Goodnight and Go [H.S.]

III

She sends me a wild smile as she runs her hands over the front of the dress. "Yeah, you think, Carty?"

I send her a reassuring nod as I walk closer, placing my hands on her shoulders that were bare due to the corset top being strapless. "Absolutely. I remember the sketches you used to draw of your wedding dress when we were little. This is perfect."

Tears fill my sister's eyes, and she lifts one of her hands to rest on top of mine. "Thank you."

I press a kiss against the side of her head before I back away, giving my mom some time to talk to her as well.

The woman who was helping Gwen try on dresses comes back over after a minute, and Gwen is immediately telling her that she doesn't need to try any other dresses on - insisting this is the one.

It's clear there's going to need to be some alterations at the bottom because it's a bit too long, so they begin to measure that out as another young lady begins to gather options for bridesmaids dresses.

"Carter," I hear my name being called as I'm looking over the dresses, and I see Gwen peering over her shoulder at me. "You choose the bridesmaids dresses."

I was more than shocked to hear Gwen give me that type of control, especially when this was pertaining to her big day, but it also warmed my heart that she trusted me with this.

"Okay," I smile, turning my attention back to the rack of dresses with a look of concentration.

After looking through them a few times, I select three options, and the other girls and I give our size over to the worker so she can start getting them together.

I sit back down as we wait, and I pull my phone from my purse to see I have a text from Harry.

Him and I had been seeing each other a lot more lately since Gwen was in full wedding mode at this point. We hadn't hung out alone, however, since the day we toured the wedding venue. Gwen actually ended up going with that venue after touring two others - neither of them meeting up to her standards as much as the first.

From: Harry
11:14 am
"How's the dress shopping going? Do each of you still have all of your limbs?"

I snicker softly to myself at his words, and I think back to the conversation we had yesterday when we were over at Gwen's to pick out what flowers she wanted. Harry said that he wouldn't be surprised if by the time we arrive at the engagement party tonight that one of us is missing an arm - the other a leg.

To: Harry
11:32 am
"Surprisingly, yes. She's actually letting me pick out the bridesmaids dresses - believe it or not. But she already found her dress and, Harry, it's so beautiful."

My mom comes back over and sits in the chair next to me, and I see that she's dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. "That dress is just so stunning, isn't it?"

"It is," I agree with a nod. "It's just like the ones she's always pictured."

My phone vibrates again in my hand, but I don't have time to check it as I see one of the workers coming over to me with the three dresses I had picked out. I drop my phone into my purse knowing that I'll just have to respond to the text later as I get up from my chair - walking over to retrieve my dresses.

The bridesmaids and I go into our own dressing rooms, and I slip out of my clothes to try on the first dress. I run my hands over the material as I stare at myself in the mirror - lips pursed to the side. I'm doing my best not to let my emotions overwhelm me when I think about why I'm going to have to wear this dress.

Over the past few weeks, I've been trying my best to separate my feelings for Harry with the wedding, and I know how impossible that sounds, but I have to try. It's honestly helped that Harry and I haven't been alone anymore since we toured that wedding venue. With Gwen there, it's a lot easier for us not to fall into our old habits. As much as that separation pains me, it's necessary. I can tell that Harry has caught onto it a little bit - the little platonic touches that we once shared ceasing to exist lately.