Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“Oh, sorry,” I say, rushing forward.
Tyson follows, and I’m aware of his attention on me. He studies my profile until I gain the courage to look up at him. His brow is furrowed. Whatever he’s thinking, it looks like it’s important.
“I’ve been wondering something myself actually. About you and Phillip.”
“About us?” I nearly croak.
“Yes, it’s just . . . it seemed like maybe there was something happening there.”
“A friendship, that’s all,” I say, smiling, trying to cover our tracks. I’m not ashamed of what I’ve done with Phillip. I just don’t want to ruin anything for him. If Vivienne has suddenly come back into his life and they’re planning to work things out, I won’t stand in the way of that. I don’t want him to land in hot water just because of a few careless nights with me, ones he’s likely already put behind him.
Suddenly, I can’t do this.
“You know what?” I thunk my forehead with the heel of my hand. “What was I thinking? I have to be off. I can’t stand in this line, not if I want to make it in time for snorkeling.”
“Casey—”
“I’ll see you later, okay?” I scurry to set my tray back with the others and then take the quickest route toward the dining room exit.
I don’t mind really that I won’t get to eat. Whatever tiny appetite I had was snuffed out by Tyson’s mention of Vivienne. Now all I want to do is get off this boat as quickly as possible. Never mind that we aren’t meant to meet for snorkeling for another hour. I walk off the ship and continue out onto Crown Bay pier, squinting beneath the blazing sun.
Beyond the gates of the port, there’s a small shopping mall and a welcome center. But when I inquire, I’m told walking from Crown Bay to downtown is very difficult.
Just great.
I don’t want to dish out the money it’ll cost me to take a taxi, so I just start walking through the parking lot with no real objective. I have hopes that the people in the welcome center were lying about the distance to downtown just to give the taxi drivers business or something, but no, it’s . . . actually very far. I make it to Waterfront Highway and then decide that walking forty minutes on a sidewalk while inhaling exhaust fumes doesn’t sound all that appealing. So I turn back and aimlessly walk around the pier until I find a little concrete ledge right on the water. It’s nice with the breeze.
Eventually, I reach for my trail mix, glad now more than ever that I thought to pack it considering it will be serving as my breakfast and lunch.
I’m proud of myself for keeping it together on the pier.
Given the gravity of the situation, I would have assumed that Tyson’s news about Vivienne would rock my world, but it’s had the exact opposite effect, actually. I feel totally numb. Like my emotions took one look at the pit of despair awaiting me and thought, Hell, nah, packed it up, and called it quits for the day.
I think, too, there’s the benefit of not having seen Vivienne with my own two eyes, to confirm everything Tyson told me. It’s not that I don’t trust his word, but maybe he has it twisted or maybe Vivienne is only here to, I don’t know, give Phillip his old sweatshirt that she accidentally kept after their breakup. That seems like as good an excuse as any to make a quick trip to a tropical island.
“You know, he bought a ring. Back in January” replays through my mind like a song I can’t get out of my head.
A ring.
He bought Vivienne a ring.
Was it like . . . a little gemstone thing from James Avery? Or are we talking about a ring? The ring? Some whopping eight-carat diamond from Tiffany & Co. that requires a full-time bodyguard.
I had sexual relations with this man last night, and then sometime between my leaving his suite and my trying to get a measly little crepe for breakfast, his ex-girlfriend showed up!
I mean . . . can’t a girl have one relaxing day on board this ship?
I think this just as a cruise ship blares its horn so loudly that I jump a mile in the air while emitting a high-pitched scream.
Jesus!
Eventually, it’s time for me to go snorkeling, because, yay, let’s go have a fun adventure as if my life isn’t crumbling around me!
I’m zero percent surprised to find that Sienna is not in the group departing from the cruise ship. I don’t even mind; it’s better, actually, because then I don’t have to explain myself to her. I can just be the quiet, weird one in the group, and no one questions it.
Our snorkel guide is hot. I notice him, eventually, when we’re out on the boat and he comes to sit down next to me.