CHAPTER 23
KATIE
New Year's Eve.
D-Day.
Today is the day of Victoria and George’s wedding.
After the disaster at the day spa and the ambush that followed, I’ve spent the last eighteen hours vacillating between pure bliss in Nathan’s arms and pure anxiety every moment thereafter.
True to my decision to not bring any of the chaos to Nathan until after the wedding, I’d returned to the bungalow and had fallen straight into his arms. After many mind-blowing kisses, we’d ordered room service and refused to leave our bed for the rest of the day, ignoring all of Rosie’s pleadings to please join her at the rehearsal dinner.
There was no way I was making that mistake again.
And now we’re here, the morning of the big day.
The sun has made an appearance in place of the rain I absolutely hadn’t been hoping for (that would make me an awful person, wouldn’t it?
Hoping for rain on Victoria’s wedding day?), and I’m lying on my side watching Nathan carefully to gauge his reaction to the events about to unfold.
If what Victoria and her harpies were saying is true, if what I fear may be happening is true, wouldn’t I be able to see it somehow?
Wouldn’t it be apparent in his demeanour or his actions?
Or at the very least, a few facial tics to give him away?
Because the man holding me close to his chest and peppering me with kisses could not seem less bothered.
“What’s going on up here?” Nathan asks, tapping my temple.
I roll over to face him. “I’m wondering how you’re doing. It will not be easy for you today.”
He shrugs, his jaw clenching ever so slightly. “It is what it is.”
Well, that’s giving me nothing.
“But you have to feel some type of way about it. She’s your ex-girlfriend marrying your brother. I saw how you were when it all went down earlier this year. You were heartbroken.”
His brows dip. “What’s this about?” he asks, his eyes narrowed as he watches me.
I sigh, pulling back and changing course. “I want to make sure you’re alright. That’s all. No one is expecting you to be fine today, especially me.”
He brushes his lips over mine and turns to silence his phone.
It’s been chirping non-stop for the last few minutes, and we’ve been doing our best to ignore it.
“It’s my mother,” he says, reading his text messages with a grimace.
“Apparently, there’s some sort of wedding emergency they need my help with. ”
I sit up, gathering my hair into a bun high on my head to give my hands something to do. Something other than snatching his phone and flinging it into the ocean. Why would that woman think it’s appropriate to ask Nathan for any help with this wedding?
“I’d better go deal with this,” he says, scrunching his nose. “She won’t leave me alone otherwise.”
My stomach clenches as a bad feeling settles over me. “Are you sure you want to do that? She shouldn’t be asking you for anything today.”
His shoulders bunch around his ears, and he rolls his neck to relieve some tension. “You’re right. But I also know her well. It’s easier to give in and get it over and done with.”
He pulls on a pair of navy-blue shorts and a white linen shirt before crossing to the bathroom. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he yells through the door.
I nod, though he can’t see it, and settle back against the pillow, watching him leave with a wave and a finger-press to his lips.
It’s fine. It’s all going to be fine. One more day and then we can get away from these people and all their toxicity. And talk.
After Nathan leaves, I take advantage of having the bungalow to myself and some time to kill.
I take a quick soak in the hot tub to get rid of some of my tension.
When that doesn’t work, I take a shower and slather my body with my decadent vanilla-scented body butter, pleased to find that my feet and ankles finally match the rest of my body.
Take that, Victoria!
Once my body is moisturised and glowing, I tackle my hair.
During our time here in tropical paradise, it’s taken on a life of its own and needs serious taming.
I use my favourite Miracle Serum and blow-dry it straight.
I then spend fifteen minutes lying on the bed under the ceiling fan to recover.
With some energy restored and a few biscuits in my belly, I straighten my hair with my trusty GHD (this thing changed my life) before adding some soft curls back in.
It takes well over an hour to get me here, but once I’m done, my hair looks smooth, elegant and as though I just woke up like this.
Perfect.
With the bulk of my grooming done, I re-check the time, my ominous feeling deepening. Nathan has been gone for almost two hours; what sort of emergency takes this long?
“Screw it,” I mutter into the empty space. I can’t sit and wait like this any longer. If there’s an emergency that requires his help, then perhaps I can help, too.
Decision made, I throw on a maxi dress and shove my feet into a pair of sandals, hightailing it out of the bungalow and straight into the path of Giselle. Just the person I wanted to find.
