My heart squeezes in my chest.
“That means tomorrow, too,” he says, “I won’t talk to you on the hike if it’s not about us. So I’m going to have to askyouto stay away from me until you’re ready to talk.”
I search his face frantically. Is he really faking this pain? Why does it feel so real?
I could have all the answers now, if only I were brave enough to ask him the question burning in my mind.
“Why did you sleep with Harper if I mean so much to you?”
The words lie frozen on my tongue. Even the heat of the sun couldn’t force them from my lips. Why am I such a damn infant when it comes to sharing my true feelings?
Probably because this flawed man bulldozed his way into my fragile heart, and even after breaking it, he still has the power to crush its shattered remains.
CHAPTER 26
Amy
The morning sun spills golden light across the forest, making the leaves shimmer. I breathe in the ocean air, and it doesn't feel as crisp in my lungs as it did when I hiked this trail with Tristan a few weeks ago.
My stomach is in knots. The camera crew is behind us, and Tristan leads the way with two girls at his side. From the bits of conversation I've picked up along the way, he's been nauseatingly charming since the hike began.
So this is what he meant yesterday. Until I’m ready to talk to him, he’ll seek the company of others. Gone is the dejected, humble version of Tristan who told me he can’t watch me date other guys. He’s the king again, and until we have a real conversation, I’ll be forced to witness him flirt with other women.
The problem is I’m not ready to talk. The thought of revealing my achingly tender feelings to this invulnerable charmer makes my stomach churn.
"Watch your step here," Serena says as we approach some large roots snaking across the dirt trail.
"Thanks," I mutter, my gaze instinctively drawn to Tristan as he laughs.
Serena sets her hand on my shoulder, halting my steps. She turns to the camera crew and tells them we need to stop for a breather. They nod and continue ahead of us.
Ah, she wants to have a private chat with me.
"Tristan is just flirting with Natalie and Mia to get your attention," she whispers when the crew is out of earshot.
My tennis shoes crunch the carpet of fallen leaves. "He’s punishing me for refusing to talk to him.”
Serena smiles sadly. "Do you have your emotions…under control yet?”
I shake my head. “It just gets progressively worse every day. The longer I put off our talk, the more I feel…” My lips quiver. “I feel like I’m going to break down.”
“Amy, I've been thinking a lot about the Harper thing. From what I know about Tristan, it just doesn’t make sense that he’d be so devastated over losing you if you were really just a casual fling.”
When I turn her way, her unseeing eyes are fixed on her bright-purple tennis shoes. “Where are you going with this?” I ask.
"Maybe he didn't sleep with Harper. Maybe she manipulated the time stamp on the picture."
I shake my head. "That's too diabolical."
"How is it any different from what you thought Tristan did? You thought he signed you up for the game just to embarrass you."
I raise my chin. "I don't think that anymore. In fact, it was vain of me to assume he'd go to that much trouble. Maybe he’s just a shallow fuckboy who sees me as a novelty. The nerdy girlwho never gave him the time of day. I was a conquest, and that explains why he’s so upset that I rejected him. He wants to win.”
But it didn’t seem that way yesterday.
“You’ll leave me behind after the game is over.”
It was such a vulnerable admission coming from someone who wants to prove he’s the king.
