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The silence on the other end is enough to tell me what I need to know. I grit my teeth. “Let me know when I’m allowed back at work,” I bite, not caring that I’m speaking so rudely to my boss.
I hang up and go to the messaging app on my phone. I select this morning’s conversation with James and angrily type,Thanks for your pity and lies. I think it would be best if you leave me alone.
I hit send, and once it goes through, turn my phone off.
I cover myself in the thin sheet I use as a blanket, scrunching my eyes shut. Maybe this is all a nightmare. Maybe the beach trip never even happened.
I’m just about to fall asleep when a knock sounds at my door, and fear leaps in my throat. Did the press find out where I live already? Or maybe it’s someone here to rob me, despite the fact that I have nothing worth stealing.
I wait a moment, and the knocking pauses and then turns to pounding. “Alexis, please open the door,” James calls. His voice immediately irritates me, and I cover my ears.
When I can’t stand the knocking anymore, I get up and swing the door open. He’s alone outside, no press to be seen. He’s wearing a pair of probably-designer sweatpants and a black t-shirt that must have cost more than my monthly rent, and I resent him all the more.
“I have nothing to say to you,” I tell him, wrapping the sheet around myself to cover the running shorts and tank top that I use as pajamas.
He runs a hand through his hair, and I have to admit that he looks like a mess. Is he just as upset by all this as I am? There’s a chance he hates the attention, although it’s hard to imagine why he’d be this upset if he’s used to this sort of thing.
“I was going to tell you, I swear.” He looks around into the darkness, as if he’s waiting for someone to pop out of the bushes with a camera. “I just had to make sure you were safe.”
“Tell me,” I say. “Did you have fun slumming it with us peasants?”
He grits his teeth. “Alexis, I didn’t mean to lie to you. When you ran into me at the restaurant, I sort of just went along with it because I needed to apologize, but then…” Sadness flickers in his eyes. “You know I was gonna kiss you earlier, but I couldn’t. Not because of you, but because I knew it wouldn’t be right. Until you knew who I really was.”
For some reason, I believe him. I shouldn’t, but I do. That pang of rejection from earlier dissipates, but the betrayal remains. “You had a week to tell me, James,” I say softly.
He looks around again. “I know. I know I messed up, but please just give me another chance.”
I shake my head. “I need some time to think about it.”
Some kids go by on bicycles with light-up wheels, laughing loudly, and James flinches. “Alright,” he says. “Just…please come back to the hotel with me.”
My eyes widen at the indecent proposal. “How dare y—“
He interrupts me when he realizes how that sounded. “I got you a room. The security is better there, and if they know your name…” He sighs. “Let’s just say that the paparazzi aren’t the only ones who might come looking for you.”
My heart sputters. I hadn’t really considered that. Does he have stalkers? People who want to hurt him? Do people want to hurtmesince they saw us together?
I scoot closer to him, partially on instinct. “Do you really think someone would come here?”
His face hardens, and he nods. “I promise, Alexis, if you want nothing to do with me, I understand. I just want you to be safe.”
After a moment’s consideration, I relent.
“Fine,” I say. “I guess you do sort of owe me for lying, anyway.” I don’t really believe that he should have to make up for anything financially, but there’s no way he actually has to pay for a room in the building he owns.
Chapter Twelve
James
My heart shattered into a million pieces when I discovered that the world found out about Alexis. It’s never bothered me when I’ve been hounded by the press, but Alexis doesn’t deserve that. She wasn’t ready for it, and my lies meant that it happened without any sort of preparation. If I’d told her the truth, at least she might have been more mentally prepared.
She’s silent in the car on the way back to the resort. It was only an hour after I dropped her off that I started to get inundated with calls and texts, most of them from Camilla and a few from Tyler.
This is fantastic press!claimed one message from my publicist, Rhonda.James Preston saves a pregnant shark. You can’t pay for press like that! They’re gonna air this during Shark Week, you know!
I know she’s right about the good deed, but that’s not why I did it. It was all for Alexis. Everything I’ve done since my first day on this island has been for her. Is there a way for me to explain that to her without sounding like a total creep?
When we pull into the resort, I take the back gate to my private garage. The press vans out front don’t look twice at my nondescript car, instead looking around like they’re waiting for Alexis to pop up for an interview. Girls I’ve dated in the past would have done so given the opportunity, but I don’t see Alexis being that kind of person.
