Chapter 12 - Niall - Bumping into You
Chapter 12
Niall
After a drink with the group, I promise everyone I won’t be late for dinner and head to my room. My mind is still reeling from the revelation that Rose is Gwendolyn.
Greg’s little sister.
I never could have imagined this. I was hoping for a chance to get to know her, to have a good time on the cruise, and now it’s like the odds are in my favor because she and I will be together all week for the wedding festivities.
The room is nice and roomy with a king-size bed, a little sitting area with a couch, and a balcony view of the ocean. The cruise ship left port shortly after Gwen left the group. I open the balcony and take a step outside, looking at the shore fading off into the distance.
A sharp intake of breath causes me to freeze on the spot.
It can’t be.
Gwen’s eyes are wide with shock as she sits in a chair on my balcony. Well . . . our balcony.
I chuckle. Of course our rooms are connected. It fits; it must be fate.
“Hi, Rose,” I say.
“What are you doing on my balcony?” she sputters.
“Pretty sure this is our balcony, seeing as how I just came from my room.” I point to the side.
She leans forward to peer around me, as if looking to see if I’m lying.
“Why is this happening?” she asks before laying her head back against her chair. She looks wrecked.
“My guess is that the group of us are all next to each other, seeing as how we’re all here for the same wedding.” I take the seat across from her.
Gwen rolls her eyes. “That’s not what I meant. Seeing as I’m the one who coordinated everyone’s rooms, I know the wedding party is rooming close together. I arranged to share a balcony with Margot, but of course that got messed up. And now I guess I’ll be sharing a balcony with you instead. How do you keep showing up? And don’t you dare say because you are here for my brother’s wedding. Obviously, I know that already. I mean, I didn’t know you were Sully. But seriously, why do you keep showing up?”
“Maybe it’s not me who keeps showing up, but you who keeps getting to the places first.”
“That is literally the same thing,” she says.
“I beg to differ, Rose. If you didn’t go to the places you’ve gone, then I wouldn’t have shown up where you were.”
Sighing heavily at my comment, she lifts her eyes to the sky. “And for that matter, why do you keep calling me Rose? I have a name, which you, of course, now know.”
“You’re right, I probably shouldn’t be calling you Rose anymore. It’s just that I didn’t know your real name and I needed something to call you since we kept running into each other, didn’t I? Now, I’ll call you Gwendolyn, though Rose does suit you nicely.”
“How does Rose suit me?” she asks, her forehead wrinkled.
“Well, your beauty is so captivating that when you enter a room, it’s impossible for people not to take notice. And before you say anything, it’s not all about you being pretty, but also, your hair looks red when the light hits it and you’re a bit prickly on the outside. All qualities of a stunning rose.”
She glances over her shoulder at me, rolling her eyes.
“Riddle me this,” I say. “If it’s not you causing us to run into each other so often, then what were you in so much of a rush for last night that you hopped into my car?”
“I did not hop in your car,” she says, though a touch of pink trickles up her cheeks to her ears. “Plus, I wasn’t the one who almost gave my keys to a total stranger.”
“True, though your outfit was so like that of the valets that I’ll admit, I was briefly confused.”
“I was not dressed like a valet!” she exclaims.
“I’m just stating my opinion.” I shrug.
“Well, you’re wrong.”
“It’s an opinion. How can that be wrong?” I question, leaning forward in my chair.
“Because . . . it just is.”
I raise my brow at that and ask, “Are you always this argumentative on vacation?”
“I’m not argumentative. I’m just stating a fact,” she says matter-of-factly. “And I’m not on vacation.” She leans back in her chair and stretches her legs out, her hair blowing in the wind.
It mesmerizes me, and I can’t help but stare at her. Our eyes meet briefly, and I catch a glimpse of the golden flakes in hers, glistening from the sunset. She quickly looks away.
Get a grip, it’s just a little flirting. I clear my throat before continuing, “Fair enough, Gwendolyn.”
