RICH BOY BRIT (A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance)(38)

“What? Go where?” Willow asked, sleep still clinging to her eyes. “I’m not ready to leave.”

“The weather has cleared, and the captain has given us instructions to get back to the airstrip.”

“So soon?” Willow asked, obviously disappointed.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’m sure you will meet him again,” she said.

One hour later, the passengers were boarding the plane to St. Lucia. Only Willow and Amy sported long faces as they thought of the men they were leaving behind.

The flight to St. Lucia was turbulence-free, and Willow stared out the window the entire time. Amy buried herself in her tablet, and Claire, like she wanted, was left alone to the tortures of her own mind.

“I told him where we were headed,” Willow said after a long while.

“You think he will follow you?” Claire asked. She knew her mother was lonely after spending so many years without a single date. Claire had pried her from her work to take her out sometimes, so in truth, she shouldn’t be blocking a relationship. But she didn’t think a relationship could develop after meeting a man, any man, while stuck on an island overnight.

“That wouldn’t be the worst thing,” Willow said.

“No, it wouldn’t,” Claire said. “But I wouldn’t count on it.”

“Why must you be so negative?” Willow grouched. “Just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean everyone else has to be!” she snapped. She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” she sighed and wiped her hand down her face. “I’m just…”

“You’re right,” Claire sighed. “I am in no position to decide for anyone who is best for them. Look what my own choice produced.”

“Claire, I didn’t mean…” Willow started apologizing.

“It’s alright, Mom,” she said sadly. “There’s no need to apologize.”

The silence was deafening for the remainder of the journey, the only sound coming from the cockpit when the pilot announced their descent. No one knew exactly what to say to the others, and when they arrived at The Body Hotel in Castries, the tension was so thick it could be cut.

Claire and Trent had made reservations in the honeymoon suite, so Willow and Amy had taken the rooms next to it. Claire had the room at the end, and thus the luxury of a balcony overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

She wheeled her luggage inside and let it fall on the ground. The room was amazing and still held all they had reserved for two. She touched the sign that read ‘Congratulations to the bride and groom!’ She sighed and tossed it in the trash.

Everything in the room was designed for the two of them, and her chest tightened as her mind was prompted to remember the man who had so recently broken her heart. She thought about the times they had spent together. The memories escaped her as the tears trickled down her face. She quickly brushed them aside and went out on the balcony. It was a beautiful afternoon, and she got lost in the waves as they rolled over each other on their way to the shore. They became one again until they were replaced by the others. And the cycle continued. As she stood there, she wondered if her life was a cycle like the rolling waves.

Was she expected to just move on? When would she? The pain inside her was becoming intolerable as the days passed and the memories haunted her. She sighed, stepped back inside, and started unpacking her things.

“Knock, knock,” came a voice outside the door.

“It’s open, Amy,” she called. Amy breezed in, dressed in a bikini and wrap. Claire couldn’t help but laugh. “So soon?”

“I have been waiting to see the beach for two years,” she exclaimed. “I won’t let a moment pass before I touch that blue, crisp water. So, what are you waiting on?”

“I guess I could do that,” Claire said as she rummaged in her suitcase for one of the swimsuits she had brought with her.

“No time like the present,” Amy beamed. “We are going to have so much fun here! They have a lovely restaurant downstairs and an entertainment area where we can get our groove on,” she laughed as she jiggled, much to Claire’s amusement.

“I didn’t come all this way to embarrass myself,” she told her crazy friend.

Amy stopped and looked at her incredulously. “So why did you come?” she asked in a serious tone.

“Oh, come on,” Claire said as she found the swimsuit. She was back from the bathroom in two minutes, her long black hair clipped at her nape. “Satisfied?”

“Very,” Amy grinned and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go make our own waves in Castries.”

They spent the afternoon in the lagoon, and by the time they crawled back to shore, they were beat and wrinkled. “That felt so good,” Claire said. She threw the towel around her shoulders to keep warm against the chill that usually followed a swim.

The sun was behind them, so they needed no suntan lotion as they lay sprawled on the beach chairs. The water was clear as crystal and stretched as far as their eyes could see. Claire felt like she could stay in that spot forever, but she was painfully aware that she shouldn’t get too attached.

At dusk they decided to leave because they were starving. It had only occurred to them that they hadn’t eaten a proper meal since the day before. When Claire got back to her room, a food cart was waiting for her. She raised her brows and lifted the stainless steel covers to reveal chicken parmigiana, mashed potatoes, shrimp in coconut sauce, fresh, stir fried vegetables and garlic bread. Dinner served for two. She removed the champagne chilling in the ice bucket and looked at it like she didn’t know what it was. And all the memories flooded her once more. She replaced the bottle and tossed herself face down on the sheets. Everything hurt more when she tried to escape, and in that moment she hated Trent for ruining her.