Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
“Don’t insult me with a lie.” Her eyes narrowed, full of fire. “At least have the decency to own your shit, zorra cobarde de mierda.”
Before I could say another word, Eli appeared in the doorway, concern etched into his face as he stepped inside. But one glance at the scene — the discarded clothes, Finn shirtless in front of me, the way I clutched the comforter to my chest — and his expression flattened into something I hadn’t seen from him before.
Disappointment.
His gaze swept from Finn, to the floor, to me.
“Wow,” he said, voice flat. “Real nice.”
He turned on his heel, shaking his head, and let out a sharp, humorless laugh that felt like a punch to the gut.
My stomach sank further, the weight of his judgment heavier than the luxury comforter I gripped like a lifeline. Voices stirred outside the door — hushed, then louder, pressing for answers — and Eli must have shoved right past them without a word because the muttering turned to footsteps.
And then the crew flooded in, drawn to the drama like moths to a flame.
One by one, they crowded the cabin doorway, peering over shoulders, ducking under arms, gasping as they took it in.
My heart beat loud and unsteady in my ears as each one of their gazes landed on me.
Finn squeezed my knee again.
Bernard was the first to speak. “Well,” he drawled, the corner of his mouth ticking up like a man watching his favorite soap opera. “This is awkward.”
“Shit,” Palmer muttered under his breath, rubbing a hand over his face.
But it was Leah’s wide, wounded eyes that sucker punched me.
“Em,” she whispered. “I thought we told each other everything.”
I opened my mouth to explain — to say I didn’t know I was going to do it either, that it was a mistake, that it wasn’t supposed to happen — but I couldn’t possibly hand her another lie.
And it would be a lie to say I felt anything about last night was a mistake.
Cameron stepped forward with a scoff before I could figure out what to say. “Safe to say that little moment with Eli last night was just for show then, yeah?” he said, arms crossed, his tone full of venom. “Guess you were just soft launching this disaster.”
“Cam, stop,” Leah hissed, smacking his arm.
He shrugged her off. “What? They’re lying cheaters and she led my mate on. Why are we pretending this is some tragic love story when it’s just bullshit?”
Bernard chuckled, suddenly turning toward the cameras with his hands up. He whipped out an Australian accent and crouched low like he was on a safari. “And here we have a rare sighting of chief stew and head chef in their natural habitat. If you look closely, you can see—”
“God, Bernard, will you shut up,” Leah snapped, rounding on him. “You probably encouraged all of this, didn’t you?”
Bernard blinked, caught off guard. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’re a little pot stirrer and you know it. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit if you egged this on just for the drama of it. You’re the one who dared Gisella and Cameron to kiss — knowing she was with Finn, and knowing Cameron was with me!”
Bernard scoffed, crossing his arms. “Babe, don’t be mad at me. Hate to break it to you, but your man’s got free will. He could’ve said no. He would’ve said no… if you actually mattered to him.”
That did it.
Cameron lunged like a viper set to strike.
Palmer grabbed him just in time, locking his arms around his chest and dragging him back as Cameron barked, “Say that again, you Sassenach bastard, and I’ll wring your fecking neck.”
Bernard just laughed, shaking his head as Palmer struggled to keep Cameron from losing it. “Upset I called out the truth, are we, my sweet Scot? Aww.” He made a pouty face. “You’d really be suffering if Leah found out you and Gisella continued to have a little fun after she and Ember went inside, wouldn’t you?”
Ice pricked my skin like a thousand little needle points, the shock of Bernard’s words hitting their intended targets perfectly. Gisella turned bright red, her fingers curling into fists as Cameron lunged for Bernard again. He was firing off a string of curse words in such a thick Scottish accent that I couldn’t understand him, but I was too busy watching Leah to pay much attention anyway.
And she was breaking like a fragile vase knocked off the highest shelf.
“Leah,” I tried as her eyes flooded with unshed tears, but her jaw hardened, her chin lifting.
“Don’t pretend like you’re my friend,” she spat to me, and then she stormed out of the room with the guys still clamoring for a fight behind her.
As soon as she was gone, another face appeared at the door.
This one was all business.