Page 129 of Lost & Found

Ignoring him, I turned to Chase. “Get the fuck out of here. Go pack your shit and leave immediately. You don’t deserve Lisa.”

I fished the key card out and waved it at the door. Without so much as a glance in Hannah’s direction, I went back into my room, shaking. Hannah and Chase. Lisa said it had been going on for years.

Disgust and anger burned inside. It left a bitter taste in my mouth. My brain refused to condense it all, and I couldn’t form a logical thought to save my life. All the times she accused me of cheating.

Projection. That is what Marcel would call it. And she had been a master at it. I had no clue. And now Lisa’s life was in shambles. Because of the two of them. My heart broke for her. She didn’t deserve this on any level. She’d only ever been a good friend to Hannah. I picked up the hotel phone and dialed the front desk.

When the receptionist answered, I spoke. “I’m staying in room 374 and am a guest for a wedding that is scheduled to take place in two days. I need to page another guest from the wedding party to my room. It’s urgent.”

It was the same woman at the front who checked us in, so she happily went along with what must have seemed like a bizarre request. Ten minutes later, Lisa’s worried parents showed up.

The four of us went to Lisa’s parent’s room, and the full story came out. She’d received a text from an unknown number earlier in the day asking if she really knew Chase. Everything snowballed from there. The images of Chase and Hannah fucking at the intensive today were all the proof anyone needed.

Hours later, I found Isabella sitting on the patio once more, watching the fading light of the setting sun. Her gaze was fixed on the horizon as the colors of dusk painted the sky in shades of pink and gold.

Without a word, I approached her, the soft sounds of my footsteps barely audible. I took a seat beside her and allowed the comfortable silence to settle over us. The only sound was the rhythmic lapping of waves.

Our eyes met. Reaching across the way, she grabbed my hand and brought it to her lips. The gesture was sweet and filled me with a warmth I desperately needed. With a soft sigh, I turned my attention back to the horizon as I struggled to comprehend everything that had happened.

“That was a shit-show of epic proportions,” I said.

“Well, at least as far as I can tell, your knuckles aren’t bloody, so it didn’t escalate into violence. That’s always good,” she teased, giving them another feathery kiss.

“What would have been the point? Honestly, my heart hurts for Lisa. And Hannah and Chase can rot in hell for all I care. Apparently it’s been going on since Seattle. Off and on anyway, not consistent like that mattered.”

“So they came clean?”

“Chase did. Hannah magically disappeared.”

“That’s a shame. I would’ve paid good money to watch you tell her exactly where she could shove her apology. Popcorn and all.”

“Is it wrong that I feel vindicated? You have no idea how relieved I am that I never married her. It’s not about the physical cheating, it’s the betrayal and lack of loyalty. That I laid next to that woman for years and didn’t truly know her at all.”

“What happens now?” Isabella asked.

“The wedding is called off, naturally. Outside of that, I don’t care. I told Lisa that when she’s ready to come visit us in London. She said she’d think about it. I hope that was okay.”

“Totally okay. I think Kinsley and Tori would love her.”

“I didn’t even get a chance to tell you all about my day, either.”

“You shower, I’ll call down and order us something. We can still enjoy the evening together. What do you say?”

“As long as there is no talking about this fiasco.” I exhaled and rubbed my eyes, feeling exhausted.

This was insane. I wasn’t sure if I was making the right move or not, but I set about ordering dinner for us. I’d showered earlier while he was gone, but somehow my leggings and T-shirt didn’t seem right.

I stood in front of the closet, looking at my options. Without hesitating, I pulled out the suit he was supposed to wear in a few days and walked over to the bathroom door. The best part of it would be he’d understand the assignment without me having to say anything.

Should I knock?

Gulping, I tried the handle. It wasn’t locked. I eased it open and rummaged around, searching for the hook on the back of the door. Unable to find it, I had no choice but to poke my head inside. My aim was off by a large fraction. It was much higher than I had originally thought. I shouldn’t have looked. It wasn’t right, but he’d walked in on me a few days ago.

Turnabout was fair play, I rationalized as I stepped all the way inside. Through the glass, the outline of his body was visible, at least the backside of him. His next piece was going on his back. The man had a body that wouldn’t quit.

I had a sudden urge to draw him. Nude. He’d make a superb model for a drawing class, the kind you see at art colleges where a man would casually lie back with a sheet draped over his midsection. I stared a little too long, but I couldn’t help myself. He was magnificent.

One arm rested against the wall of the shower, and his other hand was…My eyes went wide. With a casual glance over his shoulder, he silently acknowledged my presence with a low moan. I froze, gawking like an idiot, mouth hanging open.