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That had to be it. He’d told her he loved her. Not only that, but he’d revealed it to everyone at the resort with his song. He’d put her on the spot. Why didn’t he think that maybe she’d be uncomfortable with that?
“It’s okay.” He pulled her to him, and she buried her face into his chest.
“I’m sorry,” she repeated.
He didn’t understand what she was sorry for. She’d done nothing wrong. “Will you stay?” It was still early in the evening, and he didn’t want to say good-bye. Not yet. Tomorrow was the last day of performances, and then he’d be leaving the island. He didn’t have much more time with her. And she had admitted she had feelings for him.
“Okay,” she said.
“We can just sit and watch TV together.” He looked into her eyes. “Would that be okay?”
She nodded and wiped at her face, stepping back from him. “You must think I’m ridiculous.”
“No. I could never think that.” He grabbed the remote and then noticed her bottle of water that she’d dropped and picked it up. He sat down on the couch, and she joined him. “I don’t fully understand, but that’s okay. I don’t have to.”
She took the bottle of water from him and fiddled with the cap. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.”
Her face flushed. “Yeah, I do.” She unscrewed the lid and took a sip of her water. When she was done, she didn’t meet his gaze. “I have some things going on in my life that I haven’t told you about. Things that make having a relationship with you…complicated.”
The cold in his stomach spread through him, creating ice in his veins. What did that mean? His mind automatically jumped to the worst scenario. Oh, no. She couldn’t be. “Are you married?” he asked, quietly, fearing the worst.
Her eyes widened. “No. What would make you think that?”
“I don’t know. From what you said. What am I supposed to think?”
“Well, I’m not married. Sheesh.” She ran a hand over her hair.
He was so relieved that wasn’t the issue that he let out a long breath. If it wasn’t that…then what was it? He searched for something else that might make a relationship difficult. “Are you wanted by the police?”
“Holy crap. That’s where you go? No. I’m not a wanted criminal. I didn’t murder anyone. And I’m not hiding a body anywhere. What kind of person do you think I am?”
“I’m sorry. You tell me that you’re hiding something from me, and now all I can think are the worst things.”
“Well, it’s not that.” She huffed and shifted her back to him.
He put his arms around her and pulled her back to his chest. “Hey, whatever it is, we can work through it. Right?”
Seconds ticked by as he waited for her to say yes, they could work through it. But it didn’t come. Worry seeped through him. “Riley?”
“I don’t know that we can,” she said softly.
His mind raced as he tried to think of what could be so terrible that it might destroy their relationship. He just couldn’t come up with anything besides the two she’d already shot down. “Do you have feelings for me?” he asked, closing his eyes. She’d already said she had, but he needed to hear it again.
“Yes.”
“Then, that’s all I care about right now.” Even if she wasn’t in love with him, he could wait to see if that developed. Nothing else mattered to him.
She relaxed, settling into him. “I wish things were different.”
“Maybe they can be.”
She paused for a long time, before nodding. “Maybe you’re right.”
He picked up the remote. “Should I turn on the TV?”
“Sure.”
