Chapter 7

Eloise bolts from the coffee shop after realizing Jasper told Foster and Talia about their secret marriage. On the sidewalk, she confronts Jasper for betraying their agreement to keep it quiet. Overwhelmed by fear of family fallout and public judgment, she spirals into panic.

Jasper admits he blurted it out and claims Lyla might have a crush on him, which pushed him to come clean. Eloise fears Jasper wants Lyla, but he denies it. When Eloise’s anxiety spikes, Jasper carries her to his SUV and drives her to his A-frame cabin, where he has recently bought the property.

Inside, they confirm only Foster and Talia know so far, though Talia may tell Lyla. Jasper says an annulment is unlikely and presses Eloise about her intent to keep the marriage secret permanently. They share blame for the situation and discuss how to handle the fallout.

When Eloise asks how he told them, Jasper says he admitted he “fucked up.” As her phone buzzes with calls from her sisters, she asks how to fix it. Jasper proposes calling off the lawyers and staying married publicly, reframing it as rushed but intentional, to see if it works.

Prompted by Jasper’s repeated glances at his mail, Eloise learns the real catalyst: he needs a date—his wife—for a late-June wedding. When she asks whose, Jasper reveals it’s his ex-wife’s. He suggests they remain married through the event, then divorce, offering to take the blame but agreeing not to smear his character. Eloise doesn’t give a final answer.