“Me.”
Claire recognized Iris’s voice and stood up.
“Me who?” Delilah said.
“Iris.”
“Prove it.”
Claire cracked a smile and opened the door into the bedroom an inch, just to make sure Delilah was robed—she was, and sat on the end of the bed scrolling lazily through her phone—and then went to let Iris in. She was thankful for the distraction in the form of her best friend, her voice of reason when it came to Delilah Green.
“Hey,” Iris said with her own fluffy robe in place, her red hair piled on top of her head just like Claire’s. She glared at Delilah. “Are you always like this?”
Delilah looked up. “Define this.”
“Annoying bitch?”
“Iris,” Claire said.
Delilah’s smile was beatific. “For you, I put my best foot forward.”
Iris sighed and popped her hands onto her hips. “Fine. Whatever, I’m sorry. So what’s the plan?”
“Plan?” Delilah asked.
“Yes, plan,” Iris said.
“To . . . get massages and a mud mask?” Delilah said.
Iris shook her head. “To dethrone lover boy.”
A pit opened up in Claire’s stomach. Last night, she and Iris had definitely decided that they needed to get serious about Astrid and Spencer. But the decision had been alcohol-induced, fueled by witnessing his covert dickishness and empowered by seeing Delilah haul him into the river. Actually doing something about it in the sober light of day, essentially ruining their best friend’s wedding, was a whole other matter.
Claire pressed her hands to her stomach. “Iris—”
“Oh no,” Iris said, pointing at her. “Oh hell no. You are not backing out now. You’re the one who said we couldn’t let her marry him.”
“I’m not backing out. I’m just . . . thinking.”
“You’re backing out. Even Delilah can see he’s a ghastly excuse for a human being.”
Delilah tapped her chin. “I’m going to choose to take that as a compliment.”
“Choose away,” Iris said, but then continued staring at Delilah. “Will you help us?”
“Help you get rid of Spencer?”
“Not get rid,” Claire said. “Just . . . maybe—”
“Yes. Get rid,” Iris said. “Our darling Claire here is too kindhearted.”
“Get rid sounds so violent,” Claire said. “We just need to talk to Astrid.”
“And three is better than two,” Iris said. “After last night, I like your style.”
Delilah flashed a grin at that but then grew serious. “What do you plan on doing? Tossing Astrid in a river?”
“Of course not,” Iris said.
“Oh, I know,” Delilah said, clasping her hands together under her chin and fluttering her lashes dramatically. “Sit her down for a nice heart-to-heart and convince her that her true love is still out there somewhere over the rainbow.”
Claire and Iris looked at each other. This wasn’t exactly what they planned on doing, but it was close.
“Do you have a better idea?” Iris asked.
Delilah looked at them both for a few seconds before answering. “Maybe I do.”
Iris stared at her. “Care to share, oh wise one?”
Delilah sucked her teeth. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Which means you’ve already thought about this,” Iris said, lighting up like a firework. “You have, haven’t you?”
Delilah waved a nonchalant hand. “Why would I care who Astrid marries?”
“Trust me, I know you don’t care,” Iris said spitefully, and Delilah lifted a brow.
“Okay, enough,” Claire said, then looked at Delilah. She could’ve sworn the other woman’s gaze softened. “Look, we do want to talk to Astrid about this. We just don’t know how.”
“Aren’t you two supposed to know her better than anyone?” Delilah said.
“Yes. We do.” Claire grappled for the right words. “But Astrid’s . . . complex. She doesn’t open up easily, even to us.” She looked at Iris. “Remember when she had a crush on Toby McIntosh for all of tenth grade? She didn’t even admit it until graduation.”
“I remember,” Iris said.
“You don’t have to do anything,” Claire said to Delilah. “But, if you think of any ideas . . .”
Delilah stared at her for a second, Claire’s heart in her throat. Finally, the other woman released a huge sigh. “Fine. Jesus. But if you’re going to do this, you have to be careful about it. Astrid would have to be completely convinced that he’s wrong for her, not just mad at him over something you say he did. It has to come from her.”