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My eyes fall upon the water. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Hmmm, I remember saying the same thing to you when you were a kid and then…” his hands wrap around my waist until I’m thrown into the air and straight into the water. I gulp for air, trying to catch my breath though swallowing some water before I come up to the surface annoyed as hell.
“You asshole!”
Will leans forward as I swim to the edge. When I’m close enough, he cups my chin and murmurs, “Nice and wet.”
I pull on his arm, forcing him into the pool, laughing when he comes up for air. “Never mess with the messee.”
Will pulls my bikini bottom to bring me closer. “Is that a challenge, Miss Edwards?”
I shake my head with a grin. “It’s like you don’t remember just how bad I can be.”
Our gaze falls upon each other, my heart racing just like it used to every time we were within reach of each other. A stolen glance, while only momentary, runs deep into my core, exposing feelings I’ve long buried.
“Oh, I remember,” he replies with a cocky grin. “Impossible to forget.”
Andy yells at Will to join him and Nash at the other end of the pool, breaking our tense exchange. I purposely dunk myself under the water to distract myself and willing my heart rate to slow down.
Shortly after, the men arrive back and jump in the pool. Uncle Rocky is relentless by bombing in the water, then taking a selfie with Gigi and Kylie. He begs Ava to post the pic in her story so he can slide into her DM’s and see which hot chicks are commenting.
I move toward the edge as everyone is swimming, all besides Dad who sitting on a lounge chair by himself. I climb out of the pool and grab a towel, sitting beside him.
Even though he is wearing sunglasses, his expression remains blank. His focus is on Will, but there is nothing to indicate or tell me how he feels.
“You want to go for a walk to the beach?” I ask, knowing he is uncomfortable being here.
He nods with a smile before we begin to walk the grounds. The wind picks up, but the sun is still strong enough to keep my skin warm.
“I know you’re not happy Will is here. I want you to know I had no clue. In fact, Ava told me he was supposed to be in Hong Kong.”
“Yes, I know. And he was.”
“Dad, it’s going to be okay. I am okay.”
Dad stops beside me, which prompts me to stop as well. The beach is practically deserted, only a few families around with kids playing in the sand and building sandcastles.
“Amelia, I understand you were in love with him. I understand that the two of you found yourselves in a situation which spiraled out of control very fast. What I think you don’t understand is that I lost a man who I’d known from when he was a little boy. Second to that, he was a business partner. Will betrayed me, disrespected me in a way I never expected him to do. So, while you have forgiven him, I am not one to forgive and forget so easily.”
I place my hand on his arm. “Dad, life is too short. Don’t let what happened with me and Will stand in the way of your relationship with him.”
The phone inside Dad’s pocket rings. He answers the call though less than pleased as he presses his hand to his forehead.
“Daniel, is it true?”
Dad pinches the bridge of his nose, keeping quiet as the person on the other end speaks. I continue to stand here, unsure if I should leave him be.
“I’m back in the office on Monday afternoon. Lau can wait. We’ll talk about it then.”
Dad hangs up the phone but appears to be agitated.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, no. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“I promise you Dad, I am okay.”
“Be careful, Amelia. I know you think Will has only good intentions, but he has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders now. The last thing he needs is to be pulled into a different direction.”
