Chapter 10 #2
“Shut up,” Elena said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth even as she shook her head 'no.' She tried to fight it, but within seconds, a soft, amused laugh escaped her breath, joining his across the water.
From farther across the lake, a small safety boat had already begun heading toward them.
Good. At least someone here was competent.
“You realize,” Elena said while floating beside him, “Will is never letting this go.”
“No,” Carter agreed calmly. “We’re definitely becoming part of Aaron’s wedding speech now.”
They laughed freely together for the first time, caught completely by surprise.
But as their eyes met, the laughter was forgotten, and the memory of that almost-kiss was instantly brought back.
They looked away at the exact same time, a sudden heat blooming across Elena’s cheeks—a flush born from the lingering spark between them rather than the sting of the icy lake water.
Just like that, the tension returned, settling over them like a quiet blanket, but it was lighter now, softened by the shared water and the ghost of a smile.
The safety boat reached them a few minutes later.
By the time Elena climbed back onto the dock soaked to the bone, half the wedding guests were pretending very badly not to stare.
Maya and the Harrington brothers looked one second away from cardiac arrest from trying not to laugh.
William simply removed his sunglasses and pinched the bridge of his nose like a man reconsidering every decision in his life.
The sight looked so dramatic, big strong man with blonde hair doing that. Elena would have mocked him if she wasn't herself embarrassed.
Beside her, Carter climbed onto the dock, also dripping wet and entirely too calm for someone responsible for ninety percent of her current emotional instability.
Elena refused to look at him.
Which became significantly harder when she felt his hand briefly steady against her lower back as she slipped slightly on the wet wood.
The touch lasted less than a second.
Still—
somehow it felt riskier than falling into the lake itself.
***
The cabin was quiet by the time Elena gave up pretending she might eventually fall asleep. Outside the large windows, Lake Tahoe had turned dark and silver beneath the moonlight while the distant wedding festivities had long faded into silence.
1:37 a.m.
Elena sighed softly and pushed the blankets away before sitting up. Sleeping was clearly not happening tonight. Not after the sailing disaster. Not after Carter.
Again.
To distract her brain, she glanced at her phone.
At least her work life wasn't a total shipwreck.
Her latest campaign for Waldorf Fashions was absolutely crushing it, and sales numbers were climbing by the hour.
She had to admit, Carter was annoyingly good at what he did.
His strategy had played a huge part in making the brand look this good.
She really should thank him for that later. Professionally, of course.
In fact, floating in a freezing lake earlier had made her realize something: this whole childish feud was exhausting. It was time to put the past away and finally act like adults.
The rumbling noise in her stomach made her realize that all this deep, dramatic thinking was actually just severe hunger.
Romance and grudges were great, but right now, a grilled cheese sandwich sounded way more important.
She tiptoed down the dark hallway, guided entirely by the hope of finding snacks.
Feeling a sudden burst of midnight resolve, she slipped out of bed and pulled on an oversized cream sweater over her silk shorts.
Her hair fell loose around her shoulders, slightly messy from tossing and turning.
After a moment of hesitation, she quietly left the cabin before she could overthink it.
The night air felt cool against her skin. The resort pathways glowed softly beneath warm lantern lights, and everything felt completely still. Peaceful. Exactly what Elena needed.
She wandered toward the main lodge kitchen. Earlier, Ivy had mentioned the staff left desserts out overnight for guests who were too emotional after weddings. Frankly, Elena qualified.
The kitchen was softly lit and smelled amazing—like coffee and fresh bread.
And unfortunately—it wasn't empty.
Carter was leaning against the marble counter, looking entirely too comfortable in dark gray sweatpants and a black shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his forearms. His hair was slightly damp, and he held a mug in one hand.
Of course he was here.
Elena stopped in her tracks. Carter looked up, and for one second, neither of them moved.
Elena turned to face the door. “Sorry. I’ll come back later.”
“Wait.” His voice was calmer than usual. When she looked back, he had straightened up. “Don’t leave because of me. I’ll go.”
