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“No worries,” he promisedas I modulated my walk back inside so it wouldn’t seem like I wasrunning away from him.
But I was running away from him. Like Iran away from everyone.
If you got far enough awayfrom people, they couldn’t take your hand and crumple your resolveand, eventually, hurt your heart when they realized that youweren’t worthy of their love.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
(Matthew)
Charlotte came back fromher walk and found me in the den before lunch. Her shoulders andchest were rosy from sunburn above the top of her bright pinkbikini.
“I forgot sunscreen,” shesaid morosely, dropping on the couch beside me. She nodded at theTV. “Is that all you do when I’m not here? Play war videogames?”
“Sometimes, I play a dragonvideo game,” I informed her. Maturely. I set the controller asideand turned off the TV. “You ran out of here awfully fast. Did I saysomething wrong?”
“Oh, no. Not at all.” Shewaved a hand in a dismissal I didn’t quite believe. “I needed tostretch my legs, because I’ve spent so much time on myback.”
I laughed at the way shewiggled her eyebrows on the last part of her sentence. “What didyou get up to, besides being sunburned?”
“Um, I watched people havesex on the beach.” She made a face. “Considering where sand goeswhen you’re on the beach normally, I assume itwas…abrasive.”
“It is. Never again,” Iinformed her gravely.
“I wouldn’t have asked.”She giggled. “Is it possible that being here makes sex boring? Imean, when I first got here, I was shocked and turned on andeverything was in overdrive. But now it’s like, well, there arepeople fucking on the beach. Over there, people fucking against awall. Hey, maybe I’ll go to the pool. Oh wait, everybody is fuckingin it.”
“So, you missed me?” Iteased.
She gave my shoulder a littlepush.
“I know what you mean.” Itruly did. As much fun as I’d had the night before, I’d been on theisland way too long. “I hope you’re not planning to take off early,though.”
She shook her head. “Beforeyour birthday party? Absolutely not.”
But will you stayafter?That wasn’t on the table for us.We’d both made that perfectly clear. “I’m glad you’ll be here. Ilike to share my gifts with my friends.”
Her face blanched.
“Oh my god, no!” I hurriedto reassure her. “No, none of the friends you met at the wedding.And definitely, your brother is not coming to thisparty.”
She held a hand to herchest. “Thank god. And if he ever comes here, you can’t tell me.Never, never, never.”
He’d already been to theisland, but I’d take that secret to my grave. For him, not for her;he’d been so embarrassed to even accept the invitation that he’dmade me swear on a literal Bible I would never tell a soul. “Ipromise, I will never.”
She put her feet up, acrossmy lap, and laid back with a throw pillow under her head. “By theway, I’m not bored of having sex with you.”
“Well, that’s good tohear.” I hadn’t assumed she was, though her bringing it up did makeme wonder.
“I don’t think I could gettired of having sex with you.” She played with the end of hercoppery ponytail. “Are you getting bored of me?”
“Not at all.” I lifted oneof her legs and kissed her ankle. “But you did say you needed abreak.”
“I probably do. My pussy isworn out,” she said with a snort of laughter. “I knew it wouldhappen, one day. I didn’t realize it would be so soon.”
“I’m sure she’ll bounceback.”
“My mouth isn’t tired,though,” she said, batting her eyelashes. “My mouth is kind oflonely.”
I played along. “What acoincidence. My dick is awfully lonely, himself.”