Page 22 of The Lies Always Told

“Baby, please listen.”

“No. You don’t get to call me baby after you just told me there’s no way we could work out. I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m not even asking you for anything, but shit, Gus. At least pretend I’m not just a piece of ass for the weekend.” Isn’t that exactly what this is? It must be the damn drinks and the good sex getting to my head. I’ve never had a problem before sleeping around and then going back to normal, so why now? Why him?

“It’s too complicated. It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with…well, everything else.”

“I get it. Our families are too close. We don’t live in the same town. You don’t date.I get it.I knew what I was getting myself into. No need to apologize.” I don’t stop spitting out facts to deviate from this awkward conversation. We have the rest of tonight and all of tomorrow before we return to the States, and I just want to enjoy it.

“Please don’t be upset.”

“I’m not upset. Stop treating me like this.”

“Like what?” he asks, completely shutting me out. I know he doesn’t want to let me in, and I can’t blame him. I went from an almost one night stand, to a one night stand, to a weekend getaway all within a month. That’s on top of being the youngest of the family friends.

“Like I’m a spoiled child who can’t handle her shit. I’m a woman, Gus.” I get up from the chair and walk outside the crowded room to the beach. I know he’s right behind me, because I can hear his footsteps following closely, but he doesn’t say anything. He’s giving me space, and I like it.

I walk past a group of chairs by the water, the soft sound of waves crashing on the shore embracing me in the hug I didn’t know I needed. There’s a wooden pier ahead, dotted with yachts, sailboats, and other vessels docked side by side, each one more stunning than the last. But there’s something about the pier today, a magnetic pull, that makes me want to step onto it. Without thinking, I slip off my shoes, feeling the rough wood under my feet as I walk slowly, taking in all in: the boats, the way they rock gently in the water, their hulls gleaming under the moon as it casts a soft light over everything, the gentle whoosh of each wave centering me—grounding me.

I start reading the names on the sterns, some in English, some in Spanish, until one boat catches my eye. I stop in my tracks, unable to look away. The sailboat before me is breathtaking, so elegant, it almost seems like it belongs in a painting—white, with smooth, sweeping brown curves along its side. The contrast between the two colors is stunning, but it’s the deck that really captures my attention. It’s polished, the wood glowing with a golden hue, like it’s been cared for meticulously over the years. The mast rises high, standing proud against the sky, the sails, crisp, white, pulled tight against it. There’s something about the name that’s bizarre, almost too obvious, but I still can’t grasp it.

I can feel Gus’ presence right behind me, quiet andsteady, but I refuse to look back. I look at the beautiful boat, then up at the sky to see it starless and vast. So infinite. So beautiful.

I hear his voice, low and warm. “Come on, let me show you around.”

I turn to him, my heart skipping a beat as I lift my eyebrows, everything clicking. “Is this yours?”

Gus grins, his eyes softening just a little. “My family’s,” he says, pointing to the name painted on the polished surface. It clicks.Allie and Twins.“We get to share it, but Allie never comes, and Manny, well…that man never leaves work. So, for the most part, I use it. Come on.”

He steps onto the boat, his shoes in hand, and extends his other hand toward me. Without thinking, I take it, stepping onto the deck. The wood feels warm under my feet, and the boat seems to welcome me, like it’s been waiting for someone to appreciate it as much as I do.

Like I belong here.

I walk ahead as his hand rests gently on my lower back, guiding me forward. The sensation is unexpected, comforting. There’s something in the way he touches me—like he’s making sure I feel safe, but since he’s showing me something he cherishes, it feels even more special.

Gus walks beside me now, quiet again, his hands gently touching different parts of the boat. There’s a kind of unspoken tension between us. He’s showing me something personal, something he’s proud of, and I’m not sure what to say next. This space, this boat, it feels like it holds more than just wood and sails. It feels like it holds a history, a story, maybe even a part of him. For some reason, it makes me want to know more.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper, letting the breeze share my words.

“Just like you.” My eyes snap to his, but I don’t say a word.I just hold his.

“You can’t say things like that after you just told me nothing can come out of this.”

“And you can’t expect anything more than what I’m willing to give you right now, Nellie. You knew this. It’s too complicated. There’s too much going on. What happened to just feeling and not thinking?” he asks, laying his body against the mast. He’s not wrong. I said I was okay with a hook-up. I was adamant about it. I was clear. And now, I’m throwing a fit like a petulant child.

“What areyouwilling to give me, Gus?”

“An incredible time for the night and tomorrow. Also…you asked for sailing on a tropical island, and I have not kept my end of the deal. This, I can promise: a good time for the rest of the trip and sailing into the sunrise. I can’t promise anything else, at least not right now.”

I take the time to settle my feelings and remind myself to think like an adult. Technically, I’ve only seen him a few days, but the thirty days we were apart built a fire within me, and it’s about to burn. Just like a real fire, I pour water over it and pretend it’s not there. I can’t blame him. “Okay.”

“Okay, what?”

“That’s okay with me,” I reply and smile at him as I step forward, holding his gaze. This is too fast, and honestly, it’s probably just adrenaline from a very good lay, so I need to chill and just enjoy the moment.

“Promise me you’re okay with that.” But then he speaks with that soft tone like he cares, and I just want to hug him. How is this sweet and spicy boy single? “Promise me, Nellie.”

“I promise, Gus.” Maybe I’m starting to lie to myself, but I still give him the promise I don’t know I’ll be able to keep. He grabs my hand and walks me through the doors to the small cabin below.

SEVEN

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