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Hearing her confirm my reservations helps ease my mind. “It was torture not knowing where he was or what he was doing for those weeks.”
“Lucky for you it’s an easy fix. Talk to him.”
I nod, already knowing it’s on my agenda for tonight. Our time in paradise is over; we have to get back to reality.
“Then make him work for it.”
“Work for what?”
“Your acceptance.”
“Well, it wasn’t exactly a proposal.”
“That’s why it’s fun. I wasn’t around for Ace and Harley, but watching Major squirm was quite entertaining.”
“You want me to hold off on my engagement for fun?”
“Totally.”
The absurdity of her request shockingly doesn’t faze me.
“Okay, your turn. Why are you staying here?”
“Told you already.”
“Elaborate.”
She drops to the chair and her shoulders slump. “I went out with Collin.”
Tera’s good-looking ex pops into my head, and I squeal. There were definite sparks between them at the restaurant. “That’s awesome.”
“Yeah, awesome.”
Her lack of enthusiasm reminds me of a visit to the dentist.
“You know his relationship with Tera wasn’t serious. He flat out told us she was a waste of time.”
“She’s not the issue. I’m working two part-time jobs and living at home. Not much to offer a guy like him.”
A stabbing pain pierces my heart at the self-deprecation and reticence exposed. Jewls is strong, but in our group of women, Shayla is impenetrable. She has a magnetism about her that is unexplainable.
Seeing her vulnerability hits close to home.
“Hey.” I crouch beside her and take her hand. “What’s in your head?”
“Collin is successful, wealthy, worldly.”
“Admiral traits,” I say, even though she’s described him like my grandma would.
“He’s also hot as hell—like scorch the sheets, singe your skin, leave a mark type hot.”
Now we’re getting somewhere. It also tells me something led her to this conclusion.
“Is that a problem?”
“Not normally, but something weird is happening.”
“Weird how?”
