AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I take a deep breath. “You mean we pretend…?”
“Yes,” he says. “That’s exactly what I mean.”
I look down at his hand. Only an inch away from mine. And he’s staring at me like… well.
Like he means what he says.
I think of Caleb, his sometimes mean jokes, and his smug smiles when his football team won. I think of that time he asked me to make food for him and his friends for a football game but never said thank you. I don’t know why right now, in this very moment, that rankles me more than knowing he’d snuck around with one of my best friends for months. But damn it, I spent hours marinating the meat and making sides and the queso he liked so much. And he’d never said thank you!
So I look over at Phillip like he makes me the happiest woman in the world. My hand slides to his, and he flips it over, twining our fingers together.
A shiver runs down my back.
“That’s it,” he murmurs. “She’s spotted us… It’s clear she doesn’t know what to think.”
“You’re enjoying this,” I whisper. I can’t tell how close she is, so I focus on the dark-blue of his eyes instead.
His hand squeezes mine. “Showtime, Eden.”
Then, she’s upon us.
Kaelie’s auburn hair is up in a high ponytail, and she’s wearing a blue dress. She looks lovely, as always, and cautious, like never. Every time I’ve met her, she’s been a gusher.
“Eden?” she says. “Hi! Wow, I’m so sorry to bother you like this. I just can’t believe I found you here.”
“Kaelie!” I say. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“Oh, I know, isn’t it just the craziest? I should have texted you and let you know, but I wasn’t sure… well.” She waves a hand. “You know. The whole thing is odd.”
“Right,” I say. “Odd.”
She glances at Phillip. He’s looking at her with an expression that makes it clear she’s interrupting. It’s the unfriendliest I’ve ever seen him look.
His hand is still on mine.
I clear my throat. “Sorry. Phillip, this is Kaelie. We know one another from back home.”
He extends his free hand. “Phillip.”
“Kaelie,” she says and shakes his hand over the glass of wine on the table. “Pleasure. How’s the trip been, Eden? Having fun?”
I smile wide. “Yes. The island is stunning and so’s the resort. You’re here for work?”
She nods. “Yes, my boss wanted a feature on the Caribbean, and I’m here to scoop out the Winter Resort. Apparently, the Winter Corporation is looking to open more locations like this worldwide.”
“Oh, I hadn’t heard.”
She nods again. Shifts from one foot to the other and smiles. “Well, I don’t want to interrupt your guys’s dinner. I’ll be around on the island for a few more days before I need to head to St. Lucia. How about we grab a drink before I leave?”
“Yes,” I hear myself say. “Sure. You’ve got my number?”
“Sure do,” she says. Her eyes flick down to my hand intertwined with Phillip’s, and I know she’s burning with curiosity. “See you later, Eden. It was nice meeting you.”
Phillip nods, the tiniest dip of his head.
She heads back in the direction of the bar.
“Oh my God,” I mutter.
