Page 64 of Pretense & Sensibility

“True. And now, thanks to you, things are back on track.” She goes quiet for a moment. “As annoyed as I was to find myself sitting next to you, maybe this has been good. this chance to talk. To clear the air.”

I couldn’t agree more. And not just because it’s cleared the air between us, but because it’s given me a whole new perspective on what I want from my future.

“And now, we can just be friendly,” she adds. “If we happen to run into each other, or have to interact because of Ian and Savannah. We can be friends without it being weird.”

It takes a second for her words to sink in. Friends? Does she honestly think we can just be friends?

If that’s what she thinks, she’s got another thing coming.

But, if she needs to pretend we can be friends for the rest of the flight, I’ll let her do that. But once we get off the plane, I only have a few days to convince her otherwise.

sixteen

TRINITY

Getting to paradise is a bigger pain in the ass than you’d think.

First there’s the flight from Austin to Belize City. Then there’s a boat ride to the island where the resort is located. After nearly six hours of combined travel time, I’m thankful that Martin and I have patched things up.

Do I still have a pang in my chest when I imagine what might have been between us?

No!

No, I do not.

Because me fantasizing about what “might have been” is not useful. Especially since Martin clearly has no such pangs.

After our conversation on the plane about Ian, now that I understand how protective he is of him, I can no longer fool myself into believing he’s a heartless bastard. However, I can’t fool myself into imagining that his heart isn’t a pang-less bastard.

But that’s okay. Because I am at peace with it now.

Look how at peace I am… I’m like one of those monks that can meditate on a bustling New York subway, that’s how at peace I am. Or like the warrior monks in Rogue One!

Though, clearly they die horribly and I’d rather not.

The point is, I’m at peace about my fledgling friendship with Martin. Which is a good thing because we are about to be trapped together on this island for several days.

The island is a narrow strip of pristine beaches dotted with bungalows on one side and a tiny tropical forest on the other called Cresiente Caye. It’s an eco-friendly resort run by a married couple that offers snorkeling, scuba diving, and excursions to a nearby turtle sanctuary.

They don’t normally do destination weddings because they only have a dozen cabanas, but Ian’s friends Lily and Seb (who I met briefly at the engagement party) know the owners. And there’s a separate casita where the turtle sanctuary is. So after the wedding in two days, the owner, Jonah, will take Savannah and Ian there, where they’ll have the entire island to themselves for two nights. Well, it will be just them and the turtles.

Basically, other than the fact that the resort’s size has limited the guest list, it is the perfect location.

Of course, I’d read all about the resort online once the wedding planning started, but the pictures on their website did not prepare me for the beauty of the place as our boat approaches the dock. There’s a large palapa behind the main stretch of beach, with umbrellas, and palm trees and beach chairs in front. Brightly painted cabanas branch off on either side, separated by enough space to ensure privacy.

Best of all, my sister is waiting for me on the dock. Which is perfect, because she’s been so busy planning everything, we’ve barely spoken the past couple of weeks.

Except, as soon as the boat docks and its crew starts unloading bags and helping me out, Savannah rushes up to pull me into a hug and whispers, “Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”

For a second, I think she’s apologizing for me having to ride in with Martin. But then I remember she doesn’t know that I’ve even met Martin outside of the engagement party.

I pull away and look at her.

My older sister has always been taller and prettier than I am. And she got the big tits and pretty eyes in the family. (Hers are a gorgeous blue and mine are an ordinary brown) Totally not fair!

And, generally, since falling in love with Ian, she’s been even more glow-y than normal.

But today, despite how gorgeous she looks in her swimsuit and beach cover up, she also looks worried.

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