Chapter Twenty-Seven
Parvati arrived in Malibu early, but neither Tori’s nor Sidney’s car was parked out front of the address her GPS had led her to, so she circled the block, finding a lookout point about a mile up the road to pull off and wait, deciding she’d rather hide out in her car for fifteen minutes than go inside and mingle with women she barely knew.
She’d been thinking about Parker all day, hating the way she’d left things with him—and hating the way she’d just left. Now that it wasn’t six-thirty in the morning and she wasn’t glaring at the wall of his back, she wished she’d made a different choice.
She pulled out her cell phone and dialed his number, staring out over the ocean. The phone rang until she was convinced it was going to go to voicemail, but then there was a muted click and a lingering pause before Parker sullenly muttered, “Hey.”
“Hey. I was hoping we could talk.”
He began speaking almost before she finished her sentence. “I knew this was coming. I knew you were going to do this.”
Apparently she was the only one who’d gotten over her earlier irritation. “Look, I’m sorry about this morning—”
“I should have known better. I don’t know why I thought you were different. Women say they want nice guys, but what they really want are men they can walk all over until someone more exciting comes along.” Spite saturated the words. “You think I don’t know that you were just using me until you worked up the courage to make a play for Max?”
Where the hell was this coming from? “What are you talking about?”
“You’re the one who called to break up with me.”
“I didn’t call to break up with you. I called to patch things up.”
“You said we needed to talk.”
“And we do. I didn’t like how we left things this morning.”
“Then you shouldn’t have left.”
“And maybe you shouldn’t have tried to freeze me out,” she snapped.
She didn’t know how he looked during the long pause on the other end of the line, but she had a feeling it was pretty damn sullen. Perfect-on-Paper Parker never reacted well when she called him on his shit.
She’d been determined to make it work, but was it supposed to be this much work? And was she supposed to be the only one putting in any effort? She was always the one who commuted—which she hadn’t minded because his work hours were longer and she didn’t really want him in Max’s house, but he never even offered to put in the hours in the car to get to her. He always picked the movie when they watched one together, because the one time she’d tried to show him one of her favorites he’d spent the entire time bitching about how dumb it was until she couldn’t even enjoy it. He picked the restaurant and she went along. He picked everything and she made it work, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to anymore.
He wasn’t just selfish in bed; he was selfish everywhere else too. She wanted balance. She wanted a partner.
She wanted to break up with him.
He still hadn’t spoken, pouting on the other end of the line.
Parv let the words pushing against her tongue come out, “Maybe we should take a break.”
“I thought you weren’t calling to break up.”
“I wasn’t, but maybe I should have been. Maybe we’ve both been trying to force something that was never there.”
“I think that’s probably for the best. I could never be with someone I couldn’t trust.”
Then you’re going to be alone a long time, buddy. She held back the words. Maybe he’d never really let go of his baggage. Maybe he’d never really given them a chance, but had she?
“I hope you find what you’re looking for,” she said instead.
He left her with one last sullen silence to remember him by. And then it was over.
A not-quite-three month romance. And the closest she’d ever gotten to feeling like she might really cross the finish line with someone. She’d had longer relationships, but this one had been serious. On paper he’d wanted all the same things she wanted—a family, a home, a future.
Had she done the right thing, breaking up with him? She wasn’t getting any younger and the options weren’t getting any more plentiful. Had she just given up on her last chance?
It was hard to regret it with that last silence ringing in her ears. She couldn’t imagine bringing him to Katie’s wedding next week. Let alone Sidney’s in two months.
How long ago had she stopped seeing a future with him? She’d wanted so badly to see it, but wouldn’t she be sad now if he’d been the One? She didn’t feel heartbroken. She felt relieved.
Though in retrospect, perhaps it hadn’t been the best idea to break up with her boyfriend immediately before attending an event where everyone would be talking about relationships nonstop.
Parvati tucked her car into the crowded driveway at exactly two o’clock and made her way to the door of the Malibu beach house where one of Sidney’s Marrying Mister Perfect friends, Elena, now lived with her husband.
The place wasn’t much from the street side, but as soon as she stepped into the sunken living room, the three-million-dollar view through the floor-to-ceiling windows smacked her in the face.
“Parvati!” Elena thrust a mimosa into her hand and plucked the present from her grasp before she disappeared to answer the door again.
Sidney was already here—thank God—and so was Tori, but they were surrounded by a gaggle of women Parv had most recently seen on her television screen as Sidney’s co-Suitorettes on Marrying Mister Perfect, as well as a few faces she vaguely recognized from her high school and college days.
She found a place on one of the pristine white couches, feeling less maid-of-honor and more awkward guest.
“Parvati Jai? I thought that was you! My gosh, it’s been years. What have you been up to?”
Her relief at being joined by another guest died a quick death when she realized it was Ally Hopkins—their high school valedictorian—who was currently wearing a rock the size of Gibraltar on her left hand.
She’d been to enough bridal showers to know that they were mostly presents, champagne, wedding gossip and relationship advice—but she’d failed to take one other element into account: everyone catching everyone else up on their fabulous, exciting lives.
Except Parv’s life wasn’t fabulous and exciting. She’d broken up with her boyfriend fifteen minutes ago. She worked as a receptionist and a bakery slave. Her housing situation could best be described as “mooch.”
“Oh,” she pasted on a smile. “This and that. What about you? Is that a wedding ring I see?”
