15. Day Seven
CHAPTER 15
Day Seven
ARUBA
KATIE
Last night was a blast.
I know I usually give Nessa shit for the activities she ends up roping me into, but last night was like nothing I’d ever experienced.
When they said an adult scavenger hunt, I had no idea it would get so crazy.
Thankfully, I didn’t end up losing any more clothing, but some of the other participants did.
In the end, we weren’t the winners. We still got a small gift bag with promotional items from the cruise line though. That and the experience.
The entire night was almost perfect.
Almost because I couldn’t ignore the way Barrett continued to stare at me.
It wasn’t even that his eyes were on me.
No, he looked sad. Regretful.
Even though we are truly over and I have moved on, I still can’t help but feel a little bad for him.
You know when women tell a guy who broke their heart that they will live to regret that decision.
That was never me. I didn’t want him to live to regret me.
Hell, I didn’t even want him back.
Truth is, I felt relieved when we broke up.
Sure, it was buried by the worry I felt over this trip, but I didn’t even care that much about the actual breakup.
What does that say?
It tells me that my heart was never really into it.
He didn’t try to talk to me, but I could feel he wanted to.
Maybe we do need some closure.
Then there’s Dominic.
His hands never left my skin last night. I figured we would have a repeat of our afternoon activities except in a bed when we got back.
We didn’t.
Instead, we each climbed into bed after stripping out of our clothes. Dominic pulled me in close to him before kissing the back of my head.
That’s how we fell asleep.
Yet, I woke to an empty bed.
Logically, I know he probably went to the gym, but with my head being such a mess, I thought for a moment he left me.
The sharp pain in my chest was a reminder.
This was supposed to be fake, but it’s not for me anymore.
This is real.
A little bit too real.
I wait a couple more minutes before I climb from bed and make my way to the shower. After I’ve gotten ready for the day and Dominic is still not back, I leave the room.
Knocking on Nessa’s door was useless. No one answers.
So instead I make my way up to the breakfast buffet.
It’s still early. Probably only seven in the morning, but we get off the ship earlier today.
I’m sitting down at a table with some eggs and bacon when a body falls into the booth across from me.
“I’ve been looking for you. I need all the crazy deets,” Nessa demands.
“What do you mean?”
She gives me a dirty look. “Something happened yesterday. There is no way you two were so touchy-feely last night and something didn’t happen. Tell me, did you finally fuck him?”
A gasp comes from behind me. I turn and cringe when I see the elderly lady and gentleman whom I have seen go into the room next door.
The same gentleman who caught us on the balcony.
I can see he recognizes me too.
“Sorry,” I murmur, turning back to glare at Nessa.
She shrugs. “I still want to know.”
I sigh, pushing my plate to the side. “Fine. Let’s go find somewhere to sit then. Somewhere that won’t get us in trouble for inappropriate topics.”
“I know just the place.”
She leads me back to the adults-only area. This morning, it is a ghost town.
“How did you know it would be so empty?” I ask her.
She gives me a coy smile. “Grant and I may have had some fun up here the other morning. Stop stalling. Tell me everything.”
So I do. I tell her about the Glory Hills incident. Shopping on the island and the diamond butt plug. Then I tell her about the balcony.
By the end of my story, she’s crying from laughing so hard.
“When we went to Europe, you always said I was the one going to get us kidnapped. I feel like you were really underestimating yourself.”
“Oh shut up.” I roll my eyes at her.
“That’s fucking great. I’m never letting you live this one down. On your wedding day, I will be bringing up ‘Glory Hills’ in my maid of honor speech.”
“I’ll never make you my maid of honor then. Jesus, I can’t even believe it.”
“I can’t believe you let him fuck you on the balcony for the first time. Not only that, but while we were parked in the port. I would have never expected that.”
“I didn’t really expect it either. I mean, I didn’t expect him at all. What am I going to do, Nessa? This has gone way further than either of us planned. What happens when we get back home?”
She frowns. “What do you mean?”
“Do we pretend this was a two-week fling? Do we date and take it further? Does he even want that?”
“Not this again. Have you talked to him?”
I bite my lip, shaking my head.
She gives me a disappointed look. “Communication is key in any relationship. Even friendships. It’s important to be open and honest with one another. If you do that, then you won’t have to worry about what might happen because you would know.”
“I’m scared. What if I ask him now and he doesn’t feel the same way?”
“What way is that?” she asks.
“I like him, Ness. I more than like him. I know it’s only been a week, but I think I might be in love with him.”
She gives me a smile. “Love doesn’t have a timeline, Kit Kat. If you think you love him, then you do. It doesn’t matter if it’s been a day, a week, or a year. I knew I loved Grant on our third date. We had been together for a month.”
I nod, remembering her telling me. I thought she was crazy, but look at them now.
