I’d started to fall under the illusion thatParadise Lovewas behind me, but the article was a giant reminder that people were still talking about what happened. That Tony was still trying to get his fifteen minutes of fame and dragging me into it. Our social media followings skyrocketed while we were on the show, and he wanted to build off the attention. Maybe I should’ve known this was what I was getting myself into, but I believed this show would be different. I was tired of blaming myself for it and now having Tony blame me for it, too.
I didn’t know if I wanted to share my side of what happened. A part of me wanted to say something to clear my name and move on from it all, but another part still hoped this would allblow over. One thing was for sure, I didn’t want to go the route ofReality Weeklyto tell my side of the story. Maybe I’d post something on social media and move on. I didn’t want this to be a bigger deal than it already was.
While it hurt in the moment, I was more than glad Tony ended things with me after the show, even if the last thing I wanted now was to find love. This summer was for me to find myself, rediscover my passions, and figure out what I wanted to do next. I wouldn’t stop being myself. One day, far in the future, I’d find a man who didn’t think of me as a handful, who didn’t feel the need to blame me for his issues. Falling in love right now would only be a distraction. I didn’t need that.
I was curled up on the couch under a blanket wearing an oversize T-shirt and pair of sweatpants and watching a romantic comedy. I might have been over real love, but I still enjoyed fictional love. Sue me! My hair was in a messy bun, and I could feel how puffy and red my eyes had gotten from crying. I was emotionally exhausted.
The couple in the movie was about to have their first kiss, but a loud knock at the front door had me pausing the movie. I pulled myself off the couch and walked over to the front entry. Confused, I slowly peeked behind the curtain.
Shit.I quickly let the fabric fall back.
What was he doing here?
“Juliette, I know you’re in there. I saw you in the window.” Wesley wiggled the locked door knob. “Open the door.”
Ugh.Did I have to let him in? He had to leave eventually. He couldn’t stand out there forever.
“I’m not leaving,” he said matter-of-factly, as if he’d read my mind.
A defeated sigh escaped me. I wiped under my eyes and smoothed out my T-shirt before I reached for the door, unlocking it and pulling it open. “Wesley,” I greeted.
“Juliette.” He peeked past me inside the cabin, tension in his jaw and a crease in his forehead. Hadn’t Lily said something about Wes and the cabin?
With him looking inside, I used the moment to take him in. He towered over me and smelled of mint and mahogany. He was wearing a simple navy tee and a pair of black swim trunks, along with his Lake Ridge baseball cap. His facial hair was a little longer than the last time I’d seen him.
My face started to get hot, the flush creeping down to my neck. Maybe I wasn’t looking for love, but I could still admire a good-looking man. And Wesley Richards was handsome, rugged, and likely could easily throw me around in the bedroom. Well, notme. A woman. He could easily throw whatever woman he wanted around with his strong hands, muscular arms?—
Not the point.
“Shouldn’t you be out on the water?” I asked. It was nearly noon.
“Lily and Eliza were worried something was wrong.” He paused. “And I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He tore his gaze away from the living room and looked down at me, his expression softening. “Are you? Okay, that is. You look like you’re heating up.”
“Oh, um, I’m fine! Totally fine,” I assured. I wasn’t about to tell him about what happened with the article—or how I was imagining his hands on me. “Anyways, I’m still not feeling well, but thanks for checking on me.” I moved to shut the door, but he was faster. His large palm pushed against the door, preventing me from shutting it. He pushed it open enough to step inside.
He took a moment to take in the space. I expected more of a reaction out of him, but his expression was stone. Wesley Richards had an impeccable poker face, and it frustrated me that I couldn’t get into his head.
“It looks different in here,” he said slowly.
“I’m sorry if I—” I started, not wanting to annoy him with the changes I made.
“I like it. It looks great. Like a fresh start.”
I nodded. “That’s what I was going for. For me, at least.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, eyes focused solely on me. “You just said you were fine, so why aren’t you spending the day with us?” As much as I wanted to look away from him, I couldn’t. And I especially couldn’t when his brown eyes were focused on me. It was the first time I noticed the golden flecks within the dark brown. “Is it because of me? I don’t have to be there.”
“Wes,” I uttered softly. There was something about his words combined with his soft eyes that gutted me. I didn’t want him thinking this had to do with him, that I was avoiding him. I knew he wasn’t my biggest fan, but we were making it work. We were being neighborly. “No, it’s not because of you. I just… I’m not having the best day.”
“All the more reason for you not to be alone. C’mon. Being out on the water is one of the best cures for a bad day.” Wes took a step toward me, lifting his hand slowly. He hesitated for a split second but ultimately reached forward and tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind my ear, his touch lingering. He ran his thumb along the side of my cheek before pulling away.
The action, and his touch, was so soft, so tender. I stared up at him, speechless, and gave his words some thought. Maybe he was onto something. I’d been looking forward to today since he invited me, plus it was finally my chance to meet Eliza.Thiswas the type of distraction that’d be good for me.
“Okay,” I agreed slowly. “Let me quickly change into a swimsuit. I have the watermelon and seltzers in the fridge. Could you grab those?”
“I said you didn’t have to get anything.”
“And I happen to like doing the opposite of what you say.”
