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Despite my unease, I told the crew we were ready to leave, and then we were off. We enjoyed a charcuterie board and champagne. It was nice to catch up with Nate, Jasper, and Graham. Emerson couldn’t come because she was watching Nate’s daughter, Brooklyn. But several of Jude’s other friends had joined us. Cade and a handful of women whose names I didn’t remember.
Jude’s mood seemed to improve the more the evening wore on, probably thanks to all the alcohol. It was nice. Pleasant. At least when Jude wasn’t taking Kendall on another walk down memory lane.
I wondered if this would be possible in the future. I wondered if Jude would ever look at me the same once he knew the truth.
“You okay?” Kendall mouthed when Jude’s back was turned. It felt as if we hadn’t had a moment alone. Or maybe I was just sick of sharing her.
I nodded, smiling as if everything was fine.
“Sir,” the steward said. “Dinner will be ready in an hour.”
“I should go freshen up and change,” Kendall said.
I nodded. “I think I’ll do the same.”
Everyone went below deck, splitting off to our various rooms. Kendall closed her door first. We’d agreed to spend the weekend in separate cabins, even though I wanted nothing more than to be close to her.
Jude lingered in the hall, his eyes on her door after it had closed. He straightened and then disappeared into his room. And then I finally went into mine.
I closed the door behind me and let out a heavy sigh. This weekend wasn’t going at all to plan. I just hoped we’d be able to turn it around soon.
I took a shower and changed into jeans and a dinner jacket before heading back upstairs. Jude was alone, swaying to the music.
“Perhaps you should slow down a little,” I said, eyeing the drink in his hand.
He arched an eyebrow. “Worried you can’t keep up, old man?”
I narrowed my eyes at him, but I knew better than to let him goad me into getting drunk.
At the sound of footsteps, we both turned to see Kendall enter the room. Her satin dress flowed over her skin like water, the grayish-blue material the same color as the clouds that floated past. She looked phenomenal, but I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
I didn’t like the way Jude looked at her. Watching her with the same hunger I knew I wore. Wanting her.
“Shall we?” I asked, gesturing toward the table as the rest of our party joined us.
After dinner, Kendall was drawn into a conversation with Nate. I followed Jude out to the deck. “Are you okay?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I’m great.”
I couldn’t get a read on his tone. I didn’t detect any sarcasm, yet he’d just broken up with his girlfriend.
“What happened with Chrissy?”
He rested his elbows on the railing and blew out a breath. “She said she didn’t want to spend the weekend watching me flirt with my ex. She thinks I’m still hung up on Kendall.”
I took a slow, measured sip of my champagne as I considered my response. Finally, I asked, “Are you?”
He glanced back to the dining room, where Kendall was talking with the other guests. “Honestly, yeah. I’m not sure I ever got over her.”
Fuck. Me.
He was still in love with her. We were in love with the same woman.
“It’s just—” He leaned back, glass dangling from his hand. “Seeing her these past few months, spending time with her… It all came back to me. How much I cared about her. How good we were together.”
“But you broke up,” I said, hating the defensive tone to my voice.
“Yeah. Because she moved.” He lifted his glass, the liquid sloshing against the sides. “Or I thought she’d moved. Whatever.”
