Chapter Thirty-Three
Ant
I’m feeling energised as I let myself back into our suite after a great surf. Against all odds, I’m looking forward to this wedding. It’ll give me another opportunity to dance with Lilavati. And although it means our time in Hawaii is nearly over, I’m keen to explore where we go from here.
I expect Lil to be in one of two places. Napping on the lanai or lathering herself in the shower in preparation for this afternoon’s ceremony. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s snuck down to the bay for a quick snorkel.
She’s doing none of those. She’s perched on the edge of the sofa, hands clenched around a wad of tissues, back ramrod straight, eyes puffy, cheeks blotchy. This is not the warm, soft, sleepy woman I left a couple of hours ago.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” I drop my board with a clatter and cross to sit beside her, careless of the damp towel around my waist. When I attempt to wrap my arms around her, she holds up a hand, warding me off.
“Is there something you need to tell me?” she asks, her voice low.
Fuck. My heart is thundering. What could this be about? Did Warren somehow put a spin on what happened at the bucks’ night and make me look like the villain? I know I underplayed it when I told Lil what happened, but I didn’t want to hurt her. Or maybe he spun our conversation at the luau last night somehow? There’s not much I wouldn’t put past this guy.
Despite the heat and humidity, goosebumps run up my arms.
I move back, giving her space and try to hold her gaze, but she closes her eyes, turns her face away and takes a deep, shuddering breath.
“Mum and Warren came to see me while you were out …” She pauses, and I jump in.
“I don’t know what he told you, but at no time did I threaten Miles. I wanted to. Fuck, I wanted to punch him into next year, but I never even made a fist.” Although I find myself making one now, wishing Warren were here so I could confront him.
“What are you talking about?” Lil’s eyebrows pull together in confusion.
“The bucks’ night. Isn’t that what Warren came to see you about? Or is it about our conversation last night?”
“No, it’s not about either of those.” She shakes her head. “Why didn’t you tell me you were looking for an investor in your business?”
“What?” I can’t make sense of what she’s saying. What has that got to do with anything? “What are you talking about?”
“When you finally got around to telling me about owning the cafés, why didn’t you tell me you were looking for funding to expand?” Her eyes are sparkling with fresh, unshed tears, but she skewers me with her trademarktake shit from no onelook. At least no one except her fucked up family, who dump endlessshit on her. That look makes me want to smile, but the tears in her eyes make me want to rage.
“Are you serious right now?” I’m thoroughly confused by the direction this conversation has taken.
“I asked you outright, Ant, whether there was anything else you needed to tell me, and you said no. So you … you lied.”
“I don’t understand what any of this has to do with us. It’s just business.” I’m genuinely puzzled.
She says nothing, just lifts her eyes and holds my gaze with hers. A single tear rolls down her cheek, and she swipes it away with an impatient hand.
“Just business. I see. Are you telling me you don’t know what Warren does for a living?” She’s all confrontation now.
“I thought he was retired?” I've never cared enough to ask.
“Semi. But before that.” Her beautiful lips are pressed together so tightly they’re barely visible, and her chin is trembling.
I pull a chair from the dining table, put it in front of Lil, and sit down, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, searching her face, desperate to understand what’s going on.
“I don’t know. Did you say it was something in banking?”
Is that a look of scorn she gives me?
“He’s a partner in a venture capital firm.”
The penny drops, taking the floor under my feet with it. That fucking fucker. My first thought is I’ll tear him a new one. And then the direction she’s heading with this hits me.
She thinks I’ve been tuning her. To get to him.
