A Twist of Fate (Complete)

Chapter 56 - Planning a Wedding

*** Back to Present Day - Three Months Later ***

After Everly had that talk with Brad that night on the baseball diamond and told him she was marrying Keaton, she didn't see or talk to him for a long time. She didn't reach out and he didn't either. She didn't even see him on campus very often and the few times she did, he walked right past with his head down. 

Over those three months she had stayed busy juggling the wedding planning, her school work and spending as much time with Keaton as she could. He had hired Emma Johnson, one of the best wedding planners in New York City to help them get everything together by June and she was a life saver. 

As Everly was putting together the list of names for Emma Johnson to send wedding invitations out to, she scrolled through her Facebook friends list for ideas. She got down to Amber's picture and hovered the mouse over it, looking at the face of her ex best friend that had been like a sister to her.  Her eyes burned as she thought about all the memories they had shared together growing up. 

Looking at Amber's face made her heart hurt and as much as she hated to admit it, she missed her. Everly was really torn up over the fact that she wasn't inviting her to the wedding, but after she got Brad drunk and seduced him, there was no way she could. Things could never be the same between them as they were before.

She hesitated before finally hitting the send button on the guest list email to Emma Johnson, without Brad or Amber's names on it. 

When the wedding invitations went out three months before the wedding, Everly was really nervous about how her family would react when they got them. She had tried so many times to call and tell them the news herself, but she always hung up and lost her nerve. She knew her Dad would react even worse than Brad and to say she wasn't looking forward to that conversation would be a huge understatement. Her and Keaton had agreed not to send an invitation to his Dad, because he made it very clear he didn't agree with their wedding and if he came, Keaton was afraid he would make a scene and try to stop them. It was easier and safer to just not invite him. 

The invitations read "Keaton Ashcroft & Everly Sutton request the pleasure of your company at their wedding celebration on June 17th at 1:00 pm at the St. Patrick's Cathedral in downtown Manhattan, New York City. Attire will be black tie formal. Reception to follow immediately after at the University Club in New York City. If you would like to attend, your hotel and airfare expenses will be fully covered. Just RSVP to the wedding coordinator's email address below and she'll book your flight and hotel room for you. Hope you can make it to help celebrate our big day with us!"

Everly had been pleasantly surprised when Keaton offered to pay the travel and hotel expenses for her family and friends, because he knew most of them couldn't afford a trip to New York. 

About a week after she sent the guest list to the wedding coordinator Everly knew the invites had been received because her phone started blowing up with voicemails and text messages from her friends and family while she was in class one day.

She cringed and was scared to look but after class was over she finally got up the courage to. It said there were 14 new unread texts. One name jumped out right away. Brad had sent three of the messages.

'What the hell Everly! Your Dad just called and told me he got an invitation for your wedding and it's in June. That's only 3 months away! '

'Why the hell are you rushing this marriage?' 

'Are you pregnant or something?'

She narrowed her eyes, feeling anger rising up. As if the only reason Keaton would want to marry her was if she was pregnant. It was insulting.

'No Brad. I'm not pregnant. I love him and there's no point in waiting when I know for sure he's the one. We're ready to move in with each other and start our lives together so we don't want to wait.'