Christian and Micah both look at me, but I’m too busy looking at Arnold wondering why he’s not saying anything or at least making a move to comfort his fiancée.
Something tells me that what Janelle needs at this moment is a chance to breathe, and giving Janelle what she needs is somehow becoming a necessity for me.
I grab my glass and tap it as I stand. “Before we wrap up for the night, I just wanna say a quick word. Amerie, there’s still time to get you out of here if you wanna run.” Everyone at the table laughs, including Janelle, which is all I wanted. “Nah, but really, congratulations, you two. You have built something special here and I’m excited to celebrate with you. Thank you for letting me be a part of this.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way, man.” Arnold raises his glass to me.
“To longevity and prosperity,” I say, quoting Arnold’s motto to him and everyone else.
“Cheers,” everyone says in unison.
Finally, dinner is over and everyone decides to call it a night, feeling the effects of the long day.
“Walk with me to our rooms?” I hear Eve ask Janelle.
She smiles in return, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I’m actually gonna go for a walk on the beach first. I’ll see you in the morning?”
“You sure you’re good?”
“Yes,” she drags out the word. “I just need to feel some sand in my toes.”
Eve rolls her eyes. “Such a hippie. Aight, girl, see you in the morning. Text me when you get back to your room though so I know I don’t have to come fuck someone up.”
“Yes, ma’am.” They hug and I watch as Eve heads in the direction of her room with everyone else while Janelle heads in the opposite direction.
Go to your room.
Do not follow this woman like some kind of creep. Go to your room.
My feet feel heavy, probably because I already know which direction I want to go. I’m just waiting for my head to get the message across that it’s a bad idea.
The message never comes.
I don’t know when it happened but somehow my body got my heart and my mind to be on the same page with it.
When I catch up to Janelle, she looks like a dream. I take a moment to mentally capture the image of her so I can keep it if she decides to turn me away.
“Hey,” I say, quietly hoping not to startle her.
It seems to work because she turns to me in a lackadaisical spin. “Hey, Rome. You not tired?”
“Nah, not yet. I wanted to get some fresh air before heading back.”
“Me too.”
“Do you mind if I walk with you?” I ask even though both of our feet have already started carrying us farther down the beach.
“I don’t mind,” she whispers.
The stress on her face during dinner keeps playing in my mind. The clear hostility between her and her sister plagues my every thought. I heard from Christian that there were rumors that Janelle was hung up on Arnold and so things were awkward but that never struck me as true, and not just because I don’t want it to be. Even during dinner tonight, there was no tension between Janelle and Arnold. She barely paid him any attention, in fact. The heat was strictly between Janelle and her sister.
“I’m gonna ask a question and I’m sure it’s a question you hate and I hate that I’m asking but I’m going to do it anyway. Feel free to tell me to fuck off.”
She chuckles. “Well after that buildup, I can’t say I’m excited but go ahead.”
“Are you okay?”
She skids to a halt, turning to face me. I wait for the animosity in her gaze, but it doesn’t come. Instead, her eyes are soft and inviting, reeling me in so fast I can’t seem to stop it. “Honestly, I’m surprised it took you this long to ask. Even Christian’s self-absorbed ass asked me when everything first happened. I was beginning to think you didn’t give a fuck about me.” She shifts from one leg to the other and I reach out to grab her hand.
