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He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He nodded, out of politeness.
Kay gave him a small smile. “For what it’s worth, I think you should continue your singing career as well. At least see what your fans say, before you decide.”
He stared down at Sir Barks, who was digging up shells. “I’ll think about it.”
She gave him a small wave. “Have a nice evening.”
“You, too.” Jalen wandered off, away from the crowds, a little dazed by the conversation. How had they even begun talking about Riley? And why did he feel a sudden urge to go looking for her? He didn’t want to see her. He was still immensely hurt by what she’d done.
His dog continued to sniff the ground and pull him along the boardwalk. As they neared the trees where he’d found Riley and Colby, Sir Barks began to go crazy, barking and pulling hard on the leash. Jalen tugged him back. “Settle down, boy.”
His dog would not be deterred. He continued to want to go behind the trees, barking at something. “Did you find something?” Jalen asked, slowly making his way over the sand. Maybe it was a rabbit. Did they have rabbits on the beach?
But as he neared the trees, he could see it wasn’t a rabbit. It was Riley. She stood there, her back pressed up against the tree, her eyes closed as if she wanted to be invisible. Only, Sir Barks was making it very difficult for her to hide. She had ditched the fake glasses, and her hair was down, spilling over her shoulders. Pain rose in his chest at the sight of her, but he couldn’t ignore her. Not with Sir Barks making such a fuss. “Riley?”
Her eyes flew open, and she blanched. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to see me.”
“I could tell.”
Riley ducked her head. “I didn’t mean to run into you. I probably should have left the island, but…” She bit her lower lip.
Jalen didn’t want to talk to Riley. It hurt his heart just looking at her, but he was curious what she was going to say. “But?”
Her gaze connected with his. “I was worried about you.”
Ouch. Daggers stabbed at his chest. Did she know what her words were doing to him? He wanted to believe those words, but how could he? His gaze traveled over her, and he worked his jaw. “So, is this the real you?” He picked up a strand of her hair and flicked it over her shoulder.
It was mean, and he knew it. She flinched, and he instantly regretted it. She didn’t answer his question. There really was nothing she could say, anyway.
Several seconds stretched between them before she cleared her throat. “Are you…really going to quit singing?”
“I don’t know.” It was an honest answer. He’d thought for sure that his career was over, but tonight hadn’t gone as badly as it could have. Maybe he could find a way to make it work.
She looked down at her hands, which were twisted up together. “I know this doesn’t erase what I did, but I want you to know I didn’t mean to send the article in. I wrote it late at night, after finding out some terrible news, and I thought it was the only way out of my situation. I didn’t mean to save it to the shared drive. I thought for sure I hadn’t—” Her words cut off as tears welled in her eyes.
Dread pooled in his stomach as he realized what she was saying. She hadn’t saved the document. He was the one who did that.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered as she ducked her head and walked away from him.
Jalen stared after her, his thoughts reeling. Riley had not stabbed him in the back. Not like he’d thought. She wasn’t the one who had ruined his career. He did that. It was his own fault the article came out.
The shock of the situation wore off, and he suddenly snapped out of his stupor. Riley. He needed to talk to her. He ran after her, but the concert had just gotten done, and he couldn’t see her amid the throngs of people walking and mingling on the beach. He stood back, searching the crowd for her. A few seconds later, he spotted her making her way back to her room. He watched as she stepped onto her deck and slipped inside.
Guilt rose in his throat as he thought about the situation. He’d treated her badly. And in the end, it wasn’t her fault. She wrote the article, but she hadn’t submitted it. And she deserved to know the truth.
He tugged on Sir Bark’s leash, guiding him in the direction of the resort. His dog sniffed the ground as they made their way to Riley’s room. He stepped up onto the deck, nerves coursing through him. What was he going to say to her?
He knocked on her glass door. The blinds were drawn, and he couldn’t see in, but her light was still on. After a moment, she peeked out. Surprise registered on her face before she opened the door a crack. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk.”
Chapter 27
Pain sliced through Riley as she stared through the glass at Jalen. What could he possibly want from her? Did he want to yell at her some more? Or tell her how much he hated her? She almost said no, but the look on his face seemed sad, and she couldn’t leave him standing out on her deck. “All right.”
She slid open the door and let them into her room. Jalen stepped in, then looked down at the carpet. She waited for him to say something, but he didn’t. Sir Barks, on the other hand, was jumping on her and screaming for attention, so she crouched down and scratched behind his ears. She really did love that little dog. She’d miss him.
Finally, Jalen spoke. “I owe you an apology.”
