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She gave me that yeah-right-spill-it look and I exhaled sharply and then decided fine, I’d give in.
“I met someone,” I said, as though that was all she needed to know and the conversation would end there.
Coco’s mouth practically fell open.
No such luck. I should’ve known.
“So let me get this straight,” she started and then paused, placing a finger on her lip. “Daphne has a one-night stand and a hangover the size of Texas, Sophie’s getting married, and you met someone. When did you meet someone?” she asked and then immediately brushed it off as if she didn’t care. “Am I the only one here with no prospects?” She placed her hand under her chin and blew bubbles. “Life isn’t fair.”
I looked down sheepishly. “Sorry.”
“Who’s the guy? Spill,” Coco demanded. “You have to tell me. Come on, we practically turned into best friends on this trip and soon I’m going to be your sister’s sister-in-law, so that has to make us some kind of family.”
I laughed, relaxing in a way I usually didn’t around her. Maybe it was the cocktail. Maybe I secretly was dying to share. Either way, I blurted out, “He’s a ten. No, a twelve.”
Corey whistled and I looked over at him. “Sorry,” he said, holding his hands up. “Couldn’t help but overhear. A twelve’s a big deal.”
“No one is ever even a ten,” I said, pointing my finger at him. Then I swayed my head back and forth, remembering Lance again. “But this one,” I said, sighing happily, “he’s so handsome and charming.” I waved my hands in the air. “But it doesn’t matter because I screwed it all up with my stupidity.” They should only know just how stupid I was back then and again now.
“No one is that stupid to let a twelve go easily,” Coco replied. “Does Soph know?”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I believe in fate,” Coco explained. “Yeah, and I believe if it’s meant to be, then your paths will cross again and maybe this time you won’t be so stupid.”
“Some people come into our life for a purpose, others a moment in time, and others a lifetime.” We all looked up and took in what the bartender said. “What?” he asked, backing up. “I read it somewhere. It stuck.”
“Apparently,” Coco mumbled.
I laughed and hopped off my stool. “Well, as fun as this has been, we should get this back to my sister before it melts.” I lifted both drinks from the bar top and Coco grabbed hers, slurping as she went.
She was running to keep up beside me. “I still can’t believe this. We have to tell your sister.”
I practically rolled my eyes thinking about that conversation. Me and my big mouth. I wished I never said anything to begin with.
Chapter Eleven
Lance
“Where are you going?” The woman’s question purred in my ear as I replayed the memory. “We haven’t even had any real fun yet.”
I remembered picking my shirt up from the floor of her bedroom and putting it over my head, sighing as I did. “I have to get up early in the morning,” I lied.
The truth was, I wasn’t in the mood, hadn’t been for weeks now. I was getting sick of the meaningless sex, which was why I left her place and didn’t look back.
What was the matter with me? I raked a hand through my hair as I sat with my legs extended and my hands behind my back on the warm sandy beach at the resort.
It was peaceful this early in the morning, and I often enjoyed coming down here to watch the sunrise. Mason stayed at Tyler’s last night anyway, so I could have my own sleepover. Which was the only reason I was able to get to work this early and watch the first few rays of sun creep up in the sky. Mason didn’t like getting up before seven, so he certainly would’ve had a tantrum if I woke him at six to get here in time to watch the sunrise. One day I’d share this moment with my son, but that day was not today.
I looked out and studied the golden globe as it rose. Wisps of orange and pink where coloring the sky and I knew it’d be a hot one today. Still, it was so beautiful and I relished the silence that surrounded me. It was rare that I could sit alone and hear my own thoughts, so anytime that happened I made sure to close my eyes and enjoy it more so.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Without turning around, I knew who that voice belonged to. It was soft and smooth, and still to this day, sounded angelic to my ears. That was, when she wasn’t nervous and her voice broke as she spoke.
When we bumped into each other, Gemma seemed more nervous than she ever was around me. I supposed that was due to the nature of it, though. After all, it probably wasn’t ideal to run into the man who’d once seen her naked.
For me, it was like when I saw her no time at all had passed and we were back together, spending every waking moment being with one another, taking strolls on the beach, and sharing stories about our past.
