One look at Fox’s face, and she knew it didn’t matter what footage they’d gotten. His trust in her was completely shattered.
It wasn’t like Sienna had planned for this to happen, but she knew how it must look to Fox. She turned to face him, to explain what was really going on, but his hard expression made her throat dry up.
“I’m an idiot,” he said under his breath.
“No, you’re not,” Sienna said, finding her voice. “This isn’t what you think.”
“Oh yeah? And what do I think?”
Sienna’s heart pounded. “That I brought the cameras up here deliberately. But I swear I didn’t. I wanted time alone with you, away from them.”
“Do you even like me? Or were you trying to make me kiss you for TV?”
“I wouldn’t do that.” She shook her head and reached out to him. “Trust me.”
Fox pushed her hand away. “Funny, that sounds almost exactly like what Becky said when I first suspected she was going to ditch me.”
Her stomach roiled. This was everything he was afraid of, and it was all her fault. “But this isn’t the same,” she said, her hands falling helplessly to her sides. He had to see that she really cared.
“You’re right. It isn’t the same because this time I’m not going to fall for it again.”
Fifteen
7 Days Until Dream Wedding
He was an idiot.
This was exactly why Fox stuck to the small beach town he called home and worked on boats. Other than Eli and a handful of others, people always let him down. Becky, most of his college friends, and now, Sienna.
How dumb did he have to be to think that someone like her could change in three days?
She was a professional actress. Fox had seen her cozying up to Bruce and Jason, trying to get on their good side by doing whatever they wanted. Besides, Fox and Sienna were practically strangers. It was foolish to think that she would do a one-eighty and be authentic—for him, no less.
Fox ran his hands through his hair as he stormed back to the safe room. It was small, it was cramped, but it was better than Sienna and her lies—or the cameras. Thankfully, the cameraman had stayed behind with Sienna. She would need to do damage control for her image, no doubt.
And it was better that way.
Once inside the small storage room that doubled as the safe room, Fox let out a loud growl that bordered a scream. When that wasn’t enough to satisfy the frustration flowing through his veins, he hit one of the shelves that held linens. Hard.
The entire shelf collapsed with a loud crash, and towels spilled across the floor.
The small space was trashed, and Fox struggled to catch his breath. It was too similar to the chaotic scenes from his post-Becky days.
Back then, he’d start drinking, let his temper get the best of him, and next thing he knew, something would be broken. He’d ruined all his relationships, other than his friendship with Eli, and caused so much self-destruction, he’d vowed never to let himself fall down that hole again.
And for ten years, he hadn’t.
Fox pressed his palms against his eyes and focused on breathing—inhale, exhale. He was embarrassed that he’d lost control. And knowing that all it took was one of Sienna’s lies proved he wasn't ready to open up to anyone. Not anytime soon, at least.
Once he was calmer, Fox opened his eyes and assessed the mess he’d made.
The white towels were scattered across the floor, but thankfully, there wasn’t anything breakable mixed in with them. And once he kneeled down and examined the shelf he’d knocked off the wall, he discovered it wasn’t actually broken. It was the kind that sat on brackets, and he had just knocked it out of place.
With one last sigh, Fox lifted the shelf and set it right. He looked down at the towels. He debated folding them and putting them back, but who knew the last time this floor had been cleaned.
He gathered the linens in a giant heap and walked out of the safe room, only to run into Wade and Eli. Fox thanked his lucky stars it wasn’t Bruce or the cameramen.
Wade’s wide-eyed gaze went to the giant pile of towels in Fox’s arms, to Fox’s face, and back again. “Hey buddy, what were you doing in there?”
