Page 156 of Bridesmaid Undercover
“I’m right, aren’t I?” she asks.
I scrub my hand over my face. “Fuck, this is all your fault.”
“My fault?” She chuckles. “How is this my fault?”
“Because…your return got me thinking that I wanted a relationship, and I thought it would be easy with you—though we both know it wasn’t—and now you’re telling me I have feelings for someone else, which I do, and now I’m a sweaty, nervous, fidgety mess.”
“And that makes me so happy.”
“My pain is causing you happiness?” I ask her.
She smirks. “It is. I like seeing you like this. And I say this without jealousy or anger, but I don’t think you ever acted this way around me…ever. Which means the connection between you two is much stronger.”
I fully turn toward Maple. “Do you know what she said to me last night?”
“She loves you?” Maple clasps her hands together in hope.
“Uh, no. If she said that, do you think I’d be a nervous wreck, talking to my ex in the corner right now?”
“I guess not.” Maple chuckles. “What did she say?”
“She told me that she wants to bepen pals.”
Maple lets out a snort and covers up her nose. “No, she didn’t.”
“Yeah, she did. Fucking pen pals, Maple. What am I supposed to do with that?”
Maple shrugs. “Buy stationery?”
“Maple,” I groan. “I’m being serious. I think…fuck, I think I’m in the friend zone with her.”
Maple shakes her head. “There is no way you’re in the friend zone. I saw the way she looked at you the other night.”
“Like I was her best friend, possibly big brother?”
Another snort.
“No…like she liked you.”
I shake my head. “You’ve been in Peru for far too long. There is no way she was looking at me like that.”
“Only one way to find out,” Maple says and then to my horror, calls out, “Everly!” Everly glances in our direction. Maple waves her over. “Come here.”
“What the hell are you doing?” I ask through clenched teeth.
“Nothing embarrassing,” she replies, and from the glint in her eye, I can tell that her consumption of alcohol has already spurred her on to cause trouble.
“I don’t trust you,” I say.
“Whatever you do, try not to fall into her breasts as a greeting.”
“You’re not funny,” I say quickly before Everly steps in front of us.
“Everything okay?” she asks.
“Everything is great,” Maple says. “We actually wanted to thank you for all the hard work you put into the party. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Oh, of course, it’s my pleasure,” she says, glancing at me very quickly but then returning her gaze to Maple.
