Page 81 of Beached Wedding

“You know what I mean. You never asked about them. You and I don’t share our thoughts and feelings. Not the important ones. Do you know anything about my father? Have you ever told meanythingabout Marcus?”

“No.” His voice hardened. “But I don’t talk to anyone about him. It’s notyou.” He gave his jaw a rub. “I don’t understand why anyone thinks there’s value in wading through painful shit. There isn’t. All right?”

“See? That!” I pointed at him. “That’s it exactly. Remember when I told you my dad is an alcoholic? That was your reaction. You didn’t want to hear it!”

“Because I thought you were telling me I shouldn’t drink.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t,” I cried. “Maybe I think you drink too much and that’s why we shouldn’t get married.”

“I don’t drink that much. Not every day,” he defended. “I don’t do it when Ishouldn’t.”

“Except when you’re supposed to get on a plane for yourwedding. Then suddenly you’re too drunk to fly!” I was shaking so hard I was afraid I would start to cry.

“Ash, it’s okay.” Fox came as far as the end of the sofa, one hand out in an offer of reassurance.

It struck me that as many times as I’d ripped into him over the last few days, I hadn’t feltthisupset doing it. I didn’t know if that meant I felt safe with him, but it sure told me I didn’t feel safe confronting Shane. I was probably only doing itbecauseFox was here as a buffer. A safety net.

I sniffed back my tears, trying to hang onto my composure.

“For Christ’s sake, Fox. It’s your fault I didn’t get on that plane.Tell her that.”

“I did. And you said you didn’t want to marry her so why are you here?” Fox asked tersely. “Do you want a wife? A woman in the house? Do you wantAshley? Because she’s got her own baggage. If you don’t want to deal with yours, don’t sign on to carry someone else’s.”

Shane gave him an affronted stare. “Screw you very much, then. Your assistance is not required.Christ.”

“This doesn’t have to be ugly,” I blurted, growing agitated that Fox and Shane were swiping at each other. “Waiting until the last second to back out was a dick move, but you were right to do it, Shane. We don’t have what it takes. We would have wound up divorced.”

“You don’t know that!”

“Ido. Look at us right now.” I pointed between us. “This is you and me unable to reconcile after a break up. This was going to happen so it’s better we do it before we’re locked into marriage and all the rest.”

“You’re not even trying to reconcile.” His arms were at his sides, but his gaze moved between me and Fox, growing suspicious. “Why not?”

“Because we’re not right for each other.” My stomach cramped and I turned to stare blindly out the windows, refusing to betray Fox by looking at him, but my heart was twisting beyond what I thought it could bear.

“And you’ve got someone else who is?” Shane asked scathingly.

The smack of his voice, so ripe with fury at being betrayed, hit me like a bus. I spun around, but he was glaring at Fox, saying, “You fucking asshole.”

FOX

Shane snatched up his bag and headed to the door.

“Mate—” I tried to get in his way and got a rough brush-off.

“Notyourmate. Not anymore. You’re dead to me. Both of yous.” Shane flung open the door and walked through it.

I leapt to catch it, snapping a look at Ash. She was so pale even her lips were white.

I had to go after Shane, though. Had to try to salvage something, even though I didn’t know what I would say. I caught up to him at the elevator.

“Keep walking or I will knock your teeth down your throat,” Shane bit out without looking at me.

A couple coming from the opposite end of the hall faltered. The guy turned his date around and they went the other way.

“Look, I have a room. Let’s talk this out.” I touched my pocket, realized I’d left my room key in my room downstairs. My phone was on the table in Ashley’s suite.

“Nothing to talk about,” Shane said.

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