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Chase wanted to remind Juliet of all the messed-up things she’d done during their relationship, but he stopped himself. His ex brought out the worst in him, made him angry and bitter, and the last thing Chase wanted to do was to hurt her. They’d been friends once and he still cared about her—he just didn’t want to date her.
“Our relationship is worth fighting for and that’s what I’m going to do. Fight.” Tightening her hold, she shook her head so hard, her hair whipped across her face. “We love each other, our families love each other, and they’ll be devastated if we break up.”
“We already did. Three months ago to be exact. And it was for the best.” Getting through to her was more stressful than teaching his two-year-old nephew how to tie his shoelaces, and Chase was quickly losing patience with her. What do I have to do to get her off my back? Why won’t she listen to me? Did her mom put her up to this? Did mine?
Hearing a commotion, Chase noticed a group of Mexican tourists, dressed in outfits bearing their national flag, partying in the reception area, and he wished Juliet would join in the fun.
Batting her eyelashes, Juliet wore an innocent smile, but Chase wasn’t swayed by her girl-next-door demeanor. Wasn’t fooled by her act. He knew her intimately, had for years, and suspected the only reason she’d come to Ibiza was to ruin his birthday trip.
“I flew over six thousand miles to see you and I’m not going anywhere until we resolve our issues.”
I’m out of here! Anxious to leave, Chase marched through the lobby, searching for the nearest escape route. Juliet stomped behind him, shouting his name. It was moments like this, when she was being stubborn and difficult, that he couldn’t believe they’d dated for six years.
In the beginning they’d bonded over their love of world history, humanitarian projects and horseback riding. But as time passed, Juliet became controlling a
nd he’d fallen out of love with her. When she’d demanded he propose on her birthday, he’d broken up with her, even though his parents had begged him not to.
His father, Dr. Vernon M. Crawford was the first African-American Associate Professor and Chief of Neurosurgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital, and the only thing his father enjoyed more than practicing medicine was his decades-old friendship with the Wilmingtons. One Christmas, after too many glasses of champagne, the wealthy power couples had hatched a plan to have their youngest son and daughter tie the knot. But Chase wasn’t going to marry a woman he didn’t love. Not for anyone.
“You can hook up with as many thots as you want, but your family will never accept anyone but me. It doesn’t matter who you date, I’ll always be Estelle’s daughter-in-law.”
Chase cursed under his breath. He’d never heard such crap and blamed his mom for his ex-girlfriend’s behavior. Estelle had filled Juliet’s head with outrageous ideas, and when he returned home next week, he was going to set his mother straight. He loved her but he was sick of Estelle meddling in his life.
Chase spotted his brothers and cousins through the sliding-glass doors, at the taxi stand, and wondered where they were going. He vaguely remembered them making plans that morning at breakfast, and figured they were going to the club.
Chase frowned. Did they know Juliet was coming to town? Were they in on the surprise, too? He wouldn’t put it past them. Everyone in his family was Team Juliet—except Jonas—but his brother was obviously too busy chasing Instagram models to give him a heads-up.
The elevator chimed and the doors slid open, but Chase didn’t move. He didn’t want Juliet to know where his suite was and decided to check his email while he waited for her to leave. He took his iPhone out of his pocket and slid his finger across the screen to activate his password. It rang and his mother’s work number filled the screen. How fitting. She’d revealed his whereabouts to Juliet, knowing full well he’d be pissed, and now had the nerve to call him. His mom was a talented, jewelry designer who owned a high-end boutique in the Hamptons that catered to celebrities, socialites and heiresses. It wasn’t a store, it was a cultural institution, and thanks to record profits last year, she was opening locations in Washington, Miami and Los Angeles. She was in demand; her custom creations were so popular she had clients all over the world. Juliet and her mom, Daphne, were regulars at the boutique, often visiting his mom after hours. I bet that’s their favorite time to plot and scheme, Chase thought, ignoring the call.
“We can’t move forward until we fix what’s wrong, so let’s go to your suite and have an open and honest discussion about our relationship,” Juliet said, inching closer to him.
Refusing to consider her suggestion, he tapped his foot impatiently. The air held a tantalizing scent and the aroma wafting out of the world-famous Japanese restaurant made his stomach groan. He’d had appetizers on the yacht with Demi after their steamy make-out session, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy his hunger. He’d track her down, apologize for Juliet’s behavior and then persuade her to have dinner with him in one of the hotel’s restaurants. “We’re over, Juliet. The sooner you come to terms with it, the better off you’ll be.”
“Baby, you don’t mean that...”
Like hell I don’t, he thought, narrowing his gaze. We’re through. Why can’t you see that?
“If I’m being totally honest, you haven’t been the same since your horseback riding accident,” Juliet said in a quiet voice. “I don’t know if it’s the medication you’re on or insomnia that’s to blame for your negative temperament, but you’re impossible to deal with lately. Everyone says so. Your mom, your brothers, your employees...”
Resentment darkened his heart but Chase didn’t speak, decided it wasn’t worth it.
“You can’t blame me for what happened at the stables. It was an accident!”
Yeah, an accident that wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t thrown a tantrum!
“Chase, you need professional help.” Juliet wore a sympathetic expression on her face. “You’ve been under incredible stress the last few months and it’s not only affected your mood, it’s altered your personality and your ability to think clearly.”
Her self-righteous tone set his teeth on edge. Chase didn’t want to hear her psychobabble tonight and if Juliet used the words “emotionally unavailable” again he was going to lose it. Who did Juliet think she was? Sigmund Freud? He’d never met a more arrogant woman in all his life, and if their mothers weren’t best friends, he’d cut her out of his life for good.
“This is a textbook case of self-sabotage,” she continued, her tone matter-of-fact. “You’re scared that one day I’ll give up and leave you, but I won’t. I don’t care about your diagnosis...”
Her words turned to garble in his ears, sounding like gibberish. He’d had enough. Was tired of talking to her. Didn’t want to hear anymore of her Dr. Phil therapy crap. This wasn’t the first time they’d discussed the demise of their relationship, but it was going to be the last. Desperate to escape her, Chase pocketed his iPhone and ducked into the men’s washroom. Juliet followed. An Asian man in a pinstriped suite was smoking a joint, but left when he saw them.
“Tonight signifies a new beginning for us,” she said, resting a hand on his chest. “I flew here to spend the weekend with you. It’s your birthday and we should celebrate, Ibiza style!”
Chase frowned, couldn’t make sense of her outrageous behavior. The more Juliet giggled, the more annoyed he became. Not trusting himself to speak for fear that he’d lose his temper, he considered his options.
He could call the front desk and request security, but he didn’t want the hotel staff to laugh at him and struck the idea from his mind.
