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Troy responded when the silence stretched, and no one offered anything else. “Well, based on what the viewers have seen, they’ve decided that it is Aaron and Kayla who need time away.” I sighed in frustration. Of fucking course. “You two can pack a bag and meet the boat at the dock in one hour for your rendezvous.”
Kayla’s lips twisted into a sneer, and I tore out of the cabana to pack my bag. The sooner we started this shit, the sooner it would be done. Realistically, that wasn’t true, but a guy could hope.
Fucking fuckity fuck.
The boat ride to the nearby island was rife with silence, the echoes of our earlier arguments playing through my mind.
When we docked, Kayla had disembarked and sauntered into the miniature villa, slamming the door after her. If there was a key, she’d probably have locked me out.
I hefted our duffle bags over my shoulder because, of course, she assumed I’d grab hers, and headed inside, turning my back on the island I actuallywantedto be on. So close, yet so far.
“Kayla,” I called. “Where do you want your bag?”
I wasn’t a monster. I knew she’d need her shit.
No answer.
Fuck it.
I dropped the duffle on the kitchen table and took a little tour. There was a small kitchen and living room, a bathroom lit with pillar candles, some dead flower petals in a bowl, and plush rugs everywhere.
It was cozy and romantic and the absolute last place I wanted to be with Kayla.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Sophie
Saturday morning,I woke to the call of gulls and the sun poking over the horizon.
I stretched, careful not to elbow either Diego or Oliver in the face. They lay on either side of me, both touching exposed bits of my skin, even in their sleep.
It’d been nearly a week of sweet kisses and gentle caresses, and I was getting twitchy. Sleeping next to two men who got me hot and bothered was a new experience, and while I wanted to explore with each of them—or both of them—I was acutely aware of the microphone built into the headboard and decided I didn’t want to be the sex-fiend of this season.
I wiggled away from Oliver, carefully taking my hand out of Diego’s grip. I needed to think, which was incredibly hard to do with them surrounding me.
After I freshened up, I snagged a notepad for sketching and made myself a cup of coffee. I stepped outside and made my way to a lounger to be by myself for a little while.
Taking a sip, I let the warm liquid wake me up as I traced a silhouette onto a blank page of the notebook. The coffee hit the spot, and there was something about sitting in silence before the rest of the world woke up. The sun rose higher, painting the world in a golden glow, and the call of seabirds created the perfect soundtrack for my morning.
I thought about Diego and Oliver, flutters of feelings taking hold in my chest. There was no way I could compare the two of them, since they were too different to pit against each other. I’d overheard Cheryl and Kayla call me a slut under their breath, and it stung. I hated the idea that women were calling other women names, and the hit landed, resulting in a titter of laughter from them.
An iguana ambled by my lounge chair and stopped in a pool of sunshine at my side, interrupting my thoughts.
“Hi, you,” I cooed. I knew I’d seen an iguana hanging out the first night here when we had our party. He was so cute with spines down his back and striped tail. “What are you doing so close to the house?”
He didn’t answer—obviously.
“What would you do, iguana?” I asked. “What if you were really into multiple people, and society frowned on seriously dating more than one person at a time? I bet that’s not a problem for iguanas.” I paused. “Well, actually, I don’t know much about your species. Maybe you’re monogamous.”
I’d have to ask Oliver later.
It felt so stupid talking to an iguana, but weirdly, it was helping.
“You need a name. How about Norbert?” I asked, thinking of Esmeralda and her car, which she had named Norbert. The iguana was the same color as her decade-old Ford Focus, and it felt nice having something to remind me of my partner in crime.
I missed Es fiercely, despite only having been gone a week. She was my go-to person for situations like this, and had been since we were kids. But she wasn’t here, so Norbert would have to do.
“Am I being selfish?” I asked after taking a sip of my coffee and staring out over the vista before me.
