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It’s like the end of every romance movie, except something isn’t sitting well. I don’t know if it’s the anxiety I’ve been feeling since I arrived at the zip line place this morning or if that small half a bagel I stuffed down my throat earlier is finally coming back up.

He’s still got me held tightly, and even though the circling motion stops, bile rises in my throat, a sign that the next few seconds are crucial.

I push away from his chest and do my best to take a step back, but the eruption of all disgusting things comes from my throat and projectile hits him all over the chest.

I try to turn, try to cover up my mouth with my hands, but that only makes it worse.

People jump back and when the lava has stopped pouring from me, we look like we’ve been wading in a sewer. Smells like it too.

There is a long pause and it’s like no one knows what to do now.

And something in my brain snaps. I dart off the platform, running into the grove of trees, hoping to hide for the rest of the day. Maybe I’ll just live here. I’m sure I can pull out some of those skills I learned back in the Girl Scouts. For the one month I was an active member.

I can’t believe I barfed all over my ex-fiancé.

Not ideal. Not in the same universe of being ideal.

I might need to become a hermit after this cruise. Even starting now, because I’ll never be able to face him again.

CHAPTER22

Landon

Well, that didn’t go as planned.

Seeing Rachelle do something that usually terrifies her is unlike any other feeling I’ve ever had. I kind of get it when my mom says she’s more proud of our accomplishments than anything she’s done.

Rachelle zip lining is like a dream I wasn’t sure would ever come true.

And then the doubts start pouring in.

Would she have been able to do that if we’d gotten married when we were supposed to? Chances are high she might not have.

When she looked over at me with those beautiful blue eyes, the same look she’s given me countless times in our history together, I was ready to give in. I was ready to allow her a free pass, just like I’d done with so many things before.

Rachelle’s mother isn’t the most accommodating woman, and with all she’s put Rachelle through, I didn’t want Rachelle to feel like she’s forced to do everything all the time. But maybe what Hillary said before was true, that I made Rachelle too dependent on me.

But here I am, covered in her vomit and trying to get my brain jump started again.

“I don’t have much, but here’s a tissue to wipe your face,” Tiffany says, pulling a small package of tissues from her purse. Her nose scrunches with the smell and I see her take an extra step away from me.

“Getting ready for your motherly duties, I see,” I say, and then clamp my mouth shut.

Tiffany’s eyes flash at me. “She told you.”

I nod, using the tissue to wipe at whatever is on my face. “She blurted it out last night when we were talking on deck.”

“Well, she probably did it to get back at me for kicking her out. What did you end up telling her?” Tiffany’s look is intense, and I feel like I’m in a courtroom being interrogated.

“That it was better we weren’t together.”

“Do you actually believe that?” Tiffany cuts some of the distance between us and I think she missed her calling as a police detective.

I shake my head, and finally force out in a whisper, “No.”

If anything, the more time I’m spending around Rachelle, even if for only a few brief minutes at a time, I’m finding out I’m actually more intrigued and in love with her than I was a year ago.

“Then do better. The girl is trying to get over you, but she’s waffling. I don’t think you’ll have a better chance than now to win her back. And if you screw it up again, there won’t be another do-over.”