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Resolve straightened his spine. There would be no conversation with Anna, except to wish her well and thank her for helping him. And then he would set her free to find a man who deserved her. Even if it killed him.
He was about to excuse himself when a man walking along the deck caught his eye, cane in hand. His head was down, but Antonio knew him in an instant.
William.
William lifted his head. A jagged scar cut down his old friend’s face. In one hand, he clutched a cane. Somehow, over the music, the conversation, the clink of glasses, Antonio could hear every fall of the cane on the deck, offset by the scraping of William’s right foot that dragged slightly on the ground.
“Is that William?” Isabella asked, her voice excited. “Goodness, I wonder what happened. I haven’t seen him in years. Do you two keep in... Antonio?”
He walked away, his mother’s voice fading as he stalked toward the stern of the boat. He knew Adrian and Alejandro had both kept in touch with William over the years. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he would be there. If William still felt the same way he had when he’d written that letter, he would probably be at least cordial, if not friendly, if they ran into each other.
But Antonio was feeling too raw to deal with another piece of his past right now.
He reached the stern. Thankfully, the deck chairs and recently added pool were empty. Lights brought the water to life, ripples spreading over the surface from the barely perceptible rocking of the great ship.
Alone, he sucked in a deep breath, his lungs filling with salty sea air. It was no wonder William walked with a cane. His right leg had been pinned, blood darkening his jeans to almost black as Antonio had pried him from the wreckage, the overwhelming scent of leaking oil spurring him on to free his friend. He’d managed to drag William, half conscious and moaning in pain, back up to the road.
He’d already made his decision. Seeing William like this was just confirmation he was doing the right thing.
“Antonio?”
He closed his eyes, savored the sweet melody of her voice, before turning around.
She stood at the far end of the pool. Dear God, she looked just like a princess, a gown of deep purple clinging to her body before flaring out at her knees. The hemline kissed the deck and gave the impression that she was gliding rather than walking as she drew near.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he bit out. “I’d like to be alone.”
She froze, uncertainty crossing her face. “Okay. I just—”
“You don’t need to be here, Anna.” He inhaled, mentally steeling himself for the task at hand. “After the wedding breakfast tomorrow, I’ll arrange for your flight back to Paris on our jet.”
She stared at him. “I saw William.”
His throat tightened. Not what he’d expected her to say. But perhaps it was better this way.
“And?”
She tilted her head, her gaze piercing through his armor.
“That’s it, isn’t it?”
“What?” The harsh laugh that grated past his lips sounded cruel, as it was meant to. She had no way of knowing the source; the pain of his past combining with the anguish of losing sight of a future he’d never thought possible. “Find another reason if you want to, Anna, but our arrangement was through this weekend.”
“Your mom mentioned William was in a car accident.” He despised the pity he saw on her face. “Were you driving, Antonio? Is that what this is all about? You punishing yourself years later?”
“I’m not talking about this,” he snapped. “We had our fun. Judging by your chat with Sylvie Smythe, the plan worked for you. It worked for me. End of story. Contract terminated.”
“Is that all I am to you? A contract?”
The words came out almost curious, detached. Had she uttered those same words ten years ago, tears would already be pooling in her eyes, threatening to spill over as her voice trembled.
But that also meant he was going to have work harder to push her away, keep her from fighting this time.
“Yes.”
She took a step forward. “I still don’t believe you.”