“Okay. So we have seven days left. I’ll tell him on the last night. That way if he rejects me, you don’t get stuck with me sleeping on the floor in your room.”
She rolls her eyes. “I think it will turn out better than you think. Anyway, what are your plans for the day?”
I shrug. “I didn’t ask him.”
“Well, we should be allowed to get off soon. Let’s go get ready. Maybe the men will be back.”
“Back?” I ask her.
“Oh, Grant works out with Dom in the mornings. He has been skipping recently, but Grant pestered him this morning until he got up.”
That makes a lot of sense. I figured he had gone to work out, but I didn’t realize Grant went too.
“I admire their dedication, but there is no way in hell I could work out that early. Especially on a cruise ship.”
She chuckles as we both stand and start to head back to our rooms.
“Yeah, but the payoff is worth it. I’ve seen Dominic’s abs. They are almost as good as Grant’s. Tell me you don’t want to lick them? In fact, I have licked Grant’s. It’s great foreplay.”
I pretend to gag. “I do not need to know what you get up to in the bedroom, Ness. That’s disgusting.”
She smirks. “More disgusting than you copying me by fucking Dom on the balcony?”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Fair point. Still, I’d rather not hear what you are licking on my future brother-in-law.”
Her face gets this dreamy look on it. “Only a few more weeks and I’ll be Mrs. Grant Parker.”
I hook my arm into hers as we wait for the elevator.
“I’m excited for you.”
She smiles over at me. “Who knows? Maybe one day this will be you and Dom. Could you imagine? If we married best friends, we would be together all the time.”
I try to withhold my smile, but I like the picture she’s painting.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I mean, we almost married brothers.”
She shakes her head. “You would have never married Barrett. He’s too much of a tool for you. While that is okay for some women, you need someone who challenges you. Besides, had you married him, we would have barely seen one another. Grant can’t stand his brother.”
I give her a sad smile. “Barrett’s been acting weird recently. Have you noticed?”
She rolls her eyes. “Barrett is butt hurt that his toy was picked up by someone he has always been envious of. Can’t you see the rivalry between them? I think Barrett grew up thinking he would be Grant’s best friend, but the role was already filled. So instead of being a decent human being, he decided to be a dick. Now he tries to outdo everything Dominic does.”
My mind races again. Sure, I knew they hated one another but is this all some big game?
Could Dominic only want to be with me to get to Barrett? It’s obviously working.
“Don’t worry about all that now though. You picked the better man.” Nessa pulls me into the elevator with her.
All I can do is give her a small smile while I wonder if I did make the right choice.
Am I a pawn in this rivalry?
DOMINIC
I toss the bean bag toward the board and watch it slide up it, stopping right on the edge before falling into the hole.
“Sucks to suck.” Barrett snickers.
Clenching my teeth, I look to my right and see Katie sitting at the poolside bar, drinking with Nessa and some of the other bridesmaids. On the way back to our room this morning, Grant told me we had to do group activities today. A moment of guilt flashed through me. We’re here to celebrate Nessa and him, but I’ve been trying to keep Katie all to myself.
“Stare any harder and one might think she’s really your girl,” Grant says quietly, pulling me out of my head.
“I don’t stare,” I hiss, tearing my gaze from her.
“Sure you don’t,” he says as he tosses the bag. I watch his knock mine into the hole before falling in.
“Thanks.”
“I’m over this,” Barrett says, tossing his remaining bags at his feet.
Brock rolls his eyes. “Shocker.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Barrett demands, hands on his hips.
“Nothing,” Brock tells him before turning toward Grant and me. “I saw a water beer pong table. Do you think we could convince the girls to play with us?”
“Why would we ask the girls to play?” Barrett frowns.
“Idiot,” I say under my breath so only Grant can hear.
“I’m sure Nessa will want in. She loves a good competition.”
“Katie will be game,” I tell him.
“How do you know?” Barrett asks rudely.
“Because all I’ll have to say is she has a chance to beat you and she will be all over it.” I smirk at him.
“Whatever, Candice and I will kick your ass.” He snorts.
“I thought you two broke up?” I pretend to care, but I don’t.
“She had other plans, but she’s on her way here right now.” He sneers at me.
“Game on then.” Grant slaps me on the shoulder, pushing me toward the girls before I can say anything else.
“I really hate that guy,” I tell him as we approach the girls.
“You and me both.”
“Who do we hate?” Nessa asks, turning on her chair. “Hey, handsome.” She smiles at Grant.
Grant leans down and kisses her. “Hey baby. You having a good time?”
“You know it.”
“Hi,” Katie says as she toys with her straw.
“Hey baby doll,” I murmur, leaning down, kissing her forehead. “Did you put on sunscreen?”
“Yes, dad,” she teases, making us all laugh.
