Here Comes the Light (Cambrooke #1) (20 page)

“D.” I finally say softly after we are done with a round of laughter.

“Huh?” he answers, his eyes still fixed on the road.

I stare back at the road before speaking, I haven’t said this out loud yet and not sure how the words are going to come out. “My dad set a date for his wedding, July 4
th
in our backyard.”

“That’
s not far away.” he says in shock.

I continue to stare out the window at the blur of passing trees and
houses. I can’t get a focus on anything it is moving so fast. Just like my life. “Are you going to come to it?” I ask casually.

“Do you want me to?” he
responds with his own question.

“Well…” I speak softly, “yeah.” I turn to look at him. His smile spreads across his face.

“Okay then it’s a date.”

What? I didn’t say it was a date. “It’s not a date.” I try to laugh it off.

“Okay if you say so.” He says sarcastically as he pulls into the church parking lot.

When the singing begins I feel an unexplainable peace come over me. Making me think I have entered into another level of craziness. When the pastor speaks I look around at everyone, focused on him. All these people have it all together. They are in control of things, me I am just a crazy mess. I don’t do this. Why did I come again?

“Salvation is free to anyone.” He says from the stage. “The word tells us therefore if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation. The old is gone, the new is here. That is right here.” He shakes his Bible in his hand.
“Second Corinthians five-seventeen. Meaning no matter how many times we mess up. We always get another chance with Jesus.”

Is this for real? Could I possibly become
new?
Certainly not, these words aren’t meant for me. A lump rises in my throat and tears tease the edge of my eye lids. The pastor then asks if anyone wants to become a new creation. Of course I
want
to, but I know I am too far gone to.

Chapter 18

I
watch as my backyard is turned into something out of a fairytale. Workers are scurrying around finding just the perfect spot for flower arrangements, chairs and bows. The pool has been covered by a platform where the guest will sit and watch my dad throw his life away to the bloodsucking gold digger.

Fourth of July marks the beginning of the end of summer. I hate that in just a six more weeks I will be walking back into the halls of
Cambrooke High. This time I won’t be Jess’s side kick. I’ll be an outcast.

“Miley,” Penelope’s frantic voice breaks me out of my trance. “Did you try your dress on yet?” she asks when I look at her.

“Not yet.” I shake my head.

“Penelope, the ice sculpture is here.” A man in
a white uniform interrupts us. “Where do you want it.”

“Well, not out here, obviously. It needs to stay cold until the wedding.” She says in a condescending voice.
Then turns back to me. “Please go try it on and make sure it fits you, we only have a few more hours if it needs altered.”

I give her a quick salute and she responds with a glare and just to irritate her I take my time getting back to my room. I grab a cracker with some kind of cream on it as I pass the kitchen
. The cute caterer winks at me. I give him thumbs up letting him know I like his food, and his face.

Finally after moseying as long as I can I am in my room. I pull the mint green dress off the back of my closet door and slip it on over my head. The wispy dress fits me perfect with an empire waist and one bare shoulder the other has a little more fabric in
the design of a flower. It hits me right at my ankles.

“Perfect!” Penelope squeals. I’
m startled by this. She just barges in my room now? Her hands are balled under her chin and her smile is wide. “I knew you would look beautiful in this dress.” She gushes as she strides towards me. “You’re beautiful anyway, but this dress is gorgeous on you.” Did she just call me beautiful? I thought she couldn’t stand me. She grabs me by the hands and holds them out to get a better look at me.  “I think you may just outdo me today.” I look everywhere but right at her. This is a little weird for me. “I hired a hair dresser.” just as she says this a round woman with big blond hair comes in the room. She has a large square case in her hand. “Miley this is Aggie, she will be doing your hair and makeup.” She smiles at me again. “I will see you in a bit okay?” She says like we are long time BFF’s or something. I change out of my dress and slip into Declan’s hoodie, the first thing I can find so I don’t have to pull a shirt back over my head once my hair is finished.

Aggie works intently curling and pulling, teasing and combing. We talk about the latest styles and celebrity gossip. She tells me she is done with my
hair after my scalp is numb, but she is going to do my make up before showing me the final results. She takes a step back and examines me like a canvas she has just created a masterpiece on. My eyes look everywhere but her.

She makes a grunting sound making me look at her now as the corners of her mouth turn upwards. “Perfect.” She says turning my chair around so I can get a good look at myself. My hair is in a loose bun off to the side. There are a few curls around my face. Whatever eye makeup she used on me today it makes the green in my hazel eyes pop.  My normally thick las
hes are much thicker and my lips shimmer light pink. I touch my cheek and turn my head from side to side.

“I look beautiful.” I gasp.
I don’t think I have ever thought this about myself before.

“That is because you are beautiful.” Aggie states as she packs up her makeup. “All I did was used make up to enhan
ce what is already there.” She’s right though, it doesn’t look like there is much makeup on my face at all. Not like when Jess insists on doing it and ends up making me look like a prostitute. Aggie smiles at me as she slings the bag over her shoulder. “You have a wonderful day Miss Miley.” She nods before exiting my room.

“You too.”
I am going to have a wonderful day. I’m not going to sulk over my dad and Penelope. I slip back into my mint green dress and do a little spin admiring myself in the mirror. I feel like a little girl playing dress up as my dress expands and twirls.

