Chapter 22
“Because there will come a time when you think you hate me.”
Nothing made sense.
He didn’t, and neither did Avery.
I paced the length of the ship from front to back, around to the other side, up the stairs and down. I didn’t give one ounce of a damn if his family watched through the glass walls and thought I was a stark raving lunatic for the miles I’d walked aboard the yacht.
Garrett hadn’t returned, and I assumed he was in the stateroom avoiding contact with me. What the hell had happened? One minute the air crackled with fireworks, the next I was lost in frustration trying to solve a fucking mystery.
“He is in love with you, of that I’m certain. Garrett is in over his head right now because he hasn’t accepted how he feels, and for the first time in his life, he’s lost. He’s scared shitless, scared he’s going to lose you.”
I closed my eyes and tears slipped out from beneath my eyelids—tears of fear, of love, tears for the unknown, for a love possibly doomed before it ever had a chance to bloom. My track record with romance consisted of nothing more than misery and pain, leaving me with the remnants of a shattered heart.
Garrett was going to finish me off.
Fuck love.
This was the very reason I hadn’t wanted to fall in love, the reason I didn’t date and had planned to stay single the rest of my life.
Avery’s words replayed in my mind, making me stumble and grasp the railing. Looking across the sea at nothing, I ran my hands along my arms, which were coated in goose bumps. The windy afternoon had turned cooler, but I was certain the texture of my flesh had nothing to do with the weather.
I remembered how warm and gentle Garrett had been on the island, how he’d looked at me and made me feel beautiful by the thirst in his gaze alone. I remembered how he’d danced with me at the edge of the water under the silver moon, how his hands had felt at the small of my back and how they’d teased and tortured my skin. I remembered his lips on every inch of my body and how I’d screamed his name unrelentingly.
He’d branded my soul and tattooed my heart on that island.
Memories of every single minute we’d shared flooded my mind. I tried to figure out the exact moment when I’d fallen for him. Maybe it was the first time we danced on the shore on our first date, or maybe in St. Thomas when he’d kissed me on the deck after we’d both had too much to drink.
I cracked a smile. Who was I kidding? I may have fallen head over heels the first time I saw him in HR, when he stood against the window behind Cordelia’s desk like he ruled the universe.
Faltering, I gripped the railing so tight my hands blanched, and I jerked my head up to stare into the horizon. I cursed fate, cursed it for the cruel joke of giving me something I had to let go of.
We were never meant to be forever, but I didn’t want him to be yesterday so soon.
Garrett wasn’t Jason—not even close. He’d been honest about everything…until now. Now he ran from the fucking truth.
“What are you keeping from me, Garrett?” I whispered into the salty breeze.
Did it matter? Was it truly something so bad I’d hate him?
Was it possible for me to hate him?
More of Avery’s words swept into my thoughts, and I closed my eyes, absorbing them.
“The thing is, when your soul mate does everything in their power to protect the one person they love, decisions may be made that aren’t the wisest or smartest. It’s okay to be angry or hurt, but no matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to hate them. You can be mad, and it’s okay to be pissed. In the end, it’s called forgiveness.”
“Forgive what?” I demanded.
Shoving away from the rail, I knew the battle to find out was about to begin. Crossing the deck, I felt like I was in the eye of a category five hurricane, about to jump through the eye wall and into the next surge of the violent storm that was Garrett Mitchell.
In a matter of seconds, I barged inside the stateroom we were sharing. It was empty, completely void of all things Garrett. His suitcase no longer lay on the sofa. His shoes no longer sat on the floor. I walked into the bathroom, finding none of his toiletries.
He was gone.
I slung open the adjoining door to where he had been supposed to sleep—nothing.
It was a picture-perfect room with a pristinely made bed that obviously had not been slept in, and there wasn’t a trace of his belongings.
What the hell?
I took the stairs two at a time then barged into the living area. Jovial laughter filled the space as Gammy told a story. All eyes turned toward me as I made my hasty entry, panting.
“Where is he?” I bit out with urgency.
No one spoke at first.
“I need to talk to Garrett. Does anyone know where he is?”
His dad cleared his throat. “He’s asked for complete privacy tonight. He’s resting.”
“You can either tell me or I’ll bang on every door until I find him myself.”
“You can try, but I assure you he won’t answer. He’s resting.” John Mitchell pinned me with an icy stare as if daring me to challenge him again.
Gammy rose from the chair, her honest eyes locked on mine. “He needs a good night’s rest without any of us interrupting. Please respect this so perhaps in the morning he’ll be back to normal. This took more of a toll on him than any of us thought.”
Bullshit.
