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“Except... I wanted you even before I learned about Sam,” she admitted.
There was a moment of silence before he said, “You didn’t act on it.”
She’d held his hand. So, there was that. It didn’t sound like a lot, but there’d been plenty of emotion in it, so what she’d done was potentially worse. “With more time, who knows how far I would’ve gone?”
“You would’ve broken up with Remy before you did anything.”
She’d been on the verge of breaking off the engagement for the past couple of weeks, so she hoped that was true. “I’m off balance,” she said. “None of it really makes any sense.”
He pulled back enough to peer into her face again. “Which is why we need to be careful. I don’t want to make what you’re going through any worse.”
“Okay,” she said, but quickly, impetuously, kissed him again. It was just a peck; she had to have one last taste. But then he lowered his head and kissed her soundly, and it was even more satisfying than before. She’d thought maybe he’d changed his mind—until he wrenched away.
“Damn, this is going to be hard,” he said and stalked off.
24
“Where’ve you been?” Bastian asked as soon as she walked into the cottage.
His words were slurred, and Ismay assumed he was drunk again. He was always drinking. He didn’t seem to have anything else to do, which made her wonder why he’d come to the island in the first place.
She’d had enough. If she had to move out of the cottage, she would. She felt that was probably the wisest thing to do, anyway. Then she wouldn’t be beholden to Remy, Bastian, or their folks. “None of your business,” she replied.
Obviously surprised by her terse response, he tossed the remote onto the coffee table and got off the couch. “So we’re not playing nice anymore, huh?”
“I’m tired of letting you be rude to me,” she said. “I won’t allow it in the future.”
“Oh, you won’t?” He started laughing. “What are you going to do about it?”
He had all the power here... “I could fly back to California.”
“What about Remy? And your brother?”
She purposely ignored the part about Remy. “If it comes to that, Jack could head home, too,” she said, but she’d texted Bo almost as soon as he’d left her at the beach to tell him not to let her brother know about Remy and the woman he’d been with. She didn’t want Jack to feel his time on the island was going to be cut short, or that he’d made a mistake trusting her enough to come. She planned to manage her own affairs so he’d be able to get back on his feet. “Or we could both move into Honey’s house while she’s gone and enjoy the rest of our summer vacation,” she said.
He gave her an “as if” look. “Remy would never stand for that.”
“It’s not up to Remy,” she responded.
“Something’s changed.” He cocked his head to the side. “Something between you two.”
“Yeah. I don’t consider us engaged anymore. That’s what’s changed.”
His eyes lit up. “You broke it off?”
“Not officially, but I will.”
She hadn’t been quite as decisive when she’d talked to Remy as she was now, but she certainly planned to make it clear that he no longer had any claim on her fidelity.
He gestured at her left hand. “You’re still wearing his ring.”
“I’m about to take it off.”
Bastian followed her as she crossed the room to the stairs. “What does that mean? Is it over for good? Or...”
“You’ll have to ask him.”
“Does this have anything to do with Bo?”
