I deserve it. Try to enjoy your break. And I mean it. Please don’t kill Jax.
My mind returns to my discussion with Pen. It’s been playing on my mind since our lunch, waking me up in a bath of sweat. Was I really that naïve? Did Zach, Darra and her friends really play me like a fiddle? Did I accuse Jax of something he was innocent of? Does it really matter anymore? Some things have been said that can never be taken back.
I keep our sleeping arrangement to myself. No one at home needs to know that.
I know Caleb meant well with his plan. He loves both me and Jax, of that I have no doubt. I know after everything that went down with Zach, he and the rest of the family are worried about me. It makes sense that he wants to help fix my problems, but he doesn’t know what inviting Jax in means. None of them do.
I take another sip of my Mai Tai.
It will be fine.You’re older and wiser now.
Jax said we can both be professional, and we can.Professionalis my middle name after all.
I finish my drink and make my way back to the villa, hoping that Jax has done what he said and gone for a swim.
CHAPTER 13
JAX
Iwatch Kat leave and run a hand through my hair, tugging it slightly.
Fuck, this is not what I anticipated when I agreed to Caleb’s harebrained scheme to get the answers I needed. Answers she actually provided.
What an idiot!
Not only have I invaded her break, but we’re quite literally stuck, living together for the next forty-eight hours. The only person she has an actual physical aversion to.
I sink down onto the sofa.
Caleb says he’s worried about her, and I’m beginning to see what he means. Kat’s mask is slipping. The Kathryn Frazer I know has always been reserved. Was never overly keen on outward, public shows of emotion. When we were together, our relationship was a secret, so all emotions were kept behind locked doors. After that, she just became short and direct, letting me know my presence was unwelcome.
Her animosity towards me was initially seen as a joke by her brothers. They thought she disliked me because I slept with one of Darra’s friends, someone she didn’t approve of. It all happened as Elijah’s life descended into turmoil, withDarra announcing she was pregnant. No one questioned Kat’s emotional switch. Typical siblings, they laughed it off,blaming me for being a babe magnet. Kat never corrected them. Instead, she allowed my friendship with her brothers to flourish, despite her own misgivings about me.
Now we are here… I stand up and begin to pace. When Kat picked up that bloody chicken salad and ate it in the lounge, I’d felt an unexpected lightness. I’d all but flopped back into my chair as I’d pretended to be engrossed in my computer. When she thanked me, I thought we might be getting somewhere. Instead, she has run, like her dress is on fire, when I know she’s exhausted.
Shit!
I run a hand down my face.
Maybe we can come up with a rota? I’ll speak to Bethany, find out if there’s somewhere I can work with internet access. Somewhere far, far away from this villa. Give Kat the space I’ve promised her.
My eyes move to the bed, and the single bed that’s been erected. It’s a child’s bed and certainly not designed for an adult male or female. I groan. There I was, hoping to get some sleep. The main bed is vast. Not that I think Kat will be keen on the idea of sharing.
My phone pings.
ELIJAH:
What the hell? Do you have a death wish?
ME:
Ha Ha. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
ELIJAH:
In what universe?
ME:
