Meant for Me | ✔️

11) help each other

Thursday, August 15th

A D D I E

Thursday morning brought overcast weather. It was still sweltering hot but the clouds gave relief from the sun beaming straight down on top of me. I was sitting outside of the Inn, under a tree with a book open on my bare lap and an acute awareness of Hanna watching me through the window, bothered that I told her I didn't want to join her book club despite being an avid reader.

Yes, I love reading. Yes, I will talk about books when given the chance to do so. No, I don't want to sit in a circle with a dozen strangers and have the spotlight while I share what I thought. She couldn't seem to understand the logic. I wasn't sure that I understood it either but I knew that I had no interest in joining her regardless.

The fact that she told me that I was "asking for trouble" when she glanced over my cropped t shirt and short shorts, soured my mood too. I wasn't asking for a damn thing from anyone.

Eh, whatever. Hanna and her comments were sort of distracting and made me frustrated enough to steal some of my consistent pain and turn it into a mild rage. Whatever works to be honest.

I must have read for a few hours, time was lost on me, because before I knew it, a horn honked and I peered up to see Raine at the curb in her cruiser. It wasn't hard to waste hours around here. There was a lot of peace being outdoors, in the clean air, with the warmth and relaxed demeanour of the locals. Beverly Hills was warm, but the vibe was a different tone. Aside from the hustle and bustle of it, it was where Margo lived.

As far as I was concerned, she was still there, walking down the street in her elegant outfits and towering heels, looking right at home with effortless ease. She didn't have to try hard at all, she suited Beverly Hills. She reminded me of one of the real housewives on the television show. Just with less drama and no facial reconstruction aside from a nose job that she'd had done when she was twenty six.

If I went home, it shattered that illusion. I wouldn't find her in our home office, answering client calls, sorting our finances, booking venues and hiring caterers. I wouldn't watch her walk through the door from a doozy date and I wouldn't sit with her while we scoffed ice cream and bitched about her date. None of that would happen ever again. I wasn't sure that I could face that and I didn't know when I'd ever be able to.

Standing up, I stretched and brushed at the back of my legs which were creased from the grass. Raine wiggled her fingers in a cute wave as I rounded the front of the car and slid into the passenger seat.

"I really appreciate this," she slid her aviators from her head and onto her face.

"Oh. Yeah it's no trouble. I don't mean this in a rude way but don't you have other friends you'd rather do this with? Like, I don't mind going, I just figured this is the sort of thing you do with a maid of honour or something."

She held the steering wheel with two hands and shrugged. "Yeah I have a few girlfriends who will be bridesmaids but they all work on the force with me and none of them are particularly interested in this stuff. They would have done it if I'd asked but it'll be great having someone there who actually enjoys event planning and knows what she's talking about. Plus, Willa is going to be my maid of honour slash flower girl."

"Aw. That's so sweet."

"I think she would have loved to have done this with us but it's her first day back at school."

"I'm sure she'll find other ways to help."

"Oh of course," she nodded with a light laugh. "She's writing a speech and she'll throw petals as she walks down the aisle. That sort of thing."