Page 78 of Caribbean Crush

I want to steel myself if she’s about to waltz over here and perform some public claiming of her man. I can just picture it now—her pressed against him, her hand sliding around his shoulder, squeezing with possession as she aims a sugary smile my way.

Panic sets in just as Phillip replies, “No. Vivienne and her friend are staying in a hotel, I think. I’m not sure, exactly.”

“Oh.”

“Are you surprised?”

“Yes. I guess so. I thought ...” I shake my head, letting my sentence dwindle. I don’t want to make assumptions about his relationship, given how little I know about it, so I keep it simple. “I thought she was here visiting. I assumed she’d be by your side tonight.”

He nods. “Yes, I think she assumed that as well.” My brows shoot up, and he continues, “She came here with the goal of repairing our relationship.”

“Is that what you want?” I ask hurriedly, needing to know.

Break my heart quickly, Phillip. Don’t stretch this out into some painful confession about how you really love her, and you didn’t mean for things to get so out of hand with us. Vivienne is your real future, the woman of your dreams.

God, I could throw up.

“No.”

I blink and inhale slowly, savoring that word before I respond with a cool tone. “It must have been difficult, then, having that conversation. I’ll be honest, Sienna did mention that you two looked close last night in the library, that maybe—”

“Nothing happened between Vivienne and me. She was honest with me. She took my hand in a particularly vulnerable moment, and Sienna saw that. We didn’t kiss. Or do anything for that matter.”

I believe him because Phillip has never given me a reason not to trust him. He’s been honest to a fault, in fact.

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you.”

And wildly enough, I mean those words.

I hold no assumptions about what Phillip and I are to one another, but I do get the sense that he and Vivienne were a serious thing for quite some time. If she came all the way here to share her feelings with him, well ... I wonder if things would be different if I weren’t standing in the way. I can’t help but ask.

“It’s not ... to say ... you aren’t letting me stand in the way of you two, are you? Because you and I—” I shake my head, feeling my throat start to tighten with emotion. I have to force out my next words, as painful as they are. “Obviously this isn’t a serious thing.”

His brow furrows, and I rush on, scared that this conviction will burn away before I’ve finished saying what I need to say. “You’re not beholden to me. It would be perfectly fine for you to go back with Vivienne. God, Tyson told me you had a ring picked out and everything! You were really serious about her, Phillip.”

“I was,” he confirms with a hard set to his jaw.

“And now?” I ask, holding my breath.

“Things have changed.”

“Because of me?” I ask shakily.

Is it presumptuous to ask that? Oh well.

“In part, yes. I won’t deny that.”

Oh god. I’ve really messed up here. “You didn’t cheat on her. Right? You told me you two were broken up. That’s what I saw online as well. So you could come clean to her, admit you had a fling—meaningless and all that—and I’m sure she’d—”

“You’re not listening.” I jolt at his tone. “You changed things, Casey.”

I gulp. “I’m sorry.”

He laughs. Laughs! “You’re apologizing?”

“Yes?” I say with a wince.

He sighs and turns so he can lean down and prop his elbows on the railing. He tugs his hands through his hair and then asks, point blank, “Where did you see this going?”

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