My Drop-Dead, Gorgeous Rebound

FAE

"Congratulations!”

A moment passed before Carl reacted to my greeting. He turned to me, finally. But it was a second too long. I trembled as I waited. I was acutely conscious of guests watching us.

This was his wedding reception.

When I saw his familiar face—my beloved’s face—I almost burst into tears. But I couldn’t do that now. There were too many people around us—his relatives and guests who knew about us and my story. That I’d adored Carl Easton since I was ten, and declared him my crush when I was twelve.

He looked dashing in his three-piece suit, this man whom I’d dreamed of for almost half my life. There was no guilt on his face as he possessively held Sarah’s tiny waist. Sarah, his bride, was proudly wearing her white wedding dress for the occasion.

And Carl’s adoring gaze for his bride—my best friend and room mate for two years—finally closed the door between my future and my past.

I couldn’t love him anymore.

I couldn’t even say if I ever took a break from my feelings for this man who regarded me with brotherly affection while we grew up in his family’s mansion. No, he hadn’t given me any sign that he would develop more than brotherly feelings toward me. That he would see me as anything more than the girl he treated like the little sister he never had.

It was all me. Just me.

And I was used to it. I couldn’t help my feelings but it had been my life.

So now, I didn’t know how to continue my days without thinking or dreaming of him the way I’d always had.

Oh, it wasn’t on him—I knew that. I just said that.

But did he have to act as if he wished I hadn’t come to celebrate his wedding?

For all the years that we’d been friends, Carl had always been patient and tolerant of my attention. As an informal foster brother, he was nothing but polite and gentle. But now, for the first time, he couldn’t seem to wait to push me away. What has Sarah done to him for him to act like this? I cried inside my head.

“Thank you for coming, Fae,” he said quietly, his eyes carrying both pity and worry. Probably why he didn’t want me here. He didn’t want to be inconvenienced by the feelings he couldn’t avoid as he watched me hurt.

But I didn’t care about those. I could hurt because I loved him. Just because I couldn’t have what I wanted from him didn’t mean I’d stop supporting him. I could deal. I would support him no matter what. I could accept feeling this heartbreak if he was happy.

So, even though my heart was crying, opposing words came out of my mouth for him. “I’m so happy for you.” That’s the reason I came. Even if it hurt, I would still celebrate his happiness today.

“I know,” he replied, even if his eyes told a different message—that my sacrifice was difficult for him. That if it were up to him, he wouldn’t want me here.

That made things awkward.

Tense silence weighed the surrounding air bubble that the three of us occupied.

“Fae...”

I reluctantly looked at the owner of that voice. It was Sarah, my former friend, because I couldn’t honestly regard her as my friend anymore. Not for weeks now.

It was still hard for me to believe this woman was Carl’s wife now. Sarah lived with me for two years, and she listened to me speak Carl’s name every day of those two years. She knew how devoted I was to Carl.

She, and everyone here.

It wasn’t a secret that I’d adored Carl since I was twelve. My father used to bring me to every client house visit as a corporate attorney or personal solicitor. He was a single parent, a doting father. To these people who accepted us in their circle, I was the shy and quiet kid carried in my father’s arms and later, held by hand, to every meeting. Many of these wealthy people became surrogate aunties and uncles, lolos (grandfathers) and lola (grandmothers). They didn’t know Sarah until her name was dropped to them as the bride to be on the hasty wedding invitation they received for this occasion.

Sarah was acting differently now. She wasn’t timid or struggling. She’d come a long way from the distressed friend who I supported with housing and sponsorship as she worked her way through law school. The friend I took in so she wouldn’t have to do housekeeping for others.

No.

There was a threat in her eyes now. She was territorial in her stance beside her groom, and there was possessiveness in the way she slipped her hand around her husband’s arm as her eyes watched me like a hawk.

Quietly warning me—me—that she owned Carl now.

I wanted to laugh. I wasn’t a usurper, a home wrecker. She didn’t need to worry about me. I was more of an idiot and a fool than any of those two. I hadn’t seen the real Sarah. I was too trusting and dumb and she hid her true colors from me. I had been warned so many times. I knew secrets that should have giant red flags. But I was stupid.

How can you do this to me?! was my silent scream to this woman as I indirectly cheered for her, too, because this was her wedding as well. “Congratulations, Sarah,” I said, but there was bitterness in my voice. I couldn’t be as honestly happy about this as I was with Carl.

“Thanks, Fae. Please stay and have a toast with us.”

I couldn’t control the smile of mockery that slipped to my lips. What a hypocrite. I was screaming at her inside my head—You are such a fake!

But I couldn’t do it to Carl. I couldn’t trash this day for him. I was here for him—not for this bitch.

“Don’t worry. I will.”

The next pause to all the posturing was more intense. I wanted to approach Carl at a private moment, but that was impossible with the way Sarah clung to him. As if she couldn’t walk on her own and she needed him as a crutch. God… I know… I’m the odd one out here. But I only wanted to talk to Carl for the last time and leave this place and the pitying eyes to cry alone.

But Sarah wouldn’t allow that and this was the result.