by Claire Adams
“I’ve been dealing,” I said.
“You never told me why you left.”
I sighed. “I’m sure you’ve heard things.”
“But I wasn’t sure whether to believe them or not,” she said. “The rumor is that you found out that Tristan had been cheating on you.”
I sighed and Alani’s eyes went wide. “It’s true?”
“I’m afraid so,” I nodded.
“That’s crazy...”
“Is it?” I asked. “This is Tristan we’re talking about. You yourself told me that he was famous around here for playing the field.”
“Playing the field, yes,” Alani nodded. “But he’s never been in a real relationship before you, so I figured he’d…changed.”
“I thought so, too,” I nodded. “Turns out I was just being naïve.”
“Come on,” Alani said, sounding unbelieving. “I’ve seen him with you. It makes sense for the two of you to be together. You have chemistry, there’s an obvious connection there.”
“Apparently to everyone else but Tristan.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“I didn’t,” I said. “Then I walked into his suite and found a naked woman in the shower. So yeah… I believe it now.”
“Fuck,” Alani said, shaking her head. “I was hoping it wasn’t true.”
“He confirmed it,” I said, in a soft voice.
“No!”
“I stormed into his office right after and basically confronted him with what I’d found out,” I said. “He gave me some bull crap about how we were better off apart, and that’s when I quit.”
Alani looked dumbfounded. “Okay,” she said, after a moment. “I understand why you left. But now I don’t understand why you’re back.”
“Because I realized I loved my job here,” I admitted with a smile. “And I loved the people I was working with and I shouldn’t have just left behind everything I’d built here just for a guy—even if that guy was Tristan.”
“Wait,” Alani said. “Does that mean you’re here for your job?”
I smiled nervously. “Well, that is the plan,” I admitted. “If Tristan will agree to take me back. I’m on contract, but I was the one who walked first. He has every right to say no to me now.”
“He won’t do that,” Alani said confidently.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because Tristan knows you were fantastic at your job,” Alani said. “His work load has increased tenfold since you left. And he’s been dragging his heels about hiring someone to replace you.”
I clung to that piece of hope. “Which means he might really consider letting me come back.”
“I have no doubt,” Alani nodded. “But—”
“But what?” I pressed, when Alani stopped short.
“Can you really do this?” she asked. “Work for the guy who cheated on you, especially because you were in love with this guy for forever.”
I smiled sadly. “I still love him,” I said slowly. “But I’m going to do my best to move on and put my feelings for Tristan behind me.”
“While seeing him every day?” she asked pointedly.
“I haven’t made this easy on myself,” I said. “I realize that. But I don’t care. I’m sick of running. I’m sick of acting like a scared little girl. I’m taking control of my life, and I’m going to fight for this job because I love it.”
“Well, I’m glad,” she said. “It’ll be nice to have you back.”
I leaned in and hugged her. “I’m glad I have you here; it won’t be so lonely.”
“Please. In a few months when you’re up for it, I’m going to fix you up with a few guys—for real this time. That way you can find someone who deserves you.”
I thought of Tristan and instantly felt sad at the prospect of moving on. I reminded myself that Tristan didn’t want to be with me—that was the only reason he would have cheated on me so openly.
“You’re right,” I nodded. “I do deserve someone better.”
Alani put her hand over mine. “It’s going to be hard,” she said comfortingly. “But you will get over him, trust me.”
I sighed. “That’s what I’m hoping,” I said. Then I shook my head and snapped myself out of the haze of self-pity that currently surrounded me. “So… how have things been here since I left?”
“Things have been piling up, to be honest,” she said. “It’s been crazy around here. We’re always at capacity—which is a good thing, of course—but it also means that there are more problems with staff and breakages and a whole heap of other things besides. And since there’s no one in charge of the staff anymore, it’s fallen to Ben and Tristan, and neither one has the time to spend on fixing all of the issues that have been piling up.
“That’s my fault,” I said. “I just left without giving in my notice or giving them time to find a replacement.”
“No one blames you, Molly,” Alani said immediately. “No one expected you to be thinking straight when you found out what you found out.”
I nodded gratefully. “Uh… I hesitate to ask, but how has Tristan been?”
Alani paused for a moment. “Honestly?”
“Yes?”
“He looks like he’s having a hard time,” she said. “And it has nothing to do with the resort. It almost seems like you broke up with him. A large part of the staff actually believes that you were the one that ended it based on how Tristan appears these days.”
“What do you mean?”
“He looks gaunt and pale half the time, he drinks like he never used to do, and sometimes he just looks…broken.”
I frowned. “That’s weird.”
“I think he regrets cheating on you,” she said immediately.
“You think?”
“Definitely,” she nodded.
I nodded and looked out towards the beautiful green-blue ocean.
“Molly?”
“Hmm?”
