Page 62 of Sunsets at the Beach House

“Which would be dishonest.”

“Or you could give it to Trina to give to her.”

Roxie nodded. “I thought about that. Trina suggested it. Even offered to deliver it. But that feels like taking the easy way out. I’m the one who found it for a reason. What that reason is, I don’t know. Maybe because I’m supposed to talk to her?”

“Maybe.”

“But I really don’t want to. I know Bryan lied to her, told her that he was divorced from me and Claire, but just thinking about Paulina gets me upset.”

“Why do you think that is? What is it about her that bothers you the most?”

Roxie thought before she answered, trying to find the true answer to those questions. When she did, it wasn’t the most flattering. “She’s younger than me. Prettier than me. And those things make me feel like I wasn’t enough. Like I lost to her in some way.”

“Nothing you can do about a number, but prettier is subjective. And you’re probably wrong.”

She leaned back to see him better. “You might be in love with me, so you’re not capable of commenting on my looks objectively.”

He grinned at her. “No, I’m not.” He gave her a quick wink. “But what you’re saying is that you feel threatened by her in some way? Like she’s competition?”

“Sort of. But not that she’s competition. It’s like Bryan choosing her makes me feel like I was no longer what he wanted or needed. It hurts to think how easily he replaced me. And it hurts to know that I made Claire feel that way when she found out about me. It’s just stirred up all of these feelings and, frankly, it’s made the happy memories I have of him seemed tainted.”

Ethan nodded. “All valid feelings. Do you feel guilty in a way because you now think less of him?”

She frowned and moved off his lap to see him better. “Yeah, I do. I feel bad that I’m kind of not in love with him the way I once was. That I don’t feel the same kind of grief I did just a few days ago.”

“Also valid. You can feel whatever you want to without guilt, though. You’re allowed. What he did to you, and to Claire, was not good behavior. He betrayed you both. And now you’ve found out he’s done it again. So it’s okay to be mad.”

She blinked at him, trying to process what he was saying. “How did you get to be so smart about this kind of stuff?”

“Because I went through a lot of my own stuff when my wife left. I did some therapy, too. It helped me see that I was blaming myself for all kinds of things I had no control over. Her choices were just that. Her choices. Not things I made her do. Which is sort of what I think you’re going through now.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I think I am.” She sighed, realizing what she needed to do. “I have to give Paulina that necklace.”

After her swim, a long, hot shower, and a quick dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup, Trina sprawled on the couch and put on one of her favorite reality TV shows, Bachelor in Paradise. It was kind of cringey, but in the way that was also highly entertaining.

Miles texted, too, to ask her about her trip and to tell her about Alex and let her know that he was all right. In turn, Trina checked in with Kat to see how she was doing. She assured Trina that she was fine, although bothered that she had no choice but to go to Landry tomorrow, instead of staying with Alex like she would have preferred.

Trina totally got that. It would be rough to leave Miles knowing he was hurt. She was glad they were spending time together tomorrow, and glad she’d be able to help him with Alex, too.

The show was just about halfway through when the elevator doors opened, and her grandmother strolled out.

Trina hit Pause, then jumped up to greet her grandmother with a hug as she came into the living room. “Mimi! I thought you’d run away from home.”

Her grandmother laughed and patted Trina’s arm, hugging her back. “No, my girl. But I did buy a home.”

“You did? Mimi, that is so exciting. Come sit and tell me all about it.”

“I will. Just as soon as I change into my nightgown. It’s been a long day and I need to relax. Did everything go all right in Port St. Rosa? Did you get your mother’s car? I didn’t see it downstairs.”

“We got it. She drove it over to Ethan’s.” Trina didn’t bring up the necklace. That could wait.

“Good. Just give me a few minutes and I’ll be out.”

“Do you want me to make you a gin and tonic?”

“That sounds like the bee’s knees,” Willie called over her shoulder as she went to her bedroom to change.

Trina grinned and returned to the living room. She went into the kitchen and fixed the drink for her grandmother, just the way she liked it. Then Trina set the drink on the little table beside her grandmother’s chair.

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