Chapter Ten
Zoe
What in the fuck? Since when do Mom and Landon need a marriage retreat? They’ve been inseparable since they met each other. I’ve never even seen them fight. Argue? Yes. Disagree? Yes. But fight? No. Not like my parents did. Mom and Landon make it a point to communicate and work on things together as a couple.
I follow the group into the room while muttering under my breath. And Zayden. He gets here and must fly back home? Not that I don’t understand he needs to do what’s best for his case, but he left, and now, I’m stuck playing nice with Jace. How do I spend day and night with the man and not end up curled in the fetal position at the conclusion of the trip?
The room is smaller than the lobby, but big enough for 20 or 30 people. It feels intimate. I stop in mid-step, and Jace runs into the back of me.
“What’s wrong?” His breath blows the hairs on my neck, and a shiver runs along my spine.
“Um….” I let the problem weigh heavily in the air. Mostly because the whole situation is surreal.
The curtains are made from a blackout material, leaving the room shroud in darkness, lit only by a smattering of decorative lights. In the front of the space is a lectern with a spotlight illuminating where the speaker will position themselves on a tall chair with a metal back. There’s a low sensual beat coming from the speakers that pulsates throughout my veins, and the room smells of jasmine.
It’s like a giant metaphysical shop exploded inside. But none of that is the problem. The problem is the intimate seating arrangement. There are five locations throughout the room each with two oversized faux fur white pillows positioned together on the black carpet.
“We’re sitting on the floor.”
“I see that.”
I whip my head around and glare at him. “Did you know about this whole ridiculous idea?”
He tosses his hands into the air. “Absolutely not. If I’d have known, I wouldn’t have shown up.”
“Thanks.” I grit my teeth as he figuratively stabs me in the chest. At least it’s to my face and not behind my back. I must give him credit for always being honest, blunt, and straight to the point. Even though there are times like these where I’d prefer, he’d keep his insults to himself.
“Please.” His eyes narrow, and the edges of his nostrils flare. “You can’t tell me if you knew you’d have jumped at the chance to spend a week delving into our innermost secrets together while feeding each other grapes like Greek gods from pillows on the floor.”
I snort back a laugh at his imagery and shake my head. “I probably would’ve taken the free trip, but I’d have followed Violet’s lead and found a surfer whose only interest was getting a free week of sex and hanging out in a 5-star resort.”
“Yeah?” He swallows hard. “That’s even less flattering than what I said.” He brushes past me, walks over to the only unoccupied seating arrangement, snatches up one of the pillows and moves it far away from mine, lowering it to the floor.
This is going to be a blast. I march to my pillow, kick it two feet in the opposite direction, and sit cross-legged on the carpet. I’m going to choke Daisy. I pop my neck by tilting my head to the right and then to the left. Why couldn’t she come with me on vacation? We could have drunk wine and giggled all day. But no. Her stupid sister had to get married this coming weekend.
“Welcome. My name is Elise.” A woman in a white midriff-baring top and taupe colored harem pants with a matching white shawl walks into the room. She travels through the snuggling couples on her walk to the lectern. “I’m so happy to have you here. This week is an amazing opportunity to reconnect and rediscover the reasons you fell in love.”
As the woman drones on, my mother and Landon stare into each other’s eyes with dopey grins on their faces. Please. They don’t need to work on their relationship. They’re two of the most relationship-oriented people I know.
Now, my mother’s relationship with my father? That was an entirely different story. A couple’s retreat wouldn’t have helped them work past their problems. They fought like cats and dogs over my mother’s career. My father’s long working hours. Whether I should have short or long hair. Whose turn it was to pick me up after school.
Basically, they made a sport out of bickering with each other, and the only thing that made it better was living separately, getting a divorce, and two years of not speaking to each other. Finally, I got tired of being the middle person who relayed their hurled insults about each other and told them I wasn’t doing it any longer.
Ten minutes later, I yawn and close my eyes. Last night’s lack of sleep and too much booze is catching up with me.
“Now, you two.” I jump and snap my eyes open to find Elise standing before us. “Tell me how long you two have been together.”
“We aren’t–”
“We haven’t–”
We both talk over each other in our rush to deny any such relationship has occurred between us. She inhales and raises her hand. “Please speak one at a time and in a calm voice. This is a safe place for you to air your differences, but it must be done in a respectful manner.
I sit up straight and clear my throat. “I apologize for coming off short. It’s just that Jace is my stepfather’s stepbrother, and we aren’t and never have been in a relationship.”
“Yes, we’re here to support my brother and his wife and–”
“And to learn to get along in the same space so family events aren’t as uncomfortable for the rest of us.” My mom is snuggled in Landon’s lap with her head propped against his chest.
“Right,” I mutter more to myself than anyone else.
“Oh….” Elise claps her hands together with twinkling eyes. “I see. Well, this will be perfect for the two of you.” She turns on her heel while swaying her hips on the way back to the lectern. The woman’s movements are fluid and peaceful.
She speaks for a few more minutes on the importance of trust, giving and taking, and communication as the foundation of a solid relationship, and I zone out. It’s not like I disagree with her or don’t want that type of relationship, but it’s hard to listen to her talk about the sanctity of an intimate relationship when the only thing you’re intimate with are a vibrator, a box of chocolates, and a bottle of wine.
“So, our first couples’ activity is a trust fall.”
A trust fall? I cough and nearly swallow my tongue. I’m going to kill my mom. I glare at the back of her head as she and Landon hop up from the floor and kiss. As my stepfather trails his hand through her hair, I shake my head. Why are we here? There’s no way they’re having marital issues.
I plow my way up from the floor and cross my arms over my chest as Jace joins me.
“Well….” Clearly, he’s as impressed as I am with this idea.
“I’m not catching you.” I tap the toe of my sandal on the floor. “You’re too big. If you fell on top of me, you’d knock me down, and we’ll both land on the floor.”
The corners of his mouth rise. “That would be kind of funny.”
My stomach flops. It’s so rare when he meets my gaze, and even less often, he does so with a smile on his face. The man is stunning. No wonder women threw themselves at him when he was performing. Enormous blue eyes that gleam like the sun. A slight dimple on both cheeks. A strong chiseled jaw that’s covered with a 5 o’clock shadow. Muscles that go on for days. Tattoos…. He’s like catnip for sexually frustrated women.
I lick my lips and push back every awareness of him that I have. It hurts too much to go back to that place. Hurt. Alone. Awkward. Childish.
“Is everything okay?” He frowns as if sensing my discomfort.
“Yes, everything is fine.” I say the words more to myself than to him.
“Are you ready for this?” Jace’s silky voice snaps me back into reality.
I steal my back, and nod. “Yes, I’m ready.” To get this week over with and return home to my normal, boring existence.