Holding back her frustrations, she walked out of the bedroom to find a huge platter set up for breakfast.
Hugh smiled brightly when he saw her. “You look refreshed.”
It couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“Thanks. What’s this?”
“I thought we could eat together. I have some time before my first meeting. Care to take a walk down the boardwalk?”
“Sure.”
She sat down and ate a pancake, some eggs, and fruit, and then they left the hotel room. The resort was right on the water, and it was teeming with high school spring breakers. It was hard to believe that had been her a year ago. She had spent her senior spring break alone. She didn’t like to think about that.
“It’s nice to be away,” she admitted.
Hugh stepped out of the way of some kids running down the boardwalk and pulled her with him. “It is.”
“I’d love to do this all the time.” She felt wistful. She couldn’t abandon school or the cheer team, but this was paradise.
“Well, what about this summer? Do you have plans?”
“No.” She hadn’t really thought about it.
“I’m opening a new resort in Barcelona.”
“Really? That’s amazing. Barcelona is beautiful!”
“In that case, will you come with me?”
“To Barcelona?” she gasped out.
“For the summer.”
“The whole summer?”
“As long as you’ll have me.”
She couldn’t believe it. Her brain couldn’t wrap around it. Even after everything he had done for her, she still thought it was crazy that he would want to bring her.
“I want to take you with me—not as Bri, but as Bryna. No more secrets between us. Just you and me.”
Her heart leaped in her chest. This is what I want. Right?
He didn’t see her as a sugar baby. He saw her more as…his girlfriend. But what else am I? When did everything spiral so far out of my control?
When she didn’t answer right away, Hugh looked concerned. “You don’t have to come with me. It would be a bunch of fancy dinners, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, lots of shopping. You’d probably hate it.”
Bryna laughed. “Okay. Twist my arm, why don’t you?”
“I want you there with me to experience it all.”
“All right. I’d love to go.”
Bryna returned to campus the next day. She’d had so many missed notifications that she had turned her phone off in annoyance. She didn’t know what to say to anyone, and she wasn’t ready to be herself anymore. It had been nice to be with Hugh, away from reality for a bit longer.
She dove headfirst into classes the next day. On her way out of the film building, she found Eric waiting for her.
“Bri, can we talk?”
“No.”
She walked toward her car, but Eric followed.
“You were gone. I went to your place. I asked around. No one saw you.”
“Eric, stop.”
She ground to a halt and stared into his hazel eyes. They were so full of concern that she almost looked away. But she couldn’t. She needed her hard exterior for this.
“I have to process what happened this weekend. It’s not going to be like a light bulb where I flip a switch, and everything is better. The more you push, the farther you push me away.”
He pursed his lips, but she could tell he knew she was right.
“Well, things with Audrey are over. You have to know, I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t think anyone really could.”
“I’m not hurting,” she lied.
Eric gave her a don’t-give-me-that-shit look. He could see through her. “Okay, Bri. But think about one thing before I go. Remember when you said, at the national championship game, that you were only comfortable with me because you knew nothing could ever happen between us?”
“Yes?”
“It proves that, even then, you were thinking about something happening. You were too scared to admit it to yourself.” He threw his hands out in supplication. “I’ll give you all the space you need, but you’ve changed me as much as I’ve changed you. I want to give this a shot, and I’m not going to give up.”
Bryna swallowed hard. “We’ll see how long this lasts before you go back to her.”
“Knowing you’re within reach? Never.”
He was so sincere. It almost softened her to him, but then the image of Audrey hit her all over again, and she couldn’t do it.
“We’ll see. Good-bye, Eric.”
He stared straight ahead as she left. She was sure that he hadn’t thought the conversation would go like that. What had he expected? Even if I want to be with him and all would be right with the world, how could I when the thought of him touching someone else made me gag? She had hated the idea when she had thought he was gay! The reaction was so much more visceral now.
She was pissed off all over again, and she still had to deal with cheer practice tonight. When she got in her car, she turned her phone back on and noticed that she had another missed call and a text message from Trihn that basically screamed at Bryna to answer her. It was complete with all caps and a million exclamation points.
With a resigned sigh, she decided to put Trihn out of her misery.
What’s up?
Trihn’s response was immediate.
I haven’t heard from you in three days, and all you can say is, “What’s up?” What the fuck, Bri?
I missed you, too.
Come to my apartment right now! Otherwise, I will be forced to disown you—but not really. Just get over here!
Bryna shook her head. This was why she was friends with Trihn.
Okay. On my way.
Bryna drove the short distance to Trihn’s apartment and was greeted with a scowl.
“Where the hell have you been?”
“Atlantic City,” she answered truthfully.
She walked into Trihn’s apartment and lay back on the couch. She had prepared herself for this interrogation. God, my life has been reduced to one big interrogation.
“What? Why?”
“Hugh flew me out.”
Trihn shook her head. “That’s absurd.”
“Yeah. After school ends, he’s flying us to Barcelona for the summer.”
Trihn’s eyes were wide as saucers. “Damn. You have him wrapped around your finger. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course!”
“Can we get on to why you have really been obsessively calling me?” Bryna asked.
Seeing Eric had exhausted her. This conversation would surely only make it worse.
“Geez, you’re in über bitch mode. I just wanted you to talk to Stacia.”
“No.”
“Ugh! I knew you’d be difficult.”
“She’s the one who went behind my back to date Pace, and I’m being difficult?” Bryna ground out.
“Look, she likes him. Give it a chance. You never know. It could be over by the end of the summer.”
“Then, I’ll wait it out.”
Trihn rolled her eyes. “She was really upset after you left. What the hell happened?”
“Nothing. I couldn’t be there any longer.”
“And you left for Atlantic City, unplanned, and didn’t respond to anyone’s messages? Don’t tell me that was all Stacia. Even you aren’t that melodramatic.”
Bryna shrugged.
“Seriously, what the fuck? I’m your friend. Stacia is your friend. And you’re about as closed off as a brick wall.” She raised her hands and took a step back. “I don’t know how to be here for you.”