“Don’t mess it up!” she ordered, leaping to her feet, hands on herhips.
Red-faced, Gavin jumped off his bike. “Well, maybe you shouldn’t color in ourway!”
“Who do you think you are, the president or something? You can’t tell me what to do!” She whipped her long, dark ponytail around as she put her right index finger right in Gavin’sface.
“How about you race with us?” I asked. Even as an elementary school-er, I was a peacekeeper; it was just in mynature.
“Yeah, okay.” She shrugged, rushing to grab her purple bike from thegrass.
“What’d you do that for?” Gavin asked as he shovedme.
I hopped back on my bike. “It’s better than picking on a little girl. You’d get in so much trouble if shesquealed.”
Gavin knew I had a point, and from that day forward, the three of us were thick asthieves.
“Sean, how was work today?”Jordan started cleaning up the bar, our cue that it was getting close to time to get the heck out ofDodge.
I just slouched back in my seat—I hated that damn question. “It was a fucking day of it, to say theleast.”
I tried to be forthcoming with them, as much as I could be. I’d tell them the funny shit people said to try to get out of tickets or the crazy crap that happened when we got calls for domestics, but I usually didn’t share the darker side of my job and I sure as hell was not going to tell them about the accident I witness earlier on in the day. I had no idea how to put that intowords.
Staring down at the amber liquid in my glass, I couldn’t hold it in. Before I really knew what I was saying, I blurted out, “It’s sad when a parent dies but their kid survives. It’s miserable when anyone dies, but a mother dying in front of her daughter in a car crash is downright awful.” I slammed back the rest of my drink and grabbed my coat from the stool next to me. “I think it’s time to call it a night. See you guys at the rehearsaldinner?”
“Yeah, man. See you Friday.” Gavin nodded as Jordan wavedgoodbye.
Chapter 2
Whistler
This has seriously gotto be a damn joke.I checked my watch again. We were getting close to thirty minutes of no-show bride.Is this really happening rightnow?
Gavin started to bounce on his heels. “What the heck is taking them so damn long?” he mumbled. With the back of his hand, he wiped sweat off his brow. It was a chilly fall day, so for him to be sweating, there was a serious problem. But if I was in his shoes, I would have been sweatingtoo.
“You know how Marsheila has to be perfect. They’re probably still trying to get her hair just right,” I said, trying to comfort him, but there wasn’t too much I could come up with. From where I was standing, it wasn’t looking good. All I could think about was how much I wanted to be an ass and tell Gavin that I had warned him, but what good would that do in that situation? It was better too bite my tongue and try to be as supportive aspossible.
The music from the string quartet was starting to get on my nerves as they started to play their set for a third time, the droning of the repetition digging under my skin making me want to rip the damn bowtie and vest off instantly. The guests were fidgeting in their white folding chairs as they looked around, muttering to themselves. It was starting to get pretty awkward and downright embarrassing.All eyes were glued to us as the shit slowly started to hit the fan. I felt like I was front and center for a train wreck that was about to takeplace.
What a fucking crock ofshit.
With all the demands Marsheila had put on the damn wedding, making Gavin shell out upwards of seventy grand on one damn day, I was thinking how that bitch better make an appearance soon or I was going to start breakingnecks.
Right as I took my cellphone out of my pocket to call Marsheila, the maid of honor, who was also Marsheila’s sister, started quickly shuffling around the group of seated guests, trying to wave Gavinover.
I followed Gavin closely as he rushed towardher.
“I am so sorry, Gavin. I couldn’t talk her out of it.” She shoved the note into Gavin’s hand before turning around and bolting away in her tan heels and flowing seafoam greendress.
What in the ever-loving fuck justhappened?
Gavin dropped to his knees in the cold grass right at my feet. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening to my best friend, and there was nothing I could do to help or stopit.
I started to pull him to his feet, forcing Gavin to stand. His face was red, his eyes were glassed over, and his jaw was hanging open. Before I could even register what he was doing, Gavin’s fist was connecting with the side of my face. I grabbed my cheek as tears started to roll downhis.
“Holy fuck man!” I exclaimed, staggering back a fewsteps.
Gavin was frozen. All eyes were on us, the guests slack-jawed as they watched the worst moment of Gavin’s life unravel in front ofthem.
I needed to see the note clutched in Gavin’s hand before he had a chance to read it. I needed to know that cunt’s ridiculous excuse for breaking his heartwas.