Page 58 of Just One Summer with the Grumpy

I plastered myself against one of the trees, not daring to breathe. Dowhather way or not at all? Why would she be talking to her father over the phone and not in person? Wasn’t the guy already here for his daughter’s wedding? The questions came thicker and faster.

“I told you, I deserve half. You don’t know what it’s like, looking these people in the eye and pretending this wedding is going to happen. And convincing Ty that I’m a blushing bride and head over heels in love with him? Daddy, seriously. I’m the one selling my soul for this. At least fifty percent or the deal’s off.”

I gritted my teeth, trying to make sense of her words. Anyone could tell she cared more about herself than she did about Ty, but this? Pretending to be in love and faking a marriage for the sake of some business deal?

Chase had been desperate enough to sign a bad contract with Marcus and Kamia’s wedding, and he’d quite literally paid the price. Had he made the same deal for Ty and Veronica’s? If so, her calling it off would certainly be the final nail in the coffin.

Even Chase had admitted that Veronica’s dad wanted the resort and the island.Clever, he’d called her, when musing about why Veronica would choose him to host the event after their rocky history. It all made sense now.

“Thank you, Daddy.” Veronica’s voice was sugar-sweet now. “I knew you’d see it my way. Stay tuned for an update after tonight’s event. It will be the performance of my life.” She hung up, checked her appearance on her phone’s camera, and practically skipped away.

Veronica had come with the intention of destroying Chase’s company. How could she lead Chase on for so long and then drop such a devastating bombshell when he’d once cared for him? And how could she use Ty like this, who didn’t deserve any of it?

Same reason you’re doing it to Chase,a voice said from deep inside. Veronica was positioning herself for the future. I wasn’t much better than Veronica right now, and I couldn’t deny that.

I did know one thing for sure. Chase had to know about this, and fast.

I finally spotted him at the pool, speaking with a female worker there. I didn’t see the balding pool cleaner anywhere.

The moment Chase spotted me, his shoulders tensed and his expression hardened. No arm extended to greet me, no smile. He looked practically ready for war when I reached his side.

“Thanks for the update,” Chase told the worker.

“Anytime, Mr. Everett.” The woman looked between the two of us warily and hurried off, probably sensing the impending storm.

Chase said nothing. He didn’t even look at me—simply started walking away.

“We need to talk,” I told him, hurrying after him. “Chase, please.”

It took me two strides for every one of his. I finally caught up to him on the beach. He stood there in his sandals, not bothered by the waves devouring his feet, staring at the horizon.

“I keep fooling myself,” he muttered.

I clamped my mouth shut, stifling the speech I’d planned, and forced myself to listen.

He shook his head in disbelief. “Every time. Every single freaking time, yet I keep stupidly believing it will end better.”

The pain on his face sent a new ache reverberating through my chest. I reached up to touch his arm as I had a hundred times. He recoiled from my touch.

“I know you think I betrayed you—” I began.

He jerked away, tense and frustrated. “More than anyone else ever could have.”

Chase may as well have slapped me, because that one hurt. “And we can talk about that, but there’s something you need to know first. It’s about Veronica.”

Chase’s expression darkened. “You got back together with your ex, and you think I want to talk about Veronica right now?”

“I did not! Well, there was a kiss, but I ended it and sent him away. I only meant that you were right about Veronica, or at least sort of right, that she’s using Ty to get back at you. I heard her talking on the phone just now—”

“Daphne, stop trying to distract me from you and Ty, and tell me the truth.” Chase’s tone sounded injured. “I need to know how long this has been going on. When did you finally give in, and when were you going to tell me? The full truth.”

I paused, a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Chase wouldn’t listen to my warning until he had the full picture. The time for secrets was over. He deserved that much.

“Ty broke it off a year ago, but I never stopped loving him,” I admitted. “When I saw him at the office back in New York, I felt this raging jealousy. I couldn’t let that woman have him. And my horoscope said we were meant to be together, and so did that fortune cookie, so I—”

“Fortune cookie?” He looked incredulous.

I plunged on before I lost my nerve. “Anyway, I felt I’d been called to this mission, to steal him back. That’s why I accepted this job. I intended to win him over within the week and be long gone by now.”

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