Page 9 of When We Are Complete
Nora’s already taken a few steps, and she looks back, before drawing an imaginary cross over her heart, flashing me one of those brilliant Nora grins. Rolling my eyes, I follow her down the cobblestone path.
She looks amazing. Her blond hair is pinned up in loose curls and her bridesmaid dress is a deep shade of burgundy. The fabric drapes elegantly, flowing into a graceful skirt that swishes with each step.
My dress is simpler, a soft forest green with a sleeveless bodice that fits snugly, and a slightly revealing neckline. The A-line skirt falls just below the knee. I look cute, which is good. If I’m forced to see Jake tonight, even from a distance, I want to look my best.
Nora and I step inside, and the inn is just as picturesque as I remember it, with antique furnishings and rich wallpaper on the walls. I take a quick moment to scan the people already here for Jake, but he’s nowhere to be seen.
We navigate through clusters of guests who are enjoying cocktails, and I spot Nora’s mom, Ruby O’Connor, who pulls me into a hug and kisses my cheek before Nora grabs my arm and tugs me away, the chatter and clinking glasses soon fadingbehind us. We walk down a narrow hallway and Nora knocks before we enter a room the bride and other bridesmaids have taken over.
“Kelly!” Nora’s younger sister, Riley, waves at us, her voice carrying over the buzz of excited conversation filling the room. Riley is the youngest of the O’Connor clan, in her early twenties, with sleek, straight dark brown hair and thoughtful blue eyes.
“Hey, Riles.” I pull her into a hug. Being here with these people, who’ve known me since I was a five-year-old with an oversized backpack and plaits, makes me feel better than I have in a long time.
“Let me introduce you.” Nora’s already steering me toward the epicenter of the room where Emmy stands—a vision in white, her blond hair catching the light, spun gold.
“Emmy, this is Kelly, my replacement plus-one. We’ve been best friends since forever. Kelly, meet the bride,” Nora says.
“Hi, Kelly. Thank you for coming.” Emmy’s smile is genuine, and happiness radiates off her.
“Thank you for letting me be Nora’s plus one at such short notice. I would hate to miss seeing Patrick tie the knot, especially with someone like you. Nora was right, he’s punching way above his weight. You look amazing. That dress is perfect.”
Emmy grins. “Joy, who owns the boutique on Main Street, made it. I really wanted something local. This place saved me in more ways than one.”
“There’s something special about Harbor’s Edge.”
“Blake, you remember Kelly,” Nora says, and I spot Blake Summerton, who’s noticeably pregnant, and looking as perfect as she always did, with her long red hair loose around her face. She raises a hand and waves to me from across the room.
“And this is Maddy, Emmy’s twin sister,” Nora says, continuing the introductions.
I nod at a pretty woman in a bridesmaid dress who looks very similar to Emmy. She’s fussing over a bouquet but looks up in my direction. “Nice to meet you.”
But my attention is snatched away by a little white dog zigzagging between legs and dresses, Riley chasing after him. “Stormy!” she calls out as he sprints in circles around the room. The ring bearer, if the tiny vest with a loose ribbon is any indication.
“Here, let me help.” I drop and catch Stormy as he darts past. His tail wags furiously, as if he’s just as pumped as everyone else about the wedding, and he tries to lick my face.
“Good boy.” I set him on the ground but hold him gently in place.
“Thanks.” Riley secures the rings with the ribbon attached to the dog’s vest.
I give Stormy a scratch behind the ears before letting him go. The atmosphere is light and happy, and for a moment, I let myself be carried away by it all—the joy, the anticipation, being with new friends and old.
“Hey, Kel, could you grab Emmy’s clutch from the room upstairs? She left it on the bed.” Nora glances at me from where she’s fiddling with a bobby pin in Emmy’s hair, who sits facing an antique dresser with a mirror, while Maddy applies a coat of lipstick to Emmy’s perfect pout.
“Sure thing. Where is it?”
Emmy’s reflection shoots me a grateful smile. “You’re a lifesaver, thanks. It’s in the room directly at the top of the stairs.”
I set my bag on a small velvet sofa against the wall and slip out of the room, being careful not to let Stormy out. I tap twice on the bannister at the bottom, counting the stairs, stopping with both feet on the ninth—don’t ask me why, it’s always been the ninth—where I tap again, feeling the old house’s bones settling around me.
I find the room easily enough, the door cracked open. The clutch is right there, sitting on the white duvet covering the four-poster bed in the middle of the room. But there’s a noise, rhythmic and insistent, drifting in from the balcony, and I pause.
Curiosity piqued, I move closer. The balcony door is open, an expansive view of the ocean just beyond. Stepping through the door, I’m on a big terrace balcony with a sight so breathtaking it stops me in my tracks. The ocean stretches endlessly, its surface a mosaic of rippling sunset colors—pinks, purples, and golds blending together, the sound of the waves amplified up here.
The waves shimmer beneath the fading light, rolling and crashing in rhythm as if they know they’re putting on a show. It’s a masterpiece. I step to the bannister, leaning forward, the crisp air biting at my cheeks—it’s cold, but the scene is mind-blowing, the kind that steals your breath and makes everything else fade away.
A gust of icy wind rushes off the ocean, and the balcony door slams shut with a loud bang behind me. My heart jumps, and I spin around… only to catch sight ofhim.
Jake Tanner.