Chapter Nine Zoey
“Are you out of your damn mind?” I jerked back in my seat, pulling my hand free of Ford’s grip with a gasp.
Did that really just happen? Did Ford just propose to me?
He was frozen in place, still on one knee on the concrete, and he looked just as shocked as I felt. Whether that was because of my reaction or his own insane decision to propose, I didn’t know. And I wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
Everyone in the outdoor bar and pool area was staring at us, most of them giving me judgmental, disapproving looks. As if I was a monster for rejecting Ford’s proposal.
If only they knew that this was the unplanned action of a man who was freaking out because I refused to forgive him. Would they look at me differently if they knew he’d dumped me out of nowhere last week? That he broke my heart first?
It didn’t matter.
I shoved my chair back and sprang to my feet. As I turned away from him, my entire body felt cold, and it had nothing to do with the temperature out here in the sunshine. My teeth were gritted together as I hurried away, the world blurring around me as I headed in the direction of my bungalow.
It was the tears stinging my eyes.
Why did he have to do this? It was hard enough to deal with the fact that he ended our relationship for the sake of his career, and every interaction we had since then prodded at my wounded heart.
But to propose to me now?
God, it hurts.
Because not so long ago, I believed that we’d eventually get to that point.
I saw a future with him, despite the fact that we’d never planned one, despite the secretive nature of our relationship.
I dreamed of a real proposal. One that was planned—with a ring in his hand—and not something he was doing simply because I was pregnant.
“Zoey, wait!”
I knew he’d follow me, but my heart plummeted anyway. I didn’t want to talk to him anymore, not right now.
But then, he was in front of me, his face a gut-wrenching mix of yearning and regret and fear.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t… I didn’t think that through.”
My laugh was loud and devoid of all warmth. “No shit.”
He reached out for me, but I took a step back.
“That proposal was an insult,” I said, barely recognizing my own venom-filled voice. “I deserve better. I deserve a man who’s proud to be with me instead of hiding me.”
“I know.” He dragged his hand down his face, looking destroyed.
I wanted to be petty, to find satisfaction in his suffering because he’d hurt me.
But to my dismay, my heart clenched with guilt.
No matter what, I still cared about him, and I didn’t want to cause him pain.
“And I know that apologizing isn’t enough. What can I do to make things right?”
If only I had an answer for that. I’d love to be able to make both of us happy. But it wasn’t that simple.
“I don’t think we can go back to the way things were. Now… I need some space. Just leave me alone, Ford.”
His face went pale and, for a moment, I thought he might refuse. But he shoved his hands into his pockets and nodded.
Neither of us said anything else. I stepped around him and continued to my bungalow, my heart sitting heavy in my chest.
As I got close to my bungalow, another woman was walking in the same direction while talking on her phone. I wasn’t paying much attention to her, but I caught a snippet of her conversation.
“Grey chose a beautiful island for our vacation. And you should see the bungalow. It’s right on the beach. That man knows how to treat his wife right…”
I picked up my pace, not in the mood to hear about this woman’s happy marriage after what just happened with Ford. As I reached my bungalow, I saw that the woman was strolling toward the one next to mine.
So, I was right next door to the happy couple. Great.
I didn’t like this bitterness enveloping me, but just like I didn’t know what Ford could do to make things right, I didn’t know how to stop feeling this way.
Walking straight through the living room, I went out the sliding back door of the bungalow and onto the deck. Standing at the rail, I looked at the ocean, breathing in the salty air and listening to the endless rhythm of the waves.
It was peaceful, but it didn’t take away my problems.
The worst part was that despite how ridiculous that proposal was, my traitorous heart lurched for just a second. I wanted it. I wanted that future I dreamed of with him.
Letting out a sigh, I started to turn away to head back inside when the sliding door of the bungalow next to mine slid open and a familiar figure stepped out.
The pink streaks in Heather’s hair distinguished her from her twin, and right now, those colorful locks were a wild mess around her head.
The sundress she was wearing earlier was inside out now, and she was in such a rush that she stumbled and nearly fell down the deck’s wooden steps.
She barely caught herself by gripping the railing, and I took a step in her direction automatically.
A board on my deck creaked under my foot, and Heather’s head snapped up. When her eyes met mine, her cheeks turned red, and she bit her bottom lip.
“Uh… is there any way that you can pretend you didn’t see me?” she asked in a low voice. There wasn’t much distance between the decks, but I could barely hear her.
My eyes shifted to the bungalow she had just snuck out of, and I thought about the woman I passed on the walkway. Immediately, I took issue with what she was doing. She’d obviously just gotten physical with someone inside that bungalow, and with that woman talking about her husband…
It was easy to assume that Heather had just crossed a major line. I frowned, my eyes now taking in the discoloration on her neck that was clearly a hickey and her slightly swollen lips.
“What did you do? Isn’t the guy in that bungalow married?”
Something hardened in her expression. “It’s not what it looks like.”
I wasn’t sure if she was trying to justify something terrible or if I really didn’t have the whole story. Then, I thought about the people who stared at me at the tiki bar, judging me because I loudly rejected Ford’s proposal. Those people had made some assumptions too.
“Okay,” I said reluctantly. “You were never here.”
I hoped I wasn’t aiding in adultery, but somehow, I didn’t think I was. I didn’t know Heather well, but she didn’t seem like someone who would do such a thing.
She took a moment to slip on her sandals and quietly thanked me before hurrying away. I stood outside a little longer, turning over everything that happened today.
In the end, I decided to skip dinner with everyone else tonight. I was tired and emotionally wrung out.
So, I ordered room service to be delivered to the bungalow. After eating, I headed into the bathroom, where there was a deep jacuzzi tub.
Nothing sounded better tonight than a nice, lukewarm bath. There was lavender bubble bath in the cabinet, so I poured some in and filled up the tub. Sliding into the water, I let out a long sigh and relaxed. This was exactly what I needed.
I hummed to myself as I washed my long hair. I’d just rinsed out the shampoo when I heard something that sounded an awful lot like a footstep just outside the bathroom. I froze in place and looked toward the door. Then, the doorknob started to turn.