Teddy found me in the waiting room beside the terrace where the ceremony was being held.
The buzz of chatter muffled the string quartet as guests funneled outside, dressed to the nines in gowns and cashmere shawls and tailored tuxes. I watched through a sliver in the curtains until Minerva barked at me to keep away from the windows.
“Hey,” Teddy said, sidling up beside me.
I stared at the crown molding. “Hi.”
He moved into my line of vision. Sometime in the past few hours, he’d changed into his all-black suit, hair tucked neatly behind his ears. I dragged my eyes away from his clean shaven jaw and struggled not to breathe in his cologne.
“I quit theTravel and Tasteassignment,” he said matter-of-factly. “I did some digging last night and found out the Newhouse family owns the magazine’s parent company.”
My stomach soured. “So Jessewasbehind it.”
“I can’t figure out why,” Teddy replied.
I shrugged, the motion feeling increasingly natural. “And we might never.”
The response appeared to confuse him.
“Where’s the next big adventure, huh?” I asked, turning to him with crossed arms and fighting to keep my expression neutral. “Spain? New Zealand? Peru? I suppose I can just follow your blog to stay up-to-date.”
“No, I’m—” He cleared his throat. “I’m staying in the Cove.”
For a fleeting moment, my thoughts spiraled and my heart swelled. That pesky spark I thought I’d extinguished flared to life, humming in my chest like a lighthouse beacon.
My logical half quickly slapped me with a cold dose of reality. It didn’t changeanything.
So, I arched my brow and said, “I suppose you’d need somewhere to live until the next big thing comes along.”
Teddy’s gaze searched my face. “Why are you so stubborn, Margot?” he murmured.
“Gee, you sure know how to flatter a girl.”
“I’m getting this all wrong,” he said under his breath.
The music swelled outside, and Minerva clapped for our attention. I checked the time—four o’clock on the dot. Apparently she hadn’t gotten the memo about every wedding starting late.
“Can we talk later?” Teddy whispered urgently.
“Sure,” I replied, watching as he slipped onto the terrace. He didn’t need to know that I was planning on leaving the day after tomorrow. That would only bring unnecessary complications.
The ceremony unfolded beautifully.
Serena’s vows, touching and heartfelt, caused some of the attendees to sniffle and dab their eyes. She spoke about her parents, the difficulties of growing up without family, and how the Newhouses stepped in and filled the gaps. Jesse’s vows might’ve been composed by a professional speechwriter. He paused at the right moment for laughs, gaze sweeping the crowd with a self-satisfied smile each time.
Beneath my twitching grin, I was terrified for her in all the ways she couldn’t be. He didn’t deserve her. His entirefamilydidn’t deserve her.
By the time they kissed, my eyes stung with the tears left unshed for her. I wanted to lurch forward and drag her away. But Serena’s words still echoed in my ears: I had to stop cleaning up and tidying and untangling. I was destined to drive myself crazy that way. All I could do was accept the losses where they came, dust myself off when I could, and be a better friend.
No, not a friend—asister.
We were family. No one would ever take that away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The morning after the wedding brought a fresh headache.
I hadn’t overindulged in champagne, but the massive doses of caffeine were now catching up to me.
