Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ISLA
“I feel like you should be more excited than this,” Charlotte says dryly. “Isla. You’re getting married in like three weeks.”
We’re sitting at my kitchen table putting together the boxes for the macarons I’ll be selling at my booth. I dropped Grace off at Reggie’s earlier but made a point not to go into the garage myself, to avoid a certain someone.
“I am excited,” I insist.
She raises an eyebrow. The truth is, even though I’m furious at Caden, I can’t stop thinking about everything he said to me at the beach.
“Have you heard from Caden?” Charlotte asks, like she’s reading my mind.
“What?” I yelp. “No. Of course not, I—I’m done with Caden.”
Even I can hear how unconvincing that sounded.
“Riiiight,” Charlotte says. “I totally believe you.”
“I am,” I insist.
“You’ve got that look.”
“What look?”
“You get this look on your face when you’re thinking about him.”
“I do not have a look,” I say as I wrangle a box together with unnecessary force.
“At least you got some answers out of him,” Charlotte says. “We know why he left. Jeez, what a fucking trip his dad is. Rich people are insane. I can’t imagine my dad forcing marriage on me.”
I shoot her a grin. “That’s because your dad knows exactly what he’d get if he tried.”
Charlotte chuckles. “More than he bargained for, as my mom would say. Le salí más chingona que bonita.”
I lean my head back and stare at the ceiling. “I just wish he’d leave,” I mutter. “Once he leaves, everything will go back to how it was before.”
“Are you sure about that?” Charlotte asks doubtfully.
“Yes.”
“It’s just…listen, you know I’m not Caden’s biggest fan, but you’ve been different since he came back.”
I sit up, my heart pounding. “Different how?”
Charlotte bites her lip. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Since when you do ever think you shouldn’t have said something?”
Charlotte gives me a wry look. “It’s just…he’s making your Magnolia Day booth, you’re helping him with his mom’s case, he took really good care of you when you had the flu… You guys just, like, mesh. And you seem…alive again. Happier.”
My jaw drops so wide I wonder how it doesn’t hit the floor.
“Happier?” I say. “Charlotte, Caden does not make me happy . He infuriates me. He’s barreling into my life and once again messing it all up. He called me a gold digger!”
“Yeah, that was super shitty,” Charlotte agrees. “I’m not saying you should jump into his arms.”
I hold up my hand where the diamond glitters on my ring finger. “There’s only one pair of arms I’m jumping into.”
“Okay,” Charlotte says. But I can tell she’s holding something back.
“What?” I say. “Spit it out, Char.”
Charlotte sighs and brushes a dark curl behind her ear. “It just seems like he’s been a really good friend to you. Are you sure you can’t still be friends?”
“No,” I say vehemently.
Charlotte holds up her hands in surrender as my phone buzzes.
“Sorry I brought it up,” she mutters.
I snatch my phone off the coffee table. It’s Luke. Of course.
Babe, where are you?
Home, I reply, punching each letter with force.
“I thought you were pissed at Caden for telling me he loves me,” I say.
“I am,” Charlotte says. “It was inappropriate. But it’s been said. And I feel you’re not really processing that.”
“What’s there to process?” I demand.
“Your own feelings,” Charlotte says.
“I have processed them. I’m marrying Luke. I love him. The end.” Something niggles in my chest, and I get up and head to the sink, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. “Why are you bringing this up now?”
“Because in three weeks you’re going to be married and then that’s it. It’s done. You can’t change it. Not without getting a bunch of lawyers involved. And because sometimes it feels like…”
Charlotte’s voice trails off and her mouth puckers.
“Like what?” I say. “Don’t hold back now, you’re on a roll.”
“It feels like you said yes to Luke really fast,” Charlotte says. “He’s always sweeping you off your feet, but then he has to work late or ducks out of things or makes you do all the wedding planning with his mom and he’s not even there.”
“He’s been coming to more wedding stuff.”
“And when did that start?”
I think back and realize it started after I got sick.
After Luke came over and found Caden in my apartment.
My face must betray this realization because Charlotte is nodding. “Exactly,” she says. “And now he texts you all the time needing to know your location like some creepy GPS.”
“It’s not creepy,” I insist, even as I know I’ve been feeling a bit confined by Luke’s constant check ins. He never used to be like that. The freedom we had to be ourselves, the sense of independence in our relationship, was one of the things I liked the most.
