had begun. On the slopes.
"There you are," Bebe muttered. "Lila was just about to—"
"She's here," Lila shouted impatiently. "Let's move on with our day, people."
"Pastor," Patrick commented. "You remember Gwen … I mean, Essie?"
"Of course," the Pastor smiled and nodded in my direction. "I see your parents once in a while, but I haven't seen much of you lately."
"Someone is being called out," Franco muttered. He and Lila both chuckled quietly. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from saying anything. I would be surprised if the two of themhave attended a church service once in their lifetimes.
"Let's get started, shall we?" Pastor Tad lined everyone up in their official spots with Patrick and Lila at the head of the room facing each other. I stood next to Bebe as the Pastor reviewed what he was going to say during the ceremony.
"Bebe," I whispered. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course you can," she whispered back.
"Does stuff like this happen to Lila a lot? I'm just curious."
"You mean the stalker stuff?" she clarified.
"Yeah." I sighed as Patrick recited a short version of his vows. Lila's eyes were locked on him as he did so.
"Unfortunately, yes." Bebe moved a strand of hair away from her eyes and back to its proper place. For a brief few seconds, her eyes fixated on her bracelets.
"Has that stuff ever happened to you?"
"Heavens no," she exhaled, glancing at me suspiciously. "I would die if I received as much hate mail as she does, but I'm not the right person to ask about this stuff. I haven't known Lila as long as Bev has."
"Bev," I responded. "The flaky bridesmaid."
"If you ask me she dodged a bullet by backing out at the last minute."
"Have you talked to her recently?" I asked.
"Not since we left L.A." Bebe directed her attention forward when Pastor Tad remarked on Lila and Patrick's kind words and moved on with the ceremony by reading a few paragraphs about the importance of long-term commitment. "Are youokay, Essie? You look a little flushed."
My attempts to turn off the panicking side of my brain started to wear off. All I could think about was the letter, and the fact that I had no idea who the killer was, but the killer knew exactly who I was. I instinctively looked over my shoulder and scanned the room behind me.
"I think I'm a little dehydrated," I lied. "I'll be fine."
"Good," she muttered. "Because you're the only sane one around here."
"What do you mean?"
"Lila and Franco have been arguing more lately," she whispered, careful not catch Franco's attention. "He tells her everything. Maybe a little too much. I think he does it on purpose because he craves the drama."
"What about Patrick?" I asked.
"He's a doll," she admitted. "But anyone who isn't Lila can see that his heart isn't really in this anymore. I'm sure you've noticed that too. I mean, you know him better than me."
"Sometimes." I watched him squeeze Lila's hand when Pastor Tad said man and wife . "And sometimes I have no idea if he's even the same guy from down the street."
* * *
Immediately after the ceremony, Lila lined up a long list of treatments she wanted done in the privacy of her own suite. She retreated to her room which was now being guarded by a burly man with giant arms and fists that looked like they could knock you back to last year. Patrick, sensing that Lila wanted some alone time, retreated to his day spa of sorts. The slopes.
Franco scurried off to his room to get a nap in before the wedding dinner and I was left with Bebe. The two of us decided that now was a better time than ever to clean up Donna's room and box up her things to be sent off to her family. Bebe let me into Donna's hotel room. Her suite which was situated on the same floor as Lila, Franco, and Bebe wasn't as big as Lila's, but it faced the town and had a clear view of Doc Henry's medical office. It took me a few minutes to bring myself to touch any of Donna's stuff. I could tell that Bebe felt the same way. She
"There you are," Bebe muttered. "Lila was just about to—"
"She's here," Lila shouted impatiently. "Let's move on with our day, people."
"Pastor," Patrick commented. "You remember Gwen … I mean, Essie?"
"Of course," the Pastor smiled and nodded in my direction. "I see your parents once in a while, but I haven't seen much of you lately."
"Someone is being called out," Franco muttered. He and Lila both chuckled quietly. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from saying anything. I would be surprised if the two of themhave attended a church service once in their lifetimes.
"Let's get started, shall we?" Pastor Tad lined everyone up in their official spots with Patrick and Lila at the head of the room facing each other. I stood next to Bebe as the Pastor reviewed what he was going to say during the ceremony.
"Bebe," I whispered. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course you can," she whispered back.
"Does stuff like this happen to Lila a lot? I'm just curious."
"You mean the stalker stuff?" she clarified.
"Yeah." I sighed as Patrick recited a short version of his vows. Lila's eyes were locked on him as he did so.
"Unfortunately, yes." Bebe moved a strand of hair away from her eyes and back to its proper place. For a brief few seconds, her eyes fixated on her bracelets.
"Has that stuff ever happened to you?"
"Heavens no," she exhaled, glancing at me suspiciously. "I would die if I received as much hate mail as she does, but I'm not the right person to ask about this stuff. I haven't known Lila as long as Bev has."
"Bev," I responded. "The flaky bridesmaid."
"If you ask me she dodged a bullet by backing out at the last minute."
"Have you talked to her recently?" I asked.
"Not since we left L.A." Bebe directed her attention forward when Pastor Tad remarked on Lila and Patrick's kind words and moved on with the ceremony by reading a few paragraphs about the importance of long-term commitment. "Are youokay, Essie? You look a little flushed."
My attempts to turn off the panicking side of my brain started to wear off. All I could think about was the letter, and the fact that I had no idea who the killer was, but the killer knew exactly who I was. I instinctively looked over my shoulder and scanned the room behind me.
"I think I'm a little dehydrated," I lied. "I'll be fine."
"Good," she muttered. "Because you're the only sane one around here."
"What do you mean?"
"Lila and Franco have been arguing more lately," she whispered, careful not catch Franco's attention. "He tells her everything. Maybe a little too much. I think he does it on purpose because he craves the drama."
"What about Patrick?" I asked.
"He's a doll," she admitted. "But anyone who isn't Lila can see that his heart isn't really in this anymore. I'm sure you've noticed that too. I mean, you know him better than me."
"Sometimes." I watched him squeeze Lila's hand when Pastor Tad said man and wife . "And sometimes I have no idea if he's even the same guy from down the street."
* * *
Immediately after the ceremony, Lila lined up a long list of treatments she wanted done in the privacy of her own suite. She retreated to her room which was now being guarded by a burly man with giant arms and fists that looked like they could knock you back to last year. Patrick, sensing that Lila wanted some alone time, retreated to his day spa of sorts. The slopes.
Franco scurried off to his room to get a nap in before the wedding dinner and I was left with Bebe. The two of us decided that now was a better time than ever to clean up Donna's room and box up her things to be sent off to her family. Bebe let me into Donna's hotel room. Her suite which was situated on the same floor as Lila, Franco, and Bebe wasn't as big as Lila's, but it faced the town and had a clear view of Doc Henry's medical office. It took me a few minutes to bring myself to touch any of Donna's stuff. I could tell that Bebe felt the same way. She
Similar Books
