Gold (All that Glitters #2)(69)

Bryna bit down on her lip, hard. Then, she deleted the text and promised not to look back.

TRUE TO HIS PROMISE, Bryna hadn’t heard from Eric since that last text message. Several long weeks had gone by, school had released for the summer, and she hadn’t heard one word from him. Just like she had wanted. At least that was what she told herself when her Sunday afternoons were full of finals prep rather than margaritas and on Wednesdays when she ate lunch alone instead of at his place, grilling burgers.

But none of that mattered now. She could adjust to anything. And it was for the better. She was ready to leave for Barcelona for the summer. She met Hugh in New York City with a ridiculous amount of Louis Vuitton luggage and her overused passport.

Their flight to Barcelona was smooth sailing, and they landed in the beautiful afternoon weather. A limo picked them up from the airport and transported them to the completed resort. It wouldn’t officially open for nearly another month, so they were staying there exclusively until then.

Together, they spent the weeks leading up to the big ribbon-cutting ceremony lounging on the Spanish beaches, shopping, and hitting every romantic location in the city. Hugh had to work a lot, but he tried to make up for it with over-the-top evenings.

When he was gone, it gave her time to think about why she had left. Eric’s face popped into her mind over and over again. She tried to forget the look on his face when he had begged her to stay, but she couldn’t. And though she was still so angry with him and herself for what had happened, the distance made the reality of his actions wane.

She knew it could never be the same. Part of what had made them, them was a lie. But she hoped they could have a part of their friendship back. She wasn’t ready to confront that now, but maybe she would be when she got back from Barcelona. Maybe.

Hugh caught her lounging by the pool during one such instance when her mind was off thinking about what she had left behind in Vegas.

“Hey, gorgeous.” He kissed the top of her head.

She startled. “Oh, hey.”

“You seemed far away. Where were you?”

She smiled lazily to try to hide the thoughts warring through her mind. “Just excited for the ceremony tonight. Glad it’s finally here.”

“And sad that it means our time together this summer is coming to a close,” he finished for her.

“Oh, don’t remind me.”

She didn’t know what was going to happen with them after this. He had said he loved her. That left a whole lot of nagging questions in her mind, questions she was trying to avoid like the plague. What would happen from here? How could we be together when he’s married? Is this going to be a permanent arrangement? It was confusing because though she had made her decisions, she felt as if she should know more about him. She wanted to ask all the questions she had avoided before because she didn’t think they mattered. But she didn’t.

“You’re gone again.”

She laughed and tried to play it off. “No, I’m still here. How was work?”

“Everything is set up for the ceremony down to the minute details. I came to check to see if you were ready for all of this?”

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, it will all be filmed. I’ll be showcasing you to the world.”

She swallowed. “Really? You didn’t mention that.”

“It’s been picked up by some national and international media. I didn’t want to scare you. You’ll be at my side, and I’ll do all the talking. You just have to be your beautiful self.”

“Oh. Right.” Arm candy. “Well, I’ve been in front of a camera before. So, no big deal, I guess.”

She wished he hadn’t kept it from her. It wasn’t like she was afraid to be on camera, but it was another big step. What the hell is he going to say if someone asks why I’m here with him? It was all so confusing.

“If you’re not comfortable, I can have you in a strategic position off camera.” He pulled her hand up to his lips and lightly kissed her fingers. “But I want you to be with me.”

“That’s why I’m here. Of course, I’ll be on camera with you, if that’s what you want.”

“Good.” He smiled brightly. “You should probably go get ready then. I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” she asked, her face lighting up. “You’re full of surprises.”

“I am. I like to surprise you.”

“Well, now, I’ll spend all afternoon wondering.”

He gave her an easy smile. Everything was always so easy for him. She wished she could push all her cares away so readily.

“Good. I’ll see you at the ceremony. I can’t wait to see your dress. Are you sure I can’t look ahead of time?”

“I’ve spent a lot of time keeping this secret from you! You can’t look now.”

He backed away with his hands up. “Of course. I’ll allow you to surprise me this once then.”

A couple of hours later, Bryna was refreshed with her hair pulled back into a severe twist and her makeup dark and smoky. Her dress was an exquisite floor-length racerback Dior creation, hand-beaded in bright reds, with a slit that reached to her upper thigh when the panels separated. It was both elegant and sexy.

When she walked out of the room, the look on Hugh’s face made the whole ensemble worth it.