“If it turns out he does regret what he did and begs for your forgiveness…”
“I wouldn’t take him back,” I said firmly. “I can forgive some things, but cheating is not one of them. I’d forever be wondering when he’s going to break next and sleep with someone else.”
“Fair enough,” Alani nodded. “And I think it’s unlikely, but what if Tristan doesn’t let you come back?”
“Then, I’ll go back home and find another job and built my life elsewhere,” I said. “I know it’s a possibility I’ll be leaving at the end of three days. I’m prepared for that, don’t worry.”
Alani was just about to say something when I heard a knock on my door. She looked a little confused as she stood up.
“Did you order in room service?” she asked.
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
I went to the door and answered it. I froze as I came face to face with Emma. “Emma,” I said, in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Visiting my brother,” she replied. “Hello, Molly, it’s great to see you.”
I gave her a tentative smile and we hugged awkwardly. “It’s been a long time.”
“It has,” she nodded.
“The last time I saw you was when you were, what, sixteen?”
“Seventeen,” she reminded me. “The boys were not around at the time.”
“Right,” I said. “Please, come in.”
Emma walked in and gave Alani a smile. “Hey, Alani,” she said. “Looks like you beat me to the punch.”
“I just came to welcome Molly back,” she said. “I’ll give you two some time to catch up.”
“That would be great,” Emma nodded.
The moment Alani left, Emma turned to me. She had always been a confident young woman who seemed far more mature than her age. Even now, she exuded confidence and maturity, except there was sex appeal there now, too. She was my height, and her long dark hair was draped around her slim shoulders. I realized that she looked a lot like Tristan now.
“You’re back,” Emma
said.
I frowned in confusion. “Yes…”
“I’m sorry we missed each other the last time,” she said.
“Uh, did we?” I asked. “I think I must have left by the time you came down here.”
“No,” she said confidently. “There was definitely an overlap.”
“Oh… I didn’t even know you were in the resort,” I said, wondering if Tristan had mentioned it to me and I had just forgotten in light of everything that had happened.
“I think I arrived the day before you left,” Emma said.
“Oh wow… I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” I said. “If I had known I would have definitely come and said hi.”
“Oh, in fact we did meet…not face to face, but close enough.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “What are you talking about?”
“I was the girl in Tristan’s shower, Molly,” Emma said, sitting down on my bed and looking up at me.
“Excuse me?”
“I arrived earlier than expected, and my room wasn’t ready yet. So I had to wait a few hours and there was no other room available for me, but I was desperate for a shower. My generous big brother offered up his suite for my use.”
I just stared at Emma for a second. “I… Sorry… I’m just…
“Processing?” she offered. “Understandable.”
“I went to Tristan after that,” I said. “I accused him and he… He admitted to it. He admitted to cheating on me—he never mentioned you.”
“I love my brother,” she said. “But as I’ve told him repeatedly before, he is a coward. He was scared, so he jumped on the out you were giving him.”
“Scared?” I repeated incredulously. “Scared of what?”
“The voices in his head,” Emma replied. “The voices that were telling him he would screw up with you sooner or later.”
“So he chose to accelerate the process?”
“I don’t claim to understand the exact reasons why he did what he did—though I’ve tried, believe me. But I think the crux of the matter is fear.”
I felt my jaw tighten in anger. “Excuse me, Emma,” I said. “I have to go.”
“Where are you going?”
Chapter 37
Tristan
“Say that again?” I said, looking at Ben with wide eyes.
“Molly’s here.”
“Here?” I repeated. “As in, at the resort?”
“Yes.”
“You saw her?” I asked. “With your own eyes?”
“Uh…no,” Ben admitted. “Monica from the reception informed me when she walked in.”
“Why didn’t we know this?” I demanded.
“I don’t handle bookings,” he reminded me. “That’s up to the reception staff.”
“One of them would have mentioned it to you,” I said. “Considering everyone’s been talking about Molly’s departure the last few weeks.”
“Alani was the one that took Molly’s reservation,” Ben replied.
“Ah,” I said. “I suppose that explains it.”
“Clearly, her loyalty is to Molly over you,” he said, and he sounded a little pleased by that.
I frowned. “I can’t really blame her,” I said. “So… Molly’s here.”
“Yes.”
“What suite is she staying in?”
“She booked herself into a room,” Ben told me. “Room number 305. She paid upfront for the whole stay.”
I sat back in my chair, feeling extremely uncertain. “Where is she now?”
“Probably in her room,” he replied. “She’s made no reservations at any of the restaurants for tonight.”
“Why do you think she’s here?”
“How would I know?”
“Take a guess,” I said. “We parted on bad terms, why would she come back here?”
“Maybe she wants her job back.”
“She wouldn’t want to work for me after what happened,” I said.
“Maybe she’s here for you?”
I smirked darkly. “She wouldn’t work for me because of what I did,” I said. “Do you really think she’s going to run into my arms after she believed I cheated on her?”
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
“Fuck that,” I said, shaking my head. “I know Molly… She will never be with me as long as she believes I slept with someone else.”
