Page 110 of Craving Paradise
“Legal ways?”
“Do you really want to know?” I chuckle.
“I don’t want Elle in trouble, but I do want to know who this fucker is who pretended to be me.”
“Leave it with me. How do you feel about her being back in your life?” I ask him.
“I was angry at first … fucking furious. I didn’t understand how she could walk away from what was happening between us … just disappear the way she did.”
How can he forgive her so easily?
“Then Mum called me about the wedding, and it interrupted things.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Yeah. It was shit. George put her up to calling me and making sure I wasn’t going to turn up to his wedding and make a scene.”
I hate his brother. “That slimy fucker.”
“Right? The audacity of him after everything he has done to me.”
“What happened?”
“I walked out of the villa onto the beach and couldn’t breathe. I felt like I was having a panic attack. Seeing Elle and then my mother questioning me was all too much.”
“What did Elle do?”
“She was there for me. She didn’t push me. She listened to me vent, and then she apologized. I could see how bad she felt about ghosting me while I was dealing with family stuff.”
“Ibet she did.” I chuckle, teasing him.
“Fuck you! And don’t speak about her like that,” he warns me.
Wow. Wasn’t expecting that reaction.
“Okay, okay … I get it. You’re still into this girl. If you’re that into her, why don’t you invite her to the wedding?”
Maybe her turning him down will make him realize that Elle isn’t the girl for him.
“Do you have better plans?”
“Fuck, yeah. Anything is better than going to that farce of a wedding. I was only going to be your date because of the free food, but honestly, I think you should invite Elle.” Yeah, I’m setting him up for failure, and I feel like a dick for doing it, but it’s for the best. Hearing the happiness and excitement in my friend’s voice down the phone is killing me.
“She will look better in a dress than you,” he jokes.
“Hey, I’ve got great legs, and you know I put out on the first date.”
“She’s probably working on the island.”
Exactly. “I’m sure she gets holidays.”
“You think she would?”
I can hear the hope in his voice. “Only one way to find out.”
“I’ll see how the week goes. I might suss her out a little more. Where she’s at … it’s only been one day.”
“Good idea. Spend this week seeing if the spark you once had is still there and wasn’t some figment of your overactive imagination.” I want to shake him because it is.