Page 50 of Fixed Up Ever After
Lola then checked her phone, only to see her mother’s list of tasks for her today. The first thing on the list was to arrange rides for the bridesmaids from the airport to the hotel. Why they couldn’t do it themselves was beyond her, but she learned long ago it was better to simply do, rather than argue.
Her duties also included picking up Marisol’s shoes from the store, checking in with catering, and picking up the wedding rings from her mother’s suite to keep them safe until their big day tomorrow.
She had just finished going over her list and transferring it to the notes section of her phone when Javi emerged from the bathroom, smelling of citrus and pine cones. “Ready to eat?”
“Very.” Her stomach growled on command and she reached for her purse, following Javi out the door. Today would be full of unwanted tasks, but at least she would be alone and able to think straight for the first time in weeks. Javi had a hold on her emotions and she was starting to fear for her own heart.
* * *
Breakfast had been relatively quiet,but not uncomfortably so. Neither one of them seemed to be looking forward to the day and she felt bad for leaving Javi alone. He was a grown man, capable of taking care of himself, but she still felt responsible for his entertainment.
In the end, Javi had decided he was going to explore the hotel and find something to bring back for Camilia.
Lola took the time for herself to grab another coffee and scroll through her list one last time to make sure she knew exactly what needed to be done. The idea of facing Luciana and Marisol’s ire if she fucked up was the only motivation she needed to march her ass out of the hotel.
At least that was what she was planning on doing, until she collided with a hard body rounding the corner at the same time she did. The impact sent her back a few steps before she could right herself.
“Oh, I’m so sorry—” Her words cut off as her brain registered the man standing in front of her.
Archie.
She had done a good job of avoiding him this entire week, only seeing him when she saw the rest of her family, and had planned to keep it that way. But of course, the universe had other plans for her.
Like her, Archie was alone. Unlike her, he looked more put together after the head-on collision than she did. She pressed her mouth into a tight line. The only positive thing was that he didn’t appear any happier to see her than she was to see him.
As far as Lola was concerned, she had two options. She could either walk past him and pretend as if they never saw each other, or she can reach deep into the depths of her soul to start a conversation. She knew which one she wanted to do, but she also didn’t want Archie thinking he had gotten the better of her.
“Archie—hi.” Her voice was higher than she would have liked, showing just how anxious she was.
Archie arched a brow and the corners of his lips pulled up into a smile, clearly amused. “Lola. I have to say, I’m surprised you’re here.”
“In the lobby?”
“No, in Colorado. At the wedding. I didn’t think you would come.” He laughed as if he had just finished telling a joke. “I mean, I just know how hard the breakup was on you and I wondered if coming here would make you sad all over again.”
It took a Herculean effort to bite back the retort on the tip of the tongue. To yell and scream at him for being a pompous jerk and always making her feel small and insignificant. Yet she knew that was the exact reaction Archie was expecting from her, to blow up and cause a scene. Another scandal, courtesy of Lola.
Instead, she tried to keep her voice calm as she spoke. “Why would I be mad that you dumped me for my sister?”
“Well, you can’t help who you fall in love with. And we gave you the courtesy of ending things before we began dating. I knew you would need time to process things.” Archie reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder as if to comfort her.
Lola recoiled from his touch. Was he seriously insinuating that she should be grateful that Archie hadn’tcheatedon her with her sister, as if that was not the bare fucking minimum in any relationship? She didn’t buy his declaration of love for her sister though. Men like Archie only ever loved themselves.
“Anyway,” he said, clearly bored of this conversation. That made two of them. “This man you brought to my wedding. Who is he?”
“I’ve already introduced him, if you cared to listen. His name is Javi.”
“And he’s your…?”
“Boyfriend,” she supplied, with more confidence than she felt.
“Oh.” That one syllable made her tense. It wasn’t just an innocent acceptance. No, Archie was deliberately holding his words back, forcing her to ask him what he meant by that.
And because Lola was a glutton for punishment, she asked, “Oh? Do you have something to say?”
“Just that you tend to dive into things without thinking them through all the way.”
Lola felt her jaw drop. What right did Archie have to tell her she recklessly made decisions? “How dare you—”
