Page 116 of The Accidental Wife

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just cut it on some glass.” She explains, keeping the smile on her face, but Federico sees the sadness in her eyes and looks at me.

“Muchacho, what happened to her?” Shayla looks up at me pleadingly, and I force a smile on my face.

“She cut her hand, trying to pick up a shard of glass, and had to get stitches. You know Shayla, she’s clumsy, brother.”

Federico doesn’t seem satisfied with my answer and looks between us. “Who is this bruja with you?” He questions scowling, and I look at Sophie, who was watching Shayla with a frosty glare. I look at Shayla scratching her nose, trying hard not to smile at the nickname ‘witch’ Federico just gave Sophie.

“Uh, she’s—”

“Rico! I’m starving, enough with the third degree. We’ve come with guests to give them a taste of your magical Shayla special.” Shayla tells him, and he eye’s Sophie and Josh before he looks at Shayla again.

“Cuatro?”

Shayla nods and thanks him politely, “Si, por favor.” She turns her eyes to me, and I nod, catching the ‘he’s going to kill us’ look behind her gaze. While we wait around for the food, I watch Shayla and Josh, who are engrossed in a conversation about how Shay learned to speak Spanish. She explained that her mother was a teacher, and she used to teach languages before her father died.

“Here you go, Princesa, four Shayla specials. Bon appetite.” We all take our food, and Rico once again doesn’t take the cash I hold out to him. “Shayla’s guests are my guests.” He adds, and I shake his hand.

“Gracias hermano.” I thank him, he nods, and I see him exchanging looks with Shayla. She shakes her head and speaks to him in Spanish.

“I’m not liking the state of you, Princesa. We’re going to talk.” He tells her firmly and turns his chocolate gaze to me.“Keep an eye on her, Muchacho.” I nod and look at Shayla, who sighs, shaking her head.

“Always. Ella es mi vida.” I assure him. Rico chuckles and tells me he’s impressed with my Spanish. He seemed satisfied when I tell him she is my life. Shayla looks at me and discreetly smiles before she turns, and we walk while we eat our food.

“Oh my God, this is sensational. What is this?” Josh groans appreciatively, chewing on his paella. Shayla smiles proudly.

“It’s a paella.” She tells him after she swallows her mouthful. “I could honestly eat this for the rest of my life and never, ever get tired of it.” She tells him blissfully. I watch her from behind as she walks, and just like last time, people would call out to her or just run up and hug her.

“Shayla!” I jump when I hear Aimee’s voice shrieking behind me. Shayla spins, beaming, and waves the girls over. Aimee and Jo walk over to us, and Shayla introduces them officially to Josh and Sophie. Aimee eyes Sophie distastefully before she turns to Josh and smiles. “I remember you. You’re Cole’s head of security, right?” Josh nods, and they shake hands. Aimee turns her gaze to me, and they go icy instantly, and I sigh. “Cole.”

“Aimee,” I say back, holding her gaze steadily until she looks away. I nod and smile at Jo, who waves at me. Jo is lovely; she’s a lot more laid back than Aimee. Although, I am happy she has loyal friends who love and care about her enough to protect her.

“Uh, excuse me.” I look back when I feel someone tap my shoulder. I see a young redhead standing there, beaming up at me. She couldn’t have been older than seventeen.

I smile. “Yes?”

“Um, you’re Tristan Cole Hoult, right?” She asks timidly, and I nod. She grins, her face turning a deeper shade of pink the longer she stands before me. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but…” She holds up her phone. “Would you mind if I get a picture with you guys? I’m a huge fan of yours.” I rub my neck awkwardly and nod. Sophie beams and pushes herself up against me, and the girl looks at her and shakes her head. “Actually… I meant with you and Shayla?” She utters coyly and glances over at Shayla, who meets my gaze and smiles uneasily, handing her food to Aimee before moving over to us.

Shayla stands beside me, and I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her against me. I curl my other arm around the fan, and we smile up to her phone while she takes a couple of selfies with us.

“Oh my gosh! Thank you. I cried for days when I found out you broke up. You guys were so happy and perfect together.” She gushes, looking between Shayla and me while we pull apart and share a look.

“Obviously they weren’t sweetie, or they wouldn’t have broken up.” Sophie sneers, curling her fingers possessively around my bicep and smiling coolly at the teenage girl before us. I give her a firm look when she turns her gaze up to me.

The young girl gives Sophie a disgruntled look before she looks at Shayla and smiles again. “I hope I find a boy someday who will look at me the way Tristan looks at you.” She says admiringly, and Shayla blinks a couple times when her eyes well up and smiles at her warmly before she pulls her in for a hug.

“I have no doubt that you will, sweetheart,” Shay assures her, and they pull apart. We wave at the girl when she thanks us and skips off to her friends.

Well, that got awkward fast. After that whole exchange, Shay avoided me and wouldn’t even look at me. I sigh inwardly. I hate this. We continue to walk around and try various foods from different carts. “Oh baby, look, can you win me one of those cute bears,” Sophie chirps, wrapping her hand around my arm, clinging to me.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes and nod, letting her drag me to the stall where you had to shoot down the targets to win the prize. “What do we have here,” Josh drawls, picking up the gun next to me. What was this boy doing? Is he seriously flirting with Shayla right in front of me? I fight off the agitation and shoot down the targets, and Sophie squeals, wrapping her arms around my neck, and kisses me. I pull away instantly and sigh.

“That’s my sexy man.” She coos, pressing herself up against me. “This can be our baby’s first stuffed toy.” I look over at Shayla, who watches us with a saddened look in her eyes, which she tries to conceal with a smile when Josh walks over and gives her a stuffed monkey.

“For you, as a thank you for letting me join you.” Shayla looks at him and takes the monkey while Josh smiles at her charmingly. I was raging. How could my best friend make a move on the girl I love? Has he lost his fucking mind?

* * *

After we havesome more food, Aimee and Jo pull Shayla toward the crowd of people dancing when the music starts playing loudly. “These churro thingies are delicious, I must admit.” Sophie moans while eating. I ignore her and move over to the crowd with Josh, where we watch as Shayla and the girls dance to the upbeat Latin music playing. Shayla was dancing and singing along to the song. It took everything in me to not go over there and take her in my arms and dance with her like I did last time.

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