Novels by Rae Élan

SIENNABy the time evening arrived, the house looked completely different from how it had that morning.The decorations were up, the dining table was set, and the living room had been arranged to accommodate the guests. Music played softly in the background as people moved around, greeting one another and finding places to sit.Mum had spent the entire afternoon getting ready, and I had to admit, she looked beautiful.“Happy birthday, Mum.”I handed her the small gift I had wrapped earlier.She smiled as she accepted it. “Thank you, sweetheart.”“Don't open it yet. I want to see your reaction with everyone watching.”She laughed and pulled me into a hug.The doorbell rang before I could say anything else.Chloe, Jade and Maya arrived together, carrying gifts and immediately making their way towards Mum.“Happy birthday!” they chorused.Mum hugged them, clearly pleased to see them again.“You girls look lovely. Come in, come in.”Within minutes, they had joined the other guests, and I

SIENNA“Dylan, you're putting that in the wrong place!”I looked up from the decorations I was arranging on the dining table to see my brother standing on a chair, struggling to hang a banner.He turned to look at me.“Then come and do it yourself.”“I would, but I'm busy.”“Busy doing what? You've been arranging those flowers for the past twenty minutes.”I smiled innocently. “It's called paying attention to details.”“It's called avoiding work.”Chloe burst out laughing beside me.“Dylan, just admit that you're not good at decorating.”He looked down at her. “And who asked you?”“Wow. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”“Someone has been disturbing my peace since morning.”“Your peace?” Maya repeated, laughing. “You've been complaining since you got here.”“Because nobody is doing anything useful!”Jade threw a cushion at him.“Just hang the banner, please.”I couldn't help laughing as Dylan finally fixed it in place. He climbed down from the chair and stepped back to adm

SIENNA “So, are you actually going to tell us what happened?” I stared at Chloe. She was looking at me expectantly, while Jade and Maya waited for my answer. Apparently, they weren't planning to let the subject go anytime soon. I took a sip of my drink, hoping it would buy me some time. “There's nothing to tell.” Chloe scoffed. “Sienna, please. You can't just mention Luca Bennett and expect us to move on like you didn't just drop a bomb.” “I'm not mentioning him. You did.” “Because you clearly have a story.” I sighed and placed my glass on the table. “Look, guys, I really don't want to talk about it. Can we please just drop it?” Jade studied my face for a moment before nodding. “Okay. We won't force you.” “Thank you.” “But just so you know, we're coming back to this conversation someday,” Maya added. I laughed. “I figured.” Thankfully, Chloe finally decided to let it go. “So, since someone doesn't want to share her love life, let's talk about mine.” I raised an eyebr

Sienna's POV “You came back to Westchester without telling us? I can't believe you, Sienna,” Chloe said, feigning annoyance. I laughed, shaking my head. “I didn't know I was supposed to inform you guys.” “You absolutely were,” Jade said, pointing at me. “Do you know how offended I am right now?” “Very offended, apparently.” “Extremely.” Maya laughed from across the table. “Leave her alone. At least she finally decided to show her face.” I smiled. Sitting there with them felt strangely familiar. It had been a while since the four of us had sat together like this, talking without worrying about classes, assignments, or everything else that came with university life. “So, how was your brother's game?” Maya asked. “It was fine. He made it to the finals,” I said, unable to hide my smile. Chloe immediately leaned forward. “Wait, so you actually went all the way to New York just to surprise him?” “Pretty much.” “And you didn't tell us?” “I wanted it to be a surpri

Sienna's POV The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my phone vibrating against the bedside table. I groaned, blindly reaching for it. Dylan: Are you awake? I squinted at the screen. Me: No. I'm replying in my sleep. His response came almost immediately. Dylan: Very funny. Get dressed. We're going home. I sat up, pushing the covers away. Me: Home? Dylan: Westchester, Sienna. Where else? I stared at the message for a moment. Westchester. I hadn't been home in four years. Not since I'd graduated high school and left for Boston. I wasn't sure what I felt about returning. Excitement, probably. A little nervousness, too. And maybe a few memories I'd rather not revisit. I tossed my phone onto the bed and got up. After a quick shower, I stood in front of the mirror, trying to decide what to wear. I settled on a pair of jeans and a comfortable sweater, brushed my hair, and grabbed my handbag. I wasn't sure how long we'd be staying, but I wasn't about to spend the mor

“You lost! You didn't make it to the finals, Luca!” My father's voice hits me before I even make it fully into the living room. I stop near the doorway, still holding the strap of my duffel bag. I had barely stepped inside the house after leaving the hotel when he started. “I know,” I say. “You know?” He lets out a humorless laugh, pacing in front of the large windows overlooking the street. “You know what yesterday was supposed to be?” I drop my bag beside the couch. “A semifinal.” His jaw tightens. “It was an opportunity.” I don't answer. His business associate had been sitting in one of those box suites yesterday, watching the game because my father wanted him to see me play. Wanted him to see the son who was apparently supposed to take over everything he'd spent years building. Instead, he watched me lose. “I told him you were one of the best players in collegiate hockey,” Dad continues. “I told him you were disciplined. Focused. That you understood what it meant to