Page 84 of Tempt Me

CHAPTER NINETEEN

ISLA

“I feel like you should be more excited than this,” Charlotte says dryly. “Isla. You’re getting married in like three weeks.”

We’re sitting at my kitchen table putting together the boxes for the macarons I’ll be selling at my booth. I dropped Grace off at Reggie’s earlier but made a point not to go into the garage myself, to avoid a certain someone.

“Iamexcited,” I insist.

She raises an eyebrow. The truth is, even though I’m furious at Caden, I can’t stop thinking about everything he said to me at the beach.

“Have you heard from Caden?” Charlotte asks, like she’s reading my mind.

“What?” I yelp. “No. Of course not, I—I’m done with Caden.”

Even I can hear how unconvincing that sounded.

“Riiiight,” Charlotte says. “I totally believe you.”

“I am,” I insist.

“You’ve got that look.”

“What look?”

“You get this look on your face when you’re thinking about him.”

“I do not have a look,” I say as I wrangle a box together with unnecessary force.

“At least you got some answers out of him,” Charlotte says. “We know why he left. Jeez, what a fucking trip his dad is. Rich people are insane. I can’t imagine my dad forcing marriage on me.”

I shoot her a grin. “That’s because your dad knows exactly what he’d get if he tried.”

Charlotte chuckles. “More than he bargained for, as my mom would say. Le salí más chingona que bonita.”

I lean my head back and stare at the ceiling. “I just wish he’d leave,” I mutter. “Once he leaves, everything will go back to how it was before.”

“Are you sure about that?” Charlotte asks doubtfully.

“Yes.”

“It’s just…listen, you know I’m not Caden’s biggest fan, but you’ve been different since he came back.”

I sit up, my heart pounding. “Different how?”

Charlotte bites her lip. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Since when you do ever think you shouldn’t have said something?”

Charlotte gives me a wry look. “It’s just…he’s making your Magnolia Day booth, you’re helping him with his mom’s case, he took really good care of you when you had the flu… You guys just, like, mesh. And you seem…alive again. Happier.”

My jaw drops so wide I wonder how it doesn’t hit the floor.

“Happier?” I say. “Charlotte, Caden does not make mehappy. He infuriates me. He’s barreling into my life and once again messing it all up. He called me a gold digger!”

“Yeah, that was super shitty,” Charlotte agrees. “I’m not saying you should jump into his arms.”

I hold up my hand where the diamond glitters on my ring finger. “There’s only one pair of arms I’m jumping into.”

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