Hating You Sweetly (NEW EDIT)

29. Short Notice

~Laura's POV~

Edith's wedding was literally just around the corner. It was kind of that moment of panic and scrambling but she was doing extremely well with the pressure. She was a calm person by nature. I couldn't even picture her raising her voice to turn into the bridezilla everyone else was waiting for to appear.

We met up at a laundry/ alteration shop two hours before her engagement party. Talk about last minute items on the checklist.

The bridesmaid dresses were a pretty pale pink. The only thing that needed adjustment was the length. Even with my heels I needed 5 inches taken off. The seamstress was quick and finished pinning all 6 of our dresses within the hour.

"How about a coffee stop before going to the party?" Jamie suggested since Starbucks was literally down the street from the engagement location.

I of course agreed because coffee was my guilty pleasure. Luckily it wasn't that crowded either but there was an elephant in the room that made me cringe the moment I saw him.

Ben was leisurely standing by the back wall waiting for his order. I barely recognized him in his clean cut business suit.

"Hey. What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't make it." Edith hugged her cousin.

Ben sheepishly stared at her like an innocent angel. "I know. I didn't think I'd make it either. My flight landed last night. I checked out the firm this morning and my boss let me leave early."

Ooh yeah. I forgot he was a lawyer. No wonder; he was a natural liar. That occupation suited him.

"Did you have to kiss his ass? Ooh the sacrifice you make for family." Jamie mumbled under her breath.

Ben's blue eyes narrowed in her direction. He never liked Jamie. He wouldn't admit he hated her because he knew she was my best friend but he didn't have to. Jamie hated him too and honestly I wasn't sure why.

"Yeah. But it's not nearly as much ass as you're used to kissing."

My mouth dropped. He didn't...

Jamie perched her hand on her hip aggressively. Her cheeks were beaming red. She was about to blow. "I don't kiss ass."

"Oh then you must suc-" I quickly covered his mouth with my hand before another sound could be uttered.

"Drop it before I spill my hot caramel macchiato on you." I warned; more than happy to carry out the act.

Poor Edith was drowning in uneasy emotions. She wasn't sure how to take their  vengeful banter.

Ben surrendered to me but it was only because he wanted to get back in my good graces.

Edith's phone began to ring and she walked a few feet away to answer it. At least it was a distraction from the tension.

I smacked Ben's cheek, not hard enough to leave a mark. "Be nice."

Edith gasped and we all jolted in her general direction. Please don't be that serious.

"No; no. Thank you for informing me." She ended the call with a somber expression on her face.

"What happened?" One of Edith's cousins asked.

"The venue where we're having the reception caught on fire. We can't use it anymore." She was about to bust into tears.

We were a month away from the wedding. The dilemma was going to ruin her dream and her wonderful mood. I insensitively envisioned my future wedding and suddenly it sparked an idea.