It doesn’t faze Elijah one bit as he smirks and tugs me closer. “One more minute,” he calls over his shoulder, but by that point we’re both laughing.
Sophie groans, backing into the house. A second later, the door slams. I focus on Elijah. “You’re lucky she had coffee already. She would’ve been sassier if she’d been uncaffeinated.”
“I’m lucky, period.” He brushes my hair behind my ear. “All my dreams are coming true.”
sixteen
Elijah
If you'd told me two nights ago that I’d be sitting in Koren’s grandma’s cabin, surrounded by her family again after a year of thinking I’d lost her for good, I would’ve said something insanely sarcastic.
Or choked.
Or both.
Clearly, I would’ve needed to do something to mask the pain of losing her, but this morning I’m all smiles. And she’s right beside me on the couch as everyone gathers to watch Jackson and Kaci open their wedding presents. The late-morning sun pours through the tall windows, lighting the entire room with such joy. Even the ribbons on the gift bags shimmer like they’re staged for a magazine shoot.
And Kaci’s daughter, Bella—the flower girl turned beach princess—is the star of the ceremony. She’s twirling across the living room in a pink dress, tiara slightly askew, guarding the stack of presents like it’s her royal decree to distribute them.
“This one’s from Elijah!” she squeals, dragging my bag toward Kaci and Jackson, who sit cross-legged on the floor in a nest of tissue paper. Kaci carefully pulls out the tissue, revealing the deluxe juicer I’d grabbed off their wedding registry.
“Nice,” Jackson says, leaning in and pulling out the box while reading the front of it. “This is the one I wanted for my post-workout smoothies. Thanks, man.”
“You’re welcome.”
Bella turns to me, giving me a regal nod. “Thank you for the lovely present and also for coming to my wedding.”
Kaci chokes out a laugh, shaking her head. “It definitely feels like I had a twin bride and shared everything with her.”
Beside me on the loveseat, Koren slouches into my side, the hem of her dress grazing my jeans. I could’ve exhaled a thousand stored-up breaths. I’ve seriously woken up in some alternate universe. I can’t believe we’re back together.
She’s really here.
With me.
Again.
“Okay, so,” Kaci pipes up from the couch by the window with a coy expression on her face like she'd been waiting all morning for this moment, “are we pretending we didn’t see Elijah and Koren kissing last night?”
“Or all morning on the porch swing,” Sophie adds, holding a hand over her mouth in a pretend mutter, but it’s loud enough that everyone hears it.
All eyes turn to us.
“You don’t have to pretend,” Koren says with a chuckle. “We’re back together. Officially.”
A beat of heavy silence expands through the room, then is shattered by a burst of clapping. Axl raises an eyebrow. “We’ve had a hunch since yesterday.”
“When you pulled that necklace out of your wallet, we knew she’d be gone again,” her mom adds, smiling like she already has a Pinterest board titled “Daughter’s Wedding #2.”
“Also,” says Kaci from the floor, “you were wearing his jacket last night like you were part owner.”
“That part wasn’t my fault,” Koren says, laughing even harder. “My dress broke and he came to the rescue.” Light chuckles buzz around the room, kindling my joy even more. I thought I was as happy as I could be last night, but sharing this joy with the people who know and love us is another level.
Bella noisily twirls through the middle of the room again, tossing tissue paper on top of us like they are rose petals. “I now pronounce you boyfriend and girlfriend!” her voice rings out.
Across the room, Kaci opens another gift. It’s a long wooden box with copper hinges. She lifts the lid, and her jaw drops. Inside are two watches and are both equally beautiful. “Wow,” Kaci breathes as she hands the men’s watch to Jackson and holds the other against her wrist.
Kaci’s mom leans forward from her spot opposite her. “They were your grandparents’.”
