4. A TOAST TO TANGLED LIES & HALF-TRUTHS

Ariana stood at the counter, rolling out dough for the cranberry-brie puff pastry bites Lena had sworn would “ wow” Jake’s parents.

      

       Flour dusted her black sweater like fake snow and the fairy lights that strung over the window twinkled mockingly at her. 

       

        Wham!

        

        Lena slammed the door even harder than necessary.

        

      

        “ I can’t believe you said yes, Ari.”

        

        

        Ari’s fingers stilled on the rolling pin. 

        

        

        Even she couldn’t believe it herself.

      

        

         Was she delusional that things would work out or was this a way to downplay what Jake had done to her?

        

         Either way, he’d come to his senses and proposed and so she had to protect what they had left of the relationship. 

        

        After all, they'd been together for three years. 

        

        She sighed tiredly. “ You’ve made that clear, Lena. Multiple times.”

        

        “ Well, it doesn’t seem to be getting into your head, girl. Multiple times isn’t enough,” Lena wiped her hands on a dish towel, her eyes sharp. “ You come home after disappearing for like … two and a half good days, looking like you’ve seen a ghost or a god– I haven’t even decided– then Jake proposes in the snow like it’s a Hallmark Christmas movie and you just … settle? After you caught him cheating?”

        

        Ariana’s throat formed a knot. She focused on cutting perfect circles into the dough. “ He said he was sorry. And that he doesn’t wanna lose me. He’s been sorry about it since. And now it’s Christmas. Our parents are coming so we’re telling them all tonight.”

        

        Lena snorted. “Yeah, real romantic. Sweep the cheating under a rug with some stupid, tiny diamond ring.”

        

        The ring on Ariana’s finger suddenly felt heavy from Lena’s insult. Like it had been carrying the burden of suppressing her emotions to build the picture-perfect life she’d always dreamed of as Jake’s wife. She twisted it absently, thinking of what to say next in her defense. 

        

        “ I feel like I’m doing the wrong thing,” she slowly admitted quietly, her voice barely above the hum of the oven. “ Like I’m lying to myself. Every time I close my eyes … I see him.”

        

        Lena frowned. “ Who? Jake?”

        

        “ No,” Ari’s cheeks burned. “Kai.”

        

        “ Oh. The mystery guy who saved you from the accident and kept you in his mansion?”

        

        She nodded miserably. She hadn’t told Lena the entire story about the wolf attack and how Kai had shifted. It was better if she’d called it an “accident” since it’d sound crazy. She knew her bestie would believe her regardless, but she just didn’t think she had to know about it.

        

        “ Girl! You spent a couple of days with a gorgeous stranger who saved your life and bam! You now have a crush. I don’t understand why you still decided to say yes to Jake,” Lena crossed her arms.

        

        “ I mean it’s just a harmless crush right? It’s not like I’ll see him again,” Ariana said trying to convince herself she wasn’t going crazy over the thought of not seeing him again. 

        

        “ Really? You have a choice, babes. He gave you his card. I’m pretty sure he’s looking forward to seeing you again.”

        

        “ But still… it feels wrong.”

        

        “ How? How does it feel wrong? Explain it to me.”

        

        “It’s more than just a mere crush,” Ariana whispered. “When he was close to me, I felt so safe… everything felt  … bigger. Like I could breathe for the first time. And when I was leaving …,” her voice trailed, remembering how she’d cried into his arms like an idiot, her tears soaking his shirt, refusing to let go.

        

        Lena raised an eyebrow. “ Did you sleep with him?”

        

        “No!” Ariana’s cheeks suddenly flushed with embarrassment.

        

        “ Did you kiss him?”

        

        “ No!”

        

        “ Did you do anything besides hug and cry like a sentimental fool?”

        

        Ariana glared. “ I kinda cheated, okay? Emotionally. I felt things for him. I still do and it f**king scares me.”

        

        Lena threw her hands up. “Girl you didn’t even f**k him. You probably have a crush on him because he smells like pine trees and money. I wouldn’t call that cheating … it’s very human. Stop using it as an excuse to brainwash yourself into staying with a guy who screwed someone else in your bed… ohh I forgot… You said it was on your favorite sofa.”

        

        Ariana flinched. 

        

        Lena sensed she was hurt and softened her voice, but only a little. “ Look, you deserve better than this, Ari. I can’t stand here watching you talk yourself into this mess. I’m going to use the bathroom. Clear your head a bit before I get back here.”

        

        The door shut with a loud click. 

        

        Ariana stood alone in the kitchen surrounded by half-prepped food and the cheerful glow of Christmas lights which suddenly felt too bright… like they were blinding her. 

