Chapter 43
43
DORIE
I sat at the head table, sipping my champagne and doing my best not to look directly at him. It was like looking at the sun. If I looked at him, it would probably make me cry.
Kaisen stood at the front of the room, holding the microphone. His best man speech had started off light, with a few jokes about Cullen and their friendship, but then it took a turn I wasn’t expecting.
“My only real experience with love and marriage was my parents,” he said. “I think that’s probably true for most of us. I did not have a great example. It left a bitter taste in my mouth if I’m being honest. That is until I saw Cullen and Eliza together. They showed me what real love actually looks like. What it can mean. The joy. The support. The friendship.”
My chest tightened as he spoke, his voice raw with emotion.
“Cullen’s always been there for me,” Kaisen said, his eyes scanning the crowd before landing on me. “Even when I didn’t deserve it. He’s seen me at my worst, and he’s never given up on me. And I think that’s what real friendship is. It’s about showing up, even when it’s hard. Even when you don’t know what to say or how to fix things.”
I felt my throat tighten, my eyes burning with unshed tears. I tried to blink them away, but it was no use. Kaisen’s words were hitting too close to home. I was certain he was talking to me. I couldn’t stop the flood of emotions that washed over me listening to him talk about his feelings.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. I’ve pushed people away when I should’ve held on tighter. I’ve failed to see the good right in front of me, even when it was staring me in the face.”
His eyes locked on mine. I felt my breath catch in my throat. Was he talking about me? About us? My heart pounded in my chest as I held his gaze, my mind racing.
No way. He made it clear he didn’t want me.
“I didn’t think a love like what Cullen and Eliza share was something I’d ever experience,” Kaisen said, his voice softening. “But standing here today, seeing the way they look at each other… I get it now. Love isn’t about being perfect. It’s about choosing each other, every single day, even when it’s hard. Even when you’re scared. Congratulations to you both. Eliza and Cullen, you deserve all the happiness in this world.”
The room erupted into applause, but I barely heard it. My mind was spinning, my heart aching with a mix of hope and fear. Kaisen handed the microphone back to the DJ and returned to his seat at the head table. His eyes occasionally flicked to mine as the reception continued. I tried to focus on the conversation around me, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Kaisen’s words.
What did they mean? Was he trying to tell me something? Or was I reading too much into it? I didn’t know what to think, and the uncertainty was driving me crazy.
“That was a very, uh, pointed speech,” Eliza said as she nudged me with her elbow.
“Stop it.”
“We’re going to talk about things,” she said. “Not tonight, but when I get back from my honeymoon, I want to know what happened. And then I’ll decide if Cullen can still be friends with him.”
“I’m a big girl,” I assured her. “It’s fine. Not everything is meant to be a love story. You got lucky.”
“Yeah, I did.” She grinned.
“Yeah, yeah, way to rub it in,” I teased.
“Hey, I think I want to change into my dancing dress now,” Eliza said. “Will you help me? I don’t think I considered how uncomfortable it would be to sit in this cupcake or parade float.”
“Let’s go,” I said.
She leaned over and told her husband before we stood and excused ourselves from the table.
The moment we stepped into the bridal suite, Eliza let out a relieved sigh and immediately started tugging at the layers of her gown. “I swear, Dorie, if I have to sit in this thing for one more minute, I’m going to suffocate. Why did I think this was a good idea?”
I laughed, shaking my head as I helped her with the buttons on the back. “Because you looked like a princess in it. And you’re going to look amazing in your dancing dress too. Just wait.”
Eliza grinned as she stepped out of her wedding gown, carefully draping it over a chair before slipping into the second dress. It was a fitted, floor-length gown with a slit up the side, sparkling with subtle sequins that caught the light. She looked stunning.
“Okay,” she said, smoothing the fabric down. “This is way better. I can actually breathe.”
I adjusted the straps and made sure everything was in place. “You look incredible. Cullen is going to want to take you straight to your honeymoon suite and skip all the dancing and cake.”
Eliza smiled at that. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d probably still be stuck in that cupcake dress.”
She giggled and shook her head. “Let’s go. I’m starving. Although I don’t know how much I’m going to be able to eat while in this dress.”
“Just a couple of hours,” I said. “Then you won’t have to wear anything at all.”
She waggled her eyebrows. “I know.”
We walked back to the hall together just as they were serving the meal. I picked at my dinner, my fork pushing the food around my plate more than actually eating it. My stomach was in knots, and every time I glanced up, I could feel Kaisen’s presence like a magnetic force pulling at me. It was so strange to be this close to him but yet feel like we were miles apart.
