Rewind

When I turn my head to face Lexi, I then notice what she’s wearing: the nude dress my mom picked for her a few days ago. Back then, it was only the dress but now as I look at her entire attire with the simple makeup applied to her face, she looks flawless. The black eyeshadow, mascara and eyeliner caused her smoky hazel eyes to look brighter due to the contrast.
“Lexi, you look amazing!” I tell her honestly with a smile.
“I know, but look who’s talking! You’re the bride- literally- can you believe it?” Even though she’s smiling a little, I can glimpse the sadness coating her words.
“No, I can’t.” My smile dims a little, and I stand up from my seat to approach her. “Are you okay? You seem a little down. If this is about the promise I made to you a few years ago that we’ll both get married on the same day, I’m sorry, but you can pick a hot guy from Adrien’s friends. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find your one and only today.”
I nudge her shoulder with mine and do a little happy dance in my mind when her smile widens.
“Yeah, I remember that, but, no, that’s not the reason.” She chuckles lightly at the memory.
“Then what is it?” I look at her with pleading eyes.
If she doesn’t tell me what’s wrong, and I feel like she’s not happy then I can’t be happy for the rest of the day, and I kind of need to.
“Did you and Adrien make up?” Her sudden question catches me off guard since I wasn’t expecting her mood to have to do with us.
“Not really, but I’m sure we will. I just don’t want to mess things up even more now if you get what I mean. If we can’t resolve fights as stupid as the one we’re having right now then what will we do when we fight -may God forbid- over something way bigger?”
“Yeah, but it isn’t something stupid, Evie! He’s lying to you about something big. You told me yourself: Evelyn is alive, so why would he lie to you about it then try pulling himself out of the conversation like that? You shouldn’t let it slide, Evangeline; it just doesn’t feel right,” she whisper yells at me accusingly.
“What do you want me to do, Lexi? Blame me for not wanting to ruin things with my fiancé right before our wedding just because he lied to me about some other stranger just like all the people in my life did- including you,” I yell out frustrated.
“Evie, you’re my best friend.” Her voice turns shaky when she says ‘best friend’ before she continues, “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way. I’ve been waiting for the day I see myself as your maid of honor in your big day, but I can’t do this anymore.”
Can’t do what?
      My eyebrows furrow in confusion, and just as I was about to question it, she blurts out, “Everyone’s lying to you, and the guilt- it’s killing me.” A lone tear leaks from her right eye down her cheek before she elaborates, “Your parents, your brother, and fucking Adrien! They’re all lying to you. They’re lying to you about fucking everything.”
My eyes widen at Lexi’s choice of words since she’s never cursed before.
“And the only reason why I couldn’t tell you the truth,” she continues pleadingly with her eyes as if asking me to understand, “Is because they have eyes on me all the time, but it’s too much. Alone or not, you’re my best friend, and they can threaten me all they want, but I will tell you.”
They threatened Lexi?
My heart paces at Lexi’s sudden outburst and different emotions overwhelm me at the same instant: sadness, confusion, but most of all: betrayal.
What does she mean by ‘lying to you about everything’?
What else is there to lie about?
“You should cancel the wedding.” My eyes widen at her statement but because I am too consumed by the emotions, I hear her out as she continues, “And if you won’t do it, I will. I’ll object to the wedding if you don’t have it in you to cancel it. You always ask me why I hate Adrien so much, right?”
At my nod she continues, “This man is not a man, Evangeline. You don’t know who Adrien really is but what I can tell you is that he’s one hell of an actor. I won’t let you marry someone who is playing you just like he perfected playing all his previous past roles: a fiancé, a backstabber, a liar.” She pauses almost as if she’s contemplating whether or not she should tell me.
My heart shakes like an earthquake in my chest as Lexi looks me with sadness swirling her eyes and finally confesses. “And most importantly, a killer.”
Chapter 9
     I find myself pacing back and forth in my wedding dress and heels in front of the groom’s room with my hands locked together under my chin as my mind broods nervously over the exact words that I’m going to say. Never would it have occurred to my ten-year-old self that I’ll be one of those runaway brides, and the fact that I haven’t even talked to my parents about what I am about to do now makes me nauseous.
   After Lexi’s confrontation about how everybody’s lying to me, and her weird accusations on Adrien that I haven’t yet made sense of, she told me to cancel off the wedding. Her exact words were, “If you’re so adamant on finding out the truth, I’ll tell you everything but not before you cancel it. Trust me,” she said with such honesty in her eyes I’ve never seen before. “It’s for the best.”
     At first, I was so against the idea. Without a doubt, I trust