Chapter 3 — Complicated Facade

Cara Reynolds

The dining area of the Stilted Villas was a masterpiece of understated elegance. The open-air layout allowed the sea breeze to waft through, carrying with it the faint scent of salt and tropical blossoms. Candlelight flickered on the polished wood of the long dining table, casting warm, golden hues over the plates of artfully arranged cuisine. Soft, ambient music played from hidden speakers, blending seamlessly with the rhythm of the crashing waves below. It was idyllic, the kind of setting that should have made everyone feel at ease.

But tonight, tension hung in the air, thick and unspoken, like the humidity before a storm.

Cara sat at the head of the table, her wide smile carefully in place as she surveyed the group. It was her nature to bring people together, to smooth over awkwardness and ensure a good time, but tonight was proving to be a challenge even for her expert skills. Liana sat to her left, her posture stiff and her gaze fixed on the candle in front of her, the golden light dancing in her hazel eyes. Across from her sat James, who kept sneaking glances at Liana when he thought no one was looking. Nathan, thankfully, was his usual easygoing self, sipping his wine and chattering about their plans for tomorrow. But even his humor wasn’t enough to fully dispel the underlying tension.

Cara took a sip of her cocktail, a vibrant concoction of mango and passionfruit, and set the glass down with deliberate care. She had worked too hard to plan this trip for it to devolve into awkward silence and stolen glances. If anyone could fix this, it was her. She cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention.

“So," she began, her tone light and breezy, masking the nerves bubbling just below the surface, "I’ve been thinking. Since we’re in paradise and all, why not have a little fun?”

Liana’s eyes narrowed slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line. Cara knew that look well—her best friend’s “what are you up to now?” expression. James, on the other hand, looked cautiously intrigued, his hand pausing mid-reach for his wine glass.

Nathan leaned back in his chair, a bemused smirk playing on his lips. “Go on, Cara. I can tell this is going to be good.”

Cara grinned, ignoring the way Liana shifted uncomfortably beside her. “Well, given that we’re all here together, and given that some of us—” her eyes flicked meaningfully between Liana and James, “—have a bit of... unfinished history, I thought we could try something that might make things a little less awkward.”

Liana shot her a warning glance, her lips parting slightly as though she was about to cut her off, but Cara pressed on, her smile faltering for just a moment as she braced herself. "How about you two pretend to be a couple for the trip?”

The words hung in the air for a moment, and then landed like a stone dropped into still water. Liana’s expression shifted from surprise to outright disbelief. James blinked, his eyebrows shooting up as if he hadn’t expected the suggestion but wasn’t entirely opposed to it either. Nathan, for his part, burst out laughing, clearly enjoying the chaos Cara had unleashed.

“Pretend to be a couple?” Liana repeated, her voice sharp. “Cara, are you serious?”

Cara leaned forward, her hands clasped in front of her in what she hoped was a placating gesture. “Hear me out, okay? You two clearly have some unresolved stuff, and I’m not saying you have to actually reconcile or anything. But this is a small island, and we’re all going to be spending a lot of time together. Pretending to be a couple could take some of the pressure off. Plus, it might even be... therapeutic.”

Liana’s jaw tightened, her fingers curling around the stem of her wine glass. “Therapeutic,” she echoed, as if the word itself were an insult.

“Cara,” James cut in, his tone measured but with an edge of curiosity, “what exactly are you suggesting here? That we pretend everything’s fine when it’s not?”

“No,” Cara said quickly, “not pretend everything’s fine. Just... go along with it, for the sake of the group dynamic. It doesn’t have to be anything dramatic. Hold hands now and then, sit next to each other at dinner—stuff like that. It could even be fun, if you let it.”

“Fun,” Liana said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Yes, nothing says fun like pretending to be in a relationship with your ex.”

Cara sighed, her carefully constructed demeanor slipping slightly. “Come on, Li,” she said softly, using her nickname in an attempt to soften her. “I’m not asking you to forgive him or forget what happened. I’m asking you to consider how it might make things easier. For all of us.”

Liana’s eyes flicked to James then, her gaze sharp but with a flicker of something else—hesitation, or maybe curiosity, beneath the surface. Her fingers tapped against the base of her glass, her mind clearly churning. Memories of James, of what he’d done and what they’d once had, seemed to flit across her expression. For a moment, she looked as though she might refuse outright, but then her shoulders sagged slightly, the fight draining out of her.

“Fine,” she said at last, her voice weary. “I’ll do it. But only because I don’t want to ruin the trip. And only if James agrees.”

Cara turned to James expectantly, the knot in her chest loosening slightly. She saw the flicker of something hopeful in his expression, though it was quickly tempered by caution. He nodded, his voice steady. “If it helps make things easier for everyone, I’m in.”

“Wonderful!” Cara clapped her hands together, ignoring the skepticism still lingering in Liana’s eyes. “This is going to be great, I promise.”

Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. “You’ve outdone yourself this time, Cara.”

“Oh, hush,” she said, tossing a napkin in his direction. “I’m just trying to make sure everyone has a good time.”

As the conversation shifted to lighter topics, Cara allowed herself a moment to breathe. Relief mingled with doubt—had she gone too far? She glanced at Liana, who was now listening to Nathan recount a story from their college days, her expression softening slightly. James, meanwhile, stole another glance at her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. Cara sipped her cocktail, letting the warm breeze brush against her skin. The faint sound of waves crashing below blended with the laughter around the table, but there was something else—an almost imperceptible stillness in the air, as though the night itself were holding its breath. For a brief moment, she felt a strange, creeping unease, as though unseen eyes were watching from the shadows. She shook it off, focusing instead on the group before her.

This trip was going to be more complicated than she’d anticipated, but if anyone could navigate the messiness of love and forgiveness, it was this group. And if they couldn’t... well, she’d just have to figure out another plan.

For now, though, she was content to let the evening unfold, the sound of laughter and the ocean melding into a melody that felt, if only briefly, like hope.