Chapter Ten Between The Vows
But Eli couldn't breathe.
He stood beneath a floral arch draped in wild blooms and sheer linen, looking every bit the groom in love—except he felt like a man on trial.
His collar was too tight, his heartbeat too loud in his ears.
Sweat clung to the back of his neck.
His hands were locked in front of him, fists white-knuckled and shaking.
Leo stood just behind him, still and steady, close enough to feel the storm rolling off him. Across the altar, Zoey stood beside the bridesmaids, cool and composed—but her sharp eyes never left Eli.
And then... movement.
At the edge of the garden, beyond the hedge-lined aisle —
Claire.
She stepped between the rows of white chairs with quiet grace, her red dress slicing through the soft color palette like fire. Her hair was loose, kissed by the breeze. Natalie walked beside her, whispering something that made Claire laugh—a breath of a sound, light and fleeting.
It reached Eli like a lifeline.
She saw him.
Paused.
Smiled.
Then, a small thumbs-up—subtle, certain.
And then—she mouthed it.
You've got it.
It hit him like a punch to the ribs.
Eli's chest ached. He tried to smile back, but it crumpled before it reached his eyes.
Leo noticed.
The music shifted. The garden stilled.
And Mandy appeared at the far end of the aisle.
The guests rose. A hush fell over the lawn, reverent as a prayer.
She looked stunning—wrapped in ivory lace that caught the sun like spun sugar, her cheeks flushed with emotion. Her hand was curled around her father's arm as he guided her, step by step, down the petal-strewn aisle.
Claire watched her with a soft smile. Kind. Controlled.
But Eli couldn't look at Mandy.
He kept looking back—at Claire.
That dress. That expression. That impossible calm.
She was here. After everything.
She. Was. Here.
Mandy reached him. Her father placed her hand in Eli's.
It was warm. Familiar.
But it didn't fit.
The officiant's voice rose gently above the rustling leaves, practiced and patient.
Eli barely heard him.
All he could feel was Claire.
And the pounding truth rising in his chest like a wave.
Mandy began her vows. Her voice trembled with sincerity, thick with hope. She spoke of friendship turned devotion, of quiet strength and shared dreams. She painted the life they had built with such clarity it made something deep in Eli ache.
She was everything good. Everything kind.
And he couldn't do it.
The officiant turned to him.
Leo leaned in slightly, catching the tremble in Eli's fingers. His voice was quiet. Urgent.
"Say something."
Eli opened his mouth. His throat closed.
"I... I can't."
It wasn't loud. Not a scene.
Just a quiet fracture.
But it was enough.
Leo heard it. Zoey heard it. Mandy, too.
Confusion clouding Mandy's joy.
"What?" she whispered.
Leo took a careful step forward. His voice lowered, but it was firm. Stronger than Eli had ever heard it.
"Let her go," Leo said.
Eli's eyes snapped to his.
Leo didn't flinch.
"Claire came here to walk away," he said, voice tight. "Set. Her. Free."
Eli swallowed, heart crashing like thunder in his chest.
Zoey shifted slightly, her eyes locked on his, not Mandy's. Her gaze said what her voice didn't dare: Choose.
Mandy's voice quivered. "You're thinking about her."
He didn't deny it.
How could he?
Claire was a storm in his chest. A wound that had never healed.
He looked for her again.
She sat still, hands folded, her red dress vivid against the green of the lawn. Her expression was calm.
But her eyes—
God, her eyes—
Were full of goodbye.
No blame.
No anger.
Just love.
And release.
And somehow, that hurt more.
Because this wasn't a plea. She wasn't asking him to run.
This was Claire stepping back.
Choosing herself.
And it broke him clean in two.
Eli turned to Mandy again. Her lip trembled. Her hand tightened in his, desperate.
"You said you were sure," she whispered. "You promised me, Eli."
He took a slow breath. Closed his eyes.
Then opened them again.
And nodded.
"I'm ready," he said.
His voice was steady.
But it wasn't him.
The officiant continued.
The words blurred. The light dimmed. The garden suddenly felt colder.
"Eli Dawson, do you take Mandy Taylor—"
Claire blinked, slow and certain.
"I do," Eli said.
A beat.
Mandy smiled through her tears. "I do."
"You may now kiss the bride."
Eli leaned in. Pressed his lips to hers.
And Claire clapped.
Because that's who she was.
Graceful. Steady. Dying quietly inside.
Beside her, Natalie clapped too, though her eyes never left Claire's face.
Zoey didn't move. She just watched her.
And Leo—Leo didn't clap at all.
He turned his head. And looked at her.
Because only he saw the way her hands trembled in her lap.
Only he knew what it cost her to sit there and let the man she loved marry someone else.
And only he knew—
She wouldn't stay for the reception.
She was already halfway gone.