Once Upon A Half-Time 2(78)

Mom scowled. “I didn’t know you needed to be commended for doing your part.”

“I don’t want to be commended. I want to be respected. I’ve lost everything because of this wedding, and I can’t lose my mother and sister too.”

“What have you lost?” Lindsey groaned. “Stop being so melodramatic.”

“Me?” Tears welled in my eyes. This was the worst time for the hormones to take over. “I might have lost the only man I’ve ever cared about because I put everything before him. Nate didn’t just leave the wedding party; he might have left me.”

“You can’t possibly care this much about Nate,” Lindsey said.

“Of course I do, but I screwed everything up. He’s gone because I didn’t want to overshadow your wedding.”

“Well, congratulations.” Lindsey clapped, punctuating each word with a sarcastic slap. “Here you are. Overshadowing my wedding. Once again, we’re in a mess because something you did jeopardized the ceremony.”

“How dare you.”

“Just because you’re having a stupid relationship problem with your crush doesn’t give you the right to ruin my—”

“I’m pregnant!”

I didn’t mean to shout it.

The word crashed louder than silence and harsher than a slap across the cheek.

Now the entire wedding party, salon, and whoever passed in the street knew the truth.

I’d shout it from the rooftops now if it mean proving to Nate I was sorry for keeping it a secret.

I faced my family, tears in my eyes. “I’ve been hiding it for three months so I wouldn’t ruin today. That’s why Nate left. I told him, we had a fight. I kept it a secret because I didn’t want to cause any drama, and now it’s destroyed any chance I have with the man I…”

My voice broke. Mom and Lindsey stilled, but it didn’t last long.

Mom fanned herself with a hand, but she was going down. Not that she was a fainter, but the only scandal bigger than a pregnant bridesmaid was an unconscious mother of the bride.

“Oh, I can’t believe this.” Mom stumbled back to the salon and collapsed in the nearest chair. “My baby! In trouble! Oh, I’m so ashamed.”

I bristled. “I’m not ashamed. I was scared to tell you and Lindsey, but I should have never been reluctant to tell my family about this.”

Mom sobbed big fat crocodile tears, and the bridesmaids clustered to help her. I turned to Lindsey, but my sister stared at me, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed.

“I promise I’ll do everything I can to make your day perfect,” I said. “And I know I’ve made mistakes. I’m sorry. But I’ve only ever wanted to be a good sister. I want to help.”

“You wanna help?” Lindsey took Mom’s hand. “I can’t even look at you right now. I gave up my dream wedding because you’ve turned it into a nightmare. Just leave.”

“Leave?”

“I want you out of the wedding.”

Why did it hurt? I sucked in a breath. It burned inside me, but I wasn’t going to argue. I was tired and upset and it wasn’t healthy for me or the baby.

I blinked away tears, but I nodded.

“Okay,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

I grabbed my purse and rushed out of the salon before they saw me cry.

I made it onto the sidewalk before I remembered I hadn’t driven.

It didn’t matter. Where the hell would I go? Home? To find Nate?

God, I hated feeling so…alone.

And it was all my fault. I was the one who pushed Nate away. I was the one who hid the truth from everyone. And I was the one who never stood up for herself when I should have.

A voice called to me from the SUV parked in the salon’s lot.

“Boy trouble? Or…should I say…man trouble?”

I turned. Dad waved at me. He patted the car door.

“Get in, Mandy-Pandy. You look like you could use a ride.”

I frowned, climbing into the SUV. “What are you doing here?”

“Promise not to laugh?”

“Have I ever made that promise?”

“Fair enough,” he said. “I was waiting for your momma. I hoped I could talk to her.”

That made one of us. “Good luck.”

“Uh-oh. What happened?”

I was sure the bridesmaids had filmed it. I didn’t have the energy to explain. “Can you take me home?”

“Don’t you want to head to the church?”

I shook my head.

Dad squeezed my hand. “Okay. I’ll take you home.”

He reached for the steering wheel, but I didn’t let his hand go. In that moment, I didn’t care if I was twenty-three and carrying a baby or if I looked like I was three years old clinging to my father. I needed him. If anyone would understand, it’d be him.