Relieved, I reached out to her. She took my hand and let me pull her into a hug.
“Everything will work out fine,” I promised, breathing in the sweetness of tropical fruit with an underlying hint of chocolate.
“I hope so.” She held me tighter. “I don’t want anything to ruin this.”
“Then we won’t let it.”
Somehow, I suspected it wouldn’t be that simple, but I’d gotten us into this mess, so I’d get us out of it again, whatever it took.
“I have to go too,” she said, stepping away from me. “I need to work tomorrow, to make sure the shop is stocked for Monday.”
“Early start?” I asked.
“Nah, not too bad.” She drew her keys from her pocket. “I’ll see you later in the week. Train hard and stay safe.”
I patted her arm as she walked past me, hoping the touch would reassure her. She let herself out and I waited until I heardher car door slam and saw the headlights flash before locking the door behind her.
As I wandered back to the living room, at loose ends about what to do with myself, my phone buzzed. I checked the screen and noticed that I had a message from my sister.
Jane:How long have you been dating Tally and why did no one tell me?
SEVEN
TALLY
Excitement fluttered in my stomach as I stood in the bright, airy lobby of Tranquility Bay Resort. Even inside, the air smelled of the sea, and through the windows, fluffy white clouds floated in a sky as blue as the cerulean waters we’d flown over before our flight landed an hour earlier.
I hadn’t been sure what to expect of the resort. The photographs on the website had made it look lovely, but I knew better than to trust images that could easily have been manipulated or were simply out of date.
I’d been wrong to suspect them of misleading customers though. Even from what little I’d seen of the resort as we’d pulled up outside and handed our suitcases over to a bellhop, I could tell that the buildings were modern but had character and the exterior was lush with greenery.
Dare I hope I might even enjoy my time here?
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Alec said from beside me. We were lined up at a large wooden desk, waiting for the receptionist to check us in.
“I’m excited to see the other side.” I hadn’t been able to tell from the website whether the coast adjoining the resort was sandy or rocky.
“Me too.”
Nearby, there was a ping and the elevator doors opened. A couple stepped out, the woman’s sandals slapping against the patterned vinyl floor. My brain glitched, refusing to fully register what I was seeing:
Coral, in a pretty, wrap around dress, with a white plumeriaflower tucked behind her ear and glossy pink lips.
Beside her, Thad, in Hawaiian print board shorts and a white open-collared shirt, a lei around his neck.
Fuck my life. I’d been hoping to have more of a reprieve before coming face-to-face with them.
Their fingers were intertwined. They looked good together, I couldn’t deny it. They fit in ways he and I never had.
Something touched my back and I flinched, relaxing when I realized it was Alec. He wound his arm around my waist and pulled me against his side. My hand instinctively came to rest on his chest so I could steady myself, and my eyes widened slightly at the firmness of the muscle beneath my palm.
Don’t get used to him holding you like this,I warned myself.Don’t creep on him either.
Thad spotted us first. He set a course straight for us, dragging Coral with him. She resisted, trying to tug him the other way. When he refused to be budged, her shoulders slumped, and she rolled her eyes and let him lead her over.
“I heard that you two had gotten together,” Thad said, his dark gaze flicking between us. “I figured people must have gotten it wrong.”
Alec’s arm reflexively tightened around me. “Not only are we together, but we’re solid.” His lips brushed my temple and I barely resisted the urge to melt into his embrace. “I’m not stupidenough to repeat your mistake and lose her. I know Tally is precious and I’m man enough to hold onto her.”
