Chapter 1

The lighthouse wedding was the most unique wedding tradition on the island, held only once a year.

The brides, dressed in veils, waited in the boarding area. The grooms were forbidden from calling their names or lifting their veils. They could only rely on their tokens and vows to recognize their brides and bring them aboard.

I had waited three years for Zackary Hoover. And finally, the third ceremony had arrived.

The night before the wedding, I accidentally picked up his phone instead of mine. A message in his friends' group chat caught my eye.

[Zackary, I know Lexie being abandoned by her fiancé is awful, but you can't use Jenny's wedding to save her reputation, right?]

Zackary replied: [She was left alone after being abandoned. If she stayed in the boarding area by herself, the whole island would laugh at her.

[She's a public figure. If those photos spread, how will she face people again?]

Someone asked: [Then what about Jenny?

[The first year, Lexie had a panic attack, and you stayed with her all night. The second year, Lexie's follow-up results came back abnormal, and you left Jenny alone at the ceremony. She's already waited twice.]

Zackary was silent for a moment.

Then he replied: [So she can wait one more time. All the brides will be wearing veils tomorrow.

[I'll just say I recognized the wrong person. At least I can save her dignity. Jenny is a veterinarian. She's calm and sensible. She'll get over it soon enough. Lexie can't handle this right now.]

Someone else asked: [What if she really doesn't want you anymore?]

Zackary answered immediately: [She won't. She's loved me for years. At most, she'll be angry for a few days. Once this is over, I'll make it up to her with a private yacht wedding.]

I put the phone back exactly where I found it.

The next day, he walked right past me and took Lexie away.

Everyone thought I would cry. They thought I would make a scene. They thought I would chase after him and ask why.

But I simply removed my veil and looked at the groom standing beside me, the man who had been abandoned too. "Does your boat still need a bride?"

He looked at me. "It does."

When the lighthouse bell rang, I stepped onto his boat.

*****

I kept replaying those messages in my head, and suddenly, the last three years came rushing back.

Whenever Lexie needed him, Zackary always promised he'd make it up to me someday.

But all those 'laters' kept stacking up.

The rain outside kept pouring.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my hand brushed against the ring box, and the lid clicked softly.

Just then, the bathroom door swung open.

Zackary came out, drying his hair. He spotted the two phones on the bed and grinned. "Did you mix them up again?"

He picked up his phone, glanced at it, and for a split second, he froze. I kept my head down, busy with my bag, avoiding his gaze.

A few seconds later, he set his phone face down on the table, sounding just as casual as always. "We have to be up at 4:30 tomorrow. Quit fussing."

He took the vow card from my hand, glanced at it, and grinned. "You wrote all this? Are you sure you'll be able to read it out loud tomorrow?"

I looked up at him. "Are you sure you'll recognize me tomorrow?"

Zackary hesitated for a moment and then smiled. "Of course."

He picked up the silver whale tail brooch and waved it in front of me. "Isn't this the token we picked?"

That was the token Zackary and I registered for the ceremony.

When we were twelve, he got swept off the rocks by the waves. I ran for help, crying my eyes out.

Later, he gave me this brooch, saying whales always know their way home; no matter where he ended up, he'd always find his way back to me.

I kept polishing the brooch, over and over.

Before he went to shower, Zackary teased me, "If you keep rubbing it, the color's gonna fade."

I smiled. "What if you mistake me for someone else?"

"No way," he said quickly, then leaned in and touched my forehead. "Jenny, how long have I known you? Even if everyone's wearing veils, I'd recognize you instantly."

The phone on the table lit up.

Lexie's name flashed on the screen.

Zackary glanced at me. "She can't sleep again, huh."

He said it like it was nothing new. So many times before, whenever Lexie couldn't sleep, felt sick, got scared of the rain, or just didn't want to be alone, Zackary would always go to her.

I put the vow card back in my bag.

"You should go check on her," I said.

Zackary stared at me. "You're not mad?"

I shook my head. "The wedding's tomorrow. If she's upset, it'll just be a mess."

He let out a sigh of relief, picked up the phone, and his voice instantly softened.

"Don't cry. I'll be right there."

Before heading out, he turned back to remind me, "Get some sleep. And don't get on the boat tomorrow with an empty stomach; you know how your stomach is."

After the door closed, the only thing left in the room was the steam from the bathroom.

Later, my stomach was killing me. I reached for my meds, only to find the nightstand drawer empty.