Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Sienna
The nail salon at the resort is one of those perfect little pockets of calm—soft lighting, gentle music, and the faint scent of lavender and acetone mixing with the ocean breeze drifting through the open windows.
We’re all here: me, Aria, Claire, a couple of the other bridesmaids, Mom, and Lillian. It’s the perfect pre-wedding girls’ morning with mani-pedis, gossip, champagne, and a much-needed break from the chaos of what the last couple of days have been.
I’m in the pedicure chair, feet soaking in warm water, trying to relax as the technician gently massages my calves. My mind keeps drifting back to last night, when Milo was doing the same thing… only things escalated way more between us. My stomach does a little flip just thinking about it.
I shift in my chair, pressing my thighs together. Get it together, Sienna.
Aria, in the chair next to me, is already in full wedding mode, flipping through her tablet to review last-minute details. “Okay, the reception playlist is locked in, but I’m still worried about the cake. What if the filling is too sweet? Ethan hates overly sweet things.”
Claire laughs from across the room, her hands under the UV lamp. “Girl, stop stressing. You’re going to drive yourself crazy before tomorrow and break out.”
Mom smiles warmly from my other side. “Everything is going to be beautiful, sweetheart. You and Ethan have planned the loveliest wedding. Just enjoy these last moments before tomorrow. You deserve it.”
Lillian nods, her own nails being filed. “Your mother’s right. Stop panicking. The day is going to be perfect.”
“I think it’s just the nerves talking,” Aria lets out a breathy laugh. “I don’t know why I’m so anxious.”
“It’s natural to be nervous,” I say, leaning across to squeeze her hand. “But you’re happy, and that’s all that matters.”
She smiles softly, squeezing my fingers in return. “I am happy. So fucking happy that I’m seconds away from crying.”
“Don’t cry,” I plead, already feeling my eyes well up. “You’ll make me cry, and then you’ll make Mom cry, and then the salon will turn into a huge crying fest.”
She fans her eyes with her free hand, laughing. “I’m not crying.”
“You totally are.” I tease, which earns me a playful smack on the hand.
“I’m not,” she denies. “Also. You deserve to feel this happy too, you know that, right, Sienna? Because this last week, seeing you with Milo, I haven’t seen you smile that much in, well… ever.”
Lillian, now finished with her manicure, sits on Aria’s other side and leans in to look at me. “She’s not wrong, Sienna. In all the years I’ve known Milo, I’ve never seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you. You’re something special to him. And you both live in New York. It’s fate.”
Aria had said that once before, too, that its fate that both of us live in New York.
I feel my cheeks warm, but I focus on my French-tip manicure, subtly deflecting attention. “It’s not fate. We’re just having fun. The island makes everything feel… heightened. It’s been nice, for once, not feeling pressured by feelings or emotions.”
Aria, however, isn’t letting it go that easily. She turns in her chair, eyes narrowing playfully. “Nice? Sienna, you’ve been smiling like a fool since he came into your life. And don’t think I didn’t notice that ring you’re still wearing.”
My heart stutters. I glance down at my left hand to see the diamond ring from the fake proposal days ago still on my finger. I hadn’t even realized I was still wearing it… like it was natural. Like it belonged there.
“Oh,” I say, forcing a laugh as I quickly twist it off. “I forgot about that. It was just part of the dare.”
I slide the ring into my bag, tucking it carefully into the inner zip pocket to keep it safe. The girls laugh, but Aria’s gaze lingers on me a moment longer, soft and knowing.
“You kept it.” She says quietly.
I shrug, trying to play it cool even as my heart thuds. “It’s silly, right? How did I not realize I was still wearing it? Something that big and beautiful—I’m sure I would’ve noticed.”
Mom reaches over and squeezes my hand. “It’s not silly at all, honey. Sometimes the silly things are the ones that mean the most. You’ll understand that more once your brain isn’t scrambled.”
Looking at her with furrowed brows, I open my mouth to respond when my phone buzzes in my bag. Once. Twice. Three times. I discreetly fish it out and glance at the screen to see a string of messages from Milo.
Milo:
How much longer are you going to be? Ethan is driving me insane. He keeps asking me whether Aria will like his tie. I told him she’s marrying him, not the tie. He’s still panicking.
We’re at the pool, by the way. Come find me when you’re done. I miss your laugh.
Also… I keep thinking about this morning. The way you felt in my arms as I fed you. The way your lips tasted like pineapple when I kissed you goodbye.
Heat rushes to my face. I bite my lip, reading the last message twice. The memory of his hands sliding up my thighs, his mouth on me, the low growl in his voice when he called me his girl. It makes my thighs press together.
Lillian notices my flushed cheeks immediately. “Ooh, who’s texting you? Your face just went full tomato.”
Aria leans over, trying to peek. “Is it Milo? Tell us everything.”
I tuck the phone away quickly, cheeks still burning. “It’s nothing. Just… checking in.”
“Checking in,” Aria repeats with a knowing grin. “That blush says it’s a lot more than checking in.”
I steer the conversation as best I can. “What time are we all meeting tonight?” I ask. The girls are having a sleepover at Aria’s villa before tomorrow’s wedding, and she’s practically bouncing in her chair at the mention of it.
She goes on with a giggle, saying how excited she is for tonight and that there’s not going to be much drinking because she doesn’t want to say “I do” hungover. She’s going to limit us to one… maybe two bottles of wine. Yeah right.
When the technician finally finishes my toes, I admire the soft blue polish. They match the dress I’m wearing tomorrow. And they’re also going to go perfectly with the heels Milo got me.
As everyone finishes with their manicures and pedicures, they start going their separate ways and Aria and I head toward the pool area. She falls into step beside me and loops her arm through mine.
“You know you can talk to me, right?” she says softly. “About Milo… about whatever this is turning into with him.”
I nod, leaning my head against her shoulder. “I know. It’s… new. Scary new. But the good kind of scary. Like butterflies that won’t settle down no matter how many times I tell them to chill.”
She smiles. “Good scary is my favorite kind. Especially when it’s with someone who looks at you the way he does. I saw you two last night… sneaking away from everyone like the rest of the world didn’t exist.”
I bite my lip, my heart doing that stupid, traitorous flutter again. “It feels real,” I admit in a quiet voice. “That’s what scares me, Aria. I’ve never let anyone get this close before. What if I mess it up? What if the vacation glow fades and he realizes I’m too loud, too chaotic, too… much?”
Aria stops walking and turns to face me fully. Her hands rest gently on my shoulders, giving them a soft squeeze. I lift my head to look up at her and bite the side of my cheek.
“Hey. You’re not too much,” she says firmly.
“You’re exactly you—loud, chaotic, brilliant, restless, and completely unstoppable.
He sees all of that and still looks at you like you’re the best part of his day.
Do you understand how rare that is, Sienna?
Please don’t run from it just because it feels big. ”
I swallow hard, my eyes stinging. “I don’t want to run,” I whisper. “For the first time… I really don’t.”
She pulls me into a tight hug. “Then don’t. Let it be big. Let it be scary. Let it be beautiful. I’ll be here either way. And if he hurts you…” She squeezes me tighter, her voice turning playfully fierce. “I’ll kill him and hide his body. Sister’s promise.”
I laugh into her shoulder, the tension easing out of me like a sigh. “Sister promise.”
We start walking again, arms still linked. The afternoon sun is warm on our skin, and with every step, the butterflies in my stomach multiply because I already know I’m going to smile like an idiot the second I see him.