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Although Lillian only stared at the couple for a few seconds, it felt like an eternity. Her gaze took in the scene with devastating clarity. Tristan and Angelina were together, and Lillian was a third wheel—she shouldn’t be here. What had she been thinking? She should have never let Hannah talk her into this madness.
She might have turned and fled the party, but she couldn’t escape her tour guide’s clutches. He had latched on to her forearm and pulled her toward Tristan, grinning at him like they were old friends.
“Wait…” she said, but it was too late, she was already within a foot of the couple.
“I brought you a present,” the man said to Tristan.
She dug her sandals into the ground to stop the forward momentum, but all she managed was to lose her footing and stumble. The drink she held went flying in the air with perfect comedic timing. Her horrified gaze watched the action like some sort of silent Charlie Chaplin film.
Tristan sprang into action, dragging Angelina with him, and deftly caught the glass before it hit the brick pathway. It would have been a marvelous feat of athleticism if it were not for the glasses’ contents, the majority which flew toward Angelina like a homing pigeon, drenching her in a champagne glow.
“You bitch,” Angelina hissed, her face registering shock and anger.
“I’m sorry,” Lillian said, and she meant it. The heat rushing to her cheeks could have toasted a pile of marshmallows. “It was an accident. I’ll go now.”
“Not so fast,” the man holding her arm grunted, turning to Tristan. “This is the woman who caused all the ruckus, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Tristan said, handing her what remained of her champagne without changing inflection. Their fingers brushed, which sent a tingle through Lillian, but his expression seemed distant.
Was he excited to see her, annoyed? She couldn’t tell, so she scanned the place to see if her sister had returned from the tour. Why could Hannah never be present with her emotion detector when Lillian needed her?
“I…I didn’t mean to disrupt your conversation. I should go now,” Lillian said again and tried to keep her knees from knocking together.
“Yes.” Angelina bared her teeth, dabbing at the liquid on her dress with a napkin a waiter brought her. “Good idea.”
“Wait,” Tristan said, taking a step toward Lillian. “Why are you here?”
“I…I took the tour,” she said dumbly.
Angelina made a disgusted sound. “Let her go. She obviously didn’t come here to see you.”
Tristan said nothing but continued staring at Lillian, a question in his gaze.
Lillian pulled in air and dug deep for courage. She’d promised herself if she had the opportunity to see Tristan again, she would tell him the truth. The moment had arrived, and she wouldn’t get another opportunity. What was she waiting for?
She took a deep breath. “I came to thank you for saving my life. Hannah told me what you did…how ill you were as a result.”
He shrugged as if it were nothing. “Is that all? I’d do it again if I had to.”
“I…thank you, Tristan. I should have trusted you when you asked me to. I was wrong to lie the way I did.”
“Oh, please,” Angelina said, turning to Tristan with a scowl. “Are you really buying her bullshit? This woman lied to you, repeatedly, the entire time you were acquainted. Why would you believe she’s telling the truth now?”
Tristan said nothing, just continued to stare at Lillian with that hard-to-decipher expression, as if his computer-brain was analyzing all the inputs and outputs.
She swallowed. “Angelina’s right…you have no reason to trust me. But I am being honest with you. I have no cause to lie.”
“Oh, please.” Angelina snorted and tugged on Tristan’s arm. “I’d say she has billions of reasons to lie…as in dollars. C’mon, let me get you out of here.”
Tristan didn’t move, so Lillian rushed on before she lost her courage. “I didn’t mean what I said—that last day. I was terrified of being discovered and of…of your being hurt, and so I told a lie I thought you would believe. I need you to know that. I’m truly sorry.”
“What was it she lied about?” Angelina rolled her eyes, still dabbing at her dress with the napkin. “Oh, let me guess. She told you she hated you when she supposedly loves you. That’s the biggest scam in the book.”
“That’s enough, Angelina.”
Angelina stiffened at Tristan’s authoritarian tone. “Don’t tell me you believe her story? Can’t you see what’s she trying to do? She’s trying to wheedle her way into your life again.”
Lillian’s tour guide, who had been listening to the entire conversation, a rapt expression on his face, latched onto Angelina with a snicker. “I think it’s time you and I, little lady, got better acquainted. C’mon, let me get you a drink.”
