Page 32 of Once Upon a Holiday Vacation
“Over there,” Easton pointed, his voice barely audible above the din. I followed his gaze to a pair of unoccupied lounge chairs near the bar.
As we settled in, I couldn’t help but notice how the sunlight caught in his dark hair, picking up the colors of his natural highlights. He looked so sweet, so beautiful, it made my chest ache.
“Want a drink?” I asked, desperate for a distraction.
He shook his head with a smile, sliding his book from his bag. “I’m good, thanks.”
I nodded, my eyes drifting back to the crowd. That’s when I saw him—Tanner, leaning against the bar with a cocky grin plastered on his face. My stomach twisted, but I knew what I had to do.
“Hey, East,” I said, nudging him gently. “Isn’t that Tanner over there?”
Easton looked up from his book, confusion evident in his hazel eyes. “Yeah, I think so. Why?”
I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “Maybe you should go talk to him.”
His brow furrowed, his book forgotten in his lap. “What? Why would I do that? You acted like you didn’t like him.”
“I know, but...” I trailed off, searching for the right words. “He seems interested in you. Maybe it’s worth giving him a chance?”
Easton stared at me, his expression a mix of confusion and bewilderment. “West, what’s going on? Why are you suddenly pushing me towards Tanner?”
I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. “I just thought... maybe you’d hit it off, that’s all.” But inside, my heart was screaming, begging me to take it all back, to tell him how I really felt. Instead, I clenched my jaw and waited for his response, praying I was doing the right thing.
I forced a smile, trying to ignore the way my heart was twisting painfully in my chest. “Come on, East. You’re such a romantic at heart. This could be your chance to find someone special.” I aimed for nonchalance, but my voice sounded strained even to my own ears.
Easton’s eyes widened behind his black-framed glasses, hurt and confusion evident in their hazel depths. He set his book aside, his slender fingers trembling slightly. “I don’t understand.What about... us? This past week, I thought...” He trailed off, his voice barely above a whisper. “What did it mean to you?”
I felt like I was drowning, struggling to breathe as I looked at the man I had fallen in love with, knowing I was about to break his heart—and mine along with it. I steeled myself, reciting the line I’d rehearsed in my head a hundred times. “East, it was just a vacation fling. You know how these things go.”
The words tasted like ash in my mouth, each one a betrayal of the truth. I wanted to reach out, to pull him close and tell him it was all a lie, that he meant everything to me. But I held back, my hands clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms.
“A fling?” Easton repeated, his voice cracking. “Is that really all it was to you?”
I shrugged, not trusting myself to speak. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to take it back, to tell him the truth. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t risk ruining our friendship, couldn’t bear the thought of losing him completely if things went wrong.
So I sat there, silent and aching, as I watched the light dim in his eyes, knowing I was the cause of his pain. His face crumpled, and I felt my heart shatter. He stood up abruptly, his movements stiff and unnatural. “Maybe I will go talk to Tanner. Wouldn’t want to waste either one of our time,” he mumbled, not meeting my eyes.
As he walked away, each step felt like a dagger twisting in my chest. I wanted to call out, to stop him, but the words caught in my throat. Instead, I watched him go, feeling hollow and lost.
Easton approached Tanner at the bar, his shoulders hunched, looking smaller than I’d ever seen him. I couldn’t tear my eyes away, even as the sight tore me apart. “This is the right thing to do,” I whispered to myself, trying to believe it. “He deserves someone who can love him and not fuck it all up.”
But as I watched Tanner lean in, saying something that made Easton force a weak smile, every instinct in me screamed to goover there, to pull Easton away, to tell Tanner to go fuck himself because Easton was mine.
“God, I’m such an idiot,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “Why can’t I just...” I trailed off, the words dying on my lips as Easton glanced back at me, his hazel eyes filled with pain. In that moment, I knew I’d just let go of the best thing to ever happen to me.
The rest of the day dragged on like a bad hangover, the ship’s festive atmosphere a jarring contrast to the heaviness in my chest. Easton moved through the crowds like a ghost, his usual warmth replaced by a cold distance that felt worse than any physical pain.
“Hey, East,” I tried, catching up to him by the railing. “Want to grab one last fruity drink before we have to pack?”
He shrugged, not meeting my eyes. “I’m good, thanks.”
I swallowed hard, searching for something, anything to bridge the chasm I’d created. “Come on, it’s our last day. We should make the most of it, right?”
His lips tightened. “Isn’t that what this whole week was about? Making the most of it?”
His words stung, and I flinched. “I didn’t mean?—”
“It’s fine, Weston,” he cut me off, his voice flat. “I get it. Just a vacation fling, right?”
