“Hmm?”
“You know I was telling the truth, right?”
“Truth?”
“When I said I have my hands full with you.”
Kayla laughed hard and wanted to tease back but didn’t have time. Before she could say a word, Mack reached out, snatched her off her barstool, and flopped backward into the water with Kayla wrapped in a bear hug. She didn’t even have time to shriek before they were both engulfed in water thanks to Mack’s little joint cannonball move.
Mack held tight to her with both arms as they tumbled under the water and held her even tighter as they broke the surface again, both spluttering and laughing with the unexpected dunk. Her hat was now officially ruined, but as Mack spun her around in her arms, Kayla was happier than she could remember being in years.
Chapter Nineteen
Dinner was strained againthat night, with Mack and Skye sniping at each other from the moment the four of them sat down. Kayla couldn’t even pick out what harmless statement of Skye’s had set the whole thing off, but Mack was on it like Mr. Pebbles on snack food and wouldn’t let go. Kayla and Amy tried to keep the peace, but it was a losing battle from the start. With all the bickering, it was impossible for Kayla to do any meaningful flirting with Skye. By the time they all waved away the dessert menu, Kayla was at the end of her tether.
Skye and Amy didn’t even bother to turn around to say goodnight as they headed off toward their villa. When Mack would have turned toward the stairs to their room, Kayla yanked her arm toward the darkened beach. Mack’s only response was a disgruntled yelp, which only infuriated Kayla more.
She dragged Mack across the sand until she felt foamy water on her toes. She wheeled around and banged her fists on her hips. “What in the hell is wrong with you?”
Mack teetered on her sandals, nearly falling into the inky surf. “Me? I’m not the one who dragged you down to the ocean in the middle of the night. What’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me?What’s wrong with me?I’ll tell you what’s wrong with me, McKensie Elizabeth Bristol. You’re acting like an asshole.”
Mack’s head whipped around in search of anyone listening. “Whoa. Don’t use that name.”
“If you weren’t acting like such a child, I wouldn’t use your whole name. Why are you making this so hard on me?”
Moonlight sparkled off the whites of Mack’s eyes, and they flashed like knife blades. Kayla was getting used to the darkness now, though, so she could see the angry set of Mack’s jaw, not to mention the furious squint of her eyes. Despite her anger, her answer was just a mumbled, “It’s not so easy on me either.”
“What?” Kayla practically shouted the word. “Speak up for once, dammit. Say what’s on your mind.”
Mack’s jaw flexed twice like she was chewing back a reply, but then her shoulders slumped, and all the air went out of her. “No, I’m sorry. It’s fine. I’ll do better.”
Mack tried to turn away, but Kayla grabbed her arm again. No way she was letting Mack stalk off without saying her piece. “Would you stop bottling everything up and just tell me what the hell you’re feeling?”
For a moment, Mack looked like she might continue to deny and walk away. Kayla was preparing another impassioned plea when Mack threw her arms into the air. “Fine. You want to know what I think? I think you’re being a jerk.”
“Because I want you to talk?”
“No, because it’s not right to try breaking up a couple right before their wedding. Amy is really nice, and I hate lying to her about everything and being complicit in destroying her life.”
Molten hot shame poured through Kayla’s body. Part of her knew Mack had felt this way from the start. Mostly because she had felt this way from the start. It had been so easy to make this plan when Amy had been some faceless, nameless enemy. The villain in Kayla’s story. Now that she knew Amy a little better, it was hard not to see that Amy had a story, too. In fact, every day it was harder and harder to wake up and stick to her plan. But if she didn’t have a plan, what did she have? She couldn’t think about that. She couldn’t think about a life where she was alone.
Kayla took a deep breath and pushed the doubt aside. “This isn’t about her. I don’t want to hurt her either, but this is about Skye.”
“You’re right. It is about Skye, and that makes it worse.”
Kayla said, “What do you mean?”
“She’s a toxic partner for you. She doesn’t respect your boundaries or your health. All she cares about—all she’s ever cared about—is herself. She just wants to have a good time, and she doesn’t give a fuck who she runs over to get it. Well, I care. I fucking care a lot when it’s you that she’s running over.”
“I know you care about me, but—”
“It’s also about you. How you’re willing to plow over everyone else’s feelings to get what you want when she’s involved. She makes you just like her.”
Kayla said, “I already said I’m sorry about hurting Amy.”
“Not Amy. Me.”
