“Okay. Let’s go.”
We follow the sounds of the waves, finding an empty bench, and sit down together. He leaves a little bit of space between us, but if I wanted to, I could lean my head down on his shoulder.
No, Brooke. Don’t do it.
For a few minutes, we sit silently, listening to the ocean and feeling the warm breeze.
“So, what happened with your wedding?” Tyler asks out of nowhere.
Oh, boy.
Here we go.
chapter six
TYLER
Brooke’s eyeswiden like saucers. Yeah, it was bold of me to ask her that question. But I own the flipping hotel she’s staying in, and obviously I know she was supposed to be on her honeymoon.Sheis the one who made the comment about her wedding dress. Considering our history, I have a right to ask.
She takes another lick of her ice cream, and I can tell she’s contemplating how much she wants to say. I’m sure there’s a short version and a long version, but which one she shares is going to be up to her.
“He cheated on me,” she says quickly. And then nothing else. Just takes a lick of her ice cream and keeps watching the waves.
I guess I’m getting the short version.
“I’m so sorry,” I say. “That’s…I can’t…”
She turns her head sharply to look at me. “What?”
I take a deep breath. “I can’t believe someone would cheat on you.”
Her eyes soften a moment, then she smirks. “Well, you never met Landon.”
Huh. Her reaction isn’t exactly what I’d expect from a woman in love who found out that her fiancé was cheating. I can tell she’s hurt, to be sure, but it doesn’t seem like she’s heartbroken. More like bitter.
And almost…relieved?
“So you weren’t surprised?” I ask, taking a chance that I’m pushing too far.
“No.” She says it automatically, like she was expecting the question. “He cheated on me once before, two years ago.”
“Oh.” What in the world am I supposed to say to that?
Thankfully, she keeps talking. “I thought he could change. Mymomconvinced me he could change. There were so many reasons it was a good match for both of us. Our families were close, running in the same circles for years. And he offered to ‘take care of me.’” She makes air quotes with her fingers, even with the ice cream cone still in her hand. “But you know the saying. ‘Once a cheater, always a cheater.’ I should’ve known better. This time, I wasn’t willing to put up with being an afterthought, just for the sake of comfort.”
I wish I could say this line of reasoning, justifying why she stayed with him the first time he cheated, was surprising. But I can’t. She refused to pursue anything lasting between us five years ago, mostly because of her parents’ expectations and her desire to make some kind of stable future for herself. I understand the need for stability, and I couldn’t exactly offer her that when I was unemployed and surfing constantly.
But that didn’t mean she needed to be stuck in a relationship with a cheater, just for the sake of status and stability. At least she realized that before she got married.
“I’m proud of you,” I finally say.
She furrows her brow at me.
“You didn’t have to call off the wedding. And I’m sure it was a lot of money and hassle for everyone. Maybe it would’vebeen easier to keep going with the charade. But I’m proud of you for taking a stand.”
Her eyes soften. “Thank you.”
At some point in the conversation, we shifted closer together, and now our arms are touching. I feel her warmth down my side, and all I want is to inch closer to her.