I kept my eyes fixed on my plate, pretending to be engrossed in the roasted vegetables that were growing colder by the minute. Eliza was chatting animatedly with Cullen next to me. I forced a smile when she glanced my way, not wanting to dampen her mood on her big day.
“Dorie,” Eliza said suddenly, her voice cutting through the haze of my thoughts. “You’ve barely touched your food. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I lied, nodding a little too emphatically. “Just not that hungry.”
She raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but before she could press further, Cullen leaned in to whisper something in her ear, and she turned her attention back to him with a grin. I exhaled quietly, relieved for the distraction.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Kaisen leaning back in his chair, his bowtie loosened just enough to give him that effortlessly disheveled look he always seemed to pull off. He was talking to someone at his end of the table.
After dinner was cleared, I decided to check on the cake. It was my masterpiece, after all, and I wanted to make sure everything was perfect. The photographer had already snapped what seemed like a hundred pictures.
As I approached the dessert table, I was greeted by a chorus of compliments. People fawned over the cake, marveling at the intricate details.
“Thank you.” I smiled.
“You’re Eliza’s twin?” a woman asked.
I knew it was hard for people to believe we were twins. We looked nothing alike. “I am.”
“She mentioned her sister was making her cake. Honestly, I was expecting… well certainly not this. Are you in New York? My parents are celebrating their anniversary soon, and I would love to splurge on a cake.”
“I’m here,” I said. “Cape May. Sorry.”
“Bummer. This is truly beautiful.”
I smiled and thanked them, but my heart wasn’t in it. My mind was still stuck on Kaisen’s speech, on the way he’d looked at me, on the words he’d said.
“Dorie, right?” a voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned to see one of Cullen’s coworkers standing beside me, a friendly smile on his face. “I’m Matt. I just wanted to say, this cake is incredible. You’re really talented.”
“Thanks,” I said, forcing a smile. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it? I love it,” he said, his grin widening. “So, uh, do you dance?”
I blinked, caught off guard by the question. “Dance?”
“Yeah,” he said, gesturing to the dance floor. “I was wondering if you’d like to dance with me. You know, if you’re not too busy.”
I hesitated, glancing around the room. My eyes landed on Kaisen, who was still sitting at the head table. For a brief moment, I thought about saying no, about finding an excuse to stay where I was. But then I remembered the way he shattered my heart and made it clear he wanted nothing to do with me. Maybe dancing with someone else would help me clear my head.
“Sure,” I said, turning back to Matt. “I’d love to.”
He grinned, offering me his hand. I took it, letting him lead me to the dance floor. The song was a little trite—Beyonce singing about putting a ring on it. I was almost certain this was on Eliza’s Do Not Play List. But whatever. It was upbeat and fun. I was never going to be called a good dancer, but I could muddle through.
And then it switched to a slow song. My thought was to turn and run, but Matt pulled me into his arms. “One more dance,” he said.
I felt a pang of guilt. He was nice, and he was clearly trying to flirt with me, but my heart wasn’t in it. My mind kept drifting back to Kaisen.
“Sure,” I replied.
“So, how long have you been baking?” Matt asked as we swayed to the slow melody.
“Since I was a kid,” I said, forcing a smile. “It started with my grandma. She taught me everything I know.”
“That’s awesome,” he said, nodding. “It’s like having a piece of her with you every time you bake, huh?”
I blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. “Yeah,” I murmured. “It is.”
Matt chuckled softly. “You’re really good at it, too. I mean, that cake? It’s like art. You could probably start your own show or something. I can’t wait to taste it, and I can honestly say I have never said that about any cake. I come from a big family. Lots of birthdays and weddings. I kind of hate cake, but I can’t wait to dig in.”
I laughed. “Thanks. I don’t know about a show, though. I think I’d rather just keep it small for now.”
“Fair enough,” he said, his gaze lingering on me. “Sometimes small is better. Less pressure.”
I glanced over Matt’s shoulder, scanning the crowd for Kaisen. I didn’t know what I was hoping for—maybe that he’d step in and ask me to dance. He wasn’t at the table, and I didn’t see him dancing anywhere.
My stomach twisted with disappointment. I forced myself to focus on the present, on the man in front of me. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was in the wrong place with the wrong person. And that sucked because Matt seemed like a really nice guy, and he was very attractive.
I was ruined. Kaisen ruined me.