Queenie

21

10 MONTHS LATER

J A N E

I released my shaky breath, my tummy was in knots, my hands flattening out my dress, turning to every which direction. Gnawing at my lip, I sighed exaggerated, plopping down into the chair.

"Quit with the sighs Jane." Lainey groaned, and I grumbled, crossing my arms, and pouting.

"Something just doesn't feel right." I complain my issue, fixing my veil, and touching up my lipstick. Everything was perfect, to the flowers, and table cloths, to the music playlist, and the champagne tower.

"Everything looks very nice Jane. It's like a Pinterest board." It was the ultimate compliment, and I smiled at my twin, nodding to myself, and standing up.

"We should go before they wonder why I'm taking so long in the bathroom." I grimace, quickly helping Lainey fix her tie. It got all messy after she came out of the photo booth with some girl she met on the dance floor. I didn't even want to ask after I saw the lipstick Lainey was rubbing off of her lips, "What happened with your girlfriend?" I softly ask, I hadn't before, but I didn't like seeing her like this.

"Nothing. We're done, it doesn't matter. Let's get back to your perfect party." She snapped, and I reeled back with a taken back expression.

"Hey! Don't rain on my parade, I'm just asking. You were happy, that's all." I shrug my shoulder and Lainey scoffs.

"You'd be happy too if today was so unbelievably perfect too right? Some things just don't happen, okay?" Lainey snapped again, and I scoff this time.

"Yeah I know. I would've given anything to have one more person here, but she's not, is she?" It shut her up, and dampened my mood, all in one go.

It's been 10 months since we last saw Mixie, after she left that horrible place, Stella made due on her promise. She hasn't looked for her at all. Our feelings towards Stella had shifted, and lots of arguments have arose from then. We want to look for her, but Stella forbids us too. I'm an adult, and I made it very clear to her, and she seems to have backed off into her own corner. I had postponed much when I wouldn't stop crying, wishing my baby sister would come home. I'd leave voicemails on her private number, hoping she'd get them.

My wedding was supposed to be 7 months ago, but I couldn't go through with it. Not yet. I had hope Mixie would come back. She didn't. Jordan had told me that she would come back at her own time, and I realized that it was true. Everything was already booked and planned, so we just moved the date. For the first time in a while, I had taken Stella's advice she had told me a while prior to have my wedding. Knowing Mixie, she would be gone for a long while.

"I wish she was here." I whisper, my eyes burning as I looked towards the floor. Lainey wrapped me in her signature bear hugs, letting me tremble out breaths. My little sister meant the world to me. She was the liveliest out of us, no matter the past. A past I wish I had known sooner.

"Me too Janey." Lainey's voice was small and I knew she was feeling the strength of these emotions as well. Lainey always found a bit more connection with Mixie than me or Stella, even if I was her twin. They just clicked, they liked the same things, and had fun together being goofy. I had fallen in love at a younger age, and spent more time with my girlfriend than my sister.

"Okay! Come on. You go ahead, and I'm going to fix my makeup." I urge Lainey, and she nods at me, placing a kiss on my cheek, and shaking off her feels as she walked out the door, making me promise we were going to take shots.

I walked to the small back room of the dressing room, grabbing my entire makeup bag, and returning to my seat, fixing my creases and reapplying glue to my eyelash as the inner corner began to lift. My lipstick smudged from being locked in Lainey's hug, and I grabbed the tube, twisting it open to apply some more on my lips.