Page 3 of Six Nights in Paradise

A warm, metallic taste filled my mouth as I took in her distressed expression. I realized finally, when my cheek began to sting, that I’d bitten down so hard on the inside of it that I’d drawn blood.

“Don’t you think that would’ve been important to tell me months ago?” I asked, my shock swiftly turning to fury. “You know, before I spentthousandsof dollars to give you your dream wedding and honeymoon?” I threw my napkin down, my appetite suddenly gone.

“I’m sorry,” she whined. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Don’t you thinkthisis hurting me?” My anger turned to panic as the pain of what she’d said finally started to seep into my chest. “Gianna, we’re getting married in less than a week. If you’re getting cold feet, we can talk about it. We’ll get through this.”

“Were,” she replied.

“What?”

“Weweregetting married,” she corrected. “I didn’t want to do this to you, but I’ve met someone else.”

The rage returned, hot and insistent, ready to boil over the edge. I flexed my jaw and covered my mouth with my hand. I wanted to yell at her, to shake some sense into her, but I couldn’t. She had me at a disadvantage. We were in public and the last thing I wanted was to cause a scene. She’d planned this out well.

“Who is he?” I asked between gritted teeth, ready to commit murder.

“That’s not important.”

“The hell it isn’t!” My voice rose, drawing the attention of diners at other tables.

“Keep your voice down,” she hissed.

“How can you expect me to stay calm when you’ve just told me you have a side piece and you’re cancelling our wedding – which, by the way, is only five days from now – because ofhim?”

“He’s not a side piece,” she said, her mouth tightening in irritation. “We have a real connection.”

Was this really happening? Was my fiancé really throwing away the last three and a half years of our lives together to be with someone shehad a real connection with? What. The. Fuck.

“Look Dalton, things have been going downhill between us for a long time now,” she began, and I frowned.What the hell is she talking about?Our relationship was great. “Antonio makes me feel special. He makes me feel like you used to. I think I need to give what’s blossoming between us a chance.”

I’d heard enough. I couldn’t listen to another word of this nonsense. Scooting my chair back, I stood and pulled several bills from my wallet, tossing them down on the table. I didn’t know who this woman was, but she wasn’tmyGianna, that much was clear.

“You’re making a big mistake,” I told her calmly; not threatening, not warning, just informing. She would regret this. She’d always been impulsive, but never with anything as important or life changing as this. Maybe if she took a day to think on it and got a good night’s rest, things would be clearer for her in the morning.

But they weren’t clearer. Less than twenty-four hours after breaking off our engagement, she moved Antonio into her condo and all that was left of her memories with me were packed in a cardboard box and sent to my office.

What was supposed to be the happiest week of my life turned into a living nightmare.

***

“What am I supposed to do? I already lost my shit,” I confessed, shame filling my chest. “There’s currently a hole the size of my fist in the drywall next to my bathroom mirror.” Aiden’s eyes widened and snapped to my face.Ugh, why did I just admit that?

“Totally understandable, man. Sometimes you just gotta let the demons out,” he offered in understanding. “She’s been keeping some other guy’s dick wet. I’m surprised you didn’t rip the sink off the wall.”

I scowled as the rage I felt that night started to creep back in. My fists balled at my side and my jaw clenched so tight, I thought my teeth might grind into dust. I thought I was over it. I thought I’d yelled, punched, and cussed my way past her betrayal, but hearing someone else say what she did out loud brought the pain and devastating anger back to the surface. I threw back my beer, chugging it all in one go before slamming the bottle back onto the counter. I was fuming, and not even an ice-cold beer could cool the flames. Aiden took in the tight set of my jaw, my rigid posture, and brooding countenance.

“Sorry, man,” he apologized. “That was insensitive.”

“It was the truth,” I ground out. “And I needed to hear it.” I needed to come to terms with what she’d done. She cheated on me. While I was planning our forever, anticipating the moment I’d watch her walk down the aisle in a long white dress, she was off screwing some guy who couldn’t even manage to wear matching socks. That’s right. I went to her condo to see what she’d thrown away our chance at happiness for and saw him with his too-long hair, mismatched socks, and paint splattered tee shirt. He was an “artist,” she claimed. He looked like a hipster trying to find a sugar mama to fund his cannabis farm.

“What are you going to do with your plane tickets and reservation at the resort?”

His question brought me back to the present. That was actually my whole purpose for being there.

“Well, they’re non-refundable, so unless I want to cut my losses, I have to find somebody to take her place and go with me.” I looked at him pointedly, hoping he’d get the hint.

“Oh, no,” he began, straightening and holding his hands up. “Don’t look at me. There’s no way I can leave right now.”

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