“No, thanks,” I say, shaking my head.
Vanessa’s gaze slides to me, sharp and appraising, then back to Rhett.
“I’ll have one,” she says.
That means he’s going to have to come back before she leaves. Great.
Rhett nods, the briefest flash of irritation crossing his face, and he’s off, leaving me alone with her. Immediately, the air between us changes. The sun feels a little hotter, the breeze a little colder, and Vanessa’s gaze is sharp like a scalpel.
“Don’t get too comfortable, sweetheart,” she says, her voice low, clipped, and laced with that venomous charm she always manages to wear like perfume. “He’s just using you. He always comes back to me. You think you’re special, but you’re not. He’ll be back, just like he always is.”
I bite my tongue, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. I want to snap, to tell her that she’s delusional, that I’m only out here because Rhett wants nothing to do with her, but I force myself to stay calm. Calm, measured, and untouchable.
“Youreallythink so?” I ask evenly, tilting my head, meeting her gaze without flinching. “What more does he have to do to tell you to fuck off?”
Her eyes narrow with fury. “Rhett is mine. He’s always going to be mine. You’re just a temporary distraction. You think he’s serious about you? Please. Don’t fool yourself.”
Something in me snaps. It’s not anger, not fear, but a sharp, bright need to assert myself. I lean forward slightly, my hands on the towel beside me, and I fix her with a gaze that’s steady and unflinching.
“He’s not yours,” I say firmly. “He’s mine now.”
She raises an eyebrow, clearly amused, as though this is some sort of charming little show. “Oh really?”
“Yes, really,” I continue, letting my voice rise slightly with conviction. “You think he’s coming back to you? He’s not. He won’t. Because we just got engaged.”
The words hang in the air like a sudden storm. Vanessa’s eyes flick around like she doesn’t know where to look, and then she gives me a split-second glance and inhales sharply. She goes pale, her composure faltering for the briefest instant. I watch her, feeling a surge of vindication, as her mouth opens then closes, and she says nothing.
I lean back slightly, letting the silence stretch out between us, letting the tide of triumph wash over me. Vanessa is caught out, for the first time unsure, unprepared, and I savor the mean feeling. The sun beats down on my shoulders, hot and accusing, but I tell myself I feel stronger for standing my ground, for not letting her intimidate me. Rhett won’t mind that I lied. Main thing is, I got her off his back. If anything, he should be grateful.
After a long moment, she looks away, her lips pressed into a thin line, clearly unsure what to say. I don’t offer her any words, I don’t gloat, and I don’t revel beyond what’s necessary. The message is clear; I’m here. I’m serious. I’m not someone who’s going to step aside. I’m playing my part in our deal, but it feels like more than that. I hate to admit it, but it actually feels almost like I am protecting what is mine.
“So,” Vanessa says, her tone casual, but her eyes full of wicked glee. “If you got engaged, where’s the ring?”
She’s got me there. Rhett isn’t exactly someone who couldn’t afford a ring, and I flounder, wondering what the hell I am going to say now. I can’t back track – that would be too tragic, but she’s really got me here.
“It’s umm …”
Chapter Thirty
Rhett
The sun is high and warm, the kind of heat that makes the sand stick pleasantly to my feet, and the ocean glint like melted glass in the distance. I’m carrying a can of soda in each hand, one for me, and one for Vanessa,
I am now close enough that I can hear Pippa and Vanessa and catch the tail end of Pippa’s sentence, clipped and sharp.
“You think he’s coming back to you? Well, he’s not. He won’t. Because we just got engaged.”
I can’t help but grin to myself. Pippa just took our charade to the next level. For a moment, Vanessa is quiet, and then she snaps back at Pippa.
“So, if you got engaged, then where’s the ring?”
I adjust my grip on the soda cans, feeling the condensation cool against my palms while I wait for Pippa’s answer, but she is stumped. Frozen without a comeback.
I can see her sitting upright on her towel, her shoulders squared despite the slight flush on her cheeks. Vanessa islooming just a little bit too close to her, her smirk firmly in place, and her hands planted on her hips like she owns the beach.
I take the last couple of steps and arrive at their side. I hold a can of soda out to Vanessa.
“Here you go,” I say.
