Her lashes flutter as she blinks. Setting aside her empty ice cream cup, she wipes her hands on the napkin before burrowing them into her jacket. When her eyes meet mine, there’s a soft gratitude in them.
“Thanks, Roman.”
“Anytime you need a hype man, I’m right here.”
Her laugh is a gentle, quiet thing. Talking with her is easier than I expected, especially since I’ve been ignoring her for two years.
“I don’t understand why people want to get married, anyway. Marriage is you signing up to haunt someone for the rest of your life all the while regretting saying yes. Even if you get a divorce, that person is going to be in your life forever, and you’ll always be bitter.”
Lavinia blinks at me once, slow like a cat. “Not sure I should be taking marriage advice from a renowned playboy such as yourself.”
“At least I’ve never left anyone at the altar.”
Lavinia gasps, and I feel a kick against my leg under the table.
“Did you kick me?” I ask, incredulously.
“You deserved it,” she says, with a laugh. “You’re not allowed to joke about my misery.”
“The only miserable thing would have been your life if you’d married Josh.”
Lavinia doesn’t look upset about the whole thing, so I think she’s starting to realize that.
She sighs deeply and frowns as she pulls out her phone from her pocket. “Jules says it’s okay to return. She’s broken the news to everyone, and the guests have left. My family is wondering where I am.”
It’s a bitter reminder that she belongs to them.
“Can I ask you something?”
Lavinia looks up from her phone in question.
“Why did you run away? Why not go to your family and let them know yourself?”
Glancing out the window, she chews on her bottom lip as she thinks. “It’s hard to explain. I guess I feel like I’ve failed, somehow. I know I’m not the one who fucked up.” She looksback at me. “Being an athlete in a male dominated world has made me realize that no matter what I do, someone, somewhere is going to find a fault in me and I didn’t want to deal with that. I didn’t want to have people wondering what’s wrong with me.”
“None of it is your fault,” I say with conviction.
I have half a mind to track Josh down and drag him back here so he can apologize to Lavinia. The other half selfishly doesn’t want anything to lead to a reconciliation.
Lavinia gives me a soft smile. “I know.”
I offer her a nod, standing up and giving her my hand. She glances between it and me in wonderment before placing her hand in mine. I half expect her to pull it back when she’s standing, but she doesn’t. Instead, she keeps her hand in mine as we walk out of the ice cream shop.
I help her get on the bike, putting the helmet over her head. I get on and without hesitation, Lavinia wraps her arms around my middle, pressing her body against mine. The feeling of her against me makes me freeze for a moment and I have to clear the fog of lust before I start the bike.
“You ready?” I ask, over the roar of the engine.
“I am.”
I pull the bike into the flow of traffic.
FOUR
LAVINIA
The drive back to the resort is less panic and more peace. Strangely enough, Roman turned out to be the perfect person for me to run away with. I didn’t expect today to come with a pep talk from Roman Maddox of all people.
Roman’s body pressed against mine is solid and safe. He maneuvers the bike confidently, always conscious of the traffic, and it lessens my fear significantly. I don’t feel like I’m going to die.
