"He knows you," Shelby counters. "And if this was my part of the business, I would totally bury my pride and call him."
"You’re an asshole,” Clarabella declares. "And I’m going to do it." She takes her phone out of her pocket. "For Travis and Harlow." She corrects herself, "Jennifer." She looks at me, grimacing, knowing she fucked up. "It’s just, I saw her, and it’s like Harlow and Travis." She throws her hands up in the air. "I’m going to go and call Luke," she says, walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.
I hang my head down, my head spinning, and I walk over to the couch in the room and sit down. Running my hands through my hair. "I can’t believe you invited her." I look up, defeated, at Shelby. "I can’t believe she is here." I say the words out loud instead of to myself. It’s been four years; I’ve gotten over her. Or at least I thought I did until I actually saw her again. Fuck, I played this scene out in my head over and over again for the last four years. Well, not this scene at my wedding but when I would see her again. It did not go the way I thought it would, not even close.
Shelby comes over and sits next to me, and I see Bennett walk back out of the room. "I was just as shocked as you were when I got her response back." I turn to her, my mouth opening.
"Do you think that would have been a better time to tell me that she was coming, not when she walked into the church?" I ask her, and she rolls her eyes.
"I got reinforcement," Bennett says, walking back into the room with a bottle of scotch. "It’s going to be okay," he assures me, opening the bottle and handing it to me. "Just take a gulp."
"Do not take a gulp," Presley snaps. "That’s going to be gross, and we won’t be able to serve it." She runs to the closet and comes back with shot glasses. "Have at it."
"Thank you," Bennett says, pouring a shot, and I don’t even wait for him to finish pouring his own before I swallow down the amber liquid. It burns all the way down to my stomach, and I hold out the glass for another one. He looks at Shelby, and she nods her head, and he pours me another one. "I don’t think that you should have any more after that."
"Oh my God," Presley says. "Imagine you say her name while you are exchanging vows?" She puts both hands to her cheeks, and Shelby gasps and jumps up from her seat beside me.
"What is wrong with you? Why would you put that out into the universe?” she huffs at her, and then the door opens and all of our eyes go to Clarabella, who stands there.
"So, good news," she says, but from how she looks, there has to be some bad also. "Luke said to leave everything to him, and he’ll figure it out."
"Thank God," Shelby says from beside me.
"And bad news," Clarabella continues talking and then stops when the sound of sirens starts coming closer and closer. "We have a slight problem."
Chapter 5
Travis
"What the hell is happening?" I look at Clarabella.
"Jennifer is having an allergic reaction to something, and we don’t know what," Clarabella starts to say, and we all rush toward the bridal suite. "We think it’s the funeral flowers."
"Funeral flowers?" Bennett asks them as we walk down the stairs.
"We got the wrong flowers," Presley states as she follows us. "Instead of the wedding flowers, we got funeral flowers. We didn’t want to tell you because, well, how much can go wrong with one wedding?"
"Isn’t it like a three-strikes-and-you’re-out kind of thing?" Bennett asks, and Presley slaps his shoulder. "I’m just asking, how do I know? There was the fridge." He holds up one finger. "The fire, and now this. Oh, and we forgot that Harlow showed up, so it’s really four strikes."
"It’s going to be fine," Clarabella reassures me. "We just had to call the ambulance because, well, her throat started to get scratchy, and then well." We all stop and look at her. "Her face blew up."
"You," Shelby says. "Stay here." She looks at Bennett. "You keep him here. It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."
"Trust me, this isn’t what is going to bring bad luck to this wedding," Bennett counters, and all my sisters glare at him. He holds up his hands. "Fine, I’ll man the station. Jeez, you try to make a joke and everyone wants to jump down your throat."
My sisters run into the room at the same time as the ambulance technicians come in through the back door. "Excuse us," they say and go into the room. I can hear the commotion in the room, and all I can do is pace in front of the door.
"This is crazy." I run my hand through my hair and hold my neck, the tension coming all through my body.
"Look at the bright side," Bennett says. "How many people can be like, on my wedding day…"
I shake my head and stop moving when the doors open, and Jennifer is rushed past me on a gurney.
"What is going on?" I ask, running next to her, and I can’t see her face.
"We have to get her to the hospital. She’s having a severe allergic reaction," one of the EMTs says, and everything is happening so fast I don’t have a minute to think.
"Oh my God." I run out toward the ambulance and see them placing the gurney inside. One of the ambulance technicians looks at me.
"I assume you are the groom. Are you coming with us?" he asks, and I nod my head, and he moves to the side to give me a chance to get up. I put my foot on the step and get into the ambulance.
"Let us know," Shelby starts to say when the ambulance technician closes the back door. The ambulance takes off a second later.
"Jennifer," I say, getting to her side, and she looks over at me, and I try not to freak out. Her lips are swollen ten times their size. One of her eyes is sealed shut. The other one is slowly going to close. "Are you okay?" I hold her hand in mine and try not to show her how freaked out I am.
"My throat is scratchy," she says and tries to clear her throat.
"Did you guys give her an EpiPen?" I look over at the technician, who just nods his head.
"We are four minutes out," he says. "And we already gave her one."
"Well, it’s clearly not working," I point out, looking over at Jennifer, who is wearing a white satin pjs set. Her black hair is half curled, and she has makeup on one side.
"Is she allergic to any medications?" he asks, and I have to admit that I have no idea. The phone buzzes in my pocket, and I ignore it.
"Not that I know of," I say and then look back at Jennifer, who shakes her head. I bury away the voice in my head asking me how I didn’t know she was allergic to anything.
The ambulance comes to a stop, the back door opens, and they whisk her out. I keep up with them. They usher her into the room, and the doctor comes in. I stand in the corner out of the way, while they are talking about what they gave her. The doctor orders epinephrine. "She’s going into anaphylactic shock." He injects her right away and then looks over at me. "Why don’t you step out?"
I put my hand on my head, and the nurse comes over to me. "She’s going to be fine," she says to me with a smile. "Why don’t you go get something to drink?" she says. I look over at Jennifer, who lies with her head back, while the doctor checks something else and is telling the other nurse to get him something.
I walk over to Jennifer and put my hand in hers. "I’ll go and get you some water." She groans, and I just look over at the nurse who smiles at me. The phone vibrates again in my back pocket, and I walk out of the room. I close my eyes as soon as I get in the hallway and then put my head back. The phone buzzes again in my back pocket, and I’m one second away from throwing it against the wall.
Taking a deep breath, I head down the hallway and away from her door before I take my phone out of my pocket and find that my phone has five missed FaceTime calls and then texts from everyone.
Mom: Do you want me to come to the hospital?
Shelby: Any news?
Mom: I’m going to keep everyone calm here. Jennifer’s mother is a mess.
Clarabella: Let me know if you are okay.