Page 11 of My Wife

Tommy’s not buying it. “Please. You both know that was uncalled for. Shit. We haven’t even left the harbor yet. If that’s what Cyn has to look forward to from you two, maybe I made a mistake. Maybe this should’ve been a couple’s vacation instead of one for the group.”

He explained to me why it isn’t. With Clay’s anniversary this week, he thought it would be a much better distraction if I was surrounded by so many of our friends. If it was just him, would I be able to forget what I lost enough to enjoy myself and make those new memories he wanted me to have so badly?

Is he regretting that now? Oh, yeah.

And that makes me feel even worse.

I can handle Madison Powell. Summer Kaye, too. Their catty comments and mean girl attitudes just cover up how jealous they are that, if only for a little while, I got out of Gullhaven. They never did. Summer settled for a man she tolerates, Madison is the town tramp with a taste for barely legal boys, and I didn’t just find love with Clay. I found it with Tommy, too, and they can’t stand that he forgave me and took me back.

I guess, if they’re miserable, they want me to be miserable, too.

For that reason alone, I lay my hand possessively on Tommy’s chest. “It’s fine.”

His jaw goes tight. Tommy’s always been my protector. He nearly broke his throwing hand, punching the brick siding of his house, back when I wouldn’t let him confront Chase on my behalf; if I hadn’t been with him when Chase got his ass kicked, I would’ve thought he was the one who did it, he was that pissed at him at the time. He only resumed their friendship after Chase recovered, as though deciding he’d paid the price for trying to sexually assault me. I haven’t had any problems with the lawyer since, and anytime Summer and her underling started shit with me, Tommy was there to slap them down.

Just like he did now.

I know he thinks it’s not fine. That he’s debating if he should kick them off the ferry now and cover their part of the cost. Considering we have Aaron’s cut to worry about already—and while Tommy does well as a PT, he doesn’t have Clay’s kind of money, and I can’t access any of his assets until he’s been declared legally dead in two years—I’d rather not do that. Plus, Summer and Madison already hate me. Why add more fuel to the fire?

I rub his chest. “Seriously,” I say, lowering my voice. “I mean it. You got me on this ferry, Tommy. Let’s enjoy ourselves.”

Purposely ignoring the other two women, he drops a kiss to the top of my head. “I already told the guys we get the farthest cabin since I got us the slot. We’ll have all the privacy we want, but if you want a middle one so everyone can hear it when I make you scream tonight. Just say the word.”

I duck my head against him, trying to hide my sudden smile. I don’t doubt him one bit. It’s one thing to know that Tommy and I live in the same house. We haven’t gone away with the others since we got back together. Maybe these two need a reminder that Tommy Gillis is mine.

Then again, I’m not the type of woman to share.

“I want privacy,” I murmur into his shirt.

He runs his fingers through my loose hair. “Anything you want, love. I’ll give you everything you want.”

I kiss his chest, then straighten up just in time to see Summer leaning into Madison. She whispers something to her, but I couldn’t care less what it is.

Let them talk shit about me. I’m used to it.

Snuggling against Tommy, I do my best to ignore them as the ferry begins to cut its way through the water.

Looks like there’s no getting off for any of us. For better or worse, we’re all going to Halo Island together.

After a few moments of heavy silence, Summer shifts in her seat so that she’s partway facing us. “Sorry, Tommy.” Tommy again, I notice. Notme. “Madison was just teasing. Right, Madi?”

“What? Oh. Yeah. Sorry, Cyn.” Oh, look at that. Idoget an apology. “I was only pointing out that we miss Clay, too. Gullhaven’s not the same without him. He should be coming on this trip.”

But he can’t. Because he’s dead, and after the way these two spread rumors that I was the reason my mother drowned herselfall those years ago, I’m not particularly surprised that they also want to blame me for Clay’s disappearance.

Trust, they’ve never come outright andsaidit. If they did, I could justify cutting myself off from the rest of Tommy’s friend group. He wants to believe their my friends, too, and I’ve done everything I can to let him, but when they pull shit like that…

They’ve never accused me of killing Clay, but they don’t have to. In Gullhaven, when tragedy follows you around like a dark shadow, so do the rumors.

And I’m sick and tired of trying to outrun them.

That’s why, as I cozy up to Tommy again, enjoying the spray of the ocean on my heated skin, I decide that this weekend?

It’s time to finally stop running.

FIVE

HALO ISLAND

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