Page 59 of Just One Summer with the Grumpy

If eyes could be ice, his were icebergs. Big, deep, Titanic-sinking ones. He stared at me for a long moment as my words reshaped how he saw me, and I felt the reshaping in my bones. “You used me.”

My throat squeezed. “At first, yes. Or I intended to. But—”

“Twice over. I brought you here to help me save the company, yet you planned on tanking it all along. And if that weren’t enough, you had to tank me right along with it.”

Tears stung my eyes now. “I never planned that part. Chase, you need to believe me. I was as surprised by our attraction as you were. It changed everything.”

“It didn’t change a thing, so don’t pretend it did.”

Every word felt like a knife aimed straight for the heart. I let my planned speech go and spoke from the soul. “Look, this is the biggest decision of my life.”

“Decision?” He chuckled bitterly. “Let me do you a favor and remove one of the options. Problem solved.” He turned to leave.

“Chase.” My voice wobbled ever so slightly. “Veronica’s here because her dad sent her. He wants her to call off the wedding so you’re hit with the bill and have to declare bankruptcy. He plans to swoop in and take the resort.”

He paused, his back to me.

“I know you have no reason to believe me, but it’s true. Ty doesn’t know. I just barely overheard the conversation she was having on the phone, and I don’t think she saw me hiding in the trees. Whatever you do, know that I care about you and what happens to you and the company.”

Chase snorted. “Between you and Veronica, my company was never going to survive.”

I flinched, then continued in a small voice. “I heard things about you, that your relationships never last because you have too many secrets. They say you manipulated your uncle in the hospital to change his will. I realized how little I knew about you. It spooked me a little.”

He looked back at me, over his shoulder, wearing a wounded look. “And you believed them.”

“Did you steal your uncle’s money?” I asked in a small voice.

“You’re right about one thing,” he snapped. “You know absolutely nothing about me, and clearly I know even less about you.” He stalked off.

“Chase, I only want to understand.” I started to follow him.

“That makes one of us. I know all I need to know about you, Daphne. Now get off my island.”

TWENTY-SIX

As I packed,I pondered my conversation with Chase. I wasn’t sure what I had expected, but I definitely hadn’t foreseen how much this would hurt. Not just getting fired, because I didn’t care about that. There would always be other jobs. But there was only one Chase, and only one Isle de Pura Vida.

As much as being betrayed hurt, being the betrayer hurt a hundred times worse.

I finished packing, gave the room and pile of books on the bed one last glance, and resolved to leave and never look back just like I’d always planned to do. Chase had caught me red-handed. I had nothing to hide and nothing left to gain or lose. The glittering path of light and joy had been burned to a husk of what it had been before, yet I still found it hard to leave.

Then I realized why. Deep down, I knew I had to try to make this right. Completely mending the damage I’d caused would require time travel, but I could do something small and hope it made a difference.

Two conversations. One to resolve my past and another to secure Chase’s future. No matter what happened with my own, at least I could move on knowing I’d done all I could.

Ty responded to my text within seconds.Praise God. I thought you were running.

I am,I wrote back.

Silence.

Ty,I began.Don’t interrupt. You need to know that Veronica plans to dump you. I overheard her talking to her dad about using you to bankrupt Chase’s company so he can swoop in and take the resort. You don’t have to believe me, but it’s true. I’m sorry. Second, I wanted to marry you for the longest time. At one point, you become the ultimate goal in my life, the standard against whom I compared other guys. I’ve moved on from that, but thank you. I’m glad we had we had something special for a while.

There was a long pause. I almost thought he wouldn’t write back, then the words appeared.

I can’t believe you’re staying with him.

Poor Ty.I’m not, I wrote back, but that doesn’t make a difference for you either.Go and find a good woman to marry. Someone who loves you and won’t use you. You deserve better.

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