Page 28 of One Week in Paradise
I feel my jaw tighten at the mention of Cash, but I try and smooth my expression into an easy smile. I don’t need them thinking that our relationship – however fake it is – has fallen apart on the very first night. ‘That’s right. I thought they’d be done by now.’
‘Danny could spend all day in the gym,’ Lacey pipes up. ‘We’ll probably have to go and grab them after breakfast.’
I shrug. ‘Cash is a big boy. I’m sure he’ll find his way back eventually.’
Will he continue to pretend like nothing happened between us last night, though?
I order a plate of eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast and fall into an easy conversation with the girls.
‘What’re you doing today?’ I ask. We’ve all been sent Penelope’s packed itinerary, but, for the most part, we can pick and choose which activities and excursions we’d like to do.
‘We’re doing a guided heritage tour,’ says Sara. ‘I think we’re being driven to a town about an hour or so away from the resort, and we’ll spend the day there lapping up the culture.’
‘And eating good food,’ adds Meera.
Sara nods. ‘The tour is run by a local family, and they’ve invited us to have lunch with them too.’
‘That sounds great,’ I say. ‘What about you, Bea? What’re you and Marcus up to today?’
‘Snorkelling,’ Bea says. ‘We’re going to head down to the reef and spend the day there. Should be great.’
I nod. ‘That sounds amazing. And you, Lacey?’
She looks surprised that I’ve asked her. ‘We’re going for a waterfall hike. It wasn’t my first choice. I wanted to check out the beach, but Danny really wanted to give it a go, so…’ She shrugs.
I resist the urge to grimace and hope I manage to school my expression into something more smile-like. ‘We’re doing the waterfall hike too.’
I picked the hike excursion specifically because Penelope promised that the hike wouldn’t be too strenuous and that it culminates with a beautiful blue lagoon. Penelope actually called it ‘the perfect romantic hideaway’, which probably would have sold me on the excursion if our relationship were real. When she first mentioned it, I imagined taking a flurry of photos and videos of Cash and me playing up the dutiful loved-up couple role in the lagoon.
My excitement for the excursion has since dwindled significantly.
I don’t particularly want to spend the day traipsing through the jungle with Lacey, and cuddling up with Cash in somewhere dubbed ‘the perfect romantic hideaway’ is not at the top of my wish list right now. But it’s too late to change my mind. The excursion has been booked, and we’re due to head off in an hour or so.
‘Ooh,fun,’ Lacey says. ‘It’ll be just like a double date! You know, I didn’t get the chance to apologise last night, but—’
I hold a hand up to stop her. I don’t want to relive last night again. ‘It’s fine, Lacey. Let’s just forget it ever happened.’
Lacey’s smile is full of relief. ‘Got it.’
After breakfast, I head back to the suite quickly to grab some comfortable trainers for the hike. As soon as I step into the suite, the bathroom door opens, and Cash comes sauntering out. I hate the way my throat goes dry as I take in his still-glistening body and the towel wrapped low around his waist. He doesn’t deserve my attraction.
‘Oh,’ he says, blinking down at me. ‘Morning, Bailey.’
‘Good morning,’ I say curtly as I storm past him with barely a glance. ‘We’re due at the front desk in ten minutes to leave for the hike.’ I rifle through my suitcase and pick out my most comfortable pair of trainers hidden amongst a sea of strappy sandals and heels. ‘I’ll see you down there.’
‘Bailey, wait.’
He moves to grab my arm as I brush past him, but I shake him off.
‘What?’ I spit, whirling around to face him. Even I’m surprised by the amount of venom I can hear in my voice. ‘What do you want, Cash?’
‘Last night—’
‘Last night, you were just doing what I asked you to, and things got out of hand,’ I say through gritted teeth. ‘I get it. It didn’t mean anything. Don’t worry. I won’t make that mistake again.’
Maybe if I say it enough times, I’ll believe it too.
‘Bailey.’
