Chapter 21 #2
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
I raced through the lobby once I’d tipped the driver handsomely for getting us there fast and for having had to put up with my crappy attitude. I knew Jaxon wouldn’t be in our room, so I bypassed the bungalow and headed down to the beach.
He wasn’t there, though. Brightly colored sails dotted the ocean in front of the activity stands on the other side of the beach, and I suddenly knew where he would’ve gone.
As I jogged along the warm sand, I heard my name being called out from the patch of grass in front of the empty outdoor dining area.
My head jerked to the side at the sound of the familiar voice, and I headed up to Big Mac when he grinned. He seemed to know a lot of what was going on at this hotel. Perhaps he knew where Jaxon had gone.
“Hey, Lindsay. Heard you went shopping.” He eyeballed my empty hands. “Need any pointers on where to go?”
“No. I dropped my parcels in the lobby. I’m looking for Jaxon actually. Have you seen him?”
“Ah, so my favorite couple gets separation anxiety after all.” He let out a good-natured chuckle and patted the grass beside him. “I saw him much earlier. He was going diving, but that was hours ago.”
“You haven’t seen him since?”
He shook his head, but his eyes suddenly sparkled as he patted the grass again. “Sit here with me. He’s probably still out on the water somewhere. I’ll keep you company for a while before you head back to your room.”
I sighed, raking a frustrated hand through my hair. Of course, he’s gone off on the water. He lives for that stuff. No way would he just sit around waiting for me to come back.
Tired of being alone for the day, I plopped down beside the big man and looped my arms around my knees. My eyes were fixed on the ocean, hoping to catch a glimpse of tanned, broad shoulders and that “why, yes, I can do it all” smirk.
Big Mac let out a low chuckle. “I’ve seen a lot of couples come and go, but the relationship you have with Jaxon is rare.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked, splitting my attention between him and the crowds of tourists participating in all manner of watersports in front of us.
“People come here to get married, on their honeymoons, to have their vows renewed, or to bring their families when they’ve been together many years. It’s not often that I see the kind of friendship combined with electric chemistry that you two have together. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.”
Guilt settled heavily on my chest. “That’s very kind of you to say.”
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, frowning like he had that first day. “Why do you seem like you’re in pain again?”
Fuck. Am I really that easy to read? Suddenly, I didn’t want to hold the truth back any longer. Big Mac had become our friend, and even if he ratted us out if I told him, what were they going to do?
I’d happily pay the difference in the room rate if it meant getting the opinion of the insightful islander next to me.
“It’s all a lie. Jaxon and I aren’t married.
We met in the lobby of this very hotel on the day we arrived.
There was a double booking and he couldn’t find any last-minute accommodation anywhere.
Long story short, we’ve been pretending to be newlyweds the whole time. We don’t even know each other.”
To his credit, our new friend didn’t seem too shocked.
Nor did he jump up and wave his hands around shouting “frauds” at the top of his lungs.
“That explains your pain, but it doesn’t mean I’m wrong.
Are you sure you don’t know each other? It might’ve been true when you arrived, but I’m not so sure it’s true anymore. ”
His words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. He was right. Jaxon knew me better than almost anybody except maybe Ember. He certainly knew parts of me she didn’t, and he definitely understood me better than Will ever had.
Big Mac smiled. “I thought so.”
His voice was so calm and sure that I couldn’t do anything but listen.
“Something brought you two together here in Fiji. The universe sometimes connects us in strange ways, but those connections are already written in the stars, and they always have been. It’s not something we should ever ignore.
It’s not something you should ignore, Lindsay. ”
Tears welled in my eyes, but he wasn’t done yet. “Just because you met in an unconventional way doesn’t make your connection any less real. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Everyone here has and we consider ourselves experts in these matters.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” I whispered, “but I’m happy I got to meet you. Thank you for telling me all that. I’ll keep it in mind.”
He reached into his pocket and extracted a plain business card with a number handwritten on it.
“It was cheaper that way than having them printed, but that’s my private line.
Call me if you ever need to talk. The universe might’ve pushed you together, but that doesn’t mean the path will always be an easy one. ”
Grasping his card in my palm like a lifeline, I flung my arms around him.
He chuckled as he rubbed my back in soothing, friendly motions.
“Jaxon’s in your room by the way. We didn’t know what time you would be back, but he was almost done the last I saw him.
This little chat should’ve bought him the time he needed, but every word I said was true. ”
I gave him another squeeze before pushing to my feet. “I need to speak to him. Thank you again for everything, Big Mac. We’re really lucky to have met you.”
The man inclined his head in the direction of our room and mouthed the word “go.” I didn’t wait any longer, practically sprinting back to the bungalow.
When I opened the door, there were rose petals on the floor leading to the dining table.
Candles were lit on every available surface, and Jaxon was just setting a box of matches down in the kitchenette.
He turned slowly to face me when he heard the door, and those stars Big Mac had been talking about seemed to align when I looked into his golden eyes. There was no way what I was seeing there was fake. He felt something for me too.
The only question is what?