Page 71 of Caught Up In You (Indigo Royal Resort)
“Just stop with the nicknames, would you? I need to be strong here, and you need to let me.”
“I’m not entirely sure what I’m supposed to say to that,” he admitted. He wanted to scream. He wanted to make her understand she was all wrong. But he had no idea what to do. How could he make her understand that she had a place in his life?
“Take the Atlanta job, or go back to England and spend time with your mom, or something. Just go. Go and let me move on.”
“And if I don’t want that?”
“Then I guess this is just the exception to the rule. The one time the guest isn’t always right,” she said as she turned and walked away from him.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Leona sat at a small table in a dark corner of the The Casbah that was mostly obscured by the curve of the bar. It was early enough that most of the guests were just starting to migrate from the beach to dinner, and the late-night hot spot wasn’t even on the radar yet for most of them, so she was able to hide there without much of an audience. Drea sat to her left tapping out a text message, most likely letting Kyle and Dalton know where they were, while Maeve chatted with Charlie, the longtime bartender fixing their drinks. She could tell by the looks he threw over her way every couple of seconds that he knew something was up, but it seemed as if Maeve was doing a fine job of keeping him just distracted enough not to ask. When Maeve returned to the table, she carried a tray with the drinks Leona and Drea had requested, plus a bottle of tequila and three shot glasses.
“The bottle is courtesy of Charlie,” Maeve said, nodding at the brand-new bottle of liquor. “He said that he doesn’t expect it to be returned.”
Leona turned toward the bar and held up her drink as a thank you to Charlie, who simply nodded back to her as he wiped down the bar. He'd gone to school with her dad and she’d known him her whole life. When she’d started at the Indigo Royal, he’d been such a help at teaching her all the little nuances of how things worked and whom to avoid. He’d been ready and waiting with birthday drinks and celebratory shots for every major event that occurred for her, and it was no surprise he was ready and waiting with a bottle for such an occasion as this as well.
“He’s good like that,” Drea said. “Pretty sure he was the one keeping Dalton stocked when Kyle and I broke up.”
“He was,” Leona answered, sighing. “He w
as also how Uncle Gray knew you needed his hangover cure.”
“You wanna talk about it?” Drea asked.
“Uncle Gray’s hangover cure? I mean, it’s just a bottle of Coke. It’s not a magic elixir.”
“Not what I meant, Lee.”
“I am aware. I just don’t know what there is to say. He was always going to leave. His real life just came calling sooner than expected.”
“And you're just going to let him walk away?”
“What did you want me to do, Dre? Profess my love and hope that was enough to make him leave his life behind?”
“Yes!”
“Not how this works, Drea.”
“Would you stop being so logical all the time?!” she exclaimed. “I know you’re hurting. I know you also don’t want to admit it. Earlier today you were telling us that you love him. LOVE HIM! So I don’t buy the ‘I’m okay’ act one bit. You’re allowed to be hurt and upset, Lee.” Drea reached out and took her best friend’s hand and squeezed.
The physical contact was just enough to push Leona’s emotions over the edge and for her to let go. She closed her eyes and sat back in the cushy chair as the tears slowly started to fall. She didn’t want to cry. Didn’t want to let it show that she was brokenhearted—that he had broken her heart. But Drea was right, she did love him and knowing she couldn’t have him was ripping her apart.
“I do love him,” she sniffled. “But he doesn’t love me back, Dre.”
“He ran after you. That has to mean something,” Maeve offered.
Leona shrugged. “Sure, that we’re friends. Fuck buddies. I’m not saying he doesn’t care. He does—I know that. But he doesn’t care like I do. He doesn’t love me.”
The tears sped up their descent down her cheeks as she broke down fully. She couldn’t believe that she’d let herself get in so deep. With a guest. Not just any guest—a VIP guest who she had known from day one would have the power to do this to her. He’d already hurt her once. Just how stupid did she have to be to let him do it again? This was why she didn’t do feelings outside her family. She didn’t want to have to deal with the fallout.
She heard the quick shuffle of feet, looking up to see Kyle and Dalton rush into the bar. Upon seeing her tears, Dalton grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the chair and into his arms, wrapping her up in a bear hug. He was a full foot taller than she was, making it easy for her to bury her head in his chest as she let out a sob.
“Oh Lee,” he said, stroking her hair.
“It’s fine,” she said into his chest. “I’m fine.”
“That’s a lie, but I’ll allow it,” he said, his sweet southern drawl making her smile slightly.
