The colors of the trees surrounding the cabin’s porch felt alive. Their vibrant oranges, reds, and golds flickered like the arms of a bonfire, reaching out to envelop me in a bittersweet warmth. For a moment, I almost forgot how deeply lonely I was, lost in the beauty of it all. But reality came crashing back like the chill of this late autumn breeze. This week would be both the happiest and the most painful of my life. I’ll watch my brother’s dream come true while he marries the love of his life. And yet, as I watch them say “I do,” I’ll be reminded of just how empty my own heart is, and how alone I truly feel.
I’m about to spend an entire week trapped in this picturesque cabin, surrounded by couples in love—loud, obnoxious couples in love who will parade their happiness in front of me, as if to mock my single status. And one of those couples? My ex, Matt, with his newest, perfect distraction wrapped around his arm. That’s the price you pay when you date one of your brother’s friends. You risk it all falling apart and still having to see them, over and over again, for the rest of your life. I can already feel the dread sinking into my bones.
This is going to be the longest, most agonizing week ever.
“Char,” my brother’s voice slices through my spiral of self-pity. “What are you doing over here? We’ve been waiting for you to leave for the orchard.”
The apple orchard. My stomach churned at the thought of it. Watching everyone picking apples, laughing, and strolling hand in hand while I trail behind like some forgotten, lonely shadow.
“Sorry,” I say, forcing a smile as I tear my gaze away from the view. “I was just… enjoying the scenery before we left for the day.” It’s a lie, of course. The truth is, I’d do anything to avoid this, anything to escape the fake smile plastered to my face while I was feeling anything but happy.
“Benny says you can ride with him and Maria,” my brother says casually as we follow the path around the massive cabin toward the lineup of vehicles.
“Chris, no,” I protest, the frustration rising in my throat. “I don’t want to ride with Benny and his girlfriend. Isn’t there room with you and Ella?” My voice wavers despite my best efforts to keep it steady. Benny has been my brother’s best friend since forever, and his current flavor of the month is no exception to the long line of beautiful but vapid women he parades around. A disaster waiting to happen, just like all the others. Drop-dead gorgeous, sure, but empty. Always so empty.
“Um…Matt and Cindy are riding with us. Sorry,” he responds, oblivious to my inner turmoil. Chris is a great brother, but he was lacking in common sense. I let out a long, frustrated sigh.
“Fine,” I mutter, walking over to the gunmetal Jeep, my feet dragging as if the world is conspiring to slow me down.
“Charizard!” Benny’s voice cuts through the crisp air, and I can’t help but roll my eyes as he leans out the window, grinning like an idiot. “Get moving!”
Annoyance bubbles up at the sound of that ridiculous nickname. It started back when Chris and Benny were kids, neck-deep in their Pokémon obsession, and it stuck. Now, it feels less like an endearing childhood memory and more like a challenge not to eviscerate him. Benny hasn’t grown up at all, and neither have his tastes in women.
Maria, his latest, is exactly like the others: all looks, no substance. I’m going to have to endure their obnoxious flirting for the next half hour, listening to her squeal over every little thing while Benny laps it up like a puppy.
I open the door and slide into the back seat, slamming it shut behind me more forcefully than necessary.
“Don’t call me that,” I mutter, clenching my teeth so hard I’m surprised I don’t crack a molar.
“You got enough room back there, Charizard?” Benny’s stupid smirk practically radiates through the rearview mirror, his eyes catching mine like he lives for the chance to get under my skin.
I suck in a breath, letting my head hit the headrest as I stare at the ceiling of the Jeep. Calm. Stay calm. There are worse things than a full day trapped with Benny and his girlfriend. Like, uh…falling into a pit of snakes? Actually, that sounds more appealing right now.
“I’m fine. Thanks,” I manage, though I’m pretty sure everyone can hear the pure, unfiltered sarcasm dripping off my words.
“Oh my God!” Maria suddenly squeals, her voice piercing the air like a fire alarm as she claps her perfectly manicured hands together. “I cannot wait to pick apples with you, babe!” Her voice drips with sugary enthusiasm, utterly oblivious to the tension suffocating the air in the Jeep. The sudden urge to jump from the moving vehicle rushes over me.
My eyes snap open. Yeah. This is going to be a very long day.
The orchard was annoyingly more beautiful than I imagined—like it was mocking me.
“We’re going to start with the corn maze; everyone partner up,” Ella chirps, completely unaware that she was now sending the final blow to what little confidence I had left and shattering it into a million tiny pieces.
“Chris, what the hell?” I smacked him across the shoulder, and he followed with a feigned injury. “Who am I supposed to partner with?”
“What?” he chuckles, sending my annoyance into full-out anger. “Okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t know Ella was going to have everyone partner up.”
“There’s no one left to partner with.” I was already going to be walking down the aisle alone at the wedding because there were more bridesmaids than groomsmen. I felt like the kid nobody wanted in gym class, standing all alone after the kids picked their teams, fighting over who had to take me.
“Charlotte,” Ella’s syrupy, sweet voice seeps through my mental spiral, and I know I’m in trouble. “You can partner with my cousin, Seth!”
