Page 23 of One Week in Paradise
‘I’m fine,’ I say, my voice noticeably clipped.
Bea rolls her eyes. ‘You don’t have to lie to us, you know? Here.’ She reaches into her purse and hands me some blotting paper. ‘Just dab it on your cheeks. That way, you won’t ruin your make-up.’
‘I think we’re wearing the same blush,’ says Meera, rifling through her own purse. ‘Fenty “Cheeks Out”? Here, you can top up with some of mine.’
Sara pulls away from me so I can wipe away my tears and reapply my blush.
‘Thanks,’ I say once I’m finished. ‘You guys didn’t have to do this.’
‘We have to stick together,’ says Meera earnestly. ‘That wasn’t cool back there. I don’t know what Lacey was thinking.’
‘She wasn’t thinking,’ says Bea with another roll of the eyes. ‘You know how she is. I’m not excusing her or anything, but I doubt she meant it maliciously.’
‘Yeah,’ says Sara. ‘I think she was just surprised, that’s all. We all were, if I’m being honest.’
I take a deep breath. ‘I know. I’m guessing you all saw—’
‘Yeah,’ says Sara. She drops her gaze for a moment. ‘We all saw The Video.’
‘I—’ I begin, but Bea cuts me off.
‘Listen, whatever happened between you and Ethan, that’s your business. It sucks that it got made public like that, but you don’t need to explain anything to us. Especially if you’re not ready to.’
A wave of gratitude washes over me.
‘Thank you.’
‘And who cares about Ethan?’ says Meera. ‘Not gonna lie, Bailey. Cash isdefinitelyan upgrade there.’
Everyone shoots her a look.
‘What?’ Meera laughs. ‘Just because I’m gay doesn’t mean I can’t tell whether a man’s good-looking or not.’
That gets a laugh out of everyone, and I feel some of the tension I’m carrying start to float away.
‘I was half expecting you to introduce him as just a good friend,’ Sara says. ‘How long have you guys been dating? You seem so new.’ She interprets the look of panic on my face as something else and quickly starts to backtrack with a nervous laugh. ‘I mean,obviously, you guys are new. I just mean—’
‘It’s fine,’ I say quickly. I offer her a small smile to try and quell her obvious nerves. ‘I know what you mean, and it’s fine. We’ve been together for about a month now,’ Ishrug. ‘New relationship nerves and all that. We’re seeing how things are going.’
Meera and Sara look happy enough with that explanation, but I can tell Bea’s not convinced. I don’t know what I’ll do if it gets out that I’ve faked a relationship with Cash in order to get a free trip to Jamaica. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle the embarrassment. Between this and The Video, I think it will spell the end of my career entirely.
‘Let’s get back out there,’ I say quickly before Bea can add anything else.
Meera pulls her phone out of her purse. ‘Before we go, let’s take a photo.’
We all squish in front of the mirror and pose. It’s a cute moment, and I’m filled with a sudden sense of camaraderie. Amber is the closest thing I have to a sister, but in this moment, it feels like I have another three.
‘Come on,’ says Bea. ‘Penelope said they’ll probably be at the cabana bar for cocktails. Let’s go.’
We step out into the hall, and I’m suddenly face-to-face with Cash. He’s leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom door, and there’s a thunderous expression pasted across his face. The second we make eye contact, his features smooth slightly, but a cloud of anger and irritation still lingers.
‘We’ll meet you two at the bar,’ Bea says. Meera and Sara both echo her, and the three quickly disappear down the hall. Once they’re no longer in sight, Cash steps towards me.
I don’t know why, but I’m holding my breath. I’ve never seen him look so mad before. Is he mad atme? Did I embarrass him too?
He closes the gap between us and, to my surprise, envelops me in a gentle hug. He gives me a squeeze, then pulls back and looks directly into my eyes.
‘Are you all right?’ he asks, voice low.
