Page 33 of Return to Cheshire Bay
My first reaction was a hard no, as therewas no way I’d be able to be the kind of help she needed, and truthbe told, having watched her at studio photo shoots, all I couldpicture was a bridezilla. Still, I’d be a major bitch to turn herdown.
“You have to think about this? Figured you’dbe all over it?”
Think, Lily, think.
“Well, with the baby and everything…” Iwasn’t lying, and I wasn’t being a bad friend.
“Oh, don’t worry.” Her shoulders relaxed andher features softened. “We’re thinking we’ll need a minimum of ayear, maybe even two or three years to plan the wedding of thecentury, so you have lots of time to lose the weight.” She pattedmy stomach for good measure.
I snorted. “That wasn’t my first concern,but thanks for pointing that out.”
“Lil, you’re carrying a baby. Of course,you’re going to put on weight. Your face is so much rounder than itwas when you left.”
It didn’t feel rounder, but my hands touchedmy cheeks just the same. I pushed myself to a stand and movedaround. Two to three years was a long way away, lots could happenin that time.
“You know what, sure. I’ll do it.” I noddedmy head and agreed to the honour, unsure of what that would entailat this point.
“Sure? Wow.” Her lips curled into a sneer.“Thanks for the enthusiasm. It wasn’t too long ago that youwould’ve been all over that.”
“I know.” Because it was truth. “I was adifferent person.”
She threw her hands in the air and punchedher finger in my direction. “I knew coming here would change you. Iknew it was a bad idea right from the start. I said it many timesto Archie.She’s going to move back there, and she’ll bedifferent. She’ll lose her edge.And look at you. I was soright; it makes me sick.” She narrowed her eyes and popped up ontoher feet. “You’ve gone soft. Before you were hard core, ago-getter, and now you’re falling apart.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m notfalling apart,we’vefallen apart.”
“We?”
“Yeah. We’re two different people, livingtwo very different lives.”
“That’s not true and you know it.”
“Isn’t it?” My hands fell to my side indefeat. “Tell me something I’ve shared with you since I’ve movedback here. I know, better yet, tell me the name of the guy I’minterested in.”
She took a step back. “You’ve nevermentioned his name, because I would’ve remembered.”
“I have. At least three times.” I wanted toaddyou’ve even met him,but that would be giving her toobig a hint, and I wanted to make my point.
“Well, you don’t know anything aboutme.”
She stood there, in total silence, while Ilisted off all the things about her, and those were just the recentones I’d learned in my absence.
My voice softened as my heart tore a little.“Face it, Beth, we’ve grown apart. It happens to the best offriends, and it’s happening to us. I can’t keep up with yourlifestyle, and you know what, that’s okay.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Ihesitated. In the years I’ve known Beth, crying wasn’t somethingI’d ever witnessed, and I wasn’t sure if she was angry or trulyupset by the truth.
Instead, she took a sharp breath and movedaround the living room, gathering her items, and shoving them underher arms. Her stomps sounded up the stairs, and a door slamfollowed.
Guess she was angry.
ChapterThirteen
My supper remained largely untouched as Isat on my back deck, finishing up an email. Beth’s angry stompscrossed back and forth over my head while she packed her things,and readied to leave, but with no car and no flight leaving untilthe morning, she was stuck. Maybe that was okay, because I wasn’treally wanting her to leave. We both needed a cooling offthough.
From under the cover of darkness, Erichauled out a couple of chairs and a stack of wood, getting acrackling bonfire under way. One by one, my island friends arrived,first Willow and Arlo, with his guitar, followed by neighbourJesse, who helped bring the fire to life. Eventually Mitch andCedar arrived, her infectious giggle echoing between thehouses.
Between the twang of Arlo’s strumming, thesmell of roasted hotdogs, and a bag of potato chips crinkling as itwas passed around, a dull ache formed in my heart. But it was thelaughter that truly did me in. The sweet snorts from Cedar as Mitchshared a story I didn’t quite understand were like a current underthe water, it pulled on my heartstrings, tempting me to join in thefun.
I tried to remain inconspicuous, but on aquick run to the house, Eric spotted me hiding in the shadows.