“Seth’s coming?” Chris perks up like he’s just been told Christmas got moved to tomorrow.
“Yeah! He’s filling in as a groomsman, so we’ll have an even number.” Ella beams, clearly thrilled with her matchmaking skills. “Which means…that’s right, you’ve got an aisle partner and a maze buddy!” She’s practically bouncing with excitement as if she’s just handed me the golden ticket.
“Well, there you go, Char.” Chris squeezes my shoulder in that mockingly supportive way only an older brother can. “No longer shall you wander alone! The Queen has decreed that her beloved sister-in-law shall be spared the fate of eternal spinsterhood. Rejoice! For now, my dear sister shall not be lost to the maze, but shall have a brave knight to accompany her!” He claps his hands dramatically. “Huzzah! Our quest begins!”
“I hate you,” I deadpan, rolling my eyes so hard I’m amazed they don’t get stuck at the back of my head.
“He’s here!” Ella squeals, bouncing on her toes. “Seth! Over here!” She waves her arms like she’s flagging down an emergency helicopter.
I brace myself before turning to face my “buddy.” This could either be the saving grace of this awkward week or the final nail in my coffin. Not that spending the week alone at a couples’ retreat is ideal, but being paired with a modern-day Quasimodo might actually be worse. And knowing my luck? I’m probably one twisted bell-ringer away from that reality.
“El, sorry I’m late,” comes a deep, rich voice from behind me, vibrating like thunder.
“No big deal, Seth!” Ella chirps as he approaches. “I’m just so grateful you’re filling in for the wedding party. Charlotte, this is your aisle partner, Seth.”
I turn fully to face him and—wow. Tall. Too tall. Like, towering skyscraper tall. His golden hair falls perfectly, effortlessly messy over his striking blue eyes that seem to cut right through me. The man looks like he just stepped out of a mythology textbook—a Greek god.
“Hey, partner,” Seth says, his voice smooth as honey as he offers me his hand—his gigantic hand—while flashing a grin that could melt an iceberg.
“Uh… Charlotte,” Ella prompts from somewhere seemingly far away. Oh, right. That’s me. I’d forgotten my name for a second there.
“Hi!” I squeak, my voice betraying me as I shake his hand, desperately hoping he doesn’t notice the flush creeping up my cheeks.
“Alright, everyone! Let’s start the maze!” Ella calls, rallying the group like she’s orchestrating a field trip.
Chris, Ella, Matt, and Cindy disappear into the maze first, followed by the rest of the wedding party. Benny, Maria, Seth, and I bring up the rear.
“Charizard, you’re going down!” Benny yells, slinging an arm around my neck like we’re kids again, rubbing his knuckles into my scalp like he’s about to give me a noogie.
“Get off me, you man-child,” I snap, trying to wriggle out of his grip.
“Oh, come on, kiddo, I’ll race you!”
I take a deep breath, struggling not to strangle him. I already hate the dumb nickname “Charizard,” but “kiddo” is somehow infinitely worse. Benny and Chris were only three years older than me, but they always treated me like a baby.
“Sorry about that,” I mumble to Seth, trying to fix my hair after Benny’s not-so-subtle attack. “He’s, uh, a little immature.”
“Immature?” Benny spins around, grinning. “I’ll show you immature.” Before I can even blink, he hoists me up over his shoulder like I’m a sack of potatoes, sprinting deeper into the maze.
“Dammit, Benny!” I yell, flailing. “Put me down!”
“Where’s your sense of fun?” he laughs, finally setting me down in the middle of the cornfield. “Since when did you become so boring?”
“I’m not boring,” I snap, brushing off dirt and adjusting my clothes. “I just grew up—something you and Chris clearly missed the memo on. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m returning to my awkward setup with Ella’s cousin.” I huff, ready to storm off.
But Benny’s mood shifts, his teasing grin slipping into something more serious.
“Come on, that guy?”
I roll my eyes. “What about him?”
“You actually like him?” He crosses his arms, his usual playful tone nowhere in sight.
I hesitate, caught off guard by his shift. “I don’t know, Benny. I just met him. But yeah, I mean…he’s not bad to look at.” A smile sneaks across my face before I can stop it.
He frowns. “I just don’t think he’s the right guy for you.”
“Excuse me?” I stare at him, baffled. “Why do you even care?”
“I just do,” He insists, his voice oddly stern. “You deserve better.”
I blink, completely thrown. “Wow, okay. Since when did you become the authority on who I should date?”
“I’m just saying,” he mutters, his eyes flicking away, avoiding mine.
“Right. Sure.” My voice drips with sarcasm as I turn to walk away, heart pounding a little faster than I’d like to admit. “Look, Benny, this is none of your business. You’ve never cared about my love life before, aside from you and Chris grilling any guy I brought home like they were on trial when we were younger. So why now?”
“Because I care about you,” he says quietly, stopping me in my tracks.
For a moment, I can’t find my words. His tone is different; so different, I almost laugh from the disbelief.
“Oh, okay. Well, thanks for the sudden burst of brotherly concern. Truly, I’ll cherish this.”
But my voice wavers just enough to betray me. I can feel the air thickening between us, and it’s becoming harder to ignore. What the hell is happening?
