“Aren’t I? I just pretend I know what I’m doing. Like with kayaking.”
“Oh. The kayaking. You don’t mean at work.”
“There too.”
“No, Bridget.” He put his hand over mine on the paddle to stop me from rowing. “You have the kind of experience I envy. Everyone admires you. You’re no fraud.”
“Do they? Admire me?” If they truly did, I’d be in the CEO’s office, alone. Not lost in the jungle. “Sometimes I feel that if I let up the tiniest bit, it’ll all come crashing down.”
I stared at his big hand still covering mine. Rain splattered onto the back of it.
Like he’d just realized he was touching me, he snatched his hand back. “You don’t need to keep up the superhero act. People know you’re human. They respect it when you reveal your flaws.”
I snorted and dipped the paddle into the water. “No, they don’t. They only want to see perfection.”
He said nothing, and I knew I’d won the argument. Though it felt a hell of a lot like losing.
12
I MIGHT HAVE RICKETTSIOSIS
Favorite meal?
Cole:The filet at Harris’s with a dry martini.
Bridget:My mom’s stew on a chilly day. Jesus, I wish I could have some right now…
COLE
When we made it to the pickup point, the rain had let up, but we were soaked to the skin. At least, I was. I tried not to think about Bridget’s skin under its many wet articles of clothing. I was too angry to think about peeling those soggy layers off her because it was one hundred percent Bridget’s fault that my balls were soaked in river water.
Well, maybe fifty percent her fault and fifty percent whatever misguided notion had made me insist on putting her in my kayak. I certainly wasn’t going to delve into why I’d done that. Angry, remember?
Our sopping shoes squelched as we trudged up the bank and across a small clearing to the small bus waiting for us.
“Where’s everyone else?” Bridget asked as the driver hopped into his seat.
“They quit when it started to rain. They went back to the resort.”
I didn’t miss how she slumped in her seat. After what she’d said earlier, I understood. She was upset that the others had left us like she wasn’t worth waiting for. Which was total bullshit.
Against my better judgment, I said, “They just wanted to get dry. I’m sure they waited until they knew we were okay.”
“You think?” Her mascara had melted into a thick smudge. The dark rings only made her light-blue eyes that much more beautiful, like aquamarines set with onyx.
I turned my face to the window and glared at the stand of dripping wild banana trees. “I’m positive.”
When the driver started the van, cold air blasted us and Bridget shivered. I wished I had something dry to warm her up, but I shuddered too. I reached forward to direct the vents away from her. Anyone would’ve done it.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a long drive back to the resort, but she was trembling when we stepped out in front of the resort. We trudged through the lobby, leaving muddy prints on the terracotta tiles, to the rear exit, then along the path. It must have rained here too because steam rose from the damp pavement. Unlike when we checked in on Saturday, Bridget kept her gaze on the ground while she scuffed along the path without a word about enjoying the moment. Silently, I followed her.
A small box sat in front of my door, and I winced. More fucking proof that I didn’t actually hate her. Goddammit.I snatched it off the porch. “Hold up.”
She stopped rooting for her key card but didn’t look up.
I held out the package. “I ordered you a new phone.”
She whipped her head around, her braid slapping against her shoulder. “You what?”
