DINNER WAS MOSTLYuneventful. Claire sat next to Iris near the end of the long table the caterers had set up in the backyard, tiki torches lighting the area, and ate her mushroom risotto and organic green bean salad while everyone in Isabel’s posh circle asked Astrid and Spencer about their honeymoon, where they were going to live, how many kids they were going to have.
Astrid answered it all with a smile, Spencer’s arm tight around her shoulder the entire time. He even ate his food like that, cutting into his lemon-pepper chicken with his fork one-handed. When Astrid deflected the kids question, however—“Oh, I don’t know, we’re not in any rush”—Spencer laughed long and loud, like Astrid was a stand-up comedian putting on a show, and said, “Three boys, as soon as we settle down in Seattle.”
Everyone oohed and aahed at this, as though the idea of Astrid popping out three white boys into this white-boy world wasjust thecutest. But Claire’s mind caught on the wordSeattleway more thanthree boys.
She turned to Iris, her mouth open, but Iris looked just as confused, her eyes pinned on Astrid.
“What the fuck?” Iris whispered, but Astrid probably knew Iris well enough to know what she was mouthing in her direction. Their best friend’s face went crimson, a truly miserable expression settling on her features. She mouthed back,I’m sorry, which only meant it was all true.
“He’s taking her to Seattle?” Claire asked.
“I... I don’t know,” Iris said.
“Why wouldn’t she tell us?”
“Probably because she knew we’d freak the fuck out.”
“She hates Seattle,” Claire said. “The crowds, the grit mixing with all that rain. It’s her worst nightmare. She barely survived Berkeley during college.”
A chilled white wine had replaced the champagne once the meal started, and Claire slugged back the rest of her second glass. God, she was going to need a stronger liver to get through this wedding.
Seattle. It wasn’t that far away, about four hours by car, but still. Seattle wasn’t Bright Falls, and Bright Falls was where Astrid’s whole life was. Her business, her friends, her family.
“Completely odious,” Iris whispered next to her, and Claire didn’t have to ask what—or rather, who—she was talking about.
“Did we ever like him?” Claire asked. “Like, when Astrid first introduced us?”
“Hell no,” Iris said. “I mean, okay, he looks like a god with that hair and those biceps, so maybe we were a bit distracted by that at first. You know, beautiful people getting away with murder and all that.”
“God, I hope he’s not a murderer.”
Iris laughed. “I’m pretty sure all he’s actually guilty of is sitting on his ass with a Scotch and a cigar while Astrid vacuums the living room. In Seattle.”
Claire cracked a smile but continued to simmer. Ever since the engagement, she’d been wary about Spencer, but suddenly, it all seemed to be coming to a boil. Hearing Delilah, someone who didn’t evenlikeAstrid, confirm that Spencer was a total jerk just made it all the more real. And Seattle? Taking her away to a city she hated? God only knew how long she’d been hiding that tidbit from her friends.
“We can’t let her marry him,” Claire said.
Iris froze with her mouth on her wineglass. “We... Say what now?”
Claire lowered her voice even more. “You know we can’t.”
Iris shook her head. “Hang on. I thought we were just going to talk to Astrid about Spencer. Let her know our concerns. Where’s thisblow up the weddingplan coming from? You know Astrid is gonna Astrid.”
“Yeah, and that woman right there”—she waved her hand toward where their best friend was legit spooning some of her own risotto onto Spencer’s plate—“isn’t Astrid.”
Iris’s eyes narrowed on the scene then locked back onto Claire’s. A million versions of the same question passed between them silently—how, how, how—as the party broke up around them.
Iris stood and pulled Claire with her, sighing very dramatically as she pressed their temples together. They stood there for a second like that, watching all of Isabel’s friends drift off toward the far end of the patio while the caterers started cleaning up. Claire’s eyes found Delilah, camera pointed directly at Claire and Iris before the other woman lowered it and checked the screen. Delilah pressed some buttons on her camera before looking up at Claire, the smallest of smiles on her lips.
Claire felt a swoop in her belly, but she couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment at being photographed or... something else.
“Ris, Claire,” Astrid called near the stairs that led into the yard. “Come on, we’re going down to the dock.” Spencer and his buddies were already bounding in that direction in a sea of khaki and Top-Siders. “You too, Del.”
“Oh goody,” Claire heard Delilah say, and couldn’t help the smile that settled on her face.
“Indeed,” Iris answered back.
“I don’t have to hang out with them, do I?” Grant asked from next to Iris, his eyes trained on Spencer and Co. as they stood on the dock in the distance, the amber sun slipping underneath Bright River and turning everyone into backlit shadows.