“I don’t understand,” I tell her. “Why are you suddenly on Team Caden?”
“I’m not,” Charlotte replies. “I’m on Team Isla. You’re always trying so hard to make everyone else happy. But if you aren’t happy yourself, then what’s the point?”
“I am happy,” I snap as someone knocks on the door.
I march over to open it and find Noah standing on my doorstep. “Hey,” he says.
“Hey,” I say. “Come on in. What’s up?”
Noah enters my apartment and holds up a small piece of paper. “One booth permit for Magnolia Day assigned to a Ms. Isla Davenport. Wanted to deliver it personally.”
I feel a jolt of excitement. “Oh my god. Noah!” I take the paper, beaming. “Thank you!”
Charlotte hurries over and we gaze at it lovingly.
“It’s so pretty,” Charlotte says. “Look at your name, all formal and shit.”
I glance at Noah, wondering if he checked out Carl’s second alibi yet. I might be furious with Caden, but I got really invested in helping with his mother’s case. I still have the files he sent me. I’ve been debating looking at them—just in case I see something useful.
“Hey, so, any news on Carl Fillion?” I ask.
“We were able to confirm his new alibi,” Noah says. “Caden didn’t tell you?”
I shake my head. I guess Caden didn’t tell Noah we aren’t speaking. Or Noah is just being nice and pretending he doesn’t know.
Suddenly, I hear a set of footsteps coming up the stairs. Luke’s face appears in the open doorway.
“How’s my queen today?” he asks, another bouquet of flowers from Joni’s shop in his hands. I see him realize there are other people here. His eyes flit to Charlotte land on Noah.
Something hardens in his gaze.
“I didn’t realize you had company,” he says, a faint chill in his tone.
“Charlotte was helping me with some stuff for Magnolia Day,” I say. “Noah stopped by to give me the permit!”
I hold it up, but Luke doesn’t seem thrilled. He keeps staring at Noah.
“That’s great,” Luke says woodenly. There’s an awkward silence.
“I was just leaving, actually,” Charlotte says, standing. “Noah was too.”
“Right,” Noah says, picking up on the change in atmosphere. “Yeah, we?—”
Just then his phone starts to ring.
“Hey, Cade what’s—whoa, whoa, slow down.” I feel a thousand prickles run up my spine, my ears straining to hear Caden’s side of the conversation. “Where are—what? Wait…found what? Where?” I glance at Charlotte, who looks as confused as I do. “Stay there. Don’t touch them. Seriously. I’m on my way.”
“What’s going on?” I ask as Noah hangs up.
“Nothing,” Noah says quickly but the look on his face and the tone of his voice say the opposite. “Sorry. I’ve gotta run. Nice to see you, Luke.”
He brushes past Luke and out the door. Charlotte gives me a quick nod that lets me know she’s on the case. I flash her a look of gratitude as she waves and leaves as well.
Once the two of them are gone, Luke’s face shifts into a jovial expression. “What weird friends you have, babe,” he says with a chuckle.
“They’re not weird,” I say, my thoughts in a snarl. What did Caden find? Was it about his mom? What did Noah not want him to touch?
I don’t realize Luke is still talking until he touches my arm.
“Sorry?” I say.
“I’ve got a little surprise for my queen.” He pulls me close, his lips brushing my ear.
“A surprise?” I blink, still distracted.
He leans back and smiles. “We’re taking a helicopter to Cape Cod. I’ve got a dinner on the beach in Truro all set up for us.”
This is the sort of romantic gesture Luke loves to do for me, but right now, I don’t want to go to Cape Cod. I still have boxes to finish putting together for Magnolia Day. And now I want to know if Caden got another break in the case. But I’m not about to say no to my fiancé.
“Wow,” I say, hoping my enthusiasm sounds natural. “That’s amazing. Just let me freshen up real quick.”
I extricate myself from his arms and flee to the bathroom. When I look at myself in the mirror, my eyes are too bright and my cheeks are flushed. I look a little panicked.
I take few minutes to get my pulse under control, to bring myself back to this present moment, even as my thoughts are wandering down the road toward Everton Estate. I am happy and I’m marrying Luke. He’s taking me to Cape Cod in a helicopter. I mean, what woman wouldn’t want that?
My stomach pinches but I ignore it.
I splash some water on my face and run a brush through my hair.
“Okay,” I say, emerging from the bathroom with a big smile on my face. “Let’s go.”