“Not so fast,” Zoey said. “Are you trying to torture me? You even asked Dan to be in the wedding. Dan.”
“Hey, I can’t help that you dated one of my best friends, and then I ended up really liking one of your other exes. It’s all Kyle’s fault.”
Zoey sighed. Kyle was Brady’s old Boy Scout friend whose wife unexpectedly went into labor at thirty-five weeks on Tuesday, so Brady had to scramble for a replacement groomsman of a similar size and stature. It was tough since Kyle was on the shorter side, but Dan filled out the suit perfectly. For the record, Zoey had never dated Kyle.
Brady and Dan hung out regularly, mostly going to metal concerts and racing events once they realized they had those interests in common. Brady even went to a Lady Gaga concert with Dan, without a single female companion present.
All three ex-boyfriends in one house, in the same wedding she was in. Dan and Zoey were on good terms, and Dan was the kind of ex who stayed in your life, whether you liked it or not. He checked in on you and invited you places and sometimes you happened to be in the same wedding party. It had actually happened to her one other time.
“This must be weird for you. Since we dated and all,” Brady said.
“Again, are you sure you’re not torturing me?” Zoey said, crossing her arms.
Brady and Zoey had dated for a year after her breakup with Jonathan. They saw each other by chance in between community college classes at the school’s cafeteria. He noticed her forehead pressed against the pages of her Earth Science textbook and offered to buy her a vanilla latte. They hooked up one night and fell into a relationship that accidentally lasted for too long. Zoey inferred that it messed up Brady’s friendship with Jonathan momentarily, but the guys eventually got over it. Just like Zoey and Caroline did when Caroline started dating Brady.
“You secretly love all of this,” Brady said.
Zoey shook her head violently. “You are incorrect, Ethan Brady,” Zoey said, pulling out Brady’s full name. “This weekend will be one long, slow episode of Zoey, This is Your Disaster Life. Now streaming on Netflix.”
“Well, you’re handling your breakdown very well,” Brady said. Caroline play-slapped him.
“Well, fuck you too, Brady,” Zoey said. Brady threw his head back and howled. After he dried the tears from his eyes and saw the two women with crossed arms and shaking heads, he wisely pivoted.
“Is anyone else besides Addison coming tonight?” Brady asked, sliding in next to Caroline with an arm around her shoulders.
Caroline scrunched her face. “Derek is coming.”
“Goddamnit! He’s coming? Why doesn’t he have his archery club or something? I’m going to need three beers before he gets here,” Brady whined. “Wait, is he coming to the wedding too?” Caroline nodded. Brady groaned.
Zoey groaned as well. Addison was Caroline’s cousin and her other bridesmaid, and she was engaged to the biggest douchebag Zoey had ever met—and Zoey had dated some douchebags. Derek usually didn’t come to these things, and that’s what they had been betting on when Caroline asked Addison to be in the wedding. He had a tendency to drink too much and become insufferable.
However, Addison had told Zoey that they had a very long talk about how important it was that he come to these things with her, and he had begrudgingly agreed. Caroline and Zoey had double-checked the status of Derek’s drinking, and Addison confirmed it was under control. “It’s totally fine,” she had said. Caroline and Zoey didn’t really believe her.
Dan emerged from the hallway. “Did someone say Derek was coming?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Zoey said.
“Nice,” Dan said. All eyes looked at Dan. Dan threw his arms up. “What? Derek is okay. He’s not my favorite, but…”
A collective sigh echoed through the group. Dan got along with everyone.
“Is Jonathan here already?” Dan asked. “I miss that motherfucker.”
“You know him?” Zoey asked.
“Oh yeah,” Dan said. “Jonathan is great. Brady and I visited him in Phoenix once, and I tried to get him la…”
Caroline covered Dan’s mouth with her hand.
Zoey’s heart thumped.
Caroline’s hand was still over Dan’s mouth, and Dan’s eyes bugged, looking side to side. “Jonathan is at the store, Dan.” Caroline released Dan, and he let out an exaggerated breath, like he had been underwater for too long.
Dan sat down next to Zoey on the couch and slapped her knee. She was getting really tired of the knee-slapping. “I’m glad to see you’re in a great mood today. Dreams do come true. Three of your exes, in the same house, moving on without you.”
“You were my favorite ex, but now I’m not so sure,” Zoey said to Dan.
“Hey, I thought I was your favorite?” Brady asked.
“My favorite is Lance. Because he doesn’t talk to me anymore.”
“Ugh, I forgot about Lance!” Caroline said. “Oh, Lance.”
“I’m much better than Lance,” Dan said.
Zoey had met Dan three years ago at a going-away party for a mutual friend. It was common to see Dan surrounded by a large group at any time, dazzling people and leaving a new setting with at least ten new friends. Dan and Zoey’s relationship ended after Dan had choked out “I love you,” and Zoey did not feel the same way. After that, Dan was free to sow every wild oat he found in the Sacramento area. He had dated enough women to have his own season of The Bachelor.
“I guess I should get the grill fired up,” Brady said, putting his hand on Caroline’s leg to get up. Dan followed Brady outside. The girls heard the creak of the grill lid and sparking flames. Dan yelled from the backyard at the excitement of fire.
“Is there anything I should start getting together?” Zoey said, getting up as well. It would be good to have her hands busy and the wine handy.
“Not really. I sent Jonathan out for more booze and potato salad, but everything is pretty much ready to go. Relax, Zoey.”
Zoey collapsed back on the couch and thought about Jonathan. She knew she wasn’t ready for him to come back into her life, just like she hadn’t been ready for him to leave. Her heart hurt, like a sprained ankle that never really healed. She had gotten really good at ignoring it over the years.
When Jonathan and Zoey dated, she had been crazy in love. She thought that her relationship with Jonathan was it. The original plan was a year long-distance while Zoey finished up high school, then she would move to Phoenix to be with him at ASU, get her degree, and then move back to Lillyvale and buy a house and have kids and be happy. Instead, she got a broken heart, debt, disappointment, and a bunch of failed relationships.
“I was never supposed to see him again,” Zoey said. The frustration brought heat to her cheeks. She felt angry tears behind her eyes but nope, he did not deserve them. “This is not the right time to deal with this. I’m a mess. My life is a mess.”
“Everyone is a mess. Sometimes life happens in the middle of the mess,” Caroline said. “He’s changed. You should really give him a chance to clear the air. Let him take you out for a drink.”
“My plan is to avoid him all weekend,” Zoey said, looking forward.