“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 Evangelineabout 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.”
