The cabin was small and cozy. The twin bed was surprisingly soft. But I couldn’t stop fidgeting.
After a full day of shopping, we were scheduled for dinner at some vineyard. Jenna had reminded me about it three times before dropping me off at my parents’ house. That was about two and a half hours ago.
Two and a half hours of contemplating how best to get out of it.
It would be so easy. I could blame the gummies, say they hit me harder than expected. Exhaustion from the shopping trip. No one would question it.
But Jenna would know.
I sighed and started rummaging through my bags, looking for something nice to wear. Something simple and safe.
Before I could decide, a knock came at the door. My mother entered, wearing an elegant dark blue gown that stopped around her calves. Her hair was pinned back neatly—not a single strand out of place.
“You should wear the lavender one,” she said softly. “It will bring out the green in your eyes.”
There was a look in her eyes I couldn’t quite place. Something about it made me pause before nodding. I pulled the dress from my bag and held it up.
My mother didn’t leave. She walked around the cabin instead, trailing her fingers along the edge of the nightstand, straightening a lamp that wasn’t crooked, smoothing the corner of a blanket that didn’t need smoothing. She was filling space, finding something to do with her hands so she didn’t have to say what she was really thinking.
I changed into the lavender dress, keeping my back to her.
The silence stretched.
“Why did you really leave?” Her question was whispered, but I flinched as though she’d shouted.
I busied myself with the zipper, unable to look at her.
“Did something happen at that party?” Her voice turned frantic. “Did someone do something to you?”
I turned quickly and shook my head. “I just needed to get out of here, Mom. No one hurt me. At least, not physically.”
She waited a moment, then gave a reserved nod. I could tell from the set of her shoulders that this subject would come up again. But not tonight. She didn’t have the words yet, and neither did I.
She gestured to a chair. “Sit. I’ll do your hair and makeup.”
My mother curled my hair and let the tresses fall gracefully down my back. The makeup complemented the rest of me. When she finished, I wasn’t sure I recognized the woman looking back in the mirror.
She’d worked in silence. I’d let her.
Now we walked into the vineyard. It was beautiful in an aggressively curated way—strings of lights crisscrossed overhead, long wooden tables draped in white linen, wildflowers in mason jars. Jenna had really outdone herself. And to think this was just a simple family dinner.
Jenna spotted me before I could disappear into the shadows.
“Paige!” She rushed over and pulled me into a hug. “I really thought you were going to cancel after this morning.”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” I said. And I meant it. Mostly.
“Come meet Myles’s parents!” Her smile was bright as she dragged me toward a group of people. I recognized Cayson and Jamie. The others were strangers.
“Mr. and Mrs. Chen, this is my wonderful cousin, Paige,” Jenna announced.
Mr. Chen was tall, stern. The kind of man who probably frowned more often than he smiled. Mrs. Chen was shorter, barely reaching my shoulders, but her smile was warm and welcoming.
“I heard you were out in L.A.,” Mrs. Chen said softly. “How is it out there?”
I gave a soft smile. “It’s different. The weather is nice almost all year long.”
“Yes, nice enough to keep you from talking to your family or seeing them for years.” Jamie sighed softly, though a sharp glint flickered in her eyes.
The silence that followed was loud enough to echo.
Myles cleared his throat. “Well, let’s go ahead and take our seats.”
Seating was predetermined. I ended up across from Cayson, with Jamie on his right and a man I didn’t recognize on his left.
Dinner eased into introductions and small talk. Derek, Myles’s cousin, sat to my left.
“This is just the family members who could make it,” he said, smiling. “We’re a large, tight-knit group.”
Jamie laughed from across the table. “Talking to the wrong one about close-knit family dynamics. She ran off for seven years.”
My cheeks burned. How many times was she going to bring that up? Why was she so focused on it? Cayson glanced at her with a raised brow but said nothing.
Jamie continued. “These two were basically siblings. Thick as thieves. And she didn’t even bother staying in contact with any of them—not Cayson, not her parents.” She sighed as though the thought was sad. “I just think it’s interesting, that’s all. You spend your whole childhood attached to someone, and then one day they’re just... gone. No explanation. No goodbye.”
I felt every word land like a small stone in my chest.
I excused myself and headed toward the bathroom.
Too wrapped up in my own thoughts, I didn’t hear the click of heels behind me. It wasn’t until I looked up at the mirror that I saw Jamie standing in the doorway, arms crossed. The sad look in her eyes had been replaced with cold calculation.
“I don’t know why you suddenly decided to come back,” she said, “but Cayson is mine.”
I offered a soft smile. “There’s nothing between us. We grew up together. Practically siblings, as you pointed out.”
“Don’t play dumb, sweetheart. I saw you two at lunch. The way you both went still when you walked in. The way he watched you.” She tilted her head, eyes sharp. “There’s history there.”
I scoffed. “Yeah. The history of two kids who grew up in the same house.”
“Right. That explains the whole ‘can’t look at each other’ thing. Very sibling behavior.” She waved a hand. “It’s funny, though. The way you two were attached at the hip as kids. People used to say you were like twins. Always together. Then you left and—” She sighed. “Well. You left. And he had to recover. I was there for that.”
I frowned. “Look, I’m only here for Jenna’s wedding. After that, I’m going back to my side of the country.”
I stepped around her and walked back toward the table, her words circling in my mind. He had to recover. Recover from what? He’d made things painfully clear that night. Then again, my sudden leaving must have been shocking. But what did he expect?
I paused at the end of the hallway, pressed my palms to my dress, and fixed my smile. I could do this.
When I returned to the table, I couldn’t look in Cayson’s direction. Instead, I focused on Derek—safe topics. Anything but family. Anything but living.
The evening moved forward. I found a corner near the bar and stayed there, nursing a sparkling water, wishing it was something stronger.
“You look like you want to bolt.” Cayson’s warm voice came from behind me.
“I’m fine.” I didn’t turn around.
The chair beside me scraped back before he threw himself into it.
“Paige, I know when you’re fine. This is not fine.”
I looked at him. In the low light, his face was all shadows and sharp angles. Another reminder of how much he’d grown in the years I was gone.
He had to recover.
“Cayson! There you are.” Jamie’s voice cut through the crowd.
She materialized beside him and wrapped a possessive hand around his bicep. Her smile was dazzling.
“I was looking for you. Myles is about to make a toast.” She glanced at me, then back at him. “You should come.”
Cayson didn’t move. He looked at me, a question in his eyes.
“Go,” I said. “I’ll follow.”
He hesitated. Then Jamie tugged him away.
I watched them go—her hand on his arm, the easy way she leaned into him.
What did I expect? That everything would be the same? That I could just walk back in and pick up where we left off?
I laughed—a broken, humorless sound.
Siblings. I’d called us siblings. If that was really how I felt, I never would have opened my mouth all those years ago.
The toast came and went. More photos. More small talk. I drifted through it all like I was watching from outside my own body.
Thankfully, the night dwindled down. As soon as others started leaving, I made my excuses. My face hurt from all the forced smiles. I just wanted to retreat back to the cabin and be by myself.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuG679bDLFm
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