“Wow, I feel like I’
m looking at a ghost.” My dad’s voice startles me. I turn to see him walking into my room already dressed in his black tuxedo, his light brown hair neatly styled. I smile at him. “You look exactly like your mom right now.” His green eyes are glossy and his smile is faint when he says this. It surprises me he’s talking about her. He rarely talks about her. He steps closer to me and wraps his arm around my shoulders. “You know I am not trying to replace her right?” I nod as my heart drums in my chest. “I do love Penelope, but she could never replace your mother.”

My face warms up. I’
m slightly embarrassed by the way I have been treating her. He deserves to be happy, right? “I know.” I say when I find my voice. “I can’t expect you to be alone forever, with me leaving for college in a year.”

He gives me a gentle squeeze and kisses the top of my head.
“Thanks for understanding, sweetheart.”

I have to fight back the tears pooling in my eyes right now. “I love you, Daddy.” I say looking up at him. He looks at me and smiles.

“I love you too.” This is the type of moment we haven’t shared since my mom found out she was sick. He turns his face towards the mirror and smiles some more. “Dang, we look good today.”

I look at us in the mirror and giggle.
“I think so.”

“Have you seen Penelope lately?” he asks me.

“I haven’t, but I know you aren’t supposed to see her.” I say with a hand on my hip.

“Can you, uh, maybe go check up on her for me.” he says adjusting the
white bow tie around his neck.

“Are you afraid she will change her mind?” I tease him with a nudge.

My dad chuckles as he rubs the back of his neck. “Maybe a little.”

“She would be crazy if she did, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll go make sure she isn’t a runaway bride.” I sa
y as I head out my door and down the hall towards my dad’s room. I knock lightly on the big wooden door. Only a half hour away from the nuptials I am nervous myself, I can’t imagine what my dad is going through.

“Who is it?” Penelope calls out.

“It’s Miley.”

“Miley come on in.” Penelope’s voice sounds delighted to see me. I slowly open the door and hear Penelope gasp before I can even see her. “I told you Aggie was wonderful, you look so beautiful.” She covers her mouth as she admires me sitting in the middle of my dad’s bed in her puffy white dress and her blond hair piled on top of her head and curls
frame her face.

“You look beautiful as well.”

Penelope drops her hand and tilts her head. Her lips form a faint frown. “Listen,” she says softly. “I know your dad will never love me like he loved your mom, but we do love each other. I need you to know, I didn’t even know he had money when we first met.”

I feel a pang of guilt in my stomach, seeing the human side of Penelope. Not just the monster that I was trying to make up in my head. “My dad wanted me to check on you.” I laugh. “He is worried you are going to back out.”

She huffs as she throws her fists on her hips with a smirk. “Are you serious?” I nod. “Tell him in a few hours he can check on me all he wants I’m not running away.”

“Alright.”
I laugh as I head towards the door.

“Miley, hold on a second.” She says making me pause. “Is your friend, Declan coming today?” she asks when I turn back towards her.

“Yeah,” I nod, “why, was I not allowed to invite him?”

Penelope frowns at me. “I was just curious and you don’t have to tell me, but I was just wondering if there might be something more
going on than
just friends
?”

“What?” I wrinkle my forehead at the absurd question. “Did my dad put you up to this?” I know my dad keeps pushing me towards a relationship with Declan. I think he is
worried about me ending up back with Hudson.

“No.” she laughs,
“though yes I do know your dad wants you to date him, but the reason I am asking is well, it kind of looks like you’re falling in love.” She reaches her hand up and nervously plays with the pearl necklace on her chest. “Just friends fall in love all the time.”

“I’m not his type.” I laugh it off, as much as I would like to be his type, I am not.

Are we bonding? Penelope doesn’t know what she is talking about though, Declan can’t fall for me. And I can’t fall in love with him. Penelope just smiles and shrugs like she doesn’t believe me. I reach for the door again.

“Since you’
re always wondering, I am thirty six.” She says before I turn the knob.

My
face burns, she isn’t that young only five years younger than my dad. Hudson’s mom is younger than her. “It doesn’t matter.” I speak softly as I smile back at her. “I need to go tell my dad he doesn’t have a runaway bride.”

I hurry down the stairs and through the hallway, I need to get to my dad but I am not paying attention to where I am going when my body suddenly jolts into another body hands grab my waist and I look up to see an extremely hot
guy, otherwise known as my best friend standing in front of me.

His usually messy hair is styled into a perfect point. He is in a white button up dress shirt and a pair of khakis. I can barely breathe and I seem to be having the same effect on him. It seems like forever passes as we stand here and
stare at each other, but it is probably only seconds before I break the stare down with a simple. “What?”
I know graceful, right?

The corners of
Declan’s mouth curl up sending butterflies a flight in my stomach. “You are beautiful.” I feel my face warm up. He said I am beautiful not I look beautiful today, but I am beautiful. My heart races as I look at his face I wonder if Penelope was right.

“Thanks.” I whisper. My body is well aware his hands are still on my waist. His smiley expression turns to concern.

“How are you holding up today?” he asks.

“Surprisingly well.”
I smile. “You were right about Penelope. I just needed to give her a chance.”

“Well I see we are making progress, you learned a valuabl
e lesson today.” He smirks. “I’m always right.”

“I didn’t say you were always right,” I roll my eyes. “I said you were right about Penelope.”

He chuckles “I better get out there and get me a seat.” He nods his head toward the back doors. “Just wanted to see how you were doing.”