Chapter 14: Chapter 14
"You’re not helping," Amara grunted, blowing her curls out of her face as she dropped a dusty pile of books onto the shop’s hardwood floor with a low thud. "You’ve been off since we opened."
Celeste didn’t respond.
She sat cross-legged behind the counter, her elbow perched on the edge while her fingers flipped through a book she clearly wasn’t reading. Her gaze wasn’t even following the text. Her gaze was distant, unfocused, and trapped somewhere in the silence of her thoughts.
Amara straightened, stretching her back with a groan. She looked down at her friend with narrowed eyes. "Cel? Earth to an emotionally unavailable bestie?" Her voice softened. "What’s going on?"
Celeste blinked slowly. Then, in a voice so low and uncertain, she swallowed, feeling her friend’s gaze right across the room. She felt like she was about to say a confession whispered in a church pew.
She murmured, "I’m getting married."
Amara froze mid-bend. "To who?"
Celeste didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she slowly closed the book in her lap, and lifted her gaze to Amara. Her voice came out flat. "Landon."
Amara’s expression shifted from concern to total disbelief. "Excuse me? You said..." She pointed at her chest, blinking. "You said Landon? As in manipulative-ex-who-lied? Landon? That Landon?"
Celeste gave a small nod.
"Oh, hell no." She refused, furious.
Amara dropped the book in her hand and walked around the counter, crouching next to Celeste. "You’re joking, right? This is a prank. This is like a delayed April Fool’s joke, and I’m going to laugh in three seconds when you admit it. One... two..."
Celeste raised her left hand slowly.
The ring sparkled in the yellow light of the bookshop.
Amara recoiled like it burned her. "No. That’s the ring?"
Celeste winced. "It’s just a ring."
"This better be a lie," Amara hissed, grabbing her hand gently and pulling it closer. She turned the ring left, then right, inspecting it. "God, it’s even obnoxiously pretty. Why do toxic men always have good taste in jewelry?"
Celeste gave a dry chuckle, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?" Amara asked softly.
Celeste exhaled. "Because I knew you’d react like this. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to say yes when he asked. And because I honestly don’t know what I’m doing, Mara." She sniffed, "He made Nana ask me, and trapped me there."
Amara sat on the floor, her hands dropping to her lap. She leaned back against the wall beside her friend. "You don’t have to marry him."
"It’s not that simple. Nana’s health is dropping. She’s almost dying, and we need to keep up this act,"
"You’re not getting married. There’s still time. You have_"
"Two months," Celeste cut her off, "We’re getting married in two months."
Amara let out a strangled sound. The sound came out between a gasp and a growl. "Two months?! Celeste, you can’t just casually drop a bomb like that. Two months is practically tomorrow in wedding time!"
Celeste ran a tired hand down her face. "I know. I’ve been counting the days since I wore this ring yesterday."
Amara jumped to her feet and began pacing between the bookshelves. Her boots thud softly against the wooden floor. "Okay. Okay. Maybe it’s a fake engagement. Like... like a PR stunt or something. Maybe you’re both trying to win back some stockholder’s approval? Or Nana’s will? Please tell me it’s that. Please tell me you’re not about to marry the guy who broke your heart so badly for real,"
Celeste didn’t laugh. She stared at her lap. "I also don’t know what I want at the moment. I’m more confused than anyone."
"Oh my God," Amara muttered, stopping dead in her tracks. "You still love him, don’t you?"
Celeste didn’t answer right away.
"Cel?"
"I don’t know," she whispered. "I hate what he did. I hate him for it. But when I see him... it’s like my brain forgets everything. It’s my heart that keeps score. Not my head."
Amara groaned dramatically and dropped to the floor again beside her. "This is so bad. I mean, I love you, but this is... Titanic-level disaster."
Celeste let out a tiny laugh, finally. "Thanks for the encouragement."
"Anytime, bestie. Now let me give you the brutal honesty you always ask for and regret later. This is a terrible idea."
"I know."
"You should say no."
"I already said yes to Nana."
Amara’s mouth dropped open again. "What?! Girl! You’re just casually tossing trauma grenades in here today."
Celeste looked down at her hands. "I said yes because Nana was there. Because she said this was her last wish."
Amara’s face softened. "Oh, babe..."
"She wants to see him get married before she... you know."
Amara rested her head against Celeste’s shoulder. "I hate that she’s sick. And I hate even more that this man is using it to worm his way back into your life."
"He said it wasn’t like that. He said he didn’t even know she was going to ask."
"And you believed him?"
"I didn’t want to," Celeste admitted. "But the look in his eyes... it didn’t feel like a trap this time." She half lied. She didn’t want to seem entirely stupid before Amara.
"Maybe he just got better at lying," Amara snapped. Then she caught Celeste’s expression and softened again. "Okay. Okay. Sorry. I’ll shut up. For now."
Celeste smiled faintly.
"But I swear," Amara continued, wagging a finger. "If he hurts you again, I’m keying his car, slashing his tires, and sending every embarrassing middle school photo of him to TMZ."
Celeste laughed. It sounded real and full this time. "Thank God for you."
"You better. I’m your unpaid therapist and bridesmaid all rolled into one."
Celeste blinked. "You’d still be my bridesmaid?" she don’t know what she wanted about the marriage but Amara unwavering support was needed
Amara gave her a look. "I’m your best friend, not a monster. I’ll stand beside you in a sparkly dress and pretend to be supportive. But if he pulls any more crap, I’m flipping over the wedding cake."
Celeste leaned into her. "Deal."
Silence settled between them for a moment.
Then Amara poked her arm. "Hey. We’re still girls, right?"
Celeste arched her brow. "What does that mean?"
"Let me see the ring again. I was too busy being furious to appreciate it properly."
Celeste chuckled and held out her hand again.
Amara grabbed it, turning it toward the light. "Damn it. It’s gorgeous. That man may be emotionally constipated, but his taste in rings? A+."
Celeste beamed faintly.
Amara nudged her with her shoulder. "You know what you need?"
"What?"
"A girls’ night. No wedding talk. No Landon. Just wine, face masks, and watching ’The Proposal’ for the hundredth time."
"I could get behind that."
"You need to remember who you were before all this happened. The Celeste who danced on counters with me in our pajamas and cried over book boyfriends. She’s still in there."
Celeste nodded slowly. "She is. Just... buried under a whole lot of doubt."
"Well, let’s dig her out." Amara grinned. "Starting tonight."
Celeste smiled, feeling warmth bloom in her chest. "Thanks, Mara."
"Always. And hey..." Amara raised an eyebrow. "If you really go through with this, and he turns out to be different... I’ll eat my words. I’ll even get it printed on a t-shirt that says ’Landon’s not trash anymore.’"
They both burst out laughing.
Amara was the ffirst to stop laughing. "How about Dominic?" She asked softly. "I know what I saw that day was more than just a flirt, but the time range might be too short for something to grow between you two."
"Dominic is fine," Celeste said, brushing a hand over her jeans. "He’s Landon’s uncle, so... yeah, it was awkward. But he took it surprisingly well."
Amara squinted at her. "Surprisingly well? Like polite smile well or well like asking you to give back the ring?"
Celeste looked away, suddenly very interested in a stack of receipts. "I don’t know. Maybe a mix of both."