Page 53 of Stuck On Them

Luca put his hand just above my knee and squeezed. “It’s going to be fun. We haven’t all hung out and I think it would be good.”

“It’s going to be awkward.” I put my sunglasses back down and stood, putting my hands on my hips. “Withholding information you should have given me is lying.”

He squinted up at me, putting a hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun. “Would you have come still?”

“That’s not the point, Luca.” I sighed. “What are you trying to do?”

The smallest of smiles appeared on his lips but disappeared quickly. “Nothing.”

How was I going to stand being around all three of them alone? My body, and quite frankly my mind, kept betraying me when they were near. Even then, I was letting Luca touch me in more than a ‘just friends’ way.

Female laughter came from the next deck. “Stop it, Gare.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” Jealousy like nothing I’d ever experienced before took hold and made my blood run hot.

“What’s wrong?” Luca looked confused as I backed away, the sound of footsteps on the stairs only making me panic.

It was like Daniel all over again but worse, which was ridiculous because none of them were mine. It felt like someone was stabbing me in the chest.

“I have to go to the bathroom.” I didn’t want him to follow me, that was for sure.

Before I had to see the women that were with Garrett and Ryker, I practically ran to the other set of stairs and went down them. I had no clue where they led, but I needed a minute to get myself together.

“Paige! Where are you going? There’s a bathroom up here!” Luca’s voice was still up on the deck.

I ran into the indoor part of the yacht. I went through a living room, down a short hall, through a sitting room, and finally down a hall with bedrooms. Why was this damn yacht so big?

There were four doors and all of them were closed so I picked one, hoping for the best. Once inside, I shut the door and leaned against it, closing my eyes.

“It’s going to be fine. Everything was fine.” I tried to reassure myself, but the lasso around my chest was pulling tighter and tighter. “You aren’t with them. It doesn’t matter.”

I slid down to the floor, even though there was a perfectly made queen bed and a chair in the corner. I just needed to put my head between my knees or something to calm down, that was all.

Why had Luca done such a thing? Was it to make me jealous? To stake his claim on me? He could have at least told me beforehand and then maybe I wouldn’t have felt so... deceived.

I pulled my phone from my crossbody purse and called Nora. She’d talk me down; she always knew just what to say.

But of course, she also was the one who got me into this predicament.

“Paige! What’s up?” There was noise in the background and when I heard a whistle, I knew she was at hockey practice.

“Are you busy?” My voice trembled and I bit my lip.

Do not cry.

Who was I kidding? That never worked.

“I’m never too busy for you. Just assessing skating skills during drills. Phew. They need a lot of work; they don’t even know what’s about to hit them.” She sounded like she was going to get great satisfaction out of coaching a bunch of NHL players to skate gracefully. “What’s wrong?”

I told her everything I hadn’t already, which only covered that day, but was still a lot. By the time I was done, I was choking back sobs and wiping my eyes.

“Babe...” She sighed. “Are you listening to yourself?”

“Yes.” I got to my feet and went into the attached bathroom to grab a tissue before going to sit on the bed.

“I don’t think you are. They want you, Paige. All three of them. You want them. I really don’t see what the hold-up is besides your own fear.”

“Did you not hear me say that there were women with them?” I wiped furiously at my tears, but they just kept on falling. “I’m such a mess and it’s all your fault.”

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