Page 27 of Shy Girl
“V-very sweet.”
“This is only my second time meeting her,” I said, “but she’s always left a good impression whenever she catches me on the phone or a video chat with Grady. Grady loves her, which is saying something.”
“I-I had no trouble s-speaking to her.”
“Do you struggle speaking to people?”
She tilted her head to the side, then nodded. “Y-yeah. If I’m n-nervous or tense it gets worse. B-but it’s not as bad w-when I’m w-with people I’m c-comfortable with.”
“That’s good to know.”
A calm stretch of silence fell between us next. After the rush of airports, plane switches, and trying not to think too far ahead to worry over Victoria, the quiet was a balm. Dagny leaned forward, her head canted slightly to the side.
“Th-thank you for b-bringing me. Even if th-this is all I s-s-saw, it would be worth it.”
My thoughts drifted to Victoria for just a moment, then I forced it away. Victoria looked like a black hole compared to Dagny’s natural luminescence. Between them, there was no competition.
“I owe you big time for coming,” I said wryly. “And don't get too ahead of yourself yet. The fun has just begun.”
My tone must have given me away because she turned to look at me in concern. “V-victoria?”
“She’ll be at the dinner tonight. Grady said her date stood her up and she's on the prowl for another one. She doesn't strike me as the type that likes being thwarted.”
Dagny smiled with one side of her lips. “Th-that’s f-fine.” She held out a hand, fingers splayed. I hesitated only a moment, then slipped my hand in hers. “W-we’ll f-face her together.”
My fingers squeezed hers. Victoria might make an appearance at the dinner, but that didn’t mean I had to talk to her. For now, I was content to avoid Victoria, and enjoy Dagny.
To me, that was the best plan yet.
“Then let’s get ready,” I said with a little smile and wondered if she heard my relief. “That island barbecue isn’t going to eat itself.”
9
Dagny
The sound of the shower across the bungalow stopped just as I slipped into my own bathroom.
Bright lights illuminated a petite bathroom with sparkling white tile floors and a green potted plant with fronds sprouting out of it, tucked away in the corner. I set my toiletry bag on a glittering black bathroom counter and released a breath that felt as if it had been trapped in my lungs for days. When I stared into the mirror, bags seemed to have already collected under my eyes.
I tore my gaze away, cranked the shower onto its hottest setting, and stripped out of my airplane-grubby clothes. The smell of Jayson’s soap drifted through the door and swirled through my nose until I ripped open one of the bars the hotel provided and passed it under my face just to distract me. A tropical, coconut scent followed, momentarily erasing him from my thoughts.
Yes,I thought.Go away, Jayson. You and your adorable friendship with Grady. Your warm affection for Helene. The way you smiled at strangers and accidentally touched my leg earlier on the plane. Go. Away.
The hot water eased some of the tense knots in my shoulders as I replayed the plane ride, the arrival, and finally my short, quick visit with Helene. Sweet, lovely Helene.
My half-sister.
Did lineage count if your family didn’t know you existed? Were siblings siblings by virtue of DNA alone? Growing up as an only child had always left me thirsty for outside connections. For anyone but just me in the house, in my life. Someone to lean back on. A tie to another soul that only came from something like life together. Helene was the closest thing I would ever have to that, and she had no idea who I was.
Water cascaded over my shoulders, sending away the grime and sweat of the airport as I lathered my hair into a wet mess of coconut. My thoughts traveled to Grady, my conversation with Jayson that still brought a smile to my face, and finally to the upcoming dinner.
Would Anthonybe there?
I sincerely hoped not. At least, not yet. I needed a little more time and a good night’s sleep to settle into this strange reality. The wedding was still two days away, which meant Anthony could be away from the island. Unlikely, considering the crowd that gathered on the beach outside our bungalow after Helene and Grady left. For a moment, I thought about checking in with Serafina, but held back. She didn’t know about Anthony and would only want Jayson details.
No, I wanted to see this through on my own.
Water sluiced down my back as I scrubbed the shampoo out of my hair, slicked conditioner in after it, and mentally reviewed my plan of attack. How tonotembarrass Jayson. What to wear. Mentally preparing myself for meeting a room of total strangers always required time, silence, and a lot of girl power statements.
