Not Quite A Bride by Kirsten Sawyer Read Free Book Online

I buzz him up. Literally seconds later—he must have run up the stairs—Brad is at my door, slightly out of breath.
    â€œBrad! What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
    â€œJamie called me ...”
    â€œOh my God! Is everything okay? With the baby??” I interrupt.
    â€œWhat? Yes. She’s fine. She said you met someone.”
    Hang on, back up. What is wrong with these people? Don’t they have lives of their own?!?
    Brad is standing in my doorway, staring at me expectantly. I have no idea what he is doing there.
    â€œYes, I met someone. What’s the problem?”
    A strange thing happens ... when I confirm that there is someone in my life, Brad gets this look of deep hurt for just a split second and then quickly replaces it with a look of fake enthusiasm.
    â€œThat’s fantastic! That’s what Jamie said, and I just wanted to get the details from you. I guess I’ll go now.”
    Huh?
    â€œBrad, you (from the looks of it) ran all the way here to ‘get the details,’ which you didn’t actually get, and now you’re leaving? Why didn’t you just call me?”
    He looks confused by my question.
    â€œI dunno ... I guess I just wanted to see you.” He pauses for a second. “Why didn’t you call me ?”
    Now I realize ... I’ve hurt him. He’s supposed to be my best friend, and he had to find out from someone else that what I’ve been complaining to him about not happening for most of our friendship finally happened and I left him out. God, I feel awful.
    â€œI’m so sorry ... I should have called you. I just thought it would be better to tell you in person.”
    The truth is that I thought I would be better not to tell him at all because more than my mother and sister combined, Brad is able to see right through me. His bullshit meter is very finely tuned.
    â€œOh, okay. So, here I am. What are the details?”
    We are still standing in the doorway and I still have the container of chow mein in one hand and the chopsticks in the other.
    â€œCome in. Let me grab another pair of chopsticks.”
    Suddenly he’s totally on edge again.
    â€œActually, I can’t. Claire’s waiting for me—I told her I was going for a run.”
    A rush of anger overwhelms me ... God, I hate Claire. My best friend has to sneak out to visit me?
    â€œOkay, I don’t want you to get busted.”
    Brad smiles a pathetic half-smile.
    â€œWhen do I get to meet this mystery man?”
    â€œActually, I was hoping to bring him to your engagement party. What do you think?”
    â€œDefinitely. Well, let me just check it with Claire, but I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”
    Let him just “check it with Claire”?!? What is she, his mother?
    â€œGreat, let me know.”
    â€œI’ll call you tomorrow to get the specifics. I’ve gotta go now.”
    Brad pecks my forehead and runs off down the hall before I can respond.
    As I watch my wonderful, smart, handsome friend run down the hall like a trained poodle, the overwhelming anger and hatred of Claire is replaced by deep sadness. I shut the door and return to my spot next to Tiffany, sad that it feels like the deterioration of my friendship with Brad is beginning. If he isn’t allowed to visit me just weeks after their engagement, by the time they are married I’ll never get to see him at all. I’m so glad my engagement to Justin won’t be anything like that. It might be fake, but at least it will allow me freedom.
    Needless to say, Brad does not call me the next day, or the day after that, or the day after that. I talk on the phone to him once between the night at my apartment and the night of his engagement party when he calls to tell me that Claire said it would be okay for me to bring Justin, but he couldn’t even chat then because she had him so busy with all the party details.

8
    Introducing Justin
    T heir engagement