        

        She pressed her hand to her chest where something ached constantly. The crescent mark on her wrist ( hidden under a long sleeve) warmed at the thought of Kai, as if it was reminding her that he was out there. 

        

        She shook her head trying to push him away. Jake was coming soon with both their parents. They’d be announcing the engagement. This was real life. This felt safer. Familiar. 

        

        Even if it felt like walking in the wrong direction.

        

        The front door opened, and the house was suddenly filled with the sound of overlapping voices and footsteps that announced their presence. She could hear Jake’s laughter and their parents’ excited chattering. In no time, they were going to announce their engagement.

        

        Ariana’s stomach plunged. 

        

        She stepped out of the kitchen just as they went to the living room. James was beaming with all smiles, his hands full of grocery bags while his parents, Marianne and Thomas held champagne bottles. Her mom and dad (Savannah and Lucas) walked in, looking around as if they’d mistakenly gotten into the wrong apartment.

        

        “ Hey, baby!”Jake greeted her as soon as he spotted her. He crossed the room in a few strides and planted a kiss on her cheek… she flinched from it but didn’t make it too obvious because everyone was watching them. “I picked everyone up early so we could all celebrate together,” he said softly as he held her close. She had no other choice but to force a fake smile and say sweetly, “ Perfect timing baby. I’ll be done with dinner soon so we can all enjoy it.”

        

        “ Congratulations honey, Jake told me the good news,” her mom said, pulling her into a tight hug. Ariana stiffened in the embrace. He’d told them already when they’d both planned to do it together during dinner. 

        

        A sharp tinge of anger flared up in her chest as she pulled back, her eyes flicking to Jake. 

        

        He stood there with a silly grin plastered on his face pretending everything was fine while his parents beamed at him with pride. If only they knew how much of an unfaithful snake their son was. Not that they’d care anyway, he was their precious only son so they’d let it slide. After all, he could do no wrong in their eyes. 

        

        Her mom followed her gaze and frowned slightly at Jake.“Everything okay, sweetheart?”

        

        She forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.” Yeah, Mom. Everything’s fine.”

        

        As soon as dinner was ready, they sat around the dining table: honey-glazed ham steaming in the center with cranberry Brie bites, roasted veggies and the orange cranberry-mulled wine Lena had insisted on. 

        

        The food smelled amazing but no one was eating.

        

        Yet. 

        

        “ I heard you two went out on a no-phone getaway. Lena told me all about it. I’m disappointed you and Jake didn’t tell us but all the same, I get that it might have something to do with your engagement. I was so worried when you weren’t answering my calls or texts,” Savannah spoke, finally breaking the silence. 

        

        “ Umm, I’m confused here. I thought she was with you, Ma’am,” Jake said as his brows knitted with confusion. 

        

        “ Lena, I thought you told us she was with Jake?,” Lucas questioned. Jake’s parents' gaze quickly darted to Ariana. 

        

        She uncomfortably intertwined her fingers so tightly that her joints ached and then released them only to repeat the process continuously. 

        

        Everywhere was awkwardly quiet.

        

         Lena’s lie. Ariana’s lie…

        

         It had come to bite them both right in the asses. 

        

        Ariana could feel her mouth run dry.

        

         She wasn’t even sure she could give everyone the clarity they had been expecting. The flashbacks on how things ended before she left kept eating at her and she couldn’t help but overthink everything. Fortunately for her, Lena spoke up quickly. “I’m so sorry. Now I’ll just have to tell you guys the truth.”

        

        Jake didn’t know what she was about to say but the pressure was written all over his face. His jaw tightened as he caught Lena shooting him a sharp glare – her eyes narrowing enough to make him shift uneasily in his seat. He wasn’t the only one who was wondering what Lena had to say. 

        

        Ari knew her best friend very well. She was bold like that, she could give less fucks about what anyone would think or say. And by the energy she was giving at the table she wasn’t backing down, neither was she about to let Jake off the hook. 

        

        Ariana’s pulse spiked. One wrong word from Lena and everything would be over. 

        

        “ Actually, she was with me. It was a last-minute girls’ trip. She left her phone behind and couldn’t go back for it because I dragged her away for a quick reset up north. She’s really been having a rough time at work. I’m so sorry. I kinda panicked and told everyone different stories to cover.”

        

        She kicked Ariana from under the table to snap her out of her freeze. 

        

        Ari played along and in no time, laughter bubbled over stories of past Christmases, compliments on the ham, and future toast to grandkids. Plates emptied. Everyone was happy. 

        

        Everyone except Ari.

        

        She was still picking at her food, wondering what Kai was probably doing by now.

        

        And for the first time since she’d come home, the question that scared her more than anything else haunted her :

        

        Was he thinking of her too?