Page 19

Chapter Eighteen

After Ethan left, I joined Andrew on the deck. His face was tight, his eyes somewhat bleak. He didn't look like someone who'd killed his ex. He looked like a man who was grieving.

"Are you all right?" I asked quietly.

He drew in a deep breath before turning to look at me. "Not really. I know you didn't like Allison, that you were suspicious of her, but I can't believe she's dead. I don't understand how this could have happened."

"I know. It's terrible."

"Terrible?" he questioned. "I'm sure you don't feel that bad."

I was a little taken aback by his sharp tone. "I wanted her to leave the island; I didn’t want her to die."

"Well, it looks like she won't be bothering either of us anymore," he said harshly. He turned back to look at the sea, his jaw set in stone.

"Do you want me to tell Megan to push things back at the spa or cancel?" I asked quietly.

He didn't answer right away. Then he said, "No. We can't do that. We made a commitment. We have to honor it."

"These are extreme circumstances. You lost a friend."

"We're doing it," he said. "I'll take a quick shower and then we'll go."

As he moved past me, I put my hand on his arm. "Andrew, I am sorry. I know she was your friend."

"She was," he said tightly. "But there's nothing I can do about what happened, and we're obligated to show up at the spa, so I'm going to change."

"What about Colin and Jay? Do you want to talk to them?"

"I'll do that in the other room."

After he left, I rested my arms on the rail and gazed out at the view. The sea looked so calm from here…gently rippling waves, diamond lights dancing down from the sun and skipping along the surface. But it had felt turbulent and dangerous when I was in that water, and it could have easily been my grave. If the yacht hadn't turned around, if Harper hadn't noticed I was gone, I'd be dead now, too.

I was so sure Allison had been the one who shoved me into the water. Now I had to question if I was wrong.

And if she hadn't accidentally fallen to her death, then someone had pushed her, too.

Maybe the same someone who had tried to get rid of me.

But Allison and I didn't go together. We barely knew each other, and what we knew, we didn't like. What possible connection could there be?

The question ran around in my head, landing on one rather unbelievable theory…

What if Allison had been killed because she'd tried to hurt me?

Had it been revenge?

Or had it been a punishment for her failure to get rid of me? Maybe someone else had paid her to get me out of the way, but I hadn't died, and she knew too much.

If any of that was true, then Andrew was the connector. Actually, even without those motivations, he was the link between Allison and me. She'd died, and I hadn't. But someone had gone after both of us.

It couldn't be Andrew , I told myself, desperate to believe that. There had been real fear in his eyes when he'd jumped into the ocean to save me and later when he was watching me fight to warm up under heated blankets with an IV in my arm. There was no way he'd pushed me into the ocean.

Andrew was upset about Allison's death, too. I could see the pain in his eyes and hear it in his voice. He might have been angry with her. They might have had an uncomfortable breakup. He might have even been annoyed with how she was treating me. But I couldn't believe he wanted her dead.

It had to be someone else, and I could think of a few people who also hadn't wanted Allison on the island. Colin and Allison had been arguing the night of my wedding. Paula Carrington hadn't liked Allison ingratiating her way into Victor's life. Even Bennett had mentioned his concern about that. But Allison had been on the yacht yesterday, and if the Carringtons didn't like her, they wouldn't have invited her to have lunch with them and go on a cruise.

Which left me with…no one.

I had to be missing something. Or maybe I just wanted to overlook the number one suspect because he was my husband.

We arrived at the spa a few minutes after eleven. When we stepped inside the building that was set at the back of the hotel with a sparkling waterfall fountain at its entrance, it felt like we were entering another world. The reception area had floor-to-ceiling windows that framed a view of the ocean and the cliffs. The air was cool and smelled of lavender and eucalyptus, which was instantly calming. Soft, natural light poured through skylights, illuminating the pale stone floors and walls textured with warm wood paneling. On the outside deck, plush lounge chairs draped with crisp white towels were arranged near an infinity pool that seemed to spill into the horizon.

I wished we were here just to relax, but we'd barely checked in when Megan and her team entered with lights and cameras that were completely destroying the soothing atmosphere.

Megan came up to me, her expression tense and worried. "Sorry I'm late. I just had a long conversation with Bennett and Victor about an incident that occurred last night." Megan's gaze drifted to Andrew. "Are you aware of what's happened?"

"We are," he said shortly. "And I don't think this is the place to discuss it."

"No," Megan agreed. "But I know you were close to the individual in question, and I wasn't sure you were up for this today. You or Lauren," she added, giving me a concerned look. "You went through a lot yesterday."

"I'm feeling better now, and Andrew and I are willing to continue with the plan for today."

Relief ran through Megan's gaze. She was trying to be polite and compassionate, but she also had a job to do. "If you're sure," she said. "That would be great. I was hoping we wouldn't have to reschedule."

"Let's do it," Andrew said.

"I'm going to send Tony with you, Andrew. He'll take some shots with you getting ready for your massage and the men's lounge area. Why don't you get started? And then you'll meet back up with Lauren for the couple's massage, which will be done on the garden patio."

"Fine." Andrew headed toward the men's locker room so fast that Tony had to jog to catch up to him.

"Is Andