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“Nah, that tiger was looking at you some type of way, Wade. I totally get why you were screaming at it,” I tease.
“Har. Har.” He rolls his eyes.
“For real though, Wade. It doesn’t change the way I see you. I meant what I said earlier. I really do think you’re a wonderful person, one mistake doesn’t define who you are.”
Wade’s eyes soften and he takes a step closer to me, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind my ear. “You’re amazing too, Callie,” he whispers, his voice husky with emotion.
Before I can respond, my phone starts ringing and I nearly jump out of my skin. The spell is broken and Wade takes a step back, letting out a sigh as he looks at the ground.
“So sorry,” I say, reaching for my phone to see the caller ID. My heart sinks at the sight of the name on the screen.
Nick.
Of course, it would be Nick.
Which is so strange because he has never called me or tried to talk to me up until this past week, and I have zero interest in ever talking to him again.
I click the decline button and make a mental note to block his number later. But before I can put my phone away it starts dinging with back-to-back text messages.
Maybe there’s some sort of emergency.
I look up at Wade, my expression apologetic, before reluctantly clicking the message icon. I blink in surprise at the contents of his text messages, my jaw clenching at his words.
“What’s wrong?” Wade asks, his brow furrowing in concern.
I take a deep breath and look up at him, trying to keep my voice calm.
“It’s Nick. Apparently, there’s a photo circulating on social media of the two of us coming out of the hotel. He saw me wearing the engagement ring and he wants to know why. He’s demanding answers.” I hold up my phone to show him the pictures Nick just texted me. “Apparently, people on social media are going crazy over our photos. They saw the ring on my left finger and now think I’m your real fiancée.”
Wade’s face suddenly turns pale and a look of sheer panic washes over him.
“If it’s Nick you’re worried about—”
“It’s not Nick.” He cuts me off, as he begins pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair and muttering curses under his breath.
I’m taken aback by Wade’s sudden change of demeanor. If it’s not because of Nick, then what the heck is it? I rack my brain trying to make sense of why Wade is behaving this way. Maybe it’s the photo he’s upset about?
Is he too ashamed to be seen with me?
Is he embarrassed that I don’t look like his celebrity exes?
I mean, I realize I might be jumping to conclusions, but with each passing minute, I’m having a harder and harder time not taking this a little personal. Wade Lewis is used to being in the spotlight, his picture gets taken and posted on the internet practically every day—so the only outlier here is me.
My heart sinks into my stomach. I’m not even sure what my reaction should be. Should I be upset? Should I feel humiliated? After all, it was Wade who came up with this whole thing. I didn’t ask for any of this. Did he think we wouldn’t be spotted? He’s okay with bringing me home to his family, but doesn’t want America to see us together?
I wait for him to say something, anything, but he is still pacing back and forth, lost in a wind tunnel of his own making, refusing to make eye contact with me. My mind is spiraling and suddenly this cabin is suffocating.
I need some air.
I calmly put my phone back in my bag before walking toward the door.
“Callie, wait,” Wade calls after me.
I stop, still facing the door. I can’t bring myself to turn around and look at him. “What?” I ask in a small voice.
“Look, I’m sorry,” Wade says, sounding sincere. “I should’ve thought of the consequences—”
“Consequences?!” I cut him off. “What do you mean by consequences, Wade? What’s so bad about being seen with me in public?” I ask, my voice cracking.
