Chapter 13
Elena
The Day of wedding had finally arrived.
The ceremony was set on a manicured lawn overlooking the Lake.
Rows of white chairs faced the water, their aisles lined with ivory roses and pale blush flowers.
The replacement flowers she had found last minute, Elena noted with private satisfaction.
And judging by the smile on Mrs.Thomas's face as she greeted guests, she was happy.
Beyond them, the lake stretched endlessly beneath the summer sun, framed by towering pine trees and distant mountains.
It was beautiful.
Beautiful in the way that made people fall quiet the moment they arrived.
Guests filtered into their seats while a string quartet played softly beneath the trees. The air smelled faintly of fresh flowers and pine.
Elena stood with Maya and the other bridesmaids smoothing a wrinkle from her lavender silk dress as she watched the crowd settle.
Aaron was already waiting beneath the floral arch.
He looked composed at first glance.
At second glance, not so much.
His shoulders were stiff enough to snap. One hand kept adjusting the cuff of his jacket every thirty seconds. He'd checked his watch four times in the last three minutes.
"Aaron," William murmured from beside him.
Aaron didn't look away from the aisle.
"What?"
"If you stare any harder, she's not going to appear faster."
Aaron finally turned.
William said something else under his breath.
Aaron rolled his eyes and muttered a response that made Nick laugh from the front row.
Elena smiled.
Poor man.
For someone who negotiated million-dollar contracts without blinking, he looked alarmingly close to passing out.
Then the music changed and the conversations died instantly.
Every head turned toward the aisle. And for a moment, the entire ceremony seemed to hold its breath.
As the bride appeared at the end of the path, a collective sigh seemed to ripple through the crowd.
Ivy looked radiant.
The gown was elegant rather than dramatic, layers of soft ivory silk moving around her as she walked. Tiny pearls were woven into her veil, catching the sunlight whenever she moved. It was a Waldorf wedding gown designed especially for her.
Dad would have been so proud. He lived for these moments. His motto was– “She will live the moment; my only duty is to ensure she remains timeless in it.”
Elena made a mental note to give a bonus to the designers and staff behind Ivy’s stunning wedding dress.
But what Elena remembered later wasn't the dress.
It was Aaron.
Because the second he saw Ivy, everything changed.
The nervous fidgeting stopped.
The tension disappeared from his shoulders.
His entire face softened.
Like someone had finally let him breathe again.
For a few seconds, he simply stared at her.
Completely mesmerized.
Then his eyes filled with tears.
"Oh my God," Maya whispered beside Elena.
Elena fought a laugh.
"Told you."
"I knew it," Nick muttered from somewhere nearby.
Aaron immediately cleared his throat.
Then wiped at his eyes with all the subtlety of a man pretending very hard he wasn't crying.
William looked delighted.
Aaron looked ready to fire his best man.
Ivy, meanwhile, seemed completely focused on not tripping over her own dress as Mrs. Owens– her mother walked her down the aisle.
Honestly she looked like a pretty doll with expression.
The one that said if I look down for even one second, I'm going to end up face-first in front of two hundred guests.
By the time Ivy finally reached the altar, Aaron looked like he'd forgotten every word in the English language.
The ceremony itself passed in a blur of vows, promises, and occasional laughter from the guests.
Elena found herself smiling more than once.
Not because the officiant was particularly funny.
But because every time she glanced at Aaron, he looked like he couldn't quite believe Ivy was standing there.
And every time Aaron said something sincere, Ivy's ears turned pink.
Neither of them seemed to notice everyone watching.
Aww. These two dorks were so adorable.
By the time they exchanged rings, both mothers were in tears—Mrs. Thomas dabbing her eyes with an embroidered handkerchief, while Mrs. Owens wept quietly beside her.
Several guests weren't far behind.
The officiant smiled warmly as he looked between them.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Applause broke out before he could even finish the sentence.
Aaron didn't waste a second. He pulled Ivy toward him and kissed her.
Cheers echoed across the lawn.
The Harrington brothers wolf-whistled.
Mrs. Thomas cried harder.
And somewhere behind Elena, Maya sighed dramatically.
"About time."
Honestly?
Elena couldn't disagree.
*****
The reception was in full swing by the time the newlyweds finished their first dance.