Ally beamed. “Guilty! Ally Hopkins-Adalpe, now. And Chris is just the greatest guy. We both do corporate law and we met when both our clients were named in a lawsuit. It was love at first discovery hearing! What about you?” Her eyes flicked down to Parvati’s naked hand. “Are you seeing anyone?”
“Oh, no one special.”
“What?” Tori chose that exact moment to appear with fruit and cheese skewers. “What about Parker?”
“We broke up.”
“When?”
About three minutes ago. Luckily, Elena tapped a fork against her champagne flute to call the shower to order and saved Parvati from having to answer.
Tori shot Parv a look that demanded answers later, but didn’t push the subject as the showering commenced.
* * * * *
By the time Sidney opened the cute little spatula set Parvati had given her and set it alongside the designer dishes and high end cookware she’d already opened, everyone in the room had asked Parvati about her employment and relationship status—except Sidney.
Admittedly, Sidney was busy—opening presents, getting unsolicited advice for a happy marriage, and answering questions about how she and Josh fell in love, their plans for the wedding, and when they were going to start a family—but the omission still felt significant somehow.
Sidney had no idea what was going on in her life. It was possible she didn’t even know that Parv was living with her brother.
And with her break-up with Parker echoing in her thoughts, Parv couldn’t stop thinking about balance. Where was the balance in their friendship? When was the last time Sidney had given a damn?
By the time the last prospective baby name—not for Tori’s baby, but for Sidney and Josh’s future offspring—had been discussed, Parv had a running tally of Sidney’s transgressions playing in her head. Moving without telling her. Not being there for her when Common Grounds closed. The hours of unreturned voicemail messages.
All the things Parvati had told herself didn’t bother her until the collective weight of them felt like a piano crashing down on top of her, painfully discordant.
When the party was officially over, she lingered, helping pack the presents into Sidney’s shiny new SUV in the hope that she’d catch a moment alone with her friend, a single moment of connection that would make that piano-weight of grievance vanish into smoke.
But then someone else was trying to leave and Parv needed to move her car and by the time she’d reparked it and come back in to help load again, all the gifts were in and Sidney was hugging Elena and Tori, thanking them for the lovely party, and getting ready to leave.
She turned to Parv with a tired smile and for a moment Parvati forgot her grievances. Sidney had always hated being on display. It was part of why her choice to go on a reality TV show again after Marrying Mister Perfect had come as such a surprise to Parv.
“Long day for you,” Parv said, with genuine sympathy.
“Long year. Planning a wedding, launching a reality television show—how would anyone have the energy for kids after all this?” Sidney groaned, opening the driver’s door. “You headed back to Casa Marquez?”
And there it was. The reminder of how far apart they were now. “Actually, the Marquezes sold their place. I’m staying at Max’s now.”
That stopped Sidney. She turned in the crook of the open door, frowning at Parv with her eyebrows arched high. “What does Parker think of that?”
“We broke up.”
Sidney groaned, the sound heavy with judgment. “Oh God, Parvati.”
“Don’t look at me like that. It had nothing to do with Max.”
“Are you sure about that?”
She wasn’t. But she wasn’t about to admit it, bristling defensively. “He’s my friend, Sidney. And I’ve needed one because you sure as hell haven’t been around. Lately I feel like I’m besties with your voicemail.”
Sidney rocked back on her heels. “Excuse me?”
“You couldn’t take five minutes to drop by Common Grounds when I had to close?”
“I’ve been a little busy.”
“I know! But does that mean you stop giving a crap about me?” Parv heard her voice getting louder and couldn’t seem to stop it. “You moved without telling me. You don’t even know what’s going on with me right now. Am I the thing that gets knocked off your priority list when something has to give?”
“That isn’t fair—”
“I understand that you have different priorities now. Your job is important and your fiancé is important and Tori is important and her baby is important, but when did I stop being important? When did I become the deadweight in this friendship?”
Now that she’d started talking she couldn’t seem to stop, all her pent-up frustrations from the last few months spilling out in a rush. “I know it isn't going to be like it was. I know we aren't going to be Tuesday nights vegging out and watching Marrying Mister Perfect together. I know everything is different and I'm the one who can't keep up. I'm the one who can't find a man. I'm the one who always wanted what you and Tori have, but I'm the desperate old spinster and you're living the dream with your perfect life.”
Sidney’s jaw dropped. “You think my life is perfect? My life is stressful as hell! Do you have any idea how much pressure I’m under? Every week I have to make some insanely deserving couple’s wedding dreams come true—cancer survivors, military vets—flawless happy endings every week. But no pressure. It’s just televised for the entire world to see. And now I have to feel guilty because you're feeling left out?” Sidney gripped the car’s doorframe. “I'm sorry you're going through shit. I really am. But I'm going through shit too. And you aren't old. You aren't a spinster. That’s just ridiculous.” She climbed into the car. “I'm not going to throw you a pity party. I don't have the energy or the time. And I’m sorry if that makes me a bad friend, but I would hope my best friend would cut me a little slack.” She reached out to grip the door, ready to pull it closed. “Now I’m sorry, but I have to go. I have twenty-seven things on my to-do list to keep Once Upon a Bride afloat so we can afford to pay our employees. By the way, Tori told me we hired you. Welcome aboard.”
The car door slammed shut on the sarcastic words and Parvati fell back to watch the woman who had once been her best friend in the world drive away. She didn’t know what they were now.