“Get ready for your Spirit Tunnel dance.”
I laugh out loud. “I’m down with that. I’m. sure I can manage a little two-step.”
“Perfect, I’ll tell her you accept. And we can talk more when you get back. Keep up the great work. I know this is going to be another best-seller.”
“Thank you, Aven.”
“No, prob. Talk to you later.”
We hang up just as Gavin steps forward, a genuine, easy smile on his face. He looked nothing like the man I watched struggle through the morning.
Gavin claps me on the shoulder, a familiar gesture that brings an unexpected sense of ease.
“What the hell are you doing, man? We gotta take photos.”
“I thought you guys were gonna pass on that.”
“Nah, Carina changed her mind,” he says, scratching the back of his head. “She said just because we didn’t get married doesn't mean we shouldn’t document the memories. Plus Jerome paid a grip for this photographer. They flew them out from Paris.”
“Bet. I hear you,” I laugh, and we walk back towards the atrium.
The reception is buzzing with life, completely defying the circumstances. One would have never thought this was the reception of a couple that didn’t walk down the aisle. There is nopity here. Just pure, unadulterated joy. The band has switched to a live instrumental cover as people do the wobble on the dance floor. Servers weave through the guests, carrying trays of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
We take our photos by the shore, a session that takes nearly an hour before the photographer releases us and says he’s going to do a couple of candids. When I get back to the atrium, I find Marley standing at the opposite side of the dance floor, wearing a pale yellow gown that looks painted on her body. Relief washes over me, and when she finds me through the crowd, a smile brightens her face. My heart skips a dangerous beat. I can’t believe how much I feel for this woman right here right now. It’s a feeling I’ve never felt for anyone, ever.
Marley walks straight into my arms, and I hug her tight, inhaling the tropical cream smell of her hair and her body.
“Hi,” she purrs.
“Hi yourself,” I grin, feeling giddy as fuck. “I didn’t think you were going to show up?”
“I figured spending my last day in Maui would be so much better with you than alone,” she says, her eyes locking onto mine.
“Really?”
“Really.” She looks down, bashful, before drawing a sharp breath. “And I also came here to tell you that I’ve been falling for you since you held my hand on that plane. I’ve been trying to fight these feelings for you, but I can’t pretend like they’re not here. I want to see what happens with us when we leave Maui.”
I let out a breath and laugh, clinging tighter to her waist.
“I’m glad you said that because I feel the same way. It’s been real for me the whole time, but I’ve just been respecting your rules. Well, trying to,” I say, and we break out in a laugh. “I was a mess before I came on this trip, and you made it so much better.You make me feel alive in a way I thought was gone forever, and I honestly wouldn’t have gotten through this week without you.”
I watch her eyes mist with tears.
“Everything about this island is beautiful, but it doesn't compare to you. You're the only part of this trip I'm not ready to let go of, Marley.”
Her arms lock around my neck, and I hold her against me just as Carina and Gavin walk over,oohingandaahing.
“You two are so cute together,” Carina gushes, her arm securely hooked around Gavin’s waist.
“The whole fake-dating thing, I would have never believed it. Real talk,” says Gavin, shaking his head with a grin. “Thanks for bringing my cousin back to life, Marley.”
“Did she though?” I tease, looking down at her.
“She did,” Gavin and Carina say together, and they pull each other close after the words leave their lips. The look they exchange lets me know they’re going to be alright. This isn’t the end of their story.
The evening unfolds with an intoxicating momentum. The sun slides down the horizon, turning the sky to night. The party moves from the open-air atrium straight to the ocean’s shore. Shoes are abandoned on the grass, and jovial voices carry over the thunderous sound of the crashing waves.
Not even seconds later, a rhythmic, deep boom of drums echoes from the palms. A traditional Polynesian drum band marches onto the beach, accompanied by fire dancers swinging blazing torches and hula dancers wearing vibrant ti leaf skirts and beautiful flower adornments.
