PRINCE CHARMING: A Stepbrother Secret Baby Romance(119)

She had taken the advice of her mother and best friend and had come to St. Lucia to unwind and get away from the stress of a broken heart. But how does one do that while carrying the heart inside? She had brought her broken heart with her, and instead of nursing it to keep it from being wounded again, it had decided to latch itself on to the first moving target. She had not planned on Chance, and in some ways she wasn’t sure she was ready for him. And even while she was trying to figure it out, her mother had made sure he would be in her life forever. Such was her tragedy, she thought as she tried to focus on her tablet.

It was at page 184 where she had left it, but she saw nothing but white. Her mind was a maze of confusion.

“Claire?” she heard Amy call from the other side of the door.

“It’s open,” she replied.

Amy walked in and saw Claire in bed, and the expression on her face made her smile disappear. “Claire, are you all right?” she asked as she climbed into bed next to her.

“That’s a good question,” Claire responded. “I don’t know how I feel about anything. Two weeks ago I was happy. A week ago I was confused and hurt, and three days ago I was happy again. Now I just don’t know. Chance was supposed to be nothing but a fling, and even that turned into something else,” she said and threw her hands up in the air. “And my mom had to go and marry his dad. What are the odds?”

“I know,” Amy said. “I’m pretty speechless about the whole thing. I knew they were seeing each other, but I didn’t see this coming. I thought we would have a great time here and go back to our lives. Now it seems I’m the only one leaving the guy behind.”

For the first time that morning, Claire smiled. “Maybe you should invite Mario along. At this rate, why leave here without a man?”

“Hold on, let me get my cell,” she said and attempted to move.

“Get back here, silly,” Claire laughed.

“So, what are you going to do about Chance? You can’t see him anymore.”

“I don’t know,” Claire said. She couldn’t mention she was still involved with Chance; it would make it a lot easier and less uncomfortable for everyone.

“So,” Amy began. “Will you have to move again?”

“I have been thinking of getting my own place. I was really supposed to leave home after the wedding that never happened,” she told her. “Mom asked me to go with her. I guess she needs my company to settle down.”

“Maybe Chance won’t be there at all,” Amy suggested.

“Perhaps he won’t,” Claire repeated and sighed. “He probably has his own island, too.”

Amy laughed at her words. “That’s a genuine possibility. Don’t worry about it, Claire,” she said. “In time, this will all seem more and more like a dream.”

“I hope so.”

“I can’t say I’m happy about any of this; it doesn’t seem right that you have been shafted twice in two weeks,” Amy pouted. “What about you and Chance and you know…sleeping together and stuff?”

Claire blushed at Amy’s words. She hadn’t mentioned they had slept together, but anyone who had hung around them would see that they had. Plus, Amy knew he slept over in her room that first night.

Claire placed her tablet on the bed and got up then. “Okay, now I need a distraction; let’s go get some sun before we go back. Goodness knows when we will get to see a beach like this again. Chance is really in the past. Whatever we had between us was fleeting and is over. Tomorrow is our last day on the island, and I want to make the best of it.”

They spent the day swimming in the cove, after which they enjoyed the spa at the hotel. At the end of the day, they felt light and rejuvenated. But Claire had an uneasy feeling about Chance, and she wondered how he had spent his day. She didn’t disclose this to Amy; she had to keep up appearances to convince everyone nothing was going on anymore. Maybe it was good they found a different way to spend their day.

The following day, she didn’t get to say goodbye to Chance. Claire was distraught, but she also understood his position. Maybe it was best they didn’t see each other before she left. Less painful that way. Not that she could avoid him forever. He was a permanent part of her life, whether she liked it or not.

Bryan drove them to the airport after promising Willow a few days to tie up loose ends in Miami. The flight home was uneventful, and as soon as Claire stepped into her house, she received an unexpected call.

“Trent?” She recognized his voice instantly. “What the fuck?”

“Claire, can I see you? I’ve tried calling every day but couldn’t get through to you.”

“Trent,” she barked, “I have nothing to say to you. Go back to your lover.”

“It’s over, Claire. I was stupid,” he said. “I made a mistake.”

“That’s your prerogative. Please leave me alone and stay away from me. I want nothing more to do with you.”

“Claire,” he pleaded. “I love you.”

“There was a time when I actually believed that,” she yelled. “Until I saw you with someone else.”

“Claire, that was…Gosh! It’s not what you think,” he said, frustrated. “Just let me come over and I will explain.”