“Dr Winslow,” she says with a bright smile. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Um, I was wondering if you’ve seen Nathan? Mr Jackson? He went somewhere to help with the wedding a little while ago.”
Her forehead crinkles a bit. “I think I saw him go up to the chapel…”
I look where she’s pointing. The wedding chapel is in the prime position on the top of a towering cliff overlooking the ocean.
From my deep-dive Google search, I know it offers 180-degree panoramic views of the Caribbean Ocean below and is the drawcard for choosing this resort for your wedding. It’s stunning.
“Thanks.” I rush off in that direction, checking my phone in case Nathan’s sent me an update on his whereabouts.
Nothing.
“What’s he doing?”
My feet slip and slide in my sandals built for beaching, not hiking, and I’m a sweaty mess and a lot puffed out as I reach the halfway point to the chapel and spot a golf buggy transporting supplies ambling past me.
“Huh. That would have been a better idea.” Too late to change that now, I continue climbing, stopping only once to catch my breath and wipe my brow. After this, I’m going to need a shower and another go at taming my hair. My anger at this thought spurs me on faster.
“Thank God,” I huff as I turn the corner and see the chapel in sight. Breathing hard, I walk towards the double doors, taking the time to appreciate the floral arrangements already set up. Victoria may be a mean girl, but she’s got good style.
“You know I’m right, Nathan.”
I freeze. That’s Victoria’s voice. She’s in there? With Nathan?
“I’m not having this conversation with you, Vic.”
I creep forward on light feet, peering around the door. What’s going on? Why are Nathan and Victoria in here? Is this the emergency?
And why are they standing so close together?
“You know you still love me,” Victoria says, batting her eyelashes at him and stroking his chest.
Nathan frowns but doesn’t back away. Why isn’t he backing away?
“You’re marrying my brother today, Victoria.” His tone is bitter, cold as ice, and it relieves some of my concerns.
But still…
“That doesn’t mean I don’t still love you,” she says while I stifle a gasp. What is wrong with this woman? “This thing with George happened so fast. I’m not sure it wasn’t a rebound.”
Oh my gosh, the nerve. Shut her down, Nathan, I beg silently. Shut her down!
“We shouldn’t be having this conversation.”
My heart sinks at this response.
“But Nathan, we were good together. We had a good life. You loved that I travelled the circuit with you, that your job didn’t mean we had to be apart. Do you think you’ll get that with her?”
Nathan’s hands curl into fists. “Don’t talk about her.”
Victoria, sensing her blunder, attempts to correct course. “I’m just saying, maybe we gave up too easily. I mean, how did we get here?”
My stomach rolls as they stare at each other. It’s a long look, filled with…so much history and love? That can’t be right.
Nathan’s words echo in my head once more: “I’ll never get over it.”
“We got here because you cheated on me with my brother, who you are marrying today.”
Hooray. He’s finally saying the things.
Victoria pouts and wraps her arms around his neck, her long fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his head.
Shove her off, Nathan.
“Just tell me you don’t love me anymore and I’ll walk away now…”
The three of us hold in a collective breath as my heart thunders in my ears. Come on, Nathan. Say it. Say it.
As the silence drags on, my trembling knees beg me to move.
To get out of here. To not stick around and witness what is about to happen.
That the man I’m all the way in love with is about to confess those same feelings to someone else.
My brain catches up with my knees, and I move away from the chapel, turning with blurry eyes and jogging back from where I came.
I run as fast as this dress and these sandals and my cardio fitness will allow me, stopping only when I’m back at the resort and in view of the bungalow.
I need to get out of here.
“Katie? What’s wrong?”
I take one look at Rosie’s concerned face and burst into tears.
“What’s happened?” she asks, taking me into her arms and wrapping me in a fierce hug. “Tell me.”
I draw in a shuddering breath and shake my head. There’s no time to explain. I have to leave.
“Rosie,” I say as I wipe my cheeks and try to pull myself together. “I need some help. Can you help me?”
She nods, her worried eyes bouncing between mine. “Of course I will. Let’s get you into some air-conditioning, and then you can tell me what’s wrong.”
We walk towards the bungalow, and my stomach revolts at the sight of it. I can’t stay here. I won’t.