Page 62 of One Week in Paradise
‘Where’s Cash?’ Meera asks as they all drop into the empty chairs around us.
‘He’s just—’
‘He’s probably on the phone with hisgirlfriend.’
My head snaps up so fast. I’m surprised my neck doesn’t snap. Everyone stares at Lacey, identical looks of confusion mirrored across our faces. Even Danny looks uneasy, like he’s not entirely on board with whatever Lacey has planned.
I don’t know what’s going on either, but I know I don’t like it. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ I ask.
‘Stop playing dumb,’ Lacey says with a roll of her eyes. ‘I’m sick of it. This good girl act you’ve been playing this entire holiday.’ When nobody responds, she waves her phone wildly in front of her. ‘How amIthe only one who sees this? She’s a fucking fraud.’
Does she know? That Cash and I have been faking our relationship this entire time? But how?
‘Lace,’ Danny says sharply.
‘No, babe, I’m sick of it! She’s a dirty little liar, and she’s got you all wrapped around her finger!’
‘Lacey, chill!’ Bea says. She shoots Lacey a ferocious glare that sends a cold shiver down my spine. Remind me never to get on Bea’s bad side. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you’re doing entirely too much.’
‘Yeah,’ says Meera. ‘Whatever your problem with Bailey is—’
‘My problem is that she’s a fucking cheater.’
‘Again with this?’ I snap, finally reaching my limit. ‘I already told you; Ethan was cheating onmetoo. I didn’t know what was going on. I don’t care if you believe me or not. That’s the truth.’
‘But it’s not the truth, is it?’ Lacey snarls. ‘If that were the truth, you wouldn’t have tried to crawl back to him, would you?’
I stiffen slightly but hold my ground. ‘I don’t have to explain myself to you.’
‘Why do you even care?’ asks Bea.
‘Because I’m sick of girls like her!’ Lacey jabs a finger in my direction. ‘They have no sense of loyalty to other women. They havenorespect for themselves or the relationship they’re destroying.’
‘Ididn’t destroy anyone’s relationship. Ethan did that all by himself.’
‘And what about Cash’s relationship?’ Lacey sneers. ‘Whatabout his girlfriend? I suppose you’re innocent in this one too?’
‘I’mCash’s girlfriend!’
She brandishes her phone again, and this time I can see what’s on her screen. It’s Cash’s Instagram page. The name@CASHMONEY93jumps out at me, and I easily recognise the only two posts on his page.
‘What—’
Lacey taps on the ‘tagged pictures’ tab, and the page suddenly fills with rows and rows of photos.
My heart stops for a second or two.
‘No,’ Lacey says slowly, carefully. ‘Thisis Cash’s girlfriend. Her name is Naomi, and by the looks of it, they’ve been together for about six months.’
I snatch Lacey’s phone from her hand and frantically tap through the photos. She’s right. There are almost six months’ worth of posts from someone called@naomi_xoxoin Cash’s ‘tagged pictures’ tab. He’s not in all of them. Some of the photos are of fancy-looking plates, clearly taken on date nights, and Cash has been tagged as a knife or fork. But there are plenty of photos ofthem.
My stomach twists as I land on a photo of them together at a party. She –Naomi– is curled up on Cash’s lap, leaning into his chest, with a soft smile on her face. Cash’s arm is wrapped around her waist, hand resting on her upper thigh.
I look at the post date.
Three weeks ago.
Bile rises in my throat. Lacey says something, but I don’t hear. I can’t hear anything except for the sound of my own thudding heart.
