UNEDITED
*You have to read The Truth About Faking before reading this novella!*
This is a novella about Jake and Gemma's wedding and the events leading up to it.
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Jake
"So who is this Ophelia Henry woman Gem was telling me about?" I ask Cassian as we jog along with the shore in the Gellatly area.
He throws me a jaded smile. "She's the head of the management team at Utterly Uncorked, that new winery that's just opened down the road. It's the winery Penelope thinks we'll benefit from. She knows it's a risk, but tourists are generally compelled by the lake here. Pen thinks we'll make a fortune." He pauses and wipes some of the sweat from his brow. "Ophelia's really hot, too."
As much as I want to drop this subject, I know there's more to the story between Cassian and Ophelia. He wouldn't just start pining over someone because they're hot. Cassian may come across as easy-going and open to anything, but he's really picky about who he lets in his life, let alone who he dates. "What aren't you telling me?" I ask.
Cassian sighs and jerks his head in the direction of a nearby outcrop in the path. It's a mini dock that juts out over the water, complete with waist-high railing and a prime view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. I follow him onto it, earning dirty looks from the people that were jogging behind us. I suppress an eye roll. If they thought we were going too slow, then why didn't they jog around us? The path is definitely big enough.
Shaking my head, I turn my attention back to Cassian. He's leaning over the railing, his elbows supporting him. "What's going on, man?" I ask, taking my place beside him. I stare out at the view while I wait for his answer.
He sighs again, running his hands through his sweaty hair. "Do you remember Sarah Anderson from sixth grade?"
My eyebrows knit together as I try to comb back through my memories. Personally, I've never been good with names. Unless I see that person on a regular basis, I usually end up referring to them via what they're wearing or what colour hair they have. "Give me a hint. You know I'm shit with names."
"Remember that trip to Thetis Lake? The one where you, me, and Gemma managed to flip the kayaks that were rented for the students?"
Memories begin to flash in my mind. I can feel the cold water soaking through my life jacket, taste the gooey goodness of s'mores on my tongue, see the billions of stars in the night sky. Another memory comes to me: Sitting around the campfire and telling ghost stories. Gemma was terrified and I felt like the hero that evening, holding her hand and comforting her. I also remember a black-haired girl with purple-framed glasses that were way too big for her face. "Wait," I say. "Was Sarah Anderson the one who told all the ghost stories? She had the glasses, right?"
"Purple ones," Cassian smirks.
"Okay," I nod, a little more comfortable with this conversation now that I know what he's talking about. "But what does this have to do with Ophelia?"
Cassian's gaze focuses on the wooden railing beneath his elbows, tracing the initials of a couple that took their time to engrave them there forever. It's a cliché concept, but I find it cute. Especially when it happens in public areas. It makes you think about what happened to this couple, who they were, how they met, et cetera. "She was in our class, Jake," he murmurs. "Ophelia was Sarah's best friend – the shy one with the mousy brown hair. She always had a book in her hands, no matter where she went. She loved those little applesauce cups, too. Every day at lunch, she had one with her sandwich."
