Episode 201
ALL THAT JAZZ
Sienna
Emily and I make our way to the beach to look for the men when Ariel waylays us, followed by Evangeline, Ariel’s mom, and Ariel’s friend Jazz.
Jazz is a sassy blonde—just the type I hated back in high school.
She would have called me a nerd and probably stuffed a fake love note from an imaginary admirer in my locker just to watch me blush and get my hopes up before she and her friends laughed about it later.
Or maybe she would have gone the classic route—accidentally spilling her soda in my backpack, smirking as my books soaked through.
As the resident wallflower in my youth, I’m well-versed in mean girls.
In fact, when I imagined Stephanie, the stripper that Leroy dumped me for…
She looked exactly like Jazz.
Leroy told me she was blond with green eyes. Jazz is blond with blue eyes. Close enough.
I dislike her on principle.
But Ariel comes first.
“Emily, Sienna!” Ariel says, smiling. “Isn’t this the perfect spot for the wedding tomorrow?”
Emily and I look at each other.
Damn. That’s right. Alex and Ariel are getting married tomorrow. Does she even know that her intended’s old friend has risen from the dead?
“Are you two all right?” Ariel asks, her brow scrunched.
“Of course, love. We’re fine.” Emily’s smile looks a little forced. “It’s a lovely venue. A perfect backdrop for your nuptials. Don’t you agree, See?”
It is beautiful. The sand seems softer than anywhere else on the island, though that may be my imagination. The waves roll in gently, and the ocean shifts between sapphire and emerald in the distance, its surface catching the light like scattered diamonds.
It’s freaking perfect.
If only Brett and I were the two getting married. He all but proposed to me already, but since Jake arrived, he’s hardly looked my way.
Of course, I understand. How could I not? Their lost friend—the one they grieved, the one they buried in their memories—is alive. After all these years, after the heartbreak, the guilt, the silence, he’s back.
And the men—all of them, except River, apparently—are reeling. Stunned. Overcome. Ecstatic.
Brett will come back to me. And Emily will work things out with River.
Because damn it, that’s why we’re here.
To marry a billionaire.
Ariel is chattering to her mother and Jazz while Emily stares out into the ocean.
Towering palms frame the area, their fronds swaying in the breeze. They curve inward, arching toward one another, a cathedral of green and gold, nature’s own altar—wild, untouched, sacred. The scent of salt and jasmine lingers in the air.
Fucking perfect.
“Did you hear the amazing news?” Ariel asks us.
“What?” From Emily.
“Alex’s old friend, one he thought had died, is here. It’s a miracle, just in time for our wedding!”
“Dibs on the newcomer!” Jazz spins around. “This is just fucking paradise!”
Dibs? Seriously? The man isn’t here for…
Emily meets my gaze. She’s not amused either.
“How much do you know?” I ask Ariel. “Have you met him?”
She shakes her head. “Sebastian ran over to us earlier, said that Jake was alive and he was here. Alex gave me a quick kiss and told me to continue with the plans, and then he ran off with Sebastian.”
“Did Alex seem all right?” Emily asks.
“He was shaken, for sure. I wanted to go with him, but Misty…”
“Misty was here?”
“Yeah, and she really freaked out. So I stayed with her, but she wouldn’t talk, so eventually I left to get Evangeline to show her the spot Alex and I picked out. And that leads us to right now.”
Emily and I exchange another glance. Misty knows.
Of course, she does. Misty is always in the middle of everything.
Ariel beams as she talks to her mother and Evangeline about flower arrangements as if the island isn’t shifting beneath our feet, as if tomorrow will be just another perfect, beautiful day.
I envy her. Her ability to compartmentalize. To believe that love is strong enough to hold everything together.
Because right now, I don’t know if it is.
“So what do you think, Sienna?” Ariel’s voice pulls me back.
She’s looking at me, waiting for an answer.
“Huh?”
“The ceremony.” She gestures around, eyes full of excitement. “It’ll be right here. Can’t you just see it?”
Yes, I see it. It’s stunning, really. The kind of place that feels untouched, sacred.
But all I can think about is Brett.
He’s not here. He should be. I should be standing next to him, his arm around my waist, planning our future, not wondering where he is, what he’s thinking, how he’s handling the impossible truth that Jake is alive.
I smile at Ariel. I have to. “It’s perfect,” I say, hoping my voice doesn’t betray me.
Emily nods beside me. “Absolutely perfect.”
Ariel smiles. “I knew you’d love it.”
Jazz spins in a slow circle, arms stretched wide. “I’m just saying, if Jake needs a reason to stay on the island, I’m right here.” She winks at us.
And I kind of want to deck her, but I stay calm.
Emily, on the other hand, doesn’t hold back. “This isn’t some dating show, Jazz.”
Jazz laughs. “Maybe it should be. I mean, four billionaires? A long-lost friend? A tropical paradise?” She waves a hand. “Come on. This is literally reality-show gold.”
Lord. Another pet peeve of mine. Women who are obsessed with the word “literally.”
“Except it’s real life,” I mutter.
She shrugs. “Details.”
Ariel shakes her head but laughs anyway. “I just hope Alex comes back soon. I don’t like being away from him, especially now.”
Emily crosses her arms but says nothing.
And I feel the same unease that has plagued me since River returned with Jake in tow
“Let’s go, Em,” I say. “These guys have a lot of planning to do.”
“No, stay,” Ariel says. “You two are my bridesmaids. I want your input.”
Emily exhales, rubbing her forehead. “Of course, love. We’re here for you.”
I nod as well. Ariel deserves her day in the sun.
I want her to have it.
But something isn’t right.
It’s pecking at the back of my neck like a hungry mosquito—that nagging feeling so familiar. The same feeling I had when Leroy didn’t come home the night of the bachelor party.
And I can’t help but wonder…
What if some things were meant to stay buried?