Episode 126
EPISODE 126
TEARS AND SECRETS
Emily
The fire in Misty’s blue eyes is unmistakable. She intends to have River for herself. I suppose if I wasn’t so competitive I might see her as a danger, since I’m halfway in love with that damned cowboy myself. As it stands, I’m ready to kick her blue-blooded arse into tomorrow just for mentioning his name.
Misty has calmed down a bit now, and her glare is much less lethal.
Who is this woman?
She has a way of making me feel sorry for her one minute and then want to scratch her eyes out the next.
She’s a hotel heiress, for God’s sake, so why is she really here? And why River?
“Listen,” I say to her as I hang up the towel and slide on my sundress. “Heather and June are about to start making out in the hot tub, and God only knows where Ariel is. What do you say you and I have a drink? We’ll mix up a couple of martinis and?—”
“Ugh.” Misty winces. “I hate martinis.”
“Whatever, then. We can replicate that mirage thing Katie made during the cook-off today. Or hell, we can just take a bottle of wine for all I care. It’s been a day, Misty. We both need to chill a bit.”
“You really want to hang with me? You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know your favorite color is blue, same as mine.”
That actually gets a smile out of her. “Right. And you told me you wanted to design dresses for a big gala.”
“And you…” I draw in a breath. “You’re a bloody good cook when you put your mind to it.”
Misty smiles. Sort of. “It ended up being kind of fun.”
“For sure. And…” I breathe in deeply. “You told me you can’t move forward with your future until you have answers about your past.”
She freezes.
Bugger. I went too far.
“Misty?”
She lets out a long sigh. “I do need to talk to someone.”
I force a smile. “I’m a good listener.”
She tilts her head. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
I roll my eyes. “Because I’m a nice person, Misty. Why do you assume I’m looking for something other than friendship?”
“I’m not an idiot, Em. I know you have your eye on River. I’m pretty sure you’ve fucked him.”
“I told you?—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You said you were lying.” She looks in the mirror. “I don’t believe you. But I was serious when I said I don’t care if he fucks everyone here. I want a chance. Just a chance.”
“Uh…a moment ago you said you’d do anything— anything —to have River for your own. Which is it, Misty? Come on. It’s time to come clean.”
Then I drop my jaw.
Because Misty does something so unexpected that I’m not sure how to react.
She starts to cry.
She’s fucking crying.
“Shit, Misty…” I mutter, stepping toward her.
She only cries harder, burying her face in her hands. “Go away,” she chokes out between sobs. “Just leave me alone.”
I hover my hand above her shaking shoulder for a few seconds before I let it fall back to my side. I open and close my mouth a few times before I finally speak. “I can’t just leave you like this.”
“I mean it, Emily! Just go!” she says, not bothering to look up at me.
I stand there for a moment longer, torn between comforting her and respecting her wishes. In the end, I decide to respect them.
“All right.” I back toward the door. “I’ll go. But if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. Okay?”
As soon as the door shuts behind me, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “What’s going on with that woman?” I mutter.
I cast a glance toward the hot tub where Heather and June are otherwise engaged. Yeah, I’m not getting in the middle of that. I take a step forward when Misty’s voice drifts out from the changing room.
“Emily?”
I step back toward the door and open it. “I’m here. Are you okay?”
She sniffs back her tears. “I don’t know what else to do. I just… I need someone. And you’re here.”
Not exactly a shining endorsement, but I’ll take it. I swallow hard, stepping back inside the room and closing the door behind me. I slowly approach her. “Misty…”
“I’ve been a bitch to you,” she says with a shaky breath. “And you still tried to be nice to me.”
I already told her I’m a nice person, so I don’t repeat myself. I remain silent.
“I’m sorry,” she continues, her voice cracking. “I’m just really screwed up right now.”
Stating the obvious, but I keep that to myself as well.
“Can you get me out of here without June and Heather seeing us?”
“Trust me. June and Heather won’t pay you any mind.” I take Misty’s arm and lead her out of the changing area, past the spectacle of Heather sitting on the edge of the hot tub with June’s tongue between her legs, and out of the pool house.
“Now, about that drink…” I say.
Misty shakes her head. “I don’t want a drink, Emily. I just want to talk. I need to talk.”
“All right. You want to go to the deck? Take a walk on the beach?”
“The beach sounds good.”
“Great. I’ll grab a couple bottles of water from the bar outside the pool house. Give me a minute, okay?”
Misty nods. She’s no longer crying, but she desperately needs a tissue. I walk back into the pool area, purposefully looking away from June and Heather, and I grab two bottles of water and a box of tissues from the bar. Then I rejoin Misty and hand her the tissues and a bottle of water.
“Thanks,” she says.
“Don’t mention it.” I unscrew the cap off my bottle and take a long drink. Then I turn to Misty. “Let’s go.”
She nods and follows as we walk out of the yard and onto the concrete path leading to the beach. In the distance, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore is soothing.
Well, as soothing as anything can be when I’m dealing with Misty.
Once our toes hit the sand, she finally turns to me. “Emily, can you keep a secret?”