Page 40 of And the Best Man Ran Away With the Groom

“Ah, shit, I missed it. Can you do that again?” Oliver says.

Jolting a little as I remember Xavier and I aren’t actually alone right now; I turn to see Oliver holding his phone out. “Why are you recording us?”

“It’ll be great for the resort’s TikTok. We want to sell this as a magical, romantic place,” he explains. “Where people can come together and, you know…cometogether.”

Rupert rolls his eyes. “You promised you wouldn’t use that in any of the social media stuff. Narong and Junta want to promote this as a nice, classy place.”

“What’s more classy than simultaneous ejaculation?” Oliver demands.

“Well, as much as we’d love to help you promote the resort, we don’t really want this getting back to anyone back home,” Xavier says, gesturing between the two of us.

And I’m right back where I was an hour ago when he ran out of my bungalow like he was escaping a fire. I know we agreed to keep this just between us, but I’m caring less and less about that with each day that passes and it’s a little disheartening to know that he does. That’s really not fair, though; he’s only holding up his end of our agreement…

“Why?” Oliver asks, clearly intrigued.

“It’s kind of complicated…” Xavier hedges.

If he thought that would be enough to put Olivier off, he was sorely mistaken. Instead, Oliver leans across the bar, batting his eyelashes up at Xavier as though he’s a cat waiting for an especially delicious treat. “Go on…”

I roll my eyes. “It’s not that big a deal. You remember how he came here needing to get over someone?”

Oliver nods and offers me a sly wink. “I think that goal’s been accomplished.”

“Well, the guy he needed to get over is my best friend. They were supposed to get married two weeks ago.”

Oliver’s jaw practically hits the bar. “Wow.So is your bestie going to be pissed you stole his man?”

“I didn’t steal anyone,” I say indignantly.

“No one’s going to be pissed, because no one’s going to find out, because you’re not going to put us on your Tic Tac,” Xavier says, clearly irritable.

“That’s TikTok,” Oliver corrects with an eye roll. “What are you—fifty?”

“Whoa—why did you say that like it’s a bad thing?” Rupert asks.

Oliver turns to his boyfriend, offering a sweet smile as he rubs his hand over Rupert’s chest. “Don’t worry, babe, you’re still young where it counts.”

“You want to get out of here?” Xav murmurs to me.

I let out a wry breath of laughter and nod. Tossing some money on the bar for my drink, I take Xav’s hand and lead us back to my bungalow.

Once we’re inside, I decide to broach the awkwardness from earlier. “So…did you call your mum?”

Xavier’s face flames and he glances away awkwardly. “Uhh…I didn’t actually…”

“Yeah, I kind of thought so. You’re not a great liar,” I say wryly.

He cringes, offering a contrite look. “Sorry.”

“Was it Jack?” I ask hesitantly. “I thought maybe something reminded you of him and it freaked you out because maybe you feel guilty or something?”

Xavier’s brows shoot up into his hairline. “Jack?God, no.”

“Okay…that was emphatic,” I say, a little puzzled.

He lets out a heavy sigh, pinning me with a look of resignation. “Okay, you want to know the truth? I’ve barely thought of Jack since we got here. And not at all since all this started,” he adds, gesturing with his hand between the two of us. “The only time he’s entered my mind at all is when you’ve brought him up.”

I just stare at him, pretty much shocked out of my skin. “But…you were going to marry him. You loved him. This whole trip was about you getting over him.”

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