“What made you decide—”
Belle shook her head. “I’m not discussing that right now.”
Her friend’s tone didn’t welcome further commentary. But dammit, Tess had to saysomething.
She leaned back against the door. “Our plane tickets are nonrefundable. And we signed up for a sunset cruise tomorrow and a snorkeling expedition on Thursday.”
“I have enough savings to cover another ticket and the cost of a few missed activities.” Belle waved a hand. “Ask Lucas if he can take time off to go with you. If not, you might be able to cancel the reservations for a refund or go by yourself.”
Her lips pressed into a tight, thin line, and she stared down at the suitcase. Then she started packing again. “I’m sorry for flaking out on our plans.”
“I don’t mind doing things on my own. You know that.” Tess still didn’t understand, though, and anxiety had kicked her heart into a gallop. “Why didn’t you talk to me about this yesterday?”
“I made the decision early this morning.” Her friend’s strained voice turned wry. “As you know, you were otherwise occupied until just now.”
“Did someone—” Fuck, she didn’t want to ask, but she had to. She had to. “Did someone touch you? Assault you? Did Brian—”
“No.” Belle shook her head vehemently. “God, no. No one laid a hand on me.”
“Okay.” Her most pressing worry dismissed, Tess could finally take a deep breath again. “You saved for this trip for months, Belle. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Belle closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose, her nostrils flaring with—something. Impatience? Hurt? Anger?
God, Tess was blathering about practical concerns and logistics, when what she really meant was:I love you. I’m worried about you, and I’m worried about whether I’ve fucked things up between us.
Her ex-fiancé was right. She was great at practicalities, terrible at emotions.
“—still pay half of the room costs. It’s not your fault I’m checking out early.” Belle was responding to Tess’s question, her hands trembling as she shoved the last few items into a nearly-full suitcase. “I won’t make you pay extra for the rest of your trip.”
Belle obviously didn’t want to talk about the reasons for her early exit. Still, Tess had to try.
In the past, Belle had always been able to see the unspoken affection behind Tess’s pragmatism. But the heartfelt words were important. The question was important. Because, above all, their friendship was important.
“Are you—” Tess moved a step closer. “Are you angry at me?”
At that, Belle finally looked up. “No. No, of course I’m not angry at you. This has nothing to do with you, really.”
She sounded tired, her voice dull. She also sounded sincere, but how could Tess know for sure?
“I talked with Lucas last night, and I told him I wanted to spend more time with you.” Tess twisted her fingers together. “So if that’s why you’re leaving—”
“Babe.” With a sigh, Belle stopped bending over the suitcase and stood up straight. “I told you, this has nothing to do with you. The only thing I regret about going now is that we won’t have another week together. I’ll make it up to you soon, though. I promise.” She tried to smile. “To be fair, I’ll also miss the mojitos. The bartenders here really know how to muddle a damn mint leaf.”
Had Brian Whoever hurt Belle, then? Because if he had, Tess was going to track his ass down and shove those gray swim trunks down his throat.
Tess made eye contact with Belle, keeping her voice soft. “Honey, I love you, and I’m concerned about whether you’re okay. If you’re determined to leave now, I can try to get a ticket on the same flight. We can hang out in Boston for a few days before I have to get back to school.”
Leaving Lucas early would gut her, but if Belle needed her near, Tess had to go. No question about it.
“I know you love me, and you know I love you too.” Belle’s stubborn chin had dropped a fraction, the set of her shoulders softening. She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I appreciate your concern, babe, and I’m so sorry to cut our time together short. I just need a few days alone to get my head straight.”
Thatwas a problem Tess could solve.
“If you want, I can get another room and give you more space.” Surely the resort had at least one vacancy. And if it didn’t, Lucas might be willing to let her stay with him instead.
Belle shook her head. “I want to go back to Boston, Tess, and I don’t have time to argue about this. I need to finish packing, get to the ferry, and catch my flight. Once I’m back at my apartment, I’ll call you. In the meantime, have fun with Sparky.”
“Belle...” God, she hated to have her friend leave like this, but the ferry’s departure time was ticking ever closer. “We’ll talk about this tonight? You’ll explain more?”
