Rain Check on Forever

The day Mason Jablon came with me to try on wedding dresses, his assistant, Gigi, wrecked the custom gown I'd waited three months for. Mason stepped in front of her, way too calm. "The dress has a ton of tiny details. Of course Gigi had trouble holding it. Cut her some slack." I just stared at him. "Mason, I've been waiting three years for this wedding. Do you have any idea how long I waited for that dress?" His face tightened. "So we'll get another one made. It's not like that's the only dress on the planet. Once the new one's ready, I'll give you the wedding of your dreams. Promise." I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I just nodded. The dress didn't have to be this one. And the groom didn't have to be Mason. Chapter 1 Molly stared at me like I'd lost it. "Daphne, don't buy her act. Those cuts were made with a craft knife. She did it on purpose—" Before she could finish, a bridal shop employee stepped out. Molly looked at the bridesmaid dress in her hands, her eyes going red. "The wedding dress is already wrecked. What's even the point of trying this on now...?" I squeezed her shoulder. "It's fine. Go try it on. The wedding's still happening." The second Molly walked away, Gigi spoke up. "But a new dress will take at least a month. Your wedding with Mr. Jablon is next week, right? "This is all my fault. I should've been more careful..." Mason gave her a small smile. "It's not a big deal. Don't blame yourself." Not a big deal. Don't blame yourself. The words echoed in my head as I looked at him. He wasn't standing next to me. Gigi was. He never took his eyes off her. There was even a hint of a smile on his face. As for my wedding dress—the one slashed to pieces—he hadn't looked at it once since we walked into the bridal shop. Molly walked out in the dress. The sight of her finally made me smile. "Molly, you look gorgeous. "When I get married, you have to wear the hairpiece I gave you with that." She let out a quiet huff. One look at Mason and Gigi, and the words died on her lips. The sales associate rolled over a rack of wedding dresses for me to try on. Mason walked over, automatically reaching for my purse. I pulled it away and set it on the floor instead. He stopped short. Not long after I pulled the fitting room curtain closed, Mason spoke from outside. "The first dress you picked didn't really suit you. "It showed off all the wrong places. A mermaid style would look way better. "So one dress got ruined. Is it really that big of a deal?" I didn't answer. A second later, he pulled the curtain open and stepped inside. He zipped up the back of my dress and let out a quiet sigh. "It's just a dress. "Try to be a little more understanding. Don't make such a big deal out of it." Be more understanding. There it was again. When Gigi screwed up the guest list for our engagement party. When she got drunk at the party and hung all over Mason. When she showed up at my mom's hospital room without asking and brought mangoes that triggered her allergy. Every single time, Mason brushed it off with that same detached tone. "Gigi's new. She doesn't have much experience. Be more understanding." I shrugged off the arms he tried to wrap around me and let out a slow breath. "Can you leave?" Mason watched me for a few seconds. Then he nodded and walked out. "Take a minute to calm down. "I'm driving Gigi back. The office is far, and getting there on her own would be a hassle." After he left, I sank onto the fitting room couch. The strapless bodice was so tight I could barely breathe. Molly broke the silence. "What's going on with you two? You've spent a whole year planning this wedding. "What is he even thinking?" I looked down, running my fingers over the stiff fabric as my mind drifted back to the hospital a month ago. The doctors had said Mom probably wouldn't make it. She lay in the hospital bed with tears in her eyes. Chapter 2 "Daphne, the only thing I can't let go of is you. When I'm gone... I'm scared you won't be happy." As I stumbled, Mason caught me, then looked at my mom with quiet certainty. "Mrs. Devlin, I give you my word. I'll take care of Daphne." He rushed the wedding plans, telling everyone to move up the timeline. He even took time off work to handle everything himself. Back then, he'd held my face in his hands, his eyes warm and steady. "If your mom gets to see you married before she passes... if she can be there on your wedding day... she'll finally be at peace. "I'll make sure she sees you happy, Daphne. I promise." He kissed the corner of my mouth. The memory faded. So did the warmth, leaving behind nothing but bitterness. I had no idea what Mason was thinking. At this point, I didn't care. After I finalized the new dress with the sales associate, Molly and I grabbed a cab home. The first thing I saw when I walked in was our huge engagement portrait. The day we took those photos was Gigi's first day on the job. Apparently, they'd known each other since school. When she found out Mason was getting married, she'd eagerly offered to help. While carrying the framed portrait, she tripped and almost dropped it. I'd nearly had a heart attack. Mason didn't react. He just walked past me, looked at Gigi, and asked, "Did you twist your ankle?" Maybe that was the moment I stopped wanting the wedding for myself. The only reason I still planned to go through with it was for my mom's peace of mind. The fingerprint lock beeped, and the door clicked open. Footsteps came up behind me, stopping at my side. Mason studied our engagement photo for a moment. "This picture has a lot of flaws. "But your mom wasn't doing well then, so we had to rush the shoot." I stayed quiet, waiting for whatever came next. A second later, he looked at me. "Gigi's right. A wedding isn't something you rush. "The dresses you tried on today were nothing special. We should have one custom-made. "When it's ready in a month, we'll go over the rest of the wedding plans." A month. My mom didn't have a month. The breeze slipped through the open window as I answered, my voice eerily calm. "Mason Jablon, we're done. "I'm getting married next week." The room went dead silent. His face hardened. "Don't be ridiculous. "One week isn't enough. There's still a ton left to do. "The venue's booked. We've already gone over the schedule." I stared at him. "So what's left?" He frowned, finally realizing he couldn't brush me off this time. "Are your pre-wedding jitters really this bad? "If they are, I'll find you a therapist. You should—" "Next weekend. March ninth," I cut in. "The wedding's happening as planned." I pulled out my phone and opened the updated invitation design. Mason snatched it from my hand and slammed it onto the floor. "Enough! "I thought you only accepted my proposal because of your mom. "But now I get it. You're just desperate to get married." He took two sharp breaths, his voice turning cold. "I know you're getting older and in a rush. "But I'm not marrying you just because you're desperate." Mason stormed out, slamming the door so hard the whole apartment shook. The engagement photo, barely hanging on, crashed to the floor. Glass shattered around my feet. I crouched down and picked up my phone. The screen was spiderwebbed from where Mason had thrown it. A video call came in. Careful not to touch the cracked glass, I answered. Molly's voice came through right away. "I heard what happened. Mason hated the dress you picked and wants to have another one custom-made. There's no way the wedding can happen next week now. "But don't worry. If it's too hard for you to tell your mom, I'll do it for you." Chapter 3 As she talked, Molly pointed at her cheeks, motioning for me to smile. "Come on. You're about to marry the man you love most. "As your best friend, if you're happy, I'm all in." The jagged edge of the broken frame nicked my fingertip. A smear of blood streaked across the screen. I wiped it away and forced a small smile. "You don't have to tell my mom. The wedding's still happening next week. "I'll make sure I'm happy." After I hung up, a new message popped up. It was from the designer making the groom's custom tux. They hadn't been able to reach Mason and wanted to know when the groom could come in for his fitting. I replied: [No need to contact him. I'll send the new measurements later.] After that, I packed my things. The next morning, I left with my suitcase. At the hospital, I pulled myself together, forced a smile, and opened the door. "Mom." Her face lit up. "You're here." She squeezed my hands, smiling. "I was scared I wouldn't be strong enough to make it to your wedding. "But the doctors said I've been doing a little better these past few days. "I'll get to see you walk down the aisle." The last part came out in a whisper, like she was repeating the good news to herself. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tucked the blanket around her. The next second, the door flew open. Gigi stood in the doorway, pointing at my mom. "Mrs. Devlin, this is exactly why she keeps doing this! Do you know your daughter tried to force Mr. Jablon into marrying her?" My head started ringing. I stepped in front of my mom without thinking. "What are you talking about?" Gigi crossed her arms and looked down at me. "Isn't it true, Ms. Devlin? You ignored Mr. Jablon's feelings and decided the wedding date and schedule without him. If that's not forcing someone into marriage, what is? "That was unbelievably selfish." A smug smile tugged at Gigi's lips. Mason stood beside her without a word. His silence said everything. My mom's shaky voice came from behind me. "Pressured into marriage? What do you mean?" Gigi let out a mocking laugh. "Mrs. Devlin, if you're this sick, you really shouldn't be making your daughter carry all this. "Look at the mess you've caused. "I spent the whole night comforting Mr. Jablon before he finally calmed down." The color drained from my mom's face. She knew exactly what Gigi was getting at. Gigi smirked. "Then again, if Ms. Devlin would force a man into marriage, I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Smack! I stared her down as her head snapped to the side. "Get out." Mason pulled Gigi behind him without hesitation, his eyes turning ice-cold. "Have you lost it? "Was she wrong? Isn't your mom doing just fine now? "You used your mom's illness to manipulate me. You pushed me into this wedding step by step. Daphne Devlin... you've really outdone yourself." I looked at Mason. I didn't have the energy to argue anymore. I pulled out my phone, ready to call security. Then a heavy thud came from behind me. I whipped around. My mom had collapsed onto the floor. "Mom!" Tears ran down her face as she clenched her jaw. "Get out! "Don't you dare bully my daughter!" I dropped to my knees and pulled her into my arms. Her whole body was trembling. Her voice broke as she looked at Mason. "Mason... who is this woman? "Is this how you planned to protect Daphne after I'm gone? "Is this the promise you made me?" Mason froze. He stared at me for a long moment. Then he hesitated. "I'll marry you... just not now." Something inside me went still. I hit the nurse call button, then pulled the invitation I'd planned to give my mom from my bag. I placed it on the table in front of him. "That won't be necessary, Mason. "You're not the man I'm marrying."