Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
That’s what love was.
THREE
veronica
After snatching my purse from the bride’s room, I bolted out the chapel’s front doors and down the steps. Plucking my veil from the back of my head, I tossed it in the air. It sailed up and caught the breeze, and I didn’t even stop to look where it landed.
Pausing for a moment on the sidewalk, I looked right and left, intoxicated by the idea that not only could I go either way, but I could decide the direction.
Gleefully, I closed my eyes and spun in a few circles, and when I opened them, I was facing in the direction of Main Street.
I took off walking with a spring in my step, saying hello with a nod and a smile to every curious onlooker I passed. I realized I probably looked insane, traipsing down the street in a big poofy wedding dress, but at that moment, I didn’t care.
Pulling my phone from my bag, I tried calling Morgan, but she didn’t pick up. I left a cryptic message . . . “Hey, call me when you can. I have news.”
When I reached Main Street, the smell of chocolate made my stomach growl. Neil had told me the town was famous for its fudge, but I’d been here for over twenty-four hours, and I hadn’t even tasted it yet—something I planned to remedy immediately. But first, some real food.
For the first time in months, I actually had an appetite.
On the corner of Church and Main was an adorable fifties-style diner called Moe’s, and the sign in the window said OPEN! COME IN FOR THE BEST BURGER IN TOWN! Ravenous for a thick, juicy cheeseburger, I opened the door and stepped inside.
I looked around, taking in the black-and-white checkered floor, the red vinyl booths, the signed movie star photos on the wall, and the jukebox in the corner. Above the din of clinking silverware and human voices, I heard the plaintive strains of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy.”
And then, slowly but surely . . . every conversation stopped. Forks, French fries, and milkshakes paused halfway to open mouths. Necks craned and heads tilted as people strove to get a better view of me. Only Patsy kept calm and carried on.
Gathering my voluminous dress in my hands, I squeezed past tables and chairs, excusing myself when I needed more room. All eyes followed me as I made my way to the old-fashioned counter, where there was one empty stool. I perched on it and smiled at the young guy behind the counter. He wore a white apron and paper cap, and his name tag said Steve.
“Hey, Steve,” I said, trying to arrange my dress so it didn’t take up too much room on either side of me.
“Hey.” Steve looked behind me, possibly for the groom. “Just one?”
“Just one. Can I get a burger and a milkshake, please?”
“Uh. Sure.” Steve and the other employee behind the counter, a young woman wearing a pink uniform and holding a coffee pot, exchanged a look. “What flavor milkshake?”
“Mmm, chocolate. And medium rare for the burger. Can I get fries too?”
“Yeah.” Steve didn’t move for another few seconds, then pulled a green pad from his pocket and wrote down my order. “It’ll just be a few minutes.”
“No rush. I don’t have anywhere to be, contrary to what it looks like.”
“So you’re not, like, getting married or something?” The waitress—Ari, her name tag said—looked over my hair and face and gown.
“No. I mean, I was supposed to, but it didn’t really go as planned.”
Ari took a step closer, either forgetting about the coffee she’d been about to pour or not caring. “Today?”
Never one to shy away from a conversation, even with strangers, I nodded. “Right this minute, in fact.”
“You don’t say.” The old guy in suspenders and a ball cap to my right, elbowed the old guy in suspenders and a ball cap to his right. “You hear that, Gus? She’s supposed to be getting married right now.”
“I heard it, Larry.” Gus leaned forward to peer at me from Larry’s other side.
“Were you jilted?” asked Larry.
“Oh, no.” I poked a thumb on my chest twice. “I did the jilting.”
“Really?” asked the woman to my left. She had silvery red ringlets escaping from a bun on the top of her head and wore long, dangly earrings. “Why?”
“Because he was cheating on me.”
My audience gasped.
“And I just found out about it right before the ceremony started.”
My audience gasped louder.
“How?” Ari’s eyes were wide.
“He accidentally sent me a text message he meant to send to the other woman, referencing certain . . .” I glanced at the two old guys on my right. I didn’t want to shock Gus and Larry’s elderly sensibilities. “Salacious activities they were engaged in last night.”
“Men,” harrumphed Ari. She gave Steve the side eye as he set a milkshake down in front of me.