…not hesitate.
Jade took a deep breath, then said, “Because I don’t trust him.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I didn’t want to say anything before,” she continued, “but I’ve seen the way he looks at other women… the way he talks to them behind your back.”
I felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. “Jade, what are you even talking about?”
She sounded almost… apologetic. “I’m telling you this as your best friend. I saw him last month, at that coffee shop near your apartment. He was with some girl. They were holding hands. I thought maybe it was his cousin or something—but then he kissed her.”
I dropped into a chair. “You saw that? And you didn’t tell me?”
“I didn’t know how. I didn’t want to ruin things. I kept hoping maybe it was nothing. But I can’t have that energy at my wedding, Evie. I just can’t.”
My heart was pounding. James had just taken me out to dinner last night, kissed me goodnight like everything was perfect.
I whispered, “Are you sure it was him?”
She didn’t even pause. “Evie… I’d know your husband anywhere.”
I told her I needed time to think. We hung up. I sat there, alone, staring at our wedding photo on the mantle. My hands were shaking.
That night, when James came home, I confronted him. His face twisted into that mix of fake confusion and defensive anger. “Jade’s lying. She’s always been jealous. Don’t let her poison our marriage.”
But deep down, I knew. I knew.
Because Jade had never lied to me. Ever.
So on the day of her wedding, I went. Alone. And when I walked up to her, she hugged me tight, and whispered, “I was so afraid you wouldn’t come.”
I pulled back and looked her in the eyes. “I’ll always be there for you. Just like you were for me.”
And just like that, I realized: she hadn’t just saved her wedding from drama — she’d saved me, too.