AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Elise
I really never imagined thatsomeone could piss me off this much while in paradise, but if there is anyone that can accomplish it, it’s no surprise that it’s Dan O’Brian!
“You’re gripping your phone so hard I’m afraid you might break it,” Roxanne points out, turning her spoon upside down and licking the cherry sorbet off. “And I don’t think they have an Apple store on Capri.”
“Sorry,” I say, setting the phone back down on the cushioned bench seat beside me and taking a grape from the shared food bowl, popping it into my mouth. “I could kill Dan and Andries for ditching us,” I explain after swallowing.
Roxanne, in a maroon, high cut one-piece, shrugs one sun-kissed shoulder. “Eh. It’s a little more peaceful without them though, don’t you think?” She pauses as her gaze scans around the anchored yacht we are currently on, floating near the grotto. “Also, I noticed that you blamed Andries and Dan, but not Johan, who is also suspiciously absent.”
“Johan has been here for less than twenty-four hours,” I snap. “Something tells me that he hasn’t used that time to find ways to piss me off. On the other hand, I could totally see my brother or Dan taking time out of their precious days just to push my buttons. It’s like a favorite activity of theirs.”
One of the servers on the yacht comes by and refills our champagne flutes, and I sit up long enough to take a long drink before lounging back.
Roxie and I have already swam through the Grotto and are stretched out on the sinfully comfortable seats on the front deck, letting the sun dry us and give us a bit of a healthy glow. Sorbet, champagne, and chilled fresh fruit were served when we climbed back onboard after our snorkeling, and it was the perfect compliment to the hot temperatures and my aching muscles after all the swimming.
I exhale slowly, knowing that Roxanne is still sitting up and watching me with an amused expression on her face.
I pull my sunglasses down just enough to look at her. “What, Roxie? Just say whatever you’re thinking.”
“I’m just thinking that Andries messes with you all the time as a way of showing his brotherly love. Lili and I used to do just the same when we were younger. But if Andries is picking at you because of that, why is Dan doing the same? Friendly love? Or something else?” Her tone turns more inquisitive as if she’s trying to imply something.
“It’s just because he’s an asshole. Nothing else.” I go to put my glasses back on and return to tanning, but she isn’t done talking apparently.
“The two of you have been circling each other like sharks in the water since we got here. At first, I was sure it was just a hookup thing, but now I’m starting to think it's something more.” She takes another bite of her sorbet while she waits for me to answer, but instead of saying anything else, I just sit up, open the messages on my phone and hand it to her.
“There. See for yourself. He’s just a jerk.”
Roxanne reads the messages with a contemplative look on her face before handing the phone back. “You can’t seriously sit here and tell me that there isn’t a bunch of emotion loaded into those messages, El. Get real.”
I just shrug as I retrieve my phone and lay it beside me.
“Do you love him?”
Her question is so random that I’m caught totally off guard. “Who?”
Roxanne rolls her eyes. “Dan,of course.”Since I don’t reply, she asks again, “So? Do you love him?”
I’m torn. Roxie and I have had a tumultuous relationship, to say the least, but she’s the only one thus far to figure out what is going on between Dan and me and not have any harsh judgments about it. After I got hit with the volleyball, I’m sure Roxanne had an inkling that I liked Dan more than just as a hookup, but I’m not sure if she has really figured out the full extent of it or not. But it would be nice to have someone to open up to….
I sigh, pondering where to even start. “The truth is I don’t know what I feel,” I tell her sincerely. “All I know is right now I’m super mad at him. I thought we were moving in the right direction, but as soon as Johan showed up he started acting like an asshole all over again.”
“Can you blame him, though? I mean, look how upset you were when he pretended to be flirting with that girl the first day we arrived. This has to be worse than that for Dan, since you and Johan actually have history.” She slicks back her blond hair with her hand as she speaks, but never stops giving me her full attention. I’m infinitely relieved it’s just the two of us on the boat while her sister and boyfriend are still out on the water.
“But Dan was flirting with that girl just to piss me off, like he always does. Andries invited Johan hoping that he’d come between Dan and me, and that’s exactly what’s happening. I’d think since it’s so obvious what my brother is doing that it wouldn’t bother Dan so much, but I guess I’m wrong…”
“Well, maybe he’s acting like that because he loves you but you seem to be still holding onto some feelings for that first crush of yours.” Roxanne crosses her arms, waiting for an answer from me, but I just can’t come up with one. “Are you?” she prods when I stay silent.
I blow out a breath before downing the rest of my champagne. I’m going to need more than just one glass if I’m really going to have this conversation. “Johan was more than just my first crush. He was the first man I said I loved. He even met my family, and you of all people should know how daunting that can be.” I laugh awkwardly, but Roxanne just waves at me to continue speaking. “Anyways… I was young and stupid. I should have never done that.”
“Did Johan say it back?”
The memory of Johan’s response, and then his subsequent lack of communication, makes me feel cold despite the blazing sun. I rub my arms, trying to shake myself out of the negativity it makes me feel. “Not quite. He said I will always have a special place in his heart, and then he left and went back to England. Not long after that, he stopped texting me back.”
Roxanne snorts, pausing with her spoon halfway to her mouth. “Typical man.”
“No, it wasn’t like that,” I insist, causing her to pause and look back at me, her eyebrows drawn together. “I thought he had ghosted me, but in reality, someone took my phone and, pretending to be me, told him never to contact me again and then blocked his number. Whoever it was went as far as to change his contact, and I never noticed because I was too ashamed about how I confessed my love to him and I refused to make the first move and text him. I figured I weirded him out and he didn’t want anything to do with me anymore.”
“Woah,” Roxie leans forward, completely invested in my story now. “Do you think it was Andries that blocked Johan and sent that text?”
