Page 34 of He Loves Me Knot

After several minutes of walking, he heard a voice behind him. “Callum.” When he checked over his shoulder, Sophia was there, holding a large, reusable striped grocery bag in her hands. “I thought that was you,” she said with a smile.

A mix of dread and—what is it . . . nostalgia?—filled his heart. “You on your way back toLa Hacienda?”

She nodded. “Just picking up some fruit for tomorrow morning’s breakfasts.”

The bag looked heavy, and Callum held a hand toward her. “Why don’t I help you carry that?”

She glanced down at his jeans. “Are you sure? It won’t bother your leg?”

His shoulders tensed, and he took the bag from her. Large, ripe papayas, mangoes, and even a guanabana were inside. “It’s been years since that was an issue.”

“It’s been years since we last talked, too.” She fell into step beside him. “Or you would even look at me.”

Touché. Then again, I invited this by offering to carry your bag.

As time had gone on after their split, he’d thought about what he might say to her. He’d start with why she had held on to being a business partner with his mother. But he knew the answer to that. In some ways, Mum was the only family Sophia had. They’d formed their own unit. A daughter orphaned by both her parents. A mother whose grown children had flown the nest and never come back.

“Your girlfriend seems nice,” Sophia said, breaking the silence.

He glanced over at her profile, wondering if it had hurt her to see him with Lydia.Do I even care?“Uh . . . yeah. She’s great.” His fingers dug into the sides of the bag. He’d expected to feel some relief in her believing that he was “attached”—even if it was fake—but he felt nothing.

“And you? Are you seeing anyone?”There, get this out of the way.

“No, not right now.” Her brows furrowed. “La Haciendakeeps me busy. Too busy for much of anything.”

“La Haciendaor my mother? Let me guess, she gets to lead all the yoga on the beach and sit in the office while watchingnovellas. Mum always loved her soaps. And you get to do everything else?”

She laughed. “Don’t be mean. She’s a good bookkeeper, too.”

He chuckled, and then silence settled between them. Strange how someone he’d known his whole life, who he’d loved and known better than anyone, was also a stranger to him now. They could talk, of course, but the past wouldn’t go away. Sophia had been the first girl he’d kissed. The first...everything.

Andall of it—an entire lifetime of memories—overshadowed and obliterated by one: the sight of her in Luca’s arms.

Sophia tossed her silky dark hair over her shoulder, seeming to sense the shift in his thoughts. “It’s good to have you back here, Callum. I was surprised Quinn booked our place.” She frowned as though considering her words. “It gave me hope. That maybe if he’s forgiven me, that you might forgive?—”

“Quinn hasn’t forgiven you because he doesn’t know what happened between us. I never told him. I didn’t tell anyone except for Isla and my mother.” Callum hardened his expression. He didn’t want to discuss this, now or ever. He should have known better than to walk with her.

Sophia chewed on her lip. The sea breeze tugged her long skirt. “Thank you for that.”

“It wasn’t to preserve your dignity. It was for my own,” Callum said flatly. Thank God he could see the rooftops toLa Haciendafrom here.

“Cal . . .” Sophia’s voice was soft. She stopped, turning toward him with a pleading expression. “I know we’ve both moved on, but I hate it so much that you still hate me. Is it ever possible you’ll stop?”

Cal’s eyes narrowed at her.Fuck. She’ll never understand what she did to me.He shrugged. “About as possible as you un-fucking my ex-best friend.”

Her face fell. “Right.” She grabbed the bag, then continued forward without him.

Callum watched her for a moment, his jaw locked with tension. His headache from the morning was returning. Working had let him forget about it, like it always did. Work. Workouts. Sleep. Fucking. A splash of scotch. The five things that kept him sane.

He checked his watch. Maybe there was still time to squeeze in a run before his body gave out on him for the day.La Haciendawouldn’t have a weight room.

He waited until Sophia was out of sight, then made his way back to the hotel. The evening shadows were lengthening as the sun dipped lower over the water. The canopy of trees and foliage were sparkling gold, the water of the swimming pool a deep blue.

Swimming was also an option for working out, but it seemed like a hassle. He’d have to get into the ocean for a decent swim—a hundred laps in the small pool wasn’t great. Plus, a few people crowded the pool area, including an old lady giving him a hawk-eyed stare.

As he got closer to the bungalow, he spotted Lydia out front, staring up at the trees while holding an expensive-looking camera. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she scanned the treetops. He tiptoed up next to her. “What are we looking at?”

She startled then, and for a split second, a genuine smile lit her eyes. “There are monkeys,” she whispered. She nodded toward her mobile phone, which was set up on a stone wall that separated the foliage from the path near the bungalow. “I’m recording them.”