The Mistake (Bad Bridesmaids #1) - Noelle Adams Page 0,45

A SHOWER AND drying her hair helped Amanda regain some composure.

She’d been acting overdramatic. Unreasonable. After all, she and Robert had just barely gotten together. They’d only shared two nights. What kind of silly dreamer would expect a profession of love or long-term commitment after such a short time?

There was no reason for her to assume such a thing. Or even hope for it. Things were going fine. Good. They could take it slow and see what happened. Robert had a lifetime of keeping his distance, keeping other people at arm’s length. She could hardly expect him to throw all that aside in an instant because they’d had a few meaningful moments together.

Give him time. Give him space. Don’t push or get too presumptuous. He’d hate that. And it wasn’t like her.

She’d be patient. She’d be good.

With that resolved in her mind, she was able to head up to Michelle’s suite for bonding and giggles and a lengthy beauty routine. She was even able to mostly enjoy it.

After that, she was so busy she hardly had time for brooding about Robert. There were photos to take and last-minute wedding preparations to get through, and soon it was time for the ceremony, which was taking place on Michelle’s fiancé’s ridiculously expensive yacht.

It was a warm, sunny day, and the breeze off the ocean was strong. Amanda’s expertly arranged hairdo didn’t stand a chance. Before Amanda followed the second bridesmaid on her walk down the aisle between the eighteen gathered guests, strands of hair were defying hairspray and gravity and blowing in her face.

It didn’t matter. Michelle was clearly delighted by everything, and the short, sweet ceremony was fun and relaxed. Afterward, they took some more photos, and then everyone went to the other side of the yacht for food, drink, and celebration.

Amanda tried to enjoy it. There was no reason not to enjoy it.

Except Robert was acting like they weren’t together.

He wasn’t completely ignoring her. He’d texted her a couple of times today to check in and then telling her he was heading over to the yacht. He smiled when he first saw her before the wedding, and he smiled again when she took her place at the front with the other bridesmaid. He came over and chatted for a few minutes at the beginning of the reception, but he didn’t stay very long.

He wasn’t acting like a boyfriend. He wasn’t acting like she was special to him. No one in the world would know they’d had mind-blowing sex less than twelve hours ago.

It was fine.

It was all fine.

Everything was perfectly fine.

They’d never discussed making their relationship public, so maybe he was just being careful. Maybe he didn’t want to assume she was ready for that. He was being thoughtful. Sensitive.

Or maybe he wasn’t ready for a relationship.

Maybe he didn’t want one.

As the reception went on and there were more and more opportunities for Robert to find her, talk to her, Amanda’s stomach slowly sank until there was nothing but an aching pit in her gut.

If he’d wanted to be with her, he would be with her. That was the first truth about guys. Robert had told her so himself in front of that restaurant years ago.

If you were important to a man, he would make you important. And if he didn’t make you a priority, then you weren’t.

Robert looked at her sometimes, but he wasn’t talking to her. He wasn’t showing the rest of the world that he cared about her as more than a passing acquaintance.

Amanda broke her new one-glass rule and had three glasses of champagne. A couple of hours into the reception, Michelle demanded she show the rest of the guests her pageant poses, so Amanda made everyone roar with laughter by performing her pageant walk and standing with “pretty feet” and “pretty hands.” She went through all the ridiculous smiles and simpers and winks she’d done as a child on the stage for the pageant judges, and everyone loved it. She had them all doubled over with hilarity.

Except for Robert. He was smiling but not laughing, and for some reason it was the last straw.

She almost lost it. Right there in front of everyone. She had to rush through an excuse about needing to use the restroom so she could escape the party.

She stumbled away in her stylish heels and ended up at the rail near the ceremony arbor. No one was around, so she was alone with a jittery head from too much champagne and