Gwen’s phone pings. Looking down, she types out a message before saying, “And no one calls me Gwendolyn, I’m Gwen. . . . Just Gwen. And can we be done with this conversation? I’m getting a headache and already had enough stress from Bradley and my mom and dad.”
She slumps a little in her chair, putting her feet up on a makeshift lounge chair across from her. She looks out at the ocean, rubbing her brow.
I study her for a bit. Do I really stress her out that much? I can’t get a read on her. First, we had that cute little incident in the car, but then she ate my head off at Duke’s Diner for saying she was beautiful. And what’s wrong with saying that, by the way? But then she seemed so grateful to me when I played along with her in front of Bradley and Tammy. And when we held hands, it felt like time slowed down and the world seemed to fade away, taking all its chaos with it. We were hand in hand, in our own private existence. She had to have felt that too. And now? Now, I have no idea what she feels toward me.
But it doesn’t matter. I’m unexplainedly drawn to her. I want to bring back the smile that I’ve so rarely glimpsed.
“What happened with your folks?” I ask.
She studies me before answering, “They almost missed the cruise.”
“Wow, the groom’s parents missing the cruise, what a nightmare. No wonder you have a headache.”
“I mean I would have figured out a way to get them here, but it wouldn’t have been until our first port day.” She sits up a little straighter in her chair, her eyes piercing me with her earnest sincerity. “I don’t want anything to go wrong this week for this wedding. Holly is my best friend, and she’s been through so much. She deserves the perfect wedding. And I love my brother. I wouldn’t want anything to ruin their celebrations. I have to make sure this cruise is perfect,” she says. Wiping tears from her eyes, she continues, “Thankfully, Mom and Dad listened to me and booked it here after they passed the traffic. They were literally the last two people to board the cruise. That’s what the text I just received from my mom said. And she was laughing about it. Can you believe that?”
“Sounds like all’s well then, right?” I ask.
She nods. “For now.” She stands and leans against the rail, looking out at the ocean, then adds, “It’s beautiful, you know? I forget sometimes how much I love the ocean.”
“Ah, it is,” I say, joining her. “I used to enjoy going to the beach in Boston with my mam. Not as warm as the Caribbean, mind you, but still, it’s a beautiful sight to see.”
“Used to? You don’t go anymore?”
“Well, err . . . you see, my mam passed away about a year ago. And I haven’t been able to bring myself to go to the Boston beach without her.” I scratch at my neck. I wasn’t planning on talking about any of this, but for some reason, I felt like opening up to her. Memories of the year-round picnics I had at the beach with my mam stream through me. She loved feeling the breeze and watching the waves roll in and out. A sadness blooms within my chest at the memory.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” says Gwen.
“No need to be sorry, it’s all good. She would have loved the cruise, but she never really cared to leave Boston.”
“I’ve never been to Boston.”
“No?”
“Nope, I’ve been so busy building up my business that I’ve only been on work trips, and none have been in the Boston area, though I’ve always wanted to go.”
Studying Gwen, I see how tired she is. She’s running herself ragged. Maybe Greg was right, and I can help her bring a little craic and a lot less stress into this week.
At a quarter to seven, I leave my room. I don’t want to be late to dinner, and this cruise ship is huge. Gwen had left the balcony earlier, so I hadn’t asked if she wanted to go together.
The main dining room is at the back of the ship and is full of people talking to their tablemates, waiters bringing drinks and taking orders. There’s a soft din of noise as I am led to our table. Our group is so big we get our own little corner of the restaurant. With windows lining us on one side, it’s actually quite cozy.
“Oh, Niall, how nice to see you again.” Mrs. Kenton stands to wrap me in a hug. The Kentons have always been nice to me. They came up to Boston a few times during college, so I got to know them well, having been in the dorm room next to Greg and Trent since our freshman year. I haven’t seen the Kentons in years, but whenever they visited Greg in college, they always made me feel like one of their own. Mrs. Kenton reminds me so much of my mam. I hold onto her a little longer than normal. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten a mother’s hug, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it. A ping of sorrow hits me hard at the thought, but I brush it off and give her a big smile.
