from floor to ceiling. As soft piano music plays in the background, my mind is spinning at the scene in front of me: racks of sparkling wedding dresses and a seamstress standing in the center holding approximately twenty pins in her lips as she pins Jaz’s hemline.
Jaz catches my eye in the mirror and grins. “We were just saying this place needed someone sane.”
“Stop moving!” the seamstress commands around a mouthful of pins before noticing me. “I take it this is the backup bridesmaid?”
The seamstress passes a gown to Brendan’s mom, who holds it against my body before adjusting her glasses to get a good look. The blush-pink gown is actually quite beautiful, with its shimmering bodice and flowing, tiered skirt. Too bad Laila won’t get a chance to wear it, because it’s stunning.
“Is she too skinny for the dress?” Isabella asks the seamstress. “We can feed her more before the wedding.” Then she spins around, searching for her son. “Brendan, why don’t you feed your girlfriend?”
“I eat plenty,” I protest with a laugh.
Aunt Elana circles me next. “I think she has the curves to pull off the dress.” Then turns me toward her nephew. “Brendan, what do you think?”
Brendan’s ears go violently red. “I think”—he clears his throat—“that Scarlett looks perfect in anything. And I am not qualified to comment further.”
Rosa hobbles over to join the other women, before nodding approvingly. “I remember when I had a figure like that. Sure do miss thosedays.”
“She’s got the perfect figure.” Isabella gives me a once-over, before leaning in with a whisper, “You’ll have beautiful babies.”
My face catches fire. “We’re not?—”
“Of course not, yet!” Isabella jumps in. “But someday, right? Preferablyafterthe wedding.”
“MOM,” Carmen interrupts, her eyebrows rising to her hairline. “Can we focus on MY wedding first? The one that’s happening in a few weeks?”
“Right, right, of course!” Isabella hands me the gown. “Fingers crossed that it fits.”
Carmen takes my arm and guides me toward the fitting rooms. “Don’t mind them,” she whispers as we walk. “They’re excited. We don’t get new people in the family very often, and they really like you.”
“But we just started dating.”
“I know, but you’ve known me and Bren since we were teenagers.” She ushers me into a large dressing room. “Besides, my brother’s never brought anyone to family events before. That says everything.”
He’s never brought anyone home before?That hardly seems likely.
Undressing first, I slide the straps over my shoulders, step into the gown, and suck in a breath as I shimmy the zipper up as far as I can reach. Then I turn to the mirror.
Either this dress is a miracle fit, or it’s a sign I’m meant to be a bridesmaid. The dress is light and shimmery under the lights, with a fitted, low-cut bodice that skims my waist before falling into layers of flowing fabric.
When I emerge from the fitting room, the entire room falls silent.
“That,” Isabella says in a whispered hush, “is absolutely beautiful on you.”
“You pull it off better than Laila ever could,” Aunt Elana says bluntly.
When I turn toward the mirror, I catch Brendan staring, hiseyes locked on me across the boutique, and my heart stutters under his gaze.
He watches silently, thrusting his hands deep into his pockets, but I see his throat move as he swallows.
Carmen strides over, clapping her hands. “It was meant for you.” She whirls around to find her brother. “Doesn’t she look gorgeous, Brendan?”