Page 67 of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

"Answering work emails. I do have an actual job besides all of this," he said, an edge to his voice.

"I know that."

He gave me an apologetic look and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. It's been a day. Not as bad for me as for you, so I shouldn't complain."

"We can complain together."

"It's about all we've been doing together."

"I know," I admitted, meeting his gaze. "Not the romantic, sexy honeymoon either of us was envisioning."

"I don't care about that; I care about you. I'm not protecting you the way I should be."

"You had no idea I'd be in danger on that yacht, and neither did I. It wasn't your fault."

"I hope you truly believe that. Lately, you look at me with a question in your eyes. Is there something you want to know that you're afraid to ask?"

That was a loaded question. There were dozens of things I wanted to know, like why he had a second phone, but when a knock came at the door, followed by, "Room Service,"I knew this wasn't the right time.

"I'll get that," he said.

As Andrew got up to answer the door, I took a look at his computer screen, which was not opened to his emails but to something that looked like blueprints. It probably was work, I thought, until I realized I was looking at the floor plan of what appeared to be Victor's villa. His name wasn't on it, but I recognized the large patio and outdoor living space I'd seen off the living room during my earlier visit.

My heart jumped into my chest, and I quickly moved away to the other side of the table, not wanting to be caught spying. The waiter came into the suite, pushing a cart. As he set up dinner on our table, Andrew closed his computer and moved it out of the way.

I took a seat at the table, trying not to let my face reveal any of my thoughts. I wasn't sure exactly what I'd seen, and I shouldn't jump to conclusions. Andrew was a real-estate developer. Maybe those plans were for another oceanfront villa at a hotel resort.

Shaking my head at that ridiculous explanation, I settled into my seat, still feeling pain in my hip, but it was surprisingly better than it had been. Maybe some good had come from the pain medication and my icy-cold plunge into the Pacific Ocean. That might have brought some of the swelling down.

My stomach rumbled as the waiter revealed some very delicious-looking dishes from steak frites to a grilled branzino and a roasted chicken. There were also plenty of sides, from mashed potatoes to Brussels sprouts and spicy green beans. It all smelled heavenly, reminding me of how long it had been since we'd eaten. And I'd thrown up most of my lunch. But I wasn't nauseous anymore. In fact, I was starving, and the waiter had barely left before I picked up a serving fork, split the tender fish in half, and put it on my plate.

"This looks great," I said as Andrew sat across from me.

"I'm glad you're feeling hungry."

"I am." I dug in with an enthusiasm I hadn't felt in a while. Maybe it was because I was realizing how lucky I was to be alive. This day could have ended in my death. It could have been Andrew sitting alone at this table. Or he might not have been alone at all. Allison might have been with him.

I frowned at the abrupt turn of my thoughts.

"Is the fish okay?" Andrew asked.

"What?"

"You look like you just tasted something bad."

"No, it's wonderful. My mind keeps going back to being in the ocean and feeling like I wasn't going to make it, and I was so close to not making it."

"But you did. You're alive. You're relatively well. Getting better every day, I hope. Try not to think about it."

"I'm trying," I said as we ate the rest of our meal in relative silence. We'd never been so quiet with each other as we'd been the last three days. For six months, we'd shared so many lively, energetic, talkative meals, filled with laughter and stories, and love and kisses. But there was a distance between us now. I didn't know how to shorten it. And there was a part of me that didn't know if I should try to bridge the gap between us.

But we couldn’t live in this awkward silence, so as I finished my meal, I decided to see if I could find out more about his business, about what he might have been looking at on his computer. "What are you working on? I thought you were taking time off for our honeymoon."

"Well, since that has been a bust, I decided to catch up on some emails."

"About…"

"A property I'm looking at in Florida," he replied. "There's an old beachfront hotel in the Keys going up for sale at a good price. With an extensive remodel, it has the potential to be a beautiful resort."

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