Page 79 of Vacation with the Ice Queen
Serena's expression hardened, that infamous ice queen persona reasserting itself fully. "You don't know me well enough to make that assessment."
The statement struck deeper than Serena could possibly know—an explicit denial of the intimacy they'd shared, the vulnerabilities exchanged, the truths whispered in darkness.
"I know you better than you think," Lila said quietly. "That's what scares you."
She turned before Serena could respond, walking away with measured steps that belied the storm brewing inside her. She wouldn't beg for attention or plead for honesty. She'd done that dance with Sophie, diminishing herself through desperate accommodation.
Never again.
The path back to her cottage stretched before her, filtered sunshine through palm fronds creating shifting patterns that matched her turbulent emotions. Behind her, Serena remained in the doorway, a silhouette against the bright interior of the villa—watching her go, but not calling her back.
Some patterns were depressingly predictable, even in paradise.
Lila barely registered the familiar path back to her cottage, her mind replaying every moment of the morning's confrontation. The tropical beauty surrounding her—vibrant flowers, calling birds, the constant shimmer of ocean beyond the trees—seemed to mock her inner chaos with its perfect serenity.
She pushed open her cottage door, the familiar space offering little comfort. Everything looked exactly as she'd left it yesterday: books stacked neatly on the bamboo coffee table, a half-finished tea mug beside her meditation cushion, sea shells arranged along the windowsill. Yet somehow it all seemed different, as if her perspective had shifted overnight.
Without conscious thought, she moved to her small bathroom, turning the shower to its hottest setting. As steam filled the space, she caught her reflection in the mirror—flushed cheeks, too-bright eyes, hair still slightly mussed from Serena's hands. Physical evidence of a connection Serena was now desperately trying to erase.
"Damn it," she whispered to her reflection, unexpected tears pricking her eyes.
She stepped under the scalding spray, letting water cascade over her head and shoulders as if it might wash away the hurt along with the lingering scent of Serena on her skin. The heat worked into tense muscles, providing physical relief even as her mind continued its relentless replay."You don't know me well enough to make that assessment."
The dismissal still stung, a calculated negation of everything they'd shared. Not just the physical intimacy, but the quiet conversations, the vulnerabilities exchanged, the genuine connection that had been growing between them.
Had she imagined it all? Projected meaning onto what was merely a vacation fling for Serena? Created a narrative of mutual understanding that existed only in her own mind?
Lila turned off the water with a decisive twist, stepping out to wrap herself in a soft towel. No. She hadn't imagined anything. The connection was real; she'd seen it in Serena's eyes in unguarded moments, felt it in her touch, heard it in words spoken when defenses were lowered.
What was equally real was Serena's fear. The way she'd retreated into work and walls when that connection threatened to deepen beyond her comfort zone. The way she'd rewritten their story overnight, transforming intimacy into a "temporary connection" that required nothing more than polite distance.
As Lila dressed in a simple sundress, muscle memory carrying her through the motions, Marcus's warnings echoed in her mind. Had she ignored the signs? Fallen into her pattern of seeing potential rather than reality? Giving more than she received?
She moved to her small kitchen, brewing fresh ginger tea more from habit than desire. Through her window, she could see resort guests moving along the paths and staff members carrying linens and fresh flowers—the normal rhythm of island life continuing undisturbed. Six more days of this careful dance with Serena stretched before her like an eternity.
The soft knock at her door made her heart leap traitorously in her chest. Had Serena followed her? Come to explain, to apologize, to find their way back to the connection they'd shared?
But when she opened the door, it wasn't Serena standing on her small porch but Marcus, his usually cheerful expression shadowed with concern.
"Hey, sunshine," he said, his casual greeting belied by the worry in his eyes. "Got a minute?"
Lila stepped back to let him in, a mix of disappointment and relief washing through her. "How did you know?"
"Kai mentioned seeing you walking from the east villas." Marcus settled onto her small sofa, watching her with that gentle perception that made him such a good wellness coach. "Looking about as heartbroken as anyone wearing a sundress in paradise has a right to."
Despite everything, Lila found herself smiling at his description. "I'm not heartbroken."
"No?" He raised an eyebrow. "Then I must be imagining the dark clouds following you like a cartoon character."
She sank down beside him, curling her legs beneath her in a gesture of familiar comfort. "It's complicated."
"It usually is." He reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Want to talk about it, or should I just start the 'I told you so' chorus now?"
The blend of humor and genuine concern loosened something in Lila's chest, allowing her to breathe more freely for the first time since waking in Serena's bed.
"She freaked out," she said simply. "We had this amazing night together—not just physically, but really talking, really connecting—and then this morning..."
"The ice queen returned," Marcus finished when she trailed off.