Elena hesitated, then shook her head. “It’s alright.”
An awkward silence settled between them after that. It wasn't hostile anymore, which somehow made it feel almost worse.
Carter moved aside slightly as Elena walked toward the counter, her entire body on high alert. She didn't look directly at him, but she was intensely aware of exactly where he was standing.
She focused entirely on the food display, scanning for the fastest exit strategy. A grilled sandwich would take way too long to cook. Instead, she grabbed a clear plastic container and quickly loaded it up with two giant chocolate chunk cookies and a massive slice of red velvet cake. Perfect.
Unfortunately, her brain was completely refusing to cooperate with her escape plan.
Because now that she was close to him, Carter smelled exactly like himself again. Amber and soap. It was the exact scent memory her brain absolutely did not need revived at nearly two in the morning.
Neither spoke for a long, agonizing moment.
Then finally, Carter broke the ice. “I think my internal thermostat is permanently broken after that splash. How are you not shivering?”
“Oh,” she said, looking back at him over her shoulder. “I am. I’m just letting the embarrassment keep me warm.”
A genuine smile tugged at his lips.
Elena snapped her container shut. She picked it up and turned toward the doorway, ready to run, when Carter spoke.
“Wait.”
When she turned back, he looked strangely careful. Like someone trying not to approach a frightened animal too quickly.
“I’m not here to make your life harder, Elena,” he said quietly. “I mean that.”
She didn’t respond. For once, she actually let him speak.
Carter looked down at his mug. “I know I’m the last person you trust.” A small, sad smile touched his lips. “After the way I left… I get it. I deserve it.”
Elena gripped her midnight snacks a little tighter.
“But I meant what I said about Waldorf Fashions,” he said, his eyes locking onto hers. “Your work is good, Elena. You’re brilliant.”
A strange feeling twisted in her chest.
“I didn’t invest because of the data or the numbers,” Carter added softly. “I invested because I believe in you.”
Elena just stared. He sounded so completely sincere that it actually hurt. A dangerous fifty percent of her heart believed him right away, even if the rest of her was still too hesitant to admit it.
Carter looked away first this time, rubbing his thumb lightly against the side of his mug. “Anyway,” he said, his tone turning gentler, “it’s late. Let me walk you back.”
Elena should have refused. Instead, she found herself nodding once.
The walk to the cabins was short and quiet. Their footsteps moved softly along the lantern-lit pathways while the cool lake air drifted through the trees. Neither of them spoke, but the silence no longer felt sharp. It felt careful. Like standing too close to something fragile.
By the time they reached her steps, Elena’s heart was beating slightly harder, though she didn’t want to admit why.
“Well,” she said softly, stopping by the door. “Goodnight.”
Carter nodded, but neither of them actually moved.
After a brief pause, he spoke again. “I really am sorry,” he said quietly. “For the way I handled things back then. You deserved a lot better than that.”
The raw honesty in his voice made something ache unexpectedly inside her chest.
Carter gave a small shake of his head. “You don’t owe me anything. But… I was hoping maybe we could at least try being coworkers, maybe.”
Elena smiled faintly at that. Not because the word fit, but because hearing him say it felt strangely sad.
“Okay,” she said softly.
For a second, Carter looked almost relieved. Then he smiled too. “Goodnight, Elena.”
“Goodnight.”
She stood on the porch and watched him walk away down the lantern-lit path until the darkness swallowed him up.
Today, for the first time in years, she hadn't seen the arrogant, cocky businessman who had taken over her company's board meetings.
Instead, she had caught a fleeting glimpse of the boy she loved in college—the sweet, attentive guy with the puppy-dog eyes who used to stay up until 3:00 a.m. helping her sketch dress designs, bringing her cold Thai takeout and rubbing her shoulders without asking for anything in return.
Which only made her mind spin with the one question she couldn't answer: how did that sweet college boy turn into the man who broke her heart ruthlessly, and what exactly went wrong back then?