Free Remembering Everly (Lost & Found #2) by J. L. Berg Page B

hospital.”
    My words seemed to cease all further discussion as she wrapped her arms tightly around me and just nodded, saying, “Okay, okay…”
    It was the first time I’d felt the touch of another human in months. My arms slid around her waist and I held on to her like a lifeline, letting her compassionate spirit breathe life into my tired body.
    For the first time in ages, I didn’t feel alone, and that scared me more than anything.
    My eyes slid closed and I saw Everly walking away, her arms wrapped around Ryan.
    Magnolia’s hold on me tightened.
    It really was over.

Chapter Seven
    Everly
    I was getting married in two weeks.
    In fourteen days, my name would change.
    My life would change.
    It was the beginning of the end of a very long chapter of my life. Soon I would be Mrs. Everly Sparrow. Everly Adams would be gone, and I secretly wondered if a part of me would be gone with her.
    “Are you ready?” Sarah hollered as she flew through the door of my apartment, a flurry of activity. She was dressed fairly conservatively today, a change from her usual vibrant look. She wore a modest plum-colored A-line dress and nude peep-toe heels adorned her feet. She’d pulled her hair into a neat, sophisticated little braid gathered at the side of her head. It was almost startling—seeing the difference the lack of color and accessories did to her striking frame.
    “Are we going to a funeral or a bridal shower?” I asked as I grabbed the sweater I’d laid out on the sofa beside my purse and keys.
    “What?” She looked down at her attire before sticking out her tongue in my direction. “I just wanted to look nice in front of all of Ryan’s mother’s friends,” she admitted, snatching my keys from my hand and shoving them deep in my purse. “It’s your day. I’m driving.”
    I gave her a smug grin as tiny butterflies came to life in my stomach at the mere mention of the wedding day. “Well, it’s not actually—my day, you know.”
    “Shut up and let me drive. I’m trying to be nice.”
    “Okay,” I laughed.
    “Hey, where’s the groom-to-be?” she asked as we headed out the door toward the elevator. I caught her admiring my dress, and I mentally patted myself on the back for my shopping success. It was the first time I’d bought anything full price since my days living at the cliffs. When I went into a store, I normally headed straight for the clearance rack and did all of my decision-making there. If I couldn’t find something I liked, I went on to another store and so on. It was exhausting, but I was frugal and had a secret obsession with those little red stickers boasting a new, lower price.
    Today, I’d just wanted to look nice. Ryan’s mother had flown in two weeks early for this specific event and I had to make a good impression on my future mother-in-law.
    In my mind, clearance items just didn’t do that moment justice.
    “He went out paint-balling with a couple of guys from work. He thought it would be good to stay as far away from the female ritual as possible, just in case someone decided to rope him into it.”
    She nodded, a grin forming across her face. “Smart man. Now he’ll be covered in neon colored paint and sweaty. Totally gross—no one will come near him.”
    “That was his plan.”
    “Have you seen his mother since she arrived?” she asked as we made our way to her car, parked across the street. I caught my reflection in the window of her little yellow beetle and smiled. The light dusty blue fabric I wore matched my eyes perfectly and thankfully didn’t clash with the vibrant color of my hair.
    Having such a unique hair color was great, most of the time…until you went to the store and realized the hot new color for the season was hot pink, and your flaming ginger hair looked hideous against anything even remotely pink.
    “No. She flew in yesterday while I was at work, and Ryan picked her up and helped her get settled at her hotel, but she was so tired from jet lag that