The dance floor that had belonged to Aaron and Ivy moments earlier now filled with guests. Laughter drifted through the warm evening air while strings of lights glowed overhead like fallen stars tangled between the trees.
Elena danced with William.
He spun her around dramatically enough to make her laugh before leaning in to immediately complain about his brothers.
"Look at them," he muttered, nodding toward a nearby group of women. "They are currently giving a masterclass in my most embarrassing childhood moments. I'm ninety percent sure Alex is re-enacting the time I got my head stuck in the stair banister. It's a miracle I have any dignity left."
"You know they're doing it on purpose." He whispered, throwing a dirty glance towards Nick and Alex.
"Of course they are," Elena said. "It's one of their favorite hobbies."
"Being terrible siblings?"
"Being terrible people."
William placed a hand over his heart. "Thank you. I feel seen."
Elena's laugh bubbled up before he could even finish.
She had basically spent her entire childhood running around the Harrington house, so none of this was news to her.
She knew exactly how the brothers operated.
The Harrington brothers would literally die for one another without question but won't leave a single chance to embarrass each other.
The evening had been beautiful. The wedding was beautiful. Aaron and Ivy had looked ridiculously happy.
For the first time in days, Elena felt almost peaceful.
Then a familiar voice spoke behind William.
"May I cut in?"
William's smile immediately widened.
"Oh, absolutely."
"William."
He ignored her.
"Enjoy yourselves."
Before Elena could protest, her best friend had already disappeared into the crowd.
Still a traitor.
A moment later Carter's hand settled lightly against her waist while his other found hers.
Four years later and her body still reacted instantly to the simplest touch from him.
The orchestra had transitioned into something slower. Softer. Perfect for a romantic moment.
Great.
Elena focused determinedly on a point somewhere over Carter's shoulder.
"I see you're still avoiding me."
Her eyes narrowed.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You haven't looked at me once all day."
That was unfortunately true.
The ceremony was beautiful. Elena had promised herself to enjoy it and not spend it obsessing over her ex. So, she had spent most of it staring anywhere but directly at Carter Evans.
“I was busy watching the ceremony.”
"You were watching the sky at one point.”
“The sky is nice to look at.” Elena shrugged.
Carter made a face as if he was deeply offended by her comment. “And I am not?"
The ridiculousness of it caught her completely off guard.
A laugh escaped before she could stop it.
Carter's entire face lit up.
As if her laughter had been a victory.
The orchestra transitioned into another song as they continued moving across the dance floor.
Elena found herself relaxing despite her better judgment.
Carter guided her smoothly through a turn.
"Impressive," Elena noted, a smile tugging at her lips. "You usually trip me at that exact turn. It's almost like you know what you're doing."
"A master never reveals his secrets," Carter murmured, smoothly bringing her just a little bit closer into his space as the rhythm shifted. "But if you must know... I took dancing lessons for the wedding."
She raised a skeptical eyebrow, her tone delightfully cool. "Really? You?"
"Yeah. Call it a survival instinct," he admitted, spinning her out and snapping her back in with textbook precision. "I knew that if I stepped on your gown or stumbled even once, you’d never let me live it down. You would have spent the whole song laughing at me, and I’m a businessman, Elena—I minimize my risks.”
Elena offered a small smile, taking him in.
It was ridiculous good he looked in a black tuxedo, towering over her like a classic Hollywood leading man.
A sudden wave of clarity washed over her; she’d been holding onto her anger so tightly since he’d got back that they hadn't exchanged a single real word.
Her expression softened. "How have you been, Carter?"
He kept his eyes locked onto hers, his voice dropping a register. "Do you want the polite answer or the honest answer?"
Oh, boy. Elena instantly regretted opening that door. But she lifted her chin anyway. "The honest one. Of course."
A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, lighting up those soft, puppy-dog eyes of his. It was highly unfair, and it made him look so entirely endearing that her defenses didn't stand a chance.
"I've missed you."
Just like that.
The words hit her so hard she actually forgot the next step of the dance.
Carter smoothly corrected them both before she could stumble.
The bastard.
"That was an unfair answer."
"It was an honest answer."
"Nobody asked you to be honest."
His smile softened. "You literally just did."
Oh, god. This was dangerous territory. He missed her? Was her ex-boyfriend flirting with her right now, or had she just completely forgotten how human interaction worked?
“Excuse me.”
"Elena—"
But she was already stepping away.