I’m in love with Nick, and I won’t spend the rest of my life wishing that I let him love me back. Although she’s on my semipermanent shit list, I have to give my mom credit for showing me the road not to take.

I get in my car, turn on the Doobies, and compose a text, deleting as many words as I add until I come up with something satisfactory.

It’s Chloe. Milo told me you’re around, and he told me you’re sorry. Honestly, I’m not sure how to feel. I don’t want to talk right now, but maybe someday we can.

I press send and exhale, a heavy weight lifting off my chest as that text flies into space (or wherever texts go; I don’t know, I’m a baker/businesswoman, not a scientist). I’m allowed to forgive my mom and stop carrying so much hatred toward her, but that doesn’t mean I have to forget what she did or pretend that everything’s okay.

Maybe that’s not a perfect, tied-up-in-a-bow rom-com ending, but it has to be enough.

But speaking of rom-coms . . .

If I’m going to convince Nick that I’m head-over-sparkly-flats in love with him, then I’ve gotta go big. This isn’t the kind of problem that a simple apology can fix. I need to show him that I mean what I say, that I’ve changed, that I understand how wrong I was.

I need a grand gesture.

I tap out a text to Annie. If I’m going to re-create a rom-com scene, I’ll go to the master.

Chapter Thirty

The night before the wedding, Annie and I stay up late to finish the millions of little details that even a small wedding requires. We fall asleep in her old room, her on the twin bed and me on the trundle bed that pulls out underneath it. It’s sort of like being in high school again, except this time one of us is marrying a movie star and the other one of us is about to barf at the thought of being publicly rejected by the man she’s finally admitted she loves.

But, you know, no big deal.

After a few hours of stress-nightmare-filled sleep (for me, anyway), we round up all of our stuff and get ready to drive the couple of blocks over to the wedding space. Since it’s a pretty huge loft, we’re having both the ceremony and the reception there. As soon as Annie and Drew say their vows, the bridal party will get pictures taken while everyone else gets to eat appetizers. While we’re gone, Tyler and the D&D guys (minus Don, who’s going to be in the pictures) will pull out some folded tables and rearrange the chairs from the ceremony, then decorate the tables with simple bouquets and battery-operated twinkle lights. Everyone will drink cocktails from the bartender (Nick), and then the wedding party will be back and it will be time for dinner. And dancing. And toasts. And me embarrassing myself.