Chapter 30
We’re woken up early by the sound of trucks backing into the driveway. I open my eyes to see Wes is already out of bed. I
open the curtain that faces the backyard, watching as men carry long tables and tents out to the yard. Wes stands in the grass
talking with his dad. Annica and Dani are in the kitchen when I walk out, still rubbing sleep from my eyes.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“They’re setting up for the party,” Annica says.
“The one with his family?”
“Well, it’s not just his family. I think like half of this island was invited—we heard people talking about it at dinner last
night.”
Dani chimes in. “And some businessy people too, Charlie said. So it’s very important that you stay away from Asher,” Dani
says to me.
“What? Why would you say that?”
“Because you two bickered all day yesterday. It really brought down the vibe.”
“Oh, right.”
“Did you guys see Erin left this morning?” Annica asks.
“No,” Dani says. “What happened?”
“I don’t know, but I saw her get in the car with her bags real early. Probably didn’t want the riffraff here with all the
important people.”
“Good morning, girls.” Wesley’s mom walks in with a woman in a blue tweed blazer and matching skirt. She smiles at Annica
and Dani, and I might just be paranoid, but I swear her eyes glaze right over me. “This is Helen, the best event planner on
the East Coast. She’ll be helping me with the setup today. Do you think you girls can wrangle up the boys and get them out
of the house for a few hours so we can prepare for the party?”
“Shouldn’t be too hard,” Annica says with a smile. “We just have to promise them food and alcohol and they’ll go anywhere.”
“Perfect,” Mrs. McCavern says, leading Helen to the backyard. “And this is where I’m thinking we have the caterer set up,
and the dance floor should go here . . .” Her voice trails off from outside. The dance floor?
“I didn’t pack anything for this kind of party,” I say. “Can we shop and send the boys somewhere else?”
“Ooh yes! Let’s shop!” Dani agrees.
“Yeah, I’ll make them a tee time at the golf course,” Annica says, picking up her phone.
“I’ll go upstairs and start waking them up,” Dani says.
That leaves Wes and Asher for me. I walk down the hall and stop in front of Asher’s door, the same place I stood last night.
I glance behind me at the wall he pushed me up against. I almost turn to leave, let someone else tell him they’re golfing,
but he opens the door and startles at me standing there. We stare at each other, both of us unsure why I’m at his door.
“Your aunt wants you all out of the house so they can prepare for the party. Annica is making you guys a tee time and we’re going shopping.”
He crosses his arms. “Shopping for what?” he asks.
“Something to wear for the party,” I say in a matter-of-fact way. He goes to shut the door and I put my hand out before it
can close. “Why did Erin leave?”
“I told her to leave,” he says.
“Why?”
He steps aside, showing the room. “Why do you think?”
I look past him at the curtain rod still hanging off the wall, the broken pieces on the floor, all the reminders of what happened
in this room. I turn back down the hall without another word.
I purchased a beachy white two-piece outfit. The skirt is long, with a slit down the side of my leg, and the tube top ties
together in the front, leaving ruffled white fabric hanging below. The whole thing cost me at least three shifts at Cantine,
and all I could think about was whether Asher would like it. I stand in the bathroom applying a bit of blush to my sun-kissed
cheeks. My hair is sporting a natural curl from the ocean water and salty air, so I let it be. I slip on cork-style wedges
that I brought from home and step out onto the back patio from our bedroom.
It’s hard to believe this was all put together in a few hours.
The backyard glistens in the late afternoon with strung lights hanging above the crowd that’s already starting to form.
A DJ plays cocktail music from the deck, while people gather near the tables of hors d’oeuvres.
A dance floor is staged in the middle of the grass, behind the pool.
Two bartenders stand behind the bar in the pavilion, and that’s where I find my friends.
Asher stares at me from where he’s leaning on the bar.
I blush and look away from him quickly. Dani’s yellow silk dress drapes over her tan shoulders, one piece of it sliding down as she does a twirl for Charlie.
Annica stands beside them in a long light green dress that looks like it was meant for her and complements her hair color.
“You two should just date already,” she says, watching Charlie twirl Dani around.
“Well, we weren’t going to say anything until after Wesley’s party, but we’ve decided to give it a shot!”
I smile. “Finally!”
“Well, what the hell, now I feel like I need to date someone in the group,” Annica says, looking at Jake, Sam, and Asher.
“I’d rather die,” Asher says. Jake and Sam turn around sipping their drinks.
I feel a hand wrap around my waist from behind. “You look so beautiful,” Wes says in my ear.
