Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“If you weren’t here, there’s every chance I would have either flown home right after the anniversary party or never come to Bora Bora in the first place,” he told me. “I’m glad I’m steering clear of the wedding, and if my grandfather wants to see me he can make the time. As far as my relationship with my mother, it’s been strained for years. You didn’t make anything worse. All you did was give me extra incentive to stand up for myself, and that’s not a bad thing.”
“I’m still going to make it up to you,” I said, as I wrapped my arms around him. “When we get back to San Francisco, I’m going to introduce you to my friends, including Nana. We’ll be your new family, and we’ll take care of you. I promise.”
He kissed the top of my head and murmured, “I’d like that.”
After a while, we shook off the dark cloud Warren had left in his wake and spent the rest of the afternoon outside, enjoying the sun, the water, and that beautiful island. Camille, Beau, and Millie joined us at one of the hotel’s fancier restaurants for dinner, instead of attending a family dinner at the villa. After we ate, they came back to our suite, and we played board games until Millie couldn’t keep her eyes open.
When it was time to leave, Beau slung the tote bag of games over his shoulder and picked up the sleeping child as he said, “We had a great time this week, and so did Millie. Thanks for making this trip extra special for her.”
Camille paused on her way out and gave her brother a quick hug. That wasn’t something they did very often, and seeing it made me happy. It told me they’d grown closer over the past few days.
Then she kissed my cheek and said, “We’re flying out bright and early Sunday, and since tomorrow is going to be totally taken up with the wedding, I guess this is goodbye for now. I’m sorry you didn’t get a warmer reception from the rest of the family, but I’m glad Wesley found you, and I hope we get to see you again soon.”
“Remember what I said about joining us for the holidays,” Beau added.
Once they were gone, Wes and I got ready for bed and climbed under the covers. It was still early, but he was tired.
He curled up in my arms, and I stroked his hair as I murmured, “What a week.”
“It was a rollercoaster. The time you and I spent together has been absolutely phenomenal.”
I finished that thought for him. “But then there was the family drama, and having your suspicions about Jack and Warren confirmed…”
“Exactly. It’s going to take me a while to process a lot of that. I guess right now, I’m feeling a little dazed.”
I asked, “Can I help in some way?”
He put his head on my chest and told me, “You already are.”
Chapter 13
The next morning, Wes did something I’d never seen him do before—he slept in and skipped his swimming routine. That told me it was going to be a difficult day for him.
In a lot of ways, his ex-fiancé’s wedding day was the culmination of a year of pain, beginning when Jack tore his heart out right before their wedding. Even though the wound had healed, the scar was still there, and today Wes was bound to relive that trauma—the hurt, the humiliation, and more than anything, the betrayal that had rocked his world to its core. I was so damn glad we weren’t going to that wedding, but just knowing it was happening had to stir up a lot of bad memories for Wes.
I tried my best to keep him distracted, starting with a nice, big brunch from room service. We ate indoors for a change. For the first time since we’d arrived in Bora Bora, the sky was overcast, and a strong breeze was creating little whitecaps on the usually tranquil lagoon.
Then it started to rain. I wasn’t the least bit sad about the fact that Jack and Warren’s plans were totally getting fucked over. They’d had a full slate of activities scheduled throughout the day, all of them outdoors, including that evening’s wedding ceremony and reception.
When we finished eating, Wes and I took a long, hot bath together. Then we put on our most comfortable sweats and T-shirts, curled up in bed, and watched the rain come down.
After a while, he said, “This reminds me of when I used to play hooky as a kid.”
“That seems so unlike you!”
“I know. I only did it occasionally, because I didn’t want my parents to get suspicious. But two or three times a year, I’d claim to be sick on a school day, then spend the whole day in bed, reading and drawing. I was under so much pressure as a kid. Almost every hour of the day was scheduled, including weekends. Those days were much-needed stress relief.”