Starfire(111)

“Peaches…”

“So this is me, running into your arms. You’ve caught me. I’m wearing your green, plastic ring on my finger, and I know you can’t see me, but I really am. I’m crying and smiling at the same time, because my heart is breaking, but I think it’s breaking right open to let you in.”

He didn’t answer.

I pulled the phone away from my ear slowly.

The icon was red, showing the call had ended. He was gone.

“And there we have it,” I said to my empty room, like a crazy person.





CHAPTER 40


Nobody answered. My phone remained silent, the screen turned black.

“Peaches has laid her heart out,” I said in my announcer voice. “Will Dalton return her love? Or will he continue to play mind games with her until the end of time? Does Peaches regret not going to Italy to be with Keith Raven? Yes, she kinda does.”

Someone knocked on my bedroom door. “Are you on the phone?” Shayla asked.

“Nope. Just talking to myself. Come on in.”

Shayla came in, an exaggerated smile on her face. “Peaches,” she breathed. “What do you think about me being in… movies? Jake says he wants to make me a star.”

I shrugged. “Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you completely.”

She frowned. “Fuck. I was hoping to get a rise out of you. Are you okay? Feeling nervous about the big day?”

I looked at the watch on my wrist—the beautiful watch Dalton bought me in San Francisco. Had it only been two weeks ago? I was so mixed up, I couldn’t even figure out the time from the watch face. I had to look over at my digital alarm clock to figure out it was half past two.

“It’s two-thirty,” I said. “I’m planning to hold off a few hours before I start freaking out.”

“This time tomorrow you will be drinking mimosas with me. And then, another six hours later, you’ll be married,” Shayla said.

“We’ll see about that.”

She grabbed my hand. “What happened to your ring? It’s all green.”

I’d been sitting on my bed, and now I let myself fall back onto it. “Long story,” I said.

She climbed onto the bed next to me. “Mitchell already told me about the ring. Wow, it doesn’t look like it was in someone’s stomach. Are you sure it’s the exact same one?”

“Does it matter?” I groaned.

My phone began to ring, but it wasn’t the ringtone I’d programmed in for Dalton, so I didn’t move to answer it.

“Do you want me to answer that?” Shayla asked.

“Tell them I died.”

She answered the phone, then handed it to me. “It’s your uncle, the mayor,” she said.

I sat up and begrudgingly took the phone.

“Don’t hide up here all day,” she said.

“I’ll be down in ten minutes,” I said to Shayla.

“I kinda like Dalton’s father. You’d better not leave me alone with him,” she joked.

I waved her out of the room so I could talk to the mayor.

“Uncle Steve,” I said brightly.

“Excited about the big day?”

“Of course I am,” I said cheerily.

“Everything’s falling into place,” he said.

I told him I was glad.

He gave me an update on some of the arrangements he’d been making—super secret, hilarious arrangements.

Talking to him about our evil, nefarious plans made me smile, and lightened the weight on my shoulders.

Maybe, if I just hung in there, everything was going to work out just fine.

If not, at least that Saturday would be a memorable one, for the entire town.





CHAPTER 41


Saturday.

Wedding day.

Everyone around me was moving fast, talking fast, thinking fast. I looked at the face of the watch on my wrist. The hands seemed to be swirling around.

Suddenly it was three o’clock, and I had a mimosa in my hand.

We were still at the house. Shayla and Mitchell practiced a choreographed dance they were putting together for later that night. I watched from the couch in my pajamas, my wedding gown hanging up in my bedroom like the ghost of my future.

Suddenly it was four o’clock.

Nobody had heard from Dalton, or Vern. If they were going to arrive on time for the wedding, they would have to be in the air by now.

My mother arrived and forcibly dragged me off the couch. I insisted I had plenty of time, and that if I didn’t, I’d just wear my flannel pajamas and everyone could kiss my ass. I was the damn bride. It was my special fucking day.

“She’s been like this all day,” Shayla said, then they demonstrated their dance for my mother.

Everyone was moving so fast. I twirled the green ring on my finger, then pulled it off to give to my mother. “Here’s the ring for Kyle,” I said.