Friday Night Brides (19 page)

Laughing, Angie reached over and hugged Ella. “There’s my girl!” She straightened in her seat and looked at them. “So I was walking around the house getting ready for bed when there was a knock at the front door.”

“Ooh…I bet I know what happens next!” Becca said giddily.

Angie nodded in agreement. “I knew it then too. But I drew it out just a little bit. Made him knock again before I went to open the door. And once I did, he tossed his suitcase through the door and then picked me up, kicked the door shut and carried me to bed.” She sighed happily. “I didn’t even go to work today.”

“Nice,” Hailey said approvingly. “Well played.”

“I have my moments,” Angie said with a shrug.

“And how do you feel about all of this? You okay with Sean pretty much moving in?” Hailey asked.

“I kind of am,” she admitted. “I mean…I’m scared and nervous and I have no idea what’s going to happen from here—and you know how I hate surprises—but I’m willing to give it a go.”

“Wow,” Hailey said with an approving smile. “I’m proud of you.”

“I realized how I tend to sabotage my relationships because of the unknown,” Angie said. “Or I stay in relationships I know are bad for me just because they’re predictable. I figured I’d try something new and see if it sticks.”

“But…” Ella began cautiously, “what is it about Sean that made you want to take the risk?”

“Honestly? He’s the first guy who’s ever pushed me for more. Sean made me really look at our relationship and made me stop and take it seriously. We’re far from being settled or perfect and I have no idea if we’ll get married and live happily ever after and all that crap, but for the first time in my life I feel like it’s a possibility.”

“I feel that way with Max,” Becca said. “He’s so different from any guy I’ve ever dated and he just really has his life together. So much so that it makes me nervous.”

“Why would that make you nervous?” Hailey asked. “Security is a good thing. Everyone wants to have that.”

For a minute, Ella simply zoned out as Dylan’s words flashed through her mind.
I bet if you asked any of them, they’d all rather be us! We’ve got our shit together! And you know what? They’re right! There’s security in that that people want!

“Yeah well…” Becca began, “I mean he’s
really
got his shit together. And I’m still floundering in so many ways that I’m afraid he’s going to wake up and look at me and think I’m too much of a mess to be with.”

“Becs, you’re not a mess. You’re a pretty stable chick too. You have a steady job, a home…why would you even think that about yourself?” Angie asked.

“I guess I’m still feeling the effects of past relationships. If I was so together, why couldn’t I find a guy who wanted to stay with me? Why did my last boyfriend cheat on me?”

“Okay first,” Hailey said firmly, “you can’t even count Danny as a boyfriend. He was a mistake. A big one. And if you think about it realistically, every guy you date—who anyone dates—before you get married, isn’t supposed to be the one. You’re not supposed to want to stay with the wrong person. You’re simply out…shopping…until you find the right one!”

“But the shopping is so exhausting!” Becca cried.

“And not nearly as satisfying as shopping for shoes,” Angie said with a chuckle.

“Truth,” they all agreed.

“Look, all I’m saying is that you shouldn’t think about the ones who didn’t stay,” Hailey went on. “They weren’t supposed to.”

“Maybe Max won’t either,” Becca sighed.

“Maybe he will,” Hailey countered. “You don’t know that but if you keep looking back, you’re never going to be able to enjoy what you have right now. And what you have is a great guy who is crazy about you.”

Becca blushed. “He is pretty great.”

“Promise us that you’re not going to keep looking back—especially not at a loser like Danny—and comparing him to Max,” Angie said. “Because honestly? That’s just wrong. Max would never do to you what Danny did. Ever.”

“I know…I know…old insecurities die hard though, right?” Becca asked and they all nodded.

By silent agreement they all got up and started clearing away the dinner dishes and made sure the kitchen was back in perfect order before taking their wine into the living room along with the brownies. Once seated, Ella felt like she needed to speak up.

“I don’t know how to ask Dylan to come home.” Three sets of eyes looked at her with sadness. “I haven’t called him but…he hasn’t called me either. I have no idea what I can possibly say that would make up for the way I behaved.”

“Ella, I find it hard to believe you did anything crazy that Dylan can’t get over. You really need to talk to him,” Hailey said softly.

