It's unclear whether customs differ between the East Coast and West Coast, or whether the weddings Jack attended previously were either the kind where the bride rushed off with the baby, or the kind where two women wore wedding dresses together, perhaps less traditional.
In any case, whether the bride and groom slept together the day before the wedding seemed irrelevant to the case. Seeing that further questioning of the groom yielded no results and it was getting late, Beckett prepared to return to the police station to sort out the case's timeline.
Jack also planned to go home. After all, this case had nothing to do with him. Of course, he could take over the case on the grounds that the victim was from out of state, but that was clearly unnecessary at the moment.
The two wandered around the sixth floor of the hotel but couldn't find Castle. Confused, Beckett was about to pull out his phone to call him, but Jack stopped him and led him to the banquet hall door.
He placed a finger on his lips and whispered a soft hush. Beckett understood, carefully opening the door a crack and peeking inside.
Cassel was in the center of the banquet hall, the original wedding venue, secretly eating wedding cake with the bride, Kayla, who was hiding there.
Beckett frowned and was about to push the door open, but was stopped again. Jack leaned close to her ear and whispered in a barely audible voice, "Don't you want to know a little about Cassel and her history? After all, this girl looks different from this guy's first two wives."
Jack didn't say what the difference was. Although he and Cassel were indeed very familiar with each other now, Beckett, who had been with him almost every day for some time, should understand some things better. After all, someone has always been a big talker and never mind discussing his past with others.
Beckett's eyes were wandering, and he bit his lip and said nothing, but his body was honest and put his ear to the crack of the door.
"If everything had gone according to plan today, I'd be here right now, dancing with my husband."
"Do you remember the last time we danced?"
"Of course, right under the clock at Grand Central Station."
"You were heading to the airport to catch a flight to London."
"You were supposed to come with me."
Were these screenwriters simply ripping off Nicolas Cage's "The Family Man"? While it sounded romantic, the overwhelming sense of déjà vu in this exchange left Jack both amused and irritated.
His scoff drew a glare from Beckett, as annoying as those people who unscrupulously munched on popcorn in the cinema.
Jack raised his hands in amusement, acknowledging his mistake, wondering who had just pushed the door open and ruined the atmosphere.
The conversation in the banquet hall continued, Kayla's voice tinged with resentment. "You should have come with me."
Castle sounded innocent. "You were the one who said you needed some space,"
Kayla sighed, her resentment growing. "But I didn't mean forever."
The atmosphere faltered for a moment. Castle opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Kayla looked around, the wedding scene and the dislocation of her imagined past brought her back to reality. Time is the best healer, and she had long since let it go.
She lowered her head and pressed her nose hard to stop the words threatening to burst out, then gave an awkward smile, trying to change the subject.
"Anyway, you've already been through this, haven't you?"
She was referring to the wedding, of course. Castle answered without hesitation, "Twice."
Kayla stepped in front of him and asked seriously, "So, every time you think you've found the one, right?"
Jack's heart ached. The change of topic hadn't been successful. What was the bride going to ask next?
Castle considered his words for a long time before answering cautiously, "At least at that time, I thought I made the right choice."
Sure enough, Kayla took another step forward, almost sticking to Castle, looking up at him, their breathing audible. "But the result was exactly the opposite, right?"
Castle was speechless for a moment. Kayla looked at him with a burning gaze. "You know, some girls might think what happened today was an omen."
"Are you talking about murder?" someone began to play dumb. At least that's what Jack, who was watching from the sidelines, thought. It was impossible for the seasoned Cassel to miss the hidden meaning.
Murder was nothing. The sudden appearance of an ex-boyfriend with lingering feelings was a sign. Otherwise, why did the officiant at every wedding ask if anyone objected before declaring the couple husband and wife?
"And your appearance, Rick." Kayla stared at Cassel, her eyes gradually becoming glazed.
Ugh, this is killing me! Seeing their heads inch closer and closer, Jack looked at Beckett, who was still peeking through the crack in the door, his fingernails whitening from gripping the doorknob. "
I really owe you two," Jack sighed inwardly, stumbling and bumping into Beckett's shoulder.
The female detective was caught off guard and was slammed into the banquet hall. "You're welcome," Jack mumbled, mouthing the words to Beckett, who glared at him.
Beckett gritted his teeth, forcing a calm expression. Turning nonchalantly, he turned to the startled couple in the center of the banquet hall and said, "Casel, we're leaving. Do you want a ride?"
A hint of panic crossed Kayla's face. Her gaze flickered between them for a moment, then she lowered her head slightly, seemingly adjusting her wedding dress, but actually trying to collect herself. "I should probably go back too. They're probably looking for me by now."
Seeing Kayla hurriedly leave with her wedding dress, Kayla stared at her for a long moment. As he averted his gaze, he met Beckett's.
Hesitation, reluctance, regret, relief—in that instant, Beckett felt she had never read so many different expressions on a single man's face.
Beckett stared at Kayla until he regained his innocence and raised his cake plate toward her. "Would you like some?"
"No, thank you." Beckett turned and walked away, her lips curling upwards. Seeing Jack, who looked like he was watching a spectacle, she couldn't help but glare at him fiercely.
"What's wrong with you two?" Castle looked puzzled as he passed Jack.
"Nothing, Detective Beckett's probably in a hurry to get back. We've been looking for you for ages," Jack said casually.
He was a little stuffed from all the melon he'd eaten today, and he had to show off to Hannah when he got home tonight; she'd definitely regret agreeing to go shopping with Alexis.
The hotel elevator slowly descended, an eerie silence filling the air. Jack stood in a corner, texting Hannah about his day's events, pretending to be a bystander, away from the core of the local low-pressure vortex, where Beckett and Castle stood.
Castle couldn't stand the strange atmosphere anymore and took the initiative. "We met in college and were together for three years."
"I didn't ask you," Beckett replied sourly, his eyes subconsciously glancing at Jack from the corner of the room. Seeing him typing on his phone, pretending not to hear anything, he looked away with satisfaction.
"You asked, but you just didn't say it out loud." Castle said dimly. He was not stupid. Beckett's sudden intrusion interrupted the ambiguous atmosphere at the time, and at the same time prevented things from developing in an immoral direction.
Although the Americans do have infinite praise for personal freedom, stealing someone's girlfriend is still considered immoral, even if he didn't take the initiative.
"I just think she is different from your ex-wife." Beckett regretted the moment she said it, because she had just heard this from someone not long ago, although it was the same as what she thought in her heart.
Sure enough, when she looked up, she saw Jack with dizzy pupils, his mouth half open, as if he wanted to speak but didn't dare to. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed and angry.
"What do you mean?" Castle didn't notice Jack's expression next to him, and his eyes were fixed on the female detective next to him.
Beckett stuttered a little. "What I mean is that she seems like a very real girl. I thought you didn't like that. Breaking up with her must have been very painful for you."
Castle opened his mouth. It seemed that this question brought back some not-so-pleasant memories hidden in his heart. He was not very willing to answer the question, but he finally responded. "Anyway, it's been a long time."
(End of this chapter)