Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
Sam
I walk back down the sandy trail to the resort with heavy feet. And a heavy heart.
I lost my mind during that meeting.
I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t myself.
I can’t believe I said those things. Things that I have never, not one single time, thought before. I just needed them to change their minds, and I was willing to say anything.
I’m not just sorry because Naomi was there to overhear. I would be sorry for my words either way.
But the fact that she just drove away thinking that’s how I see her? It breaks my heart.
I’ve watched her come so far over the last couple of weeks. Coming out of her shell. Finding joy in little things. She was starting to trust herself again.
And I just ruined all of that.
The rush of air conditioning hits me as I push through the lobby doors, and I breathe a sigh of relief that I don’t deserve.
I caused this whole mess by choosing not to be truthful from the very beginning.
Never in my life have I created anything close to the web of lies I now find myself living in and look where it got me. My reputation is built on my integrity. If anything was going to put my standing at the resort and my friendships at risk, it was breaking that trust.
Not falling in love.
I want to hate myself for my stupidity, but it won’t change anything. And it certainly won’t help solve this mess I’ve made.
Only one thing will help with that.
I bypass my office and head straight to the Raft kitchen.
“Hey,” I say when I spot Dom. “We need to talk.”
He turns from where he’s helping a cook outline a prep list and glares at me. “So you can explain why you busted out of that meeting like a crazy person? Yeah, I’d say we need to talk.”
I fold my arms, not standing down. “My office or yours?”
He glances over his shoulder at the closed door of his shared restaurant office. “Yours.”
“Fine.”
I turn and walk back toward the lobby without waiting. I’m sitting at my desk when he finally pushes my office door open.
We just stare at each other for a moment, both of us with our arms crossed on our chests. I want to see the humor in this situation, this standoff, but I’m too anxious. I just blurt out my next words.
“I’m in love with your sister. I know I said some crazy shit at that meeting, but it’s complicated, and we’re going to work it out. If you need me to resign, I accept that.”
There. He has the information now. He can do with it what he will.
Dom’s quiet for a long moment, gaze locked on mine. When he finally starts to narrow his eyes, I brace myself.
He takes two steps forward until he’s standing right up against my desk. He leans over to place both hands flat on the surface, his face now a mere foot from mine. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
The emotion that flares in me is some mixture of annoyance and impatience. He couldn’t just make this easy, huh?
“I understand that my having a relationship with Naomi is unacceptable to you, and I’ll resign my position if needed. I’m not giving her up.”
I can almost see the tremor go through Dom’s body. I wonder briefly if he’s going to headbutt me, but I continue to stand my ground.
“Why the hell would you think I’d want you to resign?”
I shake my head at his arrogant pigheadedness. “I was there at the meeting when you told all the guys that you’d murder them if they touched your sister. I know how you feel about protecting her.”
“Oh, the meeting that you weren’t invited to?” He stands back up, face starting to color as he huffs out his next words. “I was telling all those fuckboy pool cleaners and bartenders that, Sam.” He gestures wildly in what he must think is the direction of the bar or pool. “I wasn’t telling that to you. Are you kidding me? There isn’t a guy on this planet who wouldn’t want you for his little sister.”
He spins to face the door and drags both hands down his face before turning back to me, all composure lost. “You’ve just been sneaking around thinking I was going to run you off the island if you told me?”
My mistake is now glaringly obvious, and I feel more stupid than I ever have in my life. I got so caught up in my people pleasing that I apparently never stopped for a second to consider if the story I was telling myself was true.
“Well, it sounds ridiculous when you put it like that, but yeah. That’s pretty much what’s been going on.”
“How long?” he asks, his voice softer now.
“I ran into her when I was up in Austin. We hung out then, and she’s been all I can think about since.”
He folds his arms and sighs, collapsing into one of the chairs across from my desk. “I’ve been so worried about her. All this shit she’s going through, and she seemed to be going through it all alone, because fuck knows she never wants to spend a second at the house with Reina and me. And she flat out told me that she doesn’t think she’s the kind of person people want to date, not that I gave her much of a chance when I told everyone to stay the hell away from her. When we got home last night, I waited up for her to come back and when she never did, I just about called the police.”
He levels me with an accusatory glare. “I pictured her off on some deserted beach, alone, crying into a bottle of wine or something. Jesus, Sam. You could have saved me a lot of worry.”