“It’s lovely to see you again as well,” I say as she moves aside for her husband.
“I was sorry to hear about your mom,” says Mr. Kenton, giving me a squeeze on the shoulder.
“We’re always here for you if you need anything,” says Mrs. Kenton.
Realizing I’ve started to feel melancholy, I plaster a smile on my face and brush off their concern. “No worries. My mam wouldn’t have wanted me sulking around in sadness. She’s always been one to celebrate those who’ve gone, but I thank you for your kind words.”
As I turn to take my seat, Holly introduces me to the older couple sitting next to her. “Mom, Dad, this is Niall, or Sully, as Greg and Trent refer to him. He’s our other groomsman. Niall, this is my mom and dad.”
“Pleasure,” I say as I tip my head in their direction, taking a seat next to Greg. Gwen walks in alongside a small family.
“Grams and Papa!” exclaims a little lassie.
“This is our granddaughter, Maggie,” says Mrs. Kenton. Maggie runs right up to her grandparents, overflowing with joy. They sweep her up in a big hug.
“And this is our daughter Gillian,” says Mr. Kenton, “and her husband Miles.”
“Nice to meet you all,” I say.
We all adjust our seats some, and before I know it, Gwen is situated between me and the others. Holly’s other sister, Vivian, soon joins us and sits just to the side of Gillian. The two must know each other already from their animated conversation that starts the second she sits down.
The Kentons regale us with their road-trip experience. Traffic from multiple car accidents, an unexpected detour, and a flat tire practically kept them from making the boat. Luckily, as Gwen already explained to me, they made it just before the cruise stopped letting people board.
As we finish dinner, some of the group heads out while the others sit and catch up. Vivian jumps up excitedly and rushes over to embrace another woman. It isn’t until they break apart and a crowd of people passes that I notice who it is. Tammy.
Instinctively, I reach over and place my hand on Gwen’s forearm. My touch shocks her, and she snaps her head in my direction only to see Tammy and Bradley standing off to the side waiting to be seated.
Gwen grips my hand roughly. “Help,” she whispers to me. “I can’t handle another run-in with them today. I just need time to process that he is here and he’s engaged. Not to mention,” she gestures to the rest of the wedding party, “I’m not sure who knows my ex will also be around for the wedding, and I don’t want this dinner to turn into something it shouldn’t.”
I nod. I can imagine Greg would not take kindly to seeing his little sister’s ex. Then I stand and say, loud enough for the rest of the group to hear, “If you’re done eating, Gwen, would you mind walking me to my room and going through the wedding agenda and the next few days of plans, since I haven’t been caught up to speed on everything yet?”
“Of course,” Gwen says, jumping out of her seat and almost knocking her chair over.
“See,” says Holly, “I told you she was your girl.”
I smile and then gesture for Gwen to head out first. We say our goodbyes and manage to take a wide route out of the dining room without catching Vivian, Tammy, or Bradley’s attention.
“I still can’t believe he is Tammy’s plus one,” she says, shaking her head.
I eye her curiously. “What do you mean?”
“Vivian, instead of bringing a date for her plus one, brought a friend, Tammy. Which by itself wouldn’t have been an issue. But then earlier today, I found out that Tammy also brought a plus one.”
“Bradley, right?”
“Yes, Bradley!”
I process that information for a minute. “So if Vivian is the bride’s sister, and Tammy is her guest, and Bradley is Tammy’s guest, then that would mean—”
“That would mean,” says Gwen, “that I’ll be seeing my ex and his fiancée on this cruise way more than I had originally hoped.”
“Well,” I say, “that is going to make things a bit more interesting now, isn’t it?”