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Ben didn’t say anything for a long moment and I knew that he was waiting for me to go on.
“It’s because of the last time I was there,” I continued. “My ex took me there to end our relationship. I guess he probably thought it was a good way to avoid drama. You know, breaking up with me in public in case I wanted to make some kind of scene or something.”
“When did this happen?” Ben asked, his voice tight.
I glanced over to see a carefully neutral expression on his face. “A couple of months ago. We work together at the school. Aiden teaches fifth grade too, and he was new to the school last year. We started dating quickly and were together for six months. Honestly, I thought that he was the one. We’d even talked about moving in together. Even when he got distant, I didn’t realize what was going on. I thought we were happy. Then, he took me to my favorite coffee shop and told me that he was leaving me for someone else. Another teacher at the school, if you can believe that. She teaches kindergarten. Apparently, they met while the two of us were dating and just fell in love. Couldn’t help themselves.”
I could hear the bitterness in my own voice, but despite that, I realized something as I talked to Ben about Aiden. I really did think we were in love, but now I knew better and it was all because of Ben. I’d only known him a few days and my feelings for him were already stronger than anything that I’d ever felt for Aiden. It made me think of what Aiden had said when he’d ended things. He’d told me that he cared about me, but his heart belonged to someone else. The moment he saw her, he knew it was meant to be.
I gave my head a mental shake.No, I can’t think like that.
This instant connection I felt with Ben scared me too much, and developing such strong feelings for a man so quickly made nervous tension roll through me.
I didn’t want to get hurt yet again. My heart couldn’t take it.
CHAPTER10
Ben
When I offered to take Tatum to get the flowers for the wedding this morning, I had hoped that it would be an opportunity to spend some quality time together. I wanted to get to know her better and maybe start to show her that I was more than just an island hook up. I was looking for a chance to connect on a deeper level than just our physical attraction and sex.
But it didn’t turn out that way. After she told me about her ex, the atmosphere in the truck felt different. It was heavier. I wasn’t sure why she seemed so withdrawn after her story, but I couldn’t seem to pull her out of it. Trying to make small talk didn’t yield any results. I could feel her trying to put distance between us, and I couldn’t figure out what I did to make her want to do that.
Maybe she could sense that I didn’t like hearing about her ex-boyfriend. There was some jealousy that came from knowing that she’d been so invested in a relationship with another man, but the bigger issue was that I hated thinking about her being hurt. On the other hand, I couldn’t pretend that I wasn’t grateful she was currently single. The road she’d travelled until now led her to me.
I just kept thinking about her talking in her sleep on the plane. It made sense now. She was hurt by this Aiden guy, and she felt inadequate because of it. She thoughtshewas the problem, but I was going to prove to her that she was dead wrong about that. Sometimes things didn’t work out for a reason.
Just like things hadn’t worked out between me and Amy.
After picking up the flowers, we headed to the venue where the wedding would be held tomorrow. Michael told me that he and Faith had checked out a half dozen places to hold the ceremony on the island when they started planning the wedding—apparently, this place was quite the popular destination for this type of thing—and they had settled on an outdoor setting on a cliff overlooking the northern beach. The view was amazing, just miles of white sand and blue water. No hotels or local shops were visible here. It was like an isolated piece of paradise.
Nearby, there was a breezeway, a permanent shelter with open sides and twinkle lights in the ceiling. It looked like a converted barn, rustic and charming. There was a dance floor in front of a stage big enough for a full band and round tables waiting to be decorated. This was where the reception would be held tomorrow immediately after the ceremony. The space was created just for idyllic weddings and the owners had thought of everything. There was a small building nearby with bathrooms for the guests and another one with both a groom and bridal suite where the wedding parties could get ready.
When Tatum and I arrived with the flowers in the afternoon, everything was hectic. There were people everywhere, decorating the reception area, setting up chairs for the ceremony, and assembling the arch that Faith and Michael would be getting married under tomorrow. I spotted the engaged couple talking to a tall man with long grey hair pulled back on a ponytail at the nape of his neck. I hadn’t met him before, but his resemblance to Michael made me sure that this was his uncle, the man that would be marrying them. He’d been ordained for years and had married other family members and friends. He was happy to come to the island to perform the ceremony, making it a personal experience for Michael and Faith instead of leaving them with a stranger that knew nothing about them to do it.
Seeing the three of them standing together made me think of a little chapel in Vegas that I visited years ago. The man performing that ceremony was a stranger that was overly concerned with upselling the whole experience with a pricey wedding package that included everything from coffee mugs with wedding pictures printed on the side to a wedding night care package of chocolates and champagne. It was a tacky, impersonal thing, and I regretted going through with it with every fiber of my being—not just the tasteless atmosphere, but actually agreeing to the marriage itself.
Suddenly, my cell phone rang, and I pulled it out of my pocket to see Amy’s name on the screen—as if my thoughts about our wedding had somehow made her reach out to me. I sighed and stepped away from the people rushing around, especially Tatum. I didn’t want to be near her for this conversation.
I found a private spot on the far side of the building with the bathrooms, out of sight of everyone and surrounded by trees. I leaned my back against the white siding and accepted the call just before it went to voicemail.
“Hello?”
“How could you leave the country without telling me?” she yelled.
Amy didn’t bother with a greeting, which was typical of her when she was upset.God knows I’ve dealt with her being upset enough times to know.
“How the hell do you know where I am?” I asked through gritted teeth.
I could already feel the annoyance bubbling up inside of me and I’d only been on the phone with her for ten seconds. This was what she did to me and it was a big part of the reason she was my ex. She had a way of bringing out the worst in me, and I hated that.
“It’s all over Instagram. And not just the pictures you posted on that island. Your friends areallposting about it. Even your sister is there. Why didn’t you tell me you were going to a destination wedding?”
“Why would I? We’re not together anymore, Amy. You don’t need to worry about what I’m up to.” I really didn’t like the idea of her stalking my Instagram either and made a mental note to block her.
“I’m yourwife.”
I cringed at that. The reminder that we were still married was an unwelcome one. This whole thing should have been behind me a long time ago. Instead, she had been dragging her feet with signing the divorce papers since we separated two years ago, and it was driving me crazy. She pulled stunts like this all the time, acting like she had a right to be involved in my life even though I’d made it clear that I wasn’t interested in that. Not anymore.
