Chapter 13 Emily
EMILY
I shut the door behind me, my heart pounding in my chest. Embarrassment floods through me as my mind flashes back to the scene in the hallway—Axel and Jace practically tearing into each other, and of course, Chloe standing there, smirking like she just got front-row seats to the best show in town.
I never wanted that. I never wanted any of this.
I rub my temples, trying to shake the tension building up behind my eyes. Why did they have to fight like that? And why did it have to happen in front of everyone?
Now the whole damn lodge probably thinks I’m at the center of some stupid love triangle. I feel sick thinking about it.
Before I can spiral any further, there’s a knock at my door. I freeze, my stomach twisting. Please, don’t let it be Jace. I can’t deal with more of this right now.
When I open the door, it’s Tanner standing there, his usual easygoing expression softening with concern. “Hey, just wanted to check in on you. Make sure you’re okay.”
I force a smile, but I know it doesn’t reach my eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
He steps inside, closing the door gently behind him. “You don’t look fine, Em.”
I let out a sigh, sinking down onto the bed. “It’s just...everything.”
He nods. “I get it.”
But does he? I don’t think Tanner is the most sensitive person on the planet.
“Axel and Jace fighting like that wasn’t on my bingo card.” He cocks his head. “Do you know what happened?”
I know he’s not trying to pry, just understand.
“So, what was that all about, really? I mean, Jace and Axel fighting like that…it seemed a little more personal than just a disagreement.” He crosses his arms, waiting for an answer.
I feel my throat tighten, heat creeping up my neck. I can’t tell him. I can’t tell him about what happened with Axel in my room. The way we almost…God, it’s too embarrassing. If I say anything, it’ll only make things worse, and I don’t even know where Tanner fits into all of this.
“I don’t know. Too much tension, the storm, the wedding…It’s all piling up.” As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I realize just how bad that sounds. I’m a terrible liar, and Tanner sees right through me.
He raises an eyebrow. “Come on, Em. I’ve been around long enough to know when there’s more to a story than what someone’s telling me. You don’t have to hide it.”
Why can’t I just tell him? Why does the idea of him knowing the truth make me feel like I’ll lose something I didn’t even know I wanted until now?
Why does it matter to me how he feels about it?
The thing is, I don’t understand it myself. I’ve only just met him. So why do I care so much about how he sees me?
“Well, something happened…” I trail off. He waits for me to finish. “It’s just…things got a little…intense with Axel earlier.”
He raises an eyebrow, but his expression softens. He takes a step closer but doesn’t press me for more. “Intense, how?”
I look down, fidgeting with my fingers, unable to meet his eyes.
“We were talking, then…things kind of escalated. It wasn’t…
it didn’t go too far, but…” I let my words trail off, hoping he’ll understand the missing pieces.
My face burns just thinking about how close Axel and I came to crossing a line.
Tanner’s eyes narrow slightly, but there’s no judgment there. Just curiosity mixed with something else. Maybe understanding.
“I see,” he says, his voice calm. “And you’re feeling…what? Embarrassed about it?”
“Yeah,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t expect it to happen. I didn’t want it to happen like that. And now with Jace and Axel fighting over it…now everyone thinks that I’m this and that.”
“Hey, don’t worry about what that girl or anyone else thinks,” Tanner says. Obviously he doesn’t know Chloe well enough to say that.
I let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling like a complete idiot, standing there while they argue...like I’m some prize to be fought over. It’s humiliating.”
Tanner takes a step closer.
“You’re not a prize, Emily. And I’m pretty sure that’s not what Axel or Jace meant, either. They’re just...well, they’re both feeling something, and they don’t know how to deal with it.”
I glance up at him, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. “I didn’t want them to fight, Tanner. Especially not over me. It’s just...it’s so messed up.”
“I get that,” he says quietly, sitting beside me. “But you didn’t do anything wrong. You don’t control how they feel or how they act. They’re grown men—they should know better.”
I nod, but the knot in my chest doesn’t loosen. “I just...I feel like I’ve caused this whole mess, and now I don’t know how to fix it.”
Tanner gives me a reassuring smile as he sits on the bed beside me. “You didn’t cause anything.”
I look away, trying to swallow the guilt that’s been gnawing at me since the hallway scene. Tanner’s trying to make me feel better, but it’s hard to shake the embarrassment.
And why the hell did it have to happen in front of Chloe, of all people?
“You’re a good friend,” I say softly.
He shakes his head. “Well, you’re wrong there. I want to be anything but your friend.”
I gaze up at him, and I see something there, something burning that makes me lean towards him almost instinctively. “Emily, I—” Tanner begins as my eyes flutter shut. It doesn’t matter that I was kissing Axel not even an hour earlier. I need to kiss Tanner.