“Hey, I have an idea,” he said.
“What?”
“Why don’t you just go down to her room and ask her,” he said, in a sarcastic tone.
“Oh, sure,” I said, matching Ben’s tone. “I bet that’ll go over really well.”
“Can you blame her?”
“Find out why she’s here,” I said.
“What?” he asked incredulously.
“Find out why she’s here,” I repeated impatiently.
“How?” Ben demanded. “Short of walking up to her and asking her myself.”
“I’m sure you can figure out a way,” I said. “You have people.”
“People?” he repeated. “I have people? Who do you think I am? Some mafia boss or something?”
If I weren’t so stressed, I would have cracked a smile. “That would have been helpful to me.”
“Emma’s right,” Ben sighed. “You are a coward.”
I gritted in my teeth in annoyance. “I’m glad to see my sister’s been doing the rounds. I’ll need to have a chat with her.”
“Emma has a point.”
“Emma is a—wait,” I said, realizing that my sister wasn’t known for staying out of other people’s business. “Where is Emma?”
“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Ben demanded. “Contrary to what you might think, I don’t know everything that happens around this resort. She’s probably by the pool or something.”
“She can’t know that Molly is here,” I said, standing up.
Ben rolled his eyes. “Because she’ll rat you out.”
“Of course, she will,” I said. “She’s been fishing around for Molly’s number.”
“Huh, how nice of Molly to accommodate Emma and arrive at the resort.”
“Shit,” I said, walking around my desk. “Shit… if—”
I was interrupted by a loud knock on my door. I froze in place and Ben and I turned around. “Someone sounds mad,” he said, sounding half amused.
“Fuck you,” I shot at him.
“Should I answer the door?” he asked. “Or will you?”
I was about to answer when the door flew open and Molly walked in. She was wearing a soft blue dress that flowed seamlessly over her stunning figure. Her blonde hair was loose, and her blue eyes were on fire. Even in anger, she looked stunning and I took a quick second to admire her beauty.
“Ben,” she said, and her tone was warmer than I had expected. “How are you?”
“Molly,” Ben said, feigning surprise. “This is a surprise.”
“Is it?” she asked. “I’m sure you were aware that I’d arrived at the resort.”
“Not until a few minutes ago,” he replied honestly. “I wish you would have called me.”
“I didn’t want to make a big deal about this,” she said.
“About what exactly?” I asked, stepping into the conversation.
Molly looked around Ben towards me and I saw the fire in her blue eyes again. “Hello, Tristan,” she said, and any warmth that had been present in her tone before now disappeared immediately.
“Molly,” I said, taking a step towards her.
Molly turned to Ben. “Ben, would you mind giving us a moment? I need to talk to Tristan in private.”
“Of course,” he nodded.
He gave me a parting glance that looked sympathetic and amused in equal measures. Then he left the office and closed the door behind him. I felt my nerves rise up and constrict around my throat. My palms were sweaty and I felt as though my throat was parched, even though I had barely said two words to Molly.
“You’re back,” I said at last,
when the silence wore on and on.
She looked out towards my stunning view. “I missed Hawaii.”
“Is that why you’re back?”
“I’m back because I have a contract with you,” Molly said. “And I should have considered that before I quit. I acted impulsively, and I regretted the decision almost immediately, but… I was emotional at the time and I didn’t think I could continue working for you, considering what happened.”
Was that it then? I wondered. Was she just here for her job? A part of me was relieved and a part of me was disappointed. She wasn’t here for me at all—she was here because she liked Hawaii and the job and the people she worked with. I had to assume that I was excluded from that group.
“Right…” I said awkwardly. “So you’re here for your job.”
“Yes,” Molly nodded. “Only if you’re comfortable with that. I know that I voided the contract when I walked out and you have the right to turn me away if you want to.”
“I’m not going to do that,” I said, feeling supremely uncomfortable.
I tried not to look directly at Molly. She was like the sun, and her beauty was blinding me with need and desire. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to have her here, to have her in my bed, to have her wrapped around my body... There was no other feeling quite like it.
“You’re okay with me resuming my work here?” Molly asked.
“Of course,” I said. “The resort needs you—you did amazing work while you were here. Everyone misses you.”
“Apparently not everyone,” she said pointedly.
I stopped short. “What?”
“I want you to know that I will stay away, Tristan,” Molly said. “Just because I work for you that does not mean we need to have contact. You can send Ben or Alani in to speak to me, and I will do the same. We don’t need to be around each other any more than we have to.”
“Molly…”
“I got your message loud and clear, Tristan,” she said. “I just wish you had the guts to tell me the truth straight to my face.”
I could see the muted anger on her face, and I knew instinctively that she was talking about something specific. “Molly,” I said carefully. “What exactly is the truth that you’re talking about?”
Molly looked at me closely for a long moment. “Emma,” she said, in one word.