“How would you ladies feel about a game of water beer pong?” Grant asks, rubbing his hands together.
“Who’s playing?” Nessa asks.
“Us.” He points to her and him. “Them,” he says, pointing at Katie and me. “I think Brock is going to ask Samantha, and Barrett was going to get Candice so they could beat Katie and Dom.”
Katie scoffs. “Dude can’t hit a toilet, what makes him think he can make a ball into a cup?”
She sets her empty cup on the bar and hops off the stool.
“I hope your aim is good, Dom. I don’t like losing.” Katie grabs my arm and pulls me toward the beach.
“We will order us new drinks! Then we can just use water in the cups. That way we won’t have salt water in our drinks,” Nessa says from behind us.
“If you want to test my aim, just let me know. I’ll be more than glad to show you.” I smirk down at her, watching her blush.
“Come on, fuckers!” Barrett yells.
“Seriously? There’re kids on this fucking beach,” Katie murmurs as everyone shoots daggers at Barrett.
“He doesn’t like it when the attention isn’t on him,” I remind her.
“All right, I could only get us one table, so we will have to take turns. Who wants to go first?” Brock says as he and Samantha join us, forming a semi-circle.
“How about since we got everything we go first? We can play against Katie and Dom?” she asks, looking at Katie and me.
“That work for you?” I ask Katie.
“Let’s do it.”
Katie takes our drinks from Nessa, and we wade farther into the water until we are waist deep. The beer pong table floats in the water, drifting back and forth. Katie places our drinks in the cup holders off to the side of the table and grabs twelve cups from Samantha. I take some from her and we dunk the cups into the ocean, filling them half up with water before placing them into their designated slots.
“You first,” Brock says, handing two ping pong balls to Katie.
Katie hands one ball to me.
“Ladies first,” I say as I step to the side.
Katie laughs as she stands centered on our end of the table. She raises her arm and takes a deep breath, taking aim before she tosses the ball toward the other end of the table. I watch the perfectly arched ball fly through the air and land flawlessly in the center cup on the other end.
“Son of a bitch,” Brock mutters from the other side. “All right, I got your number now, Katie. I’m watching you,” he tells her as he moves the cup to the side before taking a drink.
Back and forth, the four of us toss balls at our cups missing more than we make. By the time Katie and I win, Barrett is about to riot.
“Seriously, it can’t be that hard. You guys are purposely going slow,” he whines.
“You know what? How about you and Candice play next?” Grant snaps.
“We will,” Barrett says as he pushes Brock out of the way.
“Watch it,” Brock hisses.
“I feel bad for her,” Katie says quietly.
“For who?”
“Candice. She doesn’t know any of us and is stuck with him. He’s fucking embarrassing and there’s nothing she can do about it.”
“I never thought of that, but she came on this ship. She has to have her own friends. I don’t know why she is still hanging around,” I murmur into her ear.
“I overheard her tell Samantha her friend ditched her for a guy, so she’s all alone. Let’s just get this over with. The sooner the better.” She sighs.
Before we can establish who starts, Barrett tosses the ball toward us, missing the table completely.
“Motherfucker,” he curses, making Candice flinch.
I step away from the table, grabbing the floating ball. Once back at the table, Candice throws hers and bounces it off the rim.
“Seriously, you couldn’t make that?” Barrett hisses.
“Just stop, okay? It’s not like you did much better,” Candice says, looking at Barrett, hands on her hips.
Round and round we go. The more we make, the more irate Barrett becomes.
“I don’t want to play anymore,” Katie says softly.
“We’re done,” I say, taking a step back from the table, taking Katie’s hand in mine.
“We’re not done yet.” Barrett glares.
“Yes, we are,” I say as Katie and I take another step away, turning our backs on Barrett.
I feel him before I see him and step away from Katie. “What the fuck, man.”
Barrett charges right up to me and pushes me once, then twice. I bat his hands away as I step back. I step on something sharp and go down right as Barrett pushes me. The shallow water splashes around me as I hit the sand, the water now chest high.
“Goddammit,” I hiss.
“Are you okay?” Katie asks as she rushes toward me.
“Stop!”
Katie freezes, wide eyed.
“I stepped on something sharp and now my foot is throbbing. Be careful.”
Katie looks down into the water and winces. “I hope you didn’t step on that.”
“On what?” Nessa asks as she comes up behind Katie.
I hear Grant berating Barrett, but I don’t look away from Katie. “What did I step on?”
“I think you stepped on a starfish.” She winces.
I can’t help it. Even through the pain, I burst out laughing.
“A starfish? Then why does it feel like I have a bunch of pinpricks in the bottom of my foot?”
“Probably because you do. They have sharp spines on them, you might have some stuck in your foot.”
“Okay.” I nod, swallowing hard. “I need you to pee on it.”