Chapter 8
Elena
As the sun set, the whole resort reflected the warm, cheerful chaos of Aaron and Ivy’s wedding festivities.
Lanterns hung from the pine trees in glowing clusters of gold, their reflections trembling softly over the lake beyond the lawn.
Long dinner tables stretched beneath the trees dressed in ivory linen and overflowing with white roses, candles, and crystal glasses that caught the light every few seconds like tiny flashes of fire.
Waiters moved easily through the crowd carrying silver trays filled with champagne coupes and elegant cocktails jeweled with slices of blood orange, rosemary sprigs, and frozen blackberries.
The cool evening breeze smelled faintly of cedar smoke, delicious food, and the lake water nearby.
The whole lawn was a vibe. Music was drifting through the air, mixed with the loud, happy chatter of people crowding around the fire pits. Beautiful women in silk gowns were fighting a losing battle with their shawls, and men were posing in their fancy jackets.
Walking down from the cabin, Elena actually had to stop for a second just to stare.
"This is it. This is officially the most gorgeous wedding ever," Elena said. "Even counting mine."
Maya didn't even hesitate. "To be fair, Elena, your wedding looked like a royal coronation. This one actually feels like a party.”
Elena laughed softly as Maya claimed a bar stool. Maya looked like an absolute movie star tonight—her gold dress was shimmering, and between her pale skin and bright red hair, she was basically a walking candle commercial.
“Give me a smoked rosemary bourbon sour,” Maya ordered confidently.
“You literally cannot just order a normal drink, can you?” Elena muttered. “Always gotta go for the high drama.”
“If my drink doesn't look slightly dangerous, Elena, I don't want it.”
Elena just shook her head, smiling and ordered a cucumber gin spritz. She looked pretty great herself—her pale green dress caught the breeze, making her blonde hair and glossy lips pop under the lantern light.
Near the center of the lawn, the wedding families were doing the classic mingle. Aaron’s mother, a stunning English woman in a cream silk gown, sat with her latest husband—Mr. Thomas. Right next to them, Ivy looked delicate and totally glowing in blush pink.
A few feet away, Aaron was talking to an older woman who had to be Ivy’s mom—they had the exact same eyes.
But the poor woman looked painfully uncomfortable.
She was stiff and twitchy, like she felt one wrong move would ruin the whole wedding.
Luckily, Aaron was being incredibly sweet and handling it perfectly.
While Aaron’s mother was holding court in her designer gown and grape-sized emeralds around her neck, Ivy’s mom looked like she was trying to blend into the scenery.
Elena noticed she was wearing a pair of modest, sensible heels that were sinking straight into the expensive grass, making her stand there stiff as a board.
Aaron noticed too. Without making a scene, he offered her his arm, guided her over to a plush patio chair, and sat right down on the stone ledge next to her so she wouldn’t feel isolated.
He didn't care about looking important; he just wanted his future mother-in-law to feel safe.
Elena couldn't help but smile as she watched them. It was a total class-act move on his part, and it made her happy to know that Ivy was marrying someone who actually looked out for people like that.
***
Elena wandered further down toward the water following Maya, the music from the reception fading into the background. She swirled her gin spritz, watching the newlyweds from afar.
“It’s actually terrifying how well they hid it,” Elena said. “They went from zero to married so fast my head is still spinning.”
“Don't let them fool you, there was no zero,” Maya said, leaning against a wooden post.
“They’ve been operating on a secret romantic frequency for years. We were just tuned into the wrong station.”
“You’re right,” Elena realized. “Remember at that beach trip when Ivy got that terrible sunburn, and Aaron spent the entire night quietly hunting down a 24-hour pharmacy for aloe vera, but then handed it to her like, ‘Oh, found this in the glove box’?”
Maya laughed into her drink. “And remember how Ivy always managed to cook his favorite childhood meals whenever he had a bad week at Aurelia? She’d be like, 'Oh, I just had leftover pot roast, what a coincidence.' Right. A coincidence that takes six hours to slow-cook.”
“We really missed all the signs,” Elena muttered.
“Because we trusted them, Elena. A fatal mistake,” Maya joked.
Elena smiled, looking back at the lawn. Now that she knew, it was so obvious.
It was the way Aaron always automatically took the heaviest bags from Ivy’s hands without a word, and how Ivy always instinctively leaned into his space whenever they stood in a crowd.
They had been a couple long before they ever made it official.
The sound of high-pitched giggling pulled Elena’s eyes toward the shore.
Over by the fire pits, a pack of girls had cornered Carter. He looked handsome as always in his black suit, smiling smoothly while they all practically drooled over him.
An unpleasant knot tightened in Elena’s stomach before she could even process it.
“Do you want me to throw my drink in his smug face?” Maya offered casually, tracking Elena’s gaze.
Elena let out a startled laugh. “No! No, it’s fine, Maya.”
Though honestly? A tiny part of her actually wanted to see it happen.
Maya wiggled her eyebrows, somehow managing to execute flawless air quotes despite the drink in her hand. “I’m just saying, it would be incredibly easy for me to 'accidentally' trip and launch this bourbon all over him.”
Elena smiled into her drink. God, she loved Maya. Their friend Will would have already given her a three-step lecture on emotional maturity, but Maya was ready to commit a social crime for her.
“As tempting as that is, no,” Elena said. “If he wants to act completely unfazed, I can play that game too. Plus, I have to work with the guy for God knows how long. So I'm taking the professional route.”
“Fine. We’ll do the healthy, mature thing,” Maya sighed, though she didn't look thrilled about it. Then she brightened, nudging Elena’s shoulder.
“Besides, look around. This place is packed with ridiculously eligible bachelors. Between the Archibald cousins and the guys from Aurelia? Trust me, half of them used to have massive crushes on you. They’re probably thrilled you’re single again. ”
Single.
Elena let the word sit there for a second. It still felt clunky and unfamiliar. She definitely wasn’t ready to dive into a relationship, but flirting? Chatting? Just having a good time without overthinking it?
Yeah, she could do that.