Then there’s a knock on the door. A rapid, almost frantic knock.
Hailey bursts into the room like a whirlwind before I can even stand up to answer it.
“I totally forgot about the cake!” she exclaims, her voice high-pitched with panic. “Did the reception confirm anything? Did it come in last night?”
I sit up straighter, knowing exactly what’s coming next. “Hailey…” I start, trying to gently break it to her. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but Collie confirmed earlier that the cake delivery is canceled too.”
I watch her expression shift, the hope draining from her face as the weight of it all hits her. She looks so defeated, her shoulders sagging as if the wind’s been knocked out of her.
“The cake, too?” she whispers, more to herself than anyone else.
I stand and reach for her hand, pulling her into a hug. She clings to me like she’s holding on for dear life, and I can feel the trembling in her arms. The damn cake. Of course, this would be the thing to break her.
“I’m so sorry, Hails,” I murmur into her hair, trying to comfort her, but knowing there’s only so much I can do. “We’re going to figure something out, okay? You’re still getting married tomorrow. Cake or no cake.”
She pulls back, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. “How? How am I supposed to have this wedding when everything’s falling apart, Em?”
My heart aches for her. Everything she’s worked so hard for is crumbling before her eyes. And now, she has to add this to the list.
“We’ll improvise,” I say quickly.
“Improvise with what?”
“We’ll improvise,” I say, trying to sound as confident as possible, though I have absolutely no plan.
Hailey looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Emily…”
Without thinking, I blurt out, “Tanner will make your cake.”
Tanner, who’s been sitting quietly next to me this whole time, suddenly stiffens. “I will?” he echoes.
I shoot him a look, one that screams just go with it, and then quickly turn back to Hailey, who is staring at us both like we’re completely unhinged. “Yeah, Tanner can totally bake!” I say,
“I can?” Tanner says.
Hailey narrows her eyes suspiciously. “Do you even know how to bake?”
I glance at Tanner, then back at Hailey. “Uh…yeah. Totally.”
Tanner gives me a sideways glance, then, with a resigned sigh, clears his throat and straightens up.
“Yeah, I can…bake…things,” he says, sounding about as convincing as a dog trying to explain quantum physics.
“Flour, sugar…cake-shaped…stuff.” He gestures vaguely with his hands, and I bite my lip, trying so hard not to laugh.
There’s a beat of silence as Hailey just stares at us, and I swear I see her eye twitch. “Are you both serious?”
“Absolutely,” Tanner replies, sounding more confident than before. “I’m basically a…cake whisperer.”
Hailey rubs her forehead. “I can’t tell if you guys are pulling my leg or not because it’s a really bad time to do that.”
“We’re not,” I say, sobering. “Look, I get it—you’re stressed. And everything seems like it’s falling apart right now, but I swear, we’re going to make this work. Axel, Jace, Tanner, Ben…they’re all on board. You’re not doing this alone. I’m not letting anything else ruin your big day.”
She hesitates, her shoulders still tense, but I can see her starting to relent. “I don’t know, Em...this wedding is already a mess.”
I smile warmly. “That’s why it’s going to be even more memorable. It’s not about perfection, Hails—it’s about you and Sam. We’re just here to make sure you get to walk down that aisle, no matter what.”
Hailey finally sighs, her face softening as she gives me a small, weary smile. “Okay…okay. But you’d better not let Tanner anywhere near an oven unsupervised.”
Tanner, from behind us, mutters, “Hey, I resent that.”
I roll my eyes, grinning. “We won’t. Don’t worry.”
Hailey exhales and nods. “Alright…I’ll try to let go. You guys take the reins.”
“We’ve got you,” I assure her, squeezing her hand. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
After Hailey leaves, I turn to Tanner with a raised eyebrow, crossing my arms.
“Well, you heard the bride,” I say. “Now come on, let’s go bake a cake.”
I turn to walk towards the door when Tanner goes, “Emily, wait?”
“What?” I say, turning around to face him. Tanner is close. Too close. He squeezes my hand slightly.
As he stands in front of me, there’s this charged silence for a brief moment—his hand still lightly gripping mine.
Our eyes meet, and I feel that same flutter deep in my stomach that’s been simmering ever since we met.
There’s something about the way he looks at me, something that’s disarming, like he’s trying to figure me out just as much as I’m trying to figure out whatever’s going on between us.
But I can’t. Not now.
He moves past me to open the door, and I can finally breathe again. “Guess I should have paid more attention to the Great British Bake Off when I had the time,” he mumbles under his breath. And just like that, the veil of unease between us lifts.
As much as my heart feels tangled in all sorts of knots right now, I have to stay focused. Hailey’s depending on me, and there’s still so much to fix.
I remind myself that there’s no room for distraction. Not yet, anyway.