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But something tickles in the back of my brain. Viola realized that Rhett thought I had a boyfriend. She didn’t know that before, or she would have brought it up. She would’ve found it hysterical. The perfect office gossip.
But if she believed he was interested in me, and that maybe the only thing holding him back was the fact that I had a boyfriend, that misconception was important.
If he figured it out, maybe he would ask about it, and I could tell him. And then he would be…what? Free to ask me out?
Oh, God. Really?
No.
Not possible. I suck in a breath and press my hand to my throat.
Rhett turns to me. “What?”
“I think I know what Viola was thinking.”
“And?”
“She wanted you. And she realized, or at least she thought, that the only thing holding you back from dating me was the fact that I had a boyfriend. Which I didn’t. She didn’t want you to find out. That would have hurt her chances for whatever scheme she had to get you. So she got me kicked out of the company.”
Only after I’ve said all this do I realize that I have suggested that this man, my former boss, who made me nothing but miserable for the better part of two years, is actually into me. Into me enough to be a threat to someone who wanted him for herself.
I backtrack. “That’s crazy.” I wave into the night. “Court reporter, please strike that from the record. That was false testimony. Forget it.”
I can’t seem to stop myself. I hold an imaginary object in front of Rhett’s face. “I’m the Men in Black. Please stare into this light, so that you don’t remember what just happened.” I make a buzzing sound.
I’m making this worse, but I’m so embarrassed. I’ve made a huge assumption. A terrible one. One that can’t be true.
Rhett hasn’t said anything. He stares into the fire.
“I’m so sorry. That was presumptuous of me. Obviously, Viola had some other motivation to kick me out of the company. That was outrageous and borderline narcissistic. And I wish I hadn’t said it. Please tell me you’ve already forgotten it.”
He’s still quiet.
The silence is killing me, and I can’t stop my mouth from running. “I would walk away and go somewhere else, but there’s nowhere to go.”
Another long minute passes. God. He must think I’m insane.
I want to rewind the last five minutes, completely shut my damn mouth. Even if I thought these things, I should have kept them to myself. This wild theory involving him liking me romantically should have stayed in my head.
Rhett clears his throat.
I completely don’t expect his next words.
“Viola was right.”
24
RHETT
It’s a real wonder, watching Bailey’s expression change with my admission.
At first, her eyes grow wide. Then she casts her gaze down to the sand.
I don’t know what she’s thinking. I may have made our time on the island super awkward.
I should fix it. “I’m sorry. That didn’t need to be said aloud.”
She fiddles with the edge of the beach towel. “So, Viola was right about how you feel about me?”