They were quiet for a minute before Ella told them how everything had happened days ago. Then she shook her head. “I don’t even know how it escalated so quickly. I thought we were just talking and then he just calmly got up, changed his clothes and the next thing I know he’s packing.” She looked up at them. “It was like I was paralyzed. I couldn’t comprehend what was going on but I couldn’t stop it either.”

Hailey looked at her other two friends before returning her focus to Ella. “Ella…sweetheart…haven’t the two of you ever had a fight before?”

Ella’s heart was hammering in her chest as a blush crept up her cheeks. Rather than speak, she simply shook her head.

“How is that even possible?” Angie asked loudly. When everyone turned and looked at her with disbelief, she shrugged. “What? I’m serious here. How can two people be together for like fifteen years and never have a fight? It’s not natural!”

“Okay, okay…” Becca interrupted. “No need to add to her stress right now.”

“No, it’s true,” Ella said weakly. “I don’t know how it’s possible. We just always agreed on everything. It’s been like that since the beginning. We were just always in sync with each other. Sure we’d disagree on some stuff—movies or food or silly stuff—but we never really fought. It was scary and I just about died when he walked out the door.”

“Sweetie, you know fighting is a normal part of every relationship, right?” Hailey asked, her voice a little cautious.

“I don’t,” Ella said honestly, her voice getting stronger. “And why does it have to be? For all these years, Dylan and I have been fine without any arguing. I don’t understand how this happened and why I should be okay with it!”

“All right, no one’s saying you need to be okay with it,” Hailey corrected, “but at the same time I’m saying that you don’t have to be sitting here beating yourself up over it. Dylan chose to leave rather than staying to talk things through and that’s not healthy either. After fifteen years, he should have wanted to stay and fight.”

“But we’re not fighters!” Ella cried, jumping to her feet. “I just said that! Why would he stay and fight?”

“Because you’re worth fighting for!” Becca cried. “Geez, El, don’t you understand? You were upset about something and then he got upset about something, but neither of you fought about it together to work it out! He ran and you hid! That’s not what you do! Especially after all this time and certainly not with a wedding coming up!”

“So what am I supposed to do?” Ella snapped. “Just pick up the phone and yell at him?”

“No,” Hailey said, coming to her feet. “You’re supposed to go over to his parents’ house—or wherever it is he’s staying—and demand he talk to you!”

“Now?” Ella asked. “You mean like right now?”

The girls all looked at one another. “You can,” Hailey said carefully. “But maybe you should stop and think about what you’re going to say when you see him. Since this is all new to you, maybe it would be better if…”

“No,” Ella said defiantly and walked across the room and grabbed her shoes, “I want to do it now.”

“Ella…” Becca said hesitantly. “I don’t think…”

But Ella wasn’t listening. She was walking around the room and grabbing her keys and then looking around wildly for whatever else she might need. Then without another word, she walked out the door, letting it slam behind her.

For a minute, Hailey, Becca and Angie were too stunned to speak.

“We can’t possibly let her go there on her own, can we?” Becca asked.

Hailey shrugged. “We shouldn’t, but I don’t know if it’s a good thing for us to go with her either. This is kind of private and I don’t think Dylan’s going to appreciate an audience.”

Angie stood and walked over to the coat rack and grabbed her purse. “Well that’s too damn bad because he’s getting one. Ella needs some backup right now. She’s finally taking a stand on something and showing a little backbone.” She paused and huffed with frustration when neither Hailey nor Becca got up. “Come on, you guys! When have you ever seen Ella this worked up over anything?”

Becca finally stood up. “Never.”

Hailey stood and nodded in agreement and then went to retrieve her own purse. “She may not want us to go with her.”

“And again, too bad,” Angie said as they all walked out the door and then stopped. Ella was leaning against Hailey’s car. “What the…?”

“Finally!” Ella said as she moved away from the car. “I can’t believe you guys were going to let me go all by myself. Now come on, let’s go! I need my man to come home with me!”

As Ella climbed into the car, her friends laughed.

“I think we may have created a monster here,” Hailey murmured.

“About damn time,” Angie said with a grin.

****

Ella was trembling from head to toe.