While whatever had happened had taken a toll on him, it was more than that. My eyes landed on Avery—she was likely the only one in the room who knew the truth. She darted her gaze away and maintained a stubborn expression.
“Give him time,” Gammy called out in a soft voice.
Time.
I knew more than anyone about time and patience. My mother’s prognosis had taught me the hard lesson of waiting, but this had nothing to do with time. It had to do with him being a coward and running from the truth.
“When will we be in St. Thomas?”
“I just spoke with the captain—in the morning around ten,” Stone answered.
“I’m not sure I told you all, but thank you for everything.”
“Nonsense. We’re all so glad you two were found in one piece,” Mrs. Mitchell answered.
“Would you like a sandwich? I made some chicken salad a little while ago,” Gammy asked.
I nodded, though I didn’t have much of an appetite. “That would be nice, thank you. Afterward I’d like to call my mother before getting some rest myself.”
“I’ll help you.” Gammy turned toward the kitchen.
“Oh no, I can manage.”
“Hush now, it’ll give me something to do.”
We shuffled around in the kitchen and after preparing a delicious looking sandwich, I stared glumly at the plate. Garrett’s grandmother added a sliced pickle and a spoonful of fruit salad mixed with a heavy cream, making me smile.
“Would you like a glass of wine? It might help you rest.”
“I’d love a sparkling white if you have some.”
She opened the beverage cooler, which was filled with bottles, and poured some into a long-stemmed glass. As she moved it across the counter toward me, her soft pink-manicured fingers stayed in place around the base. I looked over to her, finding her eyebrows raised as she nodded.
“My grandson is a very strong-willed man, my dear. He can be…difficult at times, but I can tell you this: the way he looks at you is the way my late husband used to look at me when we first started dating. John Frank was also very strong-willed and difficult, and he needed a strong-willed woman, as does my grandson.” She arched both of her eyebrows upward.
Is she saying what I think she is?
“I believe you understand what I’m telling you.” She grinned and patted my hand before exiting the room.
I climbed the stairs, carrying the plate of food and the glass of wine. I’d shoved the phone in my back pocket and once I was in my room, I sat on the edge of the bed and dialed my mom’s cell.
“Hello.” The most beautiful weak voice answered, and I suppressed the sob trying to escape my lips.
“Mom.” Looking at the sky through the window, I silently said a zillion thank yous. “Oh, Mom…it’s so good to hear your voice.”
“Jilly said you would be here tomorrow.”
“That’s what I’ve been told. It’ll be late, but I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine,” she challenged, her voice tired.
“Are you kidding? It was like being thrown into an unplanned vacation against my will. The island was beautiful, raw, and uninhibited.” I tried to make it sound as pleasant as possible.
“You never could lie, Brookie.”
“Really Mom, it wasn’t that bad. The worst part was not having a phone. I couldn’t bear not talking to you or Aunt Jilly. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
“You were there. I saw you many times while I was under the anesthesia. Hold on a moment.” Muffled voices sounded in my ear before she came back on the line. “I have to go now my sweet girl—they’re waiting to perform an echocardiogram. I can’t wait to see you and hear all about that boss of yours.”
“There’s not much to tell, but we’ll talk as soon as I get there.”
“Love you so much. Jilly swears you weren’t hurt—promise me that’s the truth.”
“I promise I’m fine. Not a scratch on me.” Except a hickey from a man who’s about to meet his match.
“I’m so glad you’re safe and sound.”
“I love you, Mama.”
“Love you too.”
After we hung up, I felt bittersweet. I was so happy I’d finally heard her voice. I’d have done anything to lay my head against her and spill my guts, to tell her she’d gotten her wish, that I’d fallen in love again, only this time with a cocky bastard who thought he could shut me out.
The Mitchells weren’t going to tell me a thing; they’d already proven their loyalty to Garrett—all but one.
Gammy’s words sank in. Garrett needed a strong woman, and she was encouraging me to fight for us.
Foregoing the food, I drank the sparkling wine for a little liquid courage and wished I had tequila instead.
How dare he? How dare he take the cowardly lion way out of this and just walk away? I wanted answers, and I wasn’t stepping foot off that ship without him.
My stomach clenched. If he thought I might hate him, it had to be something huge, something I probably didn’t want to hear…but I was going to, and I was going to hear it that night.
Fuck his orders.
Fuck his relentless, ruthless behavior.
And fuck his running away.
I wasn’t going to sit on my ass and wait for him to come to me.
Can you feel me coming for you Garrett? Can you sense my presence?
Because I’m coming full force, and if you think I’m meek, the type of woman to bow down to your orders…you should have paid more attention to who I am.