Page 39 of Shy Girl
Words failed me when Alison Dunkin righted herself and glanced up, a bright smile on her face. She waved a hand through the air.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, laughing. “I’m such a klutz after yoga. It’s like I stretch all my brains into my muscles when I relax and breathe deeply, then I’m all over the place for the rest of the day. What’s that last pose? Shava-something? I almost always fall asleep.”
She’d set a hand on my arm to stabilize herself—and me, I would imagine—after our crash. The mat that she’d tucked under her arm had fallen, so I bent to retrieve it.
“H-here.”
“Oh, thank you.”
She beamed, then pushed her sunglasses off her face and into her hair. Her eyes were piercing and kind, a blue so dark they could have been violet. Helene had clearly inherited her graceful looks from her mother.
“And what was your name?” she asked. “You must be here with the groom.”
My tongue seemed to have gotten too big for my throat. I attempted to reply, but it choked off at first. She blinked, but her smile didn’t falter and she waited with an easy patience that almost made it worse.
“D-d-d-dagny,” I finally managed. The word came out hard, as if my frustration could shove it out by sheer willpower. “I-I’m here with J-j-jayson Hern-nandez.”
Her expression brightened. “Yes! I remember meeting him a while ago. So handsome, if you ask me.”
Somehow, my brain managed to make my face smile a little. While she patted my arm and prattled about the trees and the yoga class and how she’d love to live in a paradise like this forever, my brain could only compute one single thought:
I am the child of your husband’s indiscretion.
Would it destroy her world if she knew? Maybe. Alison had a bright, shining kindness about her that probably stemmed from an inherent trust. What a gift, such an idealistic view on the world.
Could I crush that?
No. That wasn’t even on the table. But wouldn’t it be the result? Not necessarily. If Anthony had kept me hidden this long, why not a few more years? Technically, I wasn’t even supposed to know about the NDA. There could be legal ramifications on Mom for me even seeing it. If I were to break the news, the recriminations could be horrendous. And pointless. To what end would I want to destroy Alison’s life?
Was the truth worth it?
“I ap-p-pologize ag-g-gain,” I said with a little smile.
“The pleasure and probably the fault was mine.” Her hands were warm and a little gritty with sand when she squeezed my arm. “Thank you for coming to the wedding, and you let me know when that Jayson is all dressed up.” She winked at me. “Can’t wait to see him in a tuxedo. Forgive me, but I best be going. Better get my sleepy husband up. He’d sleep through a hurricane with open windows.”
As quickly as she came, Alison left. Someone called to her from across the crowd. She gave a little wave, and headed that direction. While going, several other women flanked her and they moved in a group as they walked away, laughing over something Alison said. Her departure felt like clouds skidding over the sunshine. Everything fell into a small darkness.
Vik had nearly disappeared down the beach, captivated by the girl, while Bastian stood several feet away, half-turned, as if he’d started to go to the grill and then realized I wasn’t back there.
“You good?” he called.
“F-fine.”
“I’m going to find Hernandez.”
The beach had emptied while I’d stuttered my way through the talk with Alison, and I still felt as if my heart hadn’t recovered from the shock. I pointed the other direction. “I’m going to sit on the beach for a minute.”
After one last, studious look, he nodded and moved away.
12
Jayson
Although I hadn’t seen Victoria in almost three months, I had a feeling she’d find me. Like she was a stalking cheetah. I, like a lowly gazelle, could sense that she lurked in the shadows. I didn’t know where she hid, but I knew she’d be there, because there was no fighting inevitability.
And find me, she did.
Fifteen minutes after Dagny wandered to the yoga class and Bastian ditched his computer to not-so-subtly accompany her just in case, a knock came on the open bungalow door. Victoria’s shadow preceded her into the room, but she stopped short of letting herself inside. I’d recognize that long, hourglass figure anywhere.
