Tristan headed straight for the counter, but she touched his arm, making him turn around to face her. “I haven’t talked to Ren in a couple of days—” she said softly. “Do you mind if I borrow your phone?”
He didn’t even wait for her to finish before typing in the password and placing it in her hand. He held her fingers, loosely, but all encompassing, and his eyes met hers. As though asking what she was thinking. But then he smiled, a soft tender smile that made her whole body melt. “Tell her I said ‘hi.’ ”
He let go then, setting a million butterflies loose in her stomach, before turning again to the counter.
When she moved toward the fountain again, she took a deep breath to clear her head. He was so perfect. So utterly amazing that she almost hated the fact she had to walk away. She began dialing Renee’s number but she only got four numbers in before the contact pulled up. “Li’l sis.”
She smiled at the name, but an unpleasant taste crept up her throat at the same time. She was Renee’s maid of honor. The girl Renee should trust most in this world, yet here she was, sleeping with her friend’s brother. Samantha pressed her forehead into her palm and sent through the call before she had time to think about it. With one step in front of the other she paced the floor, trying to decide what to do about the situation. On one hand, it was no one’s business at all whom she slept with. Including her best friend. On the other, she’d always made it Renee’s business to know all there was about her, and the last time she kept a secret it almost killed her.
“Hello,” Renee answered, nearly making Samantha’s heart seize in her chest. “I can’t answer the phone right now. I’m getting married and stuff. Leave a message and I might call you back.”
Samantha laughed at the message, as blood rushed back up to her face. She waited for the beep before filling her lungs with air. “Hey Ren, it’s me…” She took a step forward, knowing a confession like this wasn’t one that should be left in a message. She then sat on a bench and squeezed her eyes shut. “Long story short, but my phone is dead. We’ll be in New York tomorrow afternoon. I’ll tell you all the gory details then.” She looked over at Tristan, unable to prevent her eyes from raking over his entire body. “If you need me, call Tristan, okay?” She cleared her throat, averting her eyes once again to the floor. “Bye.”
She hung up the phone feeling somewhat relieved and turned around to head back to the reception desk, but a text notification popped up on the phone, stopping her.
“I can’t imagine my life without you.”
She looked away the second she saw it, before she could even see who it was from, but it was too late. She’d seen it, she’d read it, and her heart shattered into a million pieces.
Tristan stood across the foyer, his large form leaning against the counter. He was talking to the woman at the reception desk, his wallet out, deep in conversation. It was an invasion of privacy, but she didn’t care anymore. She walked farther into the seating area and looked down to the phone again. It was locked.
She took a deep breath. “Good riddance.” But she wasn’t quite sure she felt it. Because something had wrapped itself around her heart, squeezing it harder with each passing second. Whoever was texting Tristan had nothing to do with her. Whoever it was, who thought they couldn’t live without him, was none of her concern.
She gripped his phone tighter, then dropped her hands to her sides and walked toward the counter. The woman there was giving him directions to their room, but Samantha barely heard any of it. This was a temporary relationship, a rebound, and she wouldn’t allow herself to get hurt.
He slung his backpack over one shoulder, then walked the short distance to the elevator. He pressed the call button, then turned around to look over his shoulder. “Everything Good?” he asked, tilting his head as though wondering why she wasn’t following.
She only nodded and stepped toward him. The elevator doors opened then, and she didn’t stop until she was securely inside, leaning against the banister, where she was steady enough to hand him back his phone. “Thank you,” she whispered.
His brows furrowed as he took it from her fingers. “Everything okay?”
She looked up, her stomach so twisted she thought she might be sick. “She didn’t answer,” she whispered. But a vice tightened around her heart and she couldn’t remain quiet. “I don’t think we should say anything to her. About this.” She waved her hand around the elevator, but the meaning was clear. She didn’t want to tell Renee about them. About whatever this was. Whatever had happened between them.