Chapter Six-Wedding Planning Is For The Birds
“No,” she said, shaking her head again. Pointing at me, she changed my dress color for the fifth time in the last hour.
Olivia decided magically conjuring her bridesmaid dresses was the best idea, and now Juniper and I were being tortured. Sighing, I gave Juniper a small eye roll as Olivia studied us intently.
“I don’t know what color to go with,” she finally grumbled.
“Can I wear black?” I asked.
She snapped her head toward me in shock. “To my wedding?”
I held my hands up in surrender. “My bad. No black.”
Obviously stressed, she glared at me. “It’s not a funeral, so no. It will be a bright, springy color.”
“Come on, Liv,” Juniper said. “You’ve tried green, orange, pink, blue, and purple. How about yellow? You and Scott have that yellow rose thing.”
She pondered her best friend’s words. The dresses changed from floor length to just below the knees. A light yellow color appeared with a sash of roses. A rose wreath was also around my head.
Holy rose.
Olivia squealed and jumped in delight. “J, you’re so good at this!”
Juniper, an immortal, grinned. Her brown eyes were rimmed in red, giving her a horror type of look, but she was far from scary. Nothing else about her had changed. She still looked young, seventeen to be exact, and was totally gorgeous. Her curly locks hung in ringlets around her face, cut short to just below her chin. She still wore musical notes on her outfits and put colors in her hair. Her milky brown skin was smooth and unblemished, giving her an almost angelic look if not for the eyes. Not much was different about her, unlike everyone else. “Now what about your dress?”
Liv’s face lit up as she walked to the closet. “I already have it.”
“What?” Juniper screamed. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“I wanted to surprise you,” she shrugged, “but you and Sadie can be the first people to see it.”
Juniper stood beside me as we waited for Olivia to change. “I’m glad you’re back.”
Glancing at her, I beamed. “Me too. How are things with you and Mark? I didn’t get to ask last night since it was so hectic.”
She held up her ring finger, showing a large diamond cluster and simple band. “We got married over a year ago.”
“Oh my gosh!” I hugged her. “Congratulations!”
She laughed. “Thanks. We’re really happy.”
“I’m happy for you,” I told her, meaning it. “What about your family? Did you ever tell them what happened?”
Juniper was a human when I met her, but she was killed in an encounter with an evil sorcerer. My grandmother, Scott, and I worked hard to bring her spirit back to her body, but she came back immortal.
“I did,” she started. “They didn’t take me dying very well, but after a while, they were more open to it.”
“Good.”
She shifted her weight between her feet. “Are you scared?”
“Of what?” I questioned.
Exhaling loudly, she said, “Seeing Aiden.”
Before I could answer, Olivia opened the bathroom door and stepped out. We both gasped when she looked up. The gown was long and poofy, like a ballgown, and strapless. It was adorned with tiny diamond crystals, a sheer netting housing them over the skirt. She had her hair pinned back with a clip with matching gems. She smiled shyly, and spun slowly.
“Is it ok?”
I nodded, not quite finding the right words. Juniper did, however.
“You look like a princess,” she said. “So gorgeous. Scott may pass out when he sees you.”
Olivia giggled and smoothed the fabric. “I love it.”
“Then it’s the perfect dress for you,” I said.
She smiled, then waved her hand, switching back into her regular clothing. She pointed, doing the same for us, and waved all three dresses to the closet.
Laughing, I asked, “Why put it on without magic but take it off with?”
“It’s a pain to take off.” She shrugged.
Juniper shook her head at her and flopped on the bed. “So, Sadie, you didn’t answer.”
“Answer what?” Olivia asked.
“If she’s scared to see Aiden,” Juniper answered.
“Oh,” Olivia said. “Yeah, that’s gonna be hard.”
Sighing, I threw myself on the bed beside Juniper. “I don’t know. I mean, he won’t know who I am right away. How am I going to do that?”
Liv perched on the end bed frame. “He won’t know any of us.”
“Do we pretend to not know him?” Juniper questioned.
“I don’t know,” Liv replied. “Maybe not since we’re supposed to provoke his memories.”
Juniper turned to me. “Maybe he’ll take one look at you and remember how much he loves you.”
I snorted very unladylike. “Aiden didn’t love me.”
“Yes he did,” they said in unison.
I shook my head. “No.”
“You can’t tell me he didn’t after that kiss he gave you before Harlow sent him off,” Liv teased.
Remembering the kiss, I couldn’t help the hope flittering through me. He’d kissed me with such passion, longing, and desire I’d dreamed about it for months. Sometimes it still came to me at night. His hands in my hair while his lips, so soft and demanding, on mine as we let our feelings for one another free in our last seconds together. Would he remember me?
They giggled, drawing me from my memories. “What?” I demanded.
“You were thinking about it,” Juniper teased.
Rolling my eyes, I tried to deny it but couldn’t. They’d caught me. “Ok, so I liked him. Happy?”
Liv threw her hands up in the air. “Ladies and gentleman, Sadie Tabors finally admits she liked Aiden Rivers! It only took five years!”
Grabbing the closest pillow, I threw it at her. “Shut up.”
Juniper joined in the taunting. “It’s true. You fought it so hard, but girl, we all knew! The way y’all looked at each other with sparks shooting from your eyes.”
“What?” I snorted again. This had to stop before Aiden showed up.
“What happened in the kitchen? You never did tell us,” Liv inquired. “Tell us.”
“Uhhh….”
“Come on!” Juniper yelled.
“Fine,” I growled. Sitting up, I drew my knees to my chest. “He was in the kitchen getting water one night, without a shirt on, and when I ran into him…I kind of reached out and ran my hands down his chest. And we almost kissed.”
They squealed and squeaked like it was the most exciting news they’d heard in years. I sat awkwardly as they reacted, not sure what to do or say. Sharing wasn’t something I was used to. I kept to myself.
“Wait,” Juniper said finally. “Why didn’t you kiss?”
Rolling my eyes to the ceiling, I gritted my teeth and answered. “Because I ran away.”
“Why?” Liv screamed.
Juniper stared at her. “Are you serious?”
“What?”
“She was terrified. Don’t you remember?” she chuckled. “She ran from her feelings like a mouse from a cat.”
“Are you calling me a mouse?” I asked.
“Nah,” Juniper said, shaking her head. “I said like.”
Pursing my lips, I glared at her.
“Why were you scared?” Liv asked quietly.
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
“Is he why you left?”
Exhaling heavily, I nodded slowly. “Partly.”
“It killed me seeing you so hurt, Sadie. The changes in you. I really hope he gets his memories back.”
“He may not want me,” I said, my voice breaking slightly.
Juniper took my hand and Liv patted my foot. “He will,” they reassured me.
But would he? It’d been years, and he went back to his family to live a li
fe far away from me, with no memories of me. Was there any hope at all for any sort of repair to our almost relationship?