It was one thing to say she was going to go after Dylan and make things right, but it was quite another to actually do it. It was like an out-of-body experience. She didn’t know how to fight with Dylan—or fight
for
Dylan! If anyone would have told her that she’d ever be in this kind of situation, she would have told them they were crazy. She and Dylan were solid. Forever.

Clearly they weren’t as solid as she’d hoped.

Hailey pulled up in front of Dylan’s parents’ house and parked. She and Becca and Angie all turned and looked at her.

“I can do this,” Ella said, but her voice certainly didn’t convey any confidence.

“We’ll wait here,” Hailey said. “Unless you want us to go in with you.”

Ella shook her head. “I hope he’s here.”

“His truck is parked up by the garage,” Angie said, “so…”

“Okay,” Ella sighed. “I can do this.” She paused. “I’m totally ready to do this.”

“Do you maybe want one of us to walk you up to the door?” Becca asked.

“No,” she replied a little more firmly. “I need to do this on my own.” Then she gave them all a lopsided grin. “Well…you know what I mean.” Reaching for the door handle, she took a steadying breath and murmured, “I can do this,” one last time before climbing out.

Actually, she chanted it the entire way up the driveway and to the front door. If it were any other time, she would have just walked into her future in-laws’ home but this time she rang the bell and waited.

It felt all kinds of wrong.

Looking over her shoulder, she gave the girls a quick wave and felt guilty they were going to sit out there in Hailey’s car. Ella had no idea how long she’d be here or if they should leave or…

“Ella? What are you doing here?”

Quickly turning around, she faced Dylan and her heart actually ached. For a minute, all Ella could do was stare at him.

Four days.

They had never gone for more than a day without seeing each other since the seventh grade and Ella couldn’t believe how good it was to simply look at him.

“Ella?”

She swallowed hard and fully faced him. “Hey,” she began softly. “Can we talk?”

If she thought Dylan was going to make it easy for her, she was wrong. “Um…” He looked over his shoulder into the house. “It’s kind of late…”

Her eyes went wide and she was pretty certain her mouth dropped open. Was he serious?

Dylan looked beyond her and noticed Hailey’s car. “Why are the girls here?”

“They came over tonight to check on me and they were worried about me driving so…”

He frowned. “Why were they worried? Or did they force you to come here and talk to me? Because it’s been four days without a word from you, Ella.”

“I haven’t exactly heard from you either,” she accused.

Dylan stepped outside, pulling the door closed behind him. “When I left I told you to get things worked out. I was giving you space.” His tone wasn’t his usual sweet and even one. This one had a little bit of a snap to it.

And it was that tone that made Ella brave. “Oh yeah? Well I didn’t want space, Dylan! For fourteen years we’ve been together and for most of it, we’ve been on the same page. And when I suddenly don’t fall in line with everything you want or what you’re thinking, you pack up and leave? What the hell kind of bullshit is that?”

Now it was Dylan’s eyes that went wide. “Ella…seriously?” he whispered. “My parents are right inside.”

“You know what? I don’t care!” she said loudly. “If I have to yell to get you to listen to me, then I’m going to do it!”

“Okay, you’re not being reasonable. Maybe we should talk another time.” Dylan turned to go back into the house and Ella grabbed his arm and forced him to turn around. He looked at her hand on him and then up at her face with confusion.

“This is exactly what I’m talking about,” he hissed. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you. It’s like I don’t even know you anymore!”

“Why? Because I’m sticking up for myself? Because I have an opinion? Because I’m not sitting back and meekly doing what everyone says?”

That made him stop. He stared at her as if seeing her for the first time.

Ella mistook his silence for something else. “I thought I knew you, Dylan, really knew you. I thought we were partners but that’s obviously not what you want. You want me to be like some sort of…lap dog or something…someone who cooks for you, cleans for you, has your babies but God forbid I have any thoughts of my own or feelings of my own!” She stopped and caught her breath. “Well…that’s not who I am. And if you can’t handle that…if you can’t love me because of that then…then it’s your loss!”

Spinning on her heels, Ella stomped down the porch steps and started to stalk across the front yard to Hailey’s car. She could see the girls all staring at her with disbelief but she didn’t care. Her mind was too busy reeling with the fact that after all these years, Dylan wasn’t the man she thought he was. Her heart broke a little more with every step she took away from him.