“They could go.”
“They wantmeto. I may have told them I conquered my fear of the water.”
“Oh, did you?” Nate asks. “And let me guess, you don’t want to admit you totally lied.”
“I’m not gonna defend my choices here. Please, consider it.”
Nate finally looks at the pamphlet, flipping through it as his lips press together.“You know, there’s a lot on here that has nothing to do with swimming.”
I have a feeling that’s on purpose. Mom may have believed me,but she also was there when I nearly drowned, so she would give me an out.
“And?”
“You couldtryto go.”
I huff out a laugh. “Are you serious?”
“What? It’s your honeymoon.”
“It’s just a trip now,” I remind him. “And do you really think I’m willing to go on a boat after all of this? Besides, you handled all of that stuff for me while I was a potato on the couch. You deserve it.”
He moves the pamphlet toward me again. “No,youdo. When was the last time you took a break, Maisie?”
I didn’t take breaks. And I certainly didn’t take vacations. Fear of water aside, I always preferred my routine. Hell, I’ve been dreading this cruise even before I realized how much of an idiot Rob is.
Nate uses my silence to go in for the kill. “I’m not going if you aren’t.”
This is his usual methodology to get me to agree to whatever he wants me to do. He always offers to do it with me.
“That’s a terrible idea.”
“And why is that?”
“This is a honeymoon cruise with only one bed in a tiny cabin. We’d practically be on top of each other for a week.”
He immediately goes pale, as if being that close is actually his nightmare.Ouch.I don’t need to take it personally, but I feel his reaction right in my chest.
“I ... can handle it,” he says.
I’m tempted to cry again, but I refuse to. “Sounds like you can’t.”
“Ican.” He leans forward, and his tone has an edge to it that I’ve not heard before. When he leaves and I wind up crying again, I’ll be thinking about this moment.
Harping on it, actually.
But for now, I have to keep it together.
“Just go on the cruise. Meet a hot woman. Have a great time.”
It was rare that Nate gave women a chance. This could be a good time for him to.
“If it’s a honeymoon cruise, how am I supposed to meet anyone single?”
“The cruise itself isn’t only for honeymoons. It’s an adult cruise with the honeymoon package.”
He bites his lip as he considers it. I can’t stop staring at the movement, wondering what his answer will be. His eyes are locked on the pamphlet, and I know he’s considering this.
“And what about you?” he asks. “You want me to leave right when you just made a huge life change?”