“Thank you.” I smile, taking a deep breath, but in my mind, I’m counting down the hours until I can be off this island and
away from both McCavern boys. Or maybe just away from Asher. If he’s gone, there’s no one distracting me from the McCavern
I should be with.
“Let’s talk to my parents,” he says, grabbing my hand, leading me into the crowd. We pass groups of influential men and women
making idle chatter while Frank Sinatra plays in the background and I glance up at the sky as storm clouds form above. We
come upon Mr. and Mrs. McCavern talking to a middle-aged man in a beige blazer.
“There he is,” Wesley’s dad says. “The man of the hour.”
“You guys remember Sloane?” Wes says, stepping aside. His parents both give me tight-lipped smiles.
“You’re Asher’s girl, right?” his dad asks.
“Well,” Wes starts. “Not anymore. I mean, she never actually was . . .” He trails off.
Wesley’s mom looks between us. “So, are you two seeing each other now?”
“We are,” Wes says, putting an arm around me.
“Mm.” She takes a sip of her champagne and walks away, leaving us with Wesley’s dad, who gives us a nod before following after
his wife.
“Great,” I say. “She hates me.”
“She doesn’t hate you,” Wes says.
“Was she that way toward Marissa?”
“Speaking of Marissa,” he says. “She’s here.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I start to look around, but I don’t see her.
“Come on, let’s dance.” Wes takes my hand as a slow song starts. A few other couples join us on the dance floor. Wes pulls
me close to him as we sway to the music but I’m searching the crowd for his ex. I find her by the bar, talking to Wesley’s
mom. Marissa introduces her to someone, and when he turns around it’s . . . “Colton?” I say aloud.
Wes looks at me, confused. “What?”
“Colton Austi is Marissa’s date? How do they even know each other?”
Wesley’s dad interrupts us on the floor. “Wes, come meet the mayor real quick.”
Wes looks over at his father. “The mayor?” We stop dancing, but his hand is still around my waist. “Can it wait until after the song?”
A hand clasps onto Wesley’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, man,” Asher says. “I can take over. Wouldn’t want Sloane to be
left alone on the dance floor.”
“Great. Wesley, let’s go.” His dad puts a hand to his back. Wes opens his mouth to say something.
“Yeah, Wes, go on. I got this.” Asher puts a hand around my waist and holds out the other for me to take.
I hesitate.
The girl who calls me a murderer online is talking to my boyfriend’s mother, with my ex’s brother as her date, who also calls
me a murderer to anyone who will listen.
“Sloane?” Asher prompts. Wes glances over his shoulder, giving me a weary look as he’s led into the crowd. I sigh, and give
Asher my hand, placing my other one on his chest. “You seem anxious,” Asher says.
“Marissa is here with Colton,” I tell him. “Probably over there telling your aunt that I’m a serial killer. Just wait until
I go over there. I’m gonna—”
“Come to Colorado with me,” Asher interrupts. His voice rumbles through his chest. I feel it in my hand that rests there.
It catches me completely off guard. I look up at him. “What?” Small droplets of rain come down sporadically, like a warning.
“Come with me. Get away from all of this.”
I can’t help the laugh that escapes me. He’s messing with me. He must be. “So we can what? Argue all the time?”
“If that’s what you want to do.” Asher looks down at me and there’s no amusement, no playfulness in his features. “I leave next week.”
A light sprinkle falls around us, and people begin to walk to the nearest tent or the bar pavilion. “Next week? What about
the rest of your classes?”
“I graduated in the fall semester; I’ve been done with school.”
I didn’t know that. He never said anything. “Then why have you been here all spring?” I ask him. He gives me another look,
tilting his head to the side just slightly as if to say come on, Sloane.
I stop swaying with him and drop my hands. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Asher.”
He finally smirks at my tone. “Here we go.”
“I asked you back in January how you felt. How could you let me go on with Wes and then turn around and ask me this?”
It’s full-on raining now, and I turn to leave him on the dance floor, but I don’t want to huddle underneath a crowded space
with random people. I need to be alone. I walk through the yard to the front of the house, hoping to find a spot on the wraparound
porch. Sheets of rain come down now as I run to the front of the house. A group of people stands on the porch, and one of
them is a still-pregnant Kate Russel. Great, everyone really is here. I run to the detached garage, through the side door.
It’s spacious enough in here to be mistaken as a second home. I wring out my hair on the floor, wrapping my arms around myself
as I pace the room. Colorado with Asher. I can’t even imagine. It’d be a disaster.