“I’m sorry.”
He scoffs. “Don’t fucking be sorry. It’s fine. You don’t need to be sorry. I’m fucking sorry, as a matter of fact. You think I don’t know why people are scared to tell me shit?” He lets out a dark laugh. “I’m working on my ‘demeanor’ as Reina calls it, but I know I'm still an asshole.”
I nod, and he laughs again.
“Jesus fucking Christ man. That’s great. Or, it was great, anyway?” His expression turns questioning. “That can’t have been an easy conversation for her to overhear.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
He pushes up to his feet. “Well, her phone and MacBook are on a table down by the pool, so chances are, she’s coming back. ”
I’m on my feet and heading for the door when Dom pulls me in for a hug. “Let me know if I can help, okay?” he asks.
“Sure, man.” I start to slip through my office door into the hallway when I pause and turn back. “There is one more thing, Dom. If I ever hear you speaking to Naomi like she’s beneath you again, we’re going to have a serious problem. Is that clear?”
His eyes drop to the ground as his head bows.
For a long moment, I think he’s not going to respond at all, but then his gaze lifts and meets mine. “I’m sorry, man. Old habits die hard. I’ll tell Naomi I’m sorry, too. It won’t happen again.”
I clap a hand on his shoulder and give him a squeeze to let him know I appreciate his honesty. He nods back, letting me know he appreciates mine.
I’m sure there’s plenty more to be said here, but my priority is getting to that table so I don’t miss Naomi when she comes, so I take him at his word.
I jog down to the pool where, indeed, Naomi’s phone, computer, sunglasses, and colorful bag are all parked on a table next to a towel-covered chaise lounge.
I collapse into the chair, too exhausted by my mental gymnastics to come up with any sort of plan. I’ll just rest here a minute and process everything that just happened, from the ill-fated meeting, to my talk with Naomi on the trail, to my confessional with Dom.
I’m startled awake by a loud scraping noise. Glancing around, I find one of the pool bartenders dragging a heavy umbrella over and positioning it next to my chair.
“You’ve been in the sun for a while, Sam. I’m just getting you some shade.”
I pull out my phone and gape at the clock on screen. It’s been over an hour. “Thank you. Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. ”
The bartender just smiles. “Everyone needs a break. Can I grab you a drink?”
“A bottle of water would be great.”
He walks off, and I look around. All of Naomi’s things are still here, which means she hasn’t come yet. And it means she still has to.
I settle in for the long haul.
Waiting and ruminating.
I can’t say that my meeting with Dom gave me the relief it would have yesterday. If only I’d found out that my whole plan for hiding my love away was so stupid before I went and shot off my mouth, ruining my chances with Naomi.
Even so, it does feel like a weight was lifted. I’m free to chase her down and get her back—without having to lie about it to everyone around me. I’m not very excited about my friends watching as I grovel, but it’s what I deserve. They all watched me screw up, saying those terrible things in a flailing attempt to keep the cozy little nest she and I created intact. I suppose it’s only fitting that some, or all of them, should get to watch me beg for forgiveness.
I’m halfway through my second cold, refreshing bottle of water when I start regretting my choice. I can hardly leave to go to the bathroom now. With my luck, she’ll swoop in, grab her stuff, and be gone before I return.
I’m just considering which of the pool workers I know well enough to ask to keep her here until I get back, when a long, feminine shadow falls over me. I suck in my breath and turn to look up, prepared to dive off a cliff to make it up to this woman.
“Oh, Sam,” Fran says, her voice filled with soft, kind, sympathy.
I let out my breath and look down at my hands, trying not to let my disappointment show.
“What’s the plan here? Stake out her stuff? ”
I shrug, still not looking up. “She has to come get it eventually, and when she does, I’m going to be here to explain, apologize again, and make things right.”
“Well, she sent me instead.”
My head lifts quickly, and I pin Fran with my gaze. “You know where she is?”
“She’s at my house, having drinks with Avery.”
I turn and start carefully sliding all of Naomi’s electronics and accessories into her bag.
“You think I’m going to let you bring that to her, huh?” Fran asks, but there’s no malice in her voice.
I stand and shoulder the bag. “I think you couldn’t stop me if you tried.”
She smiles. “My cart or yours?”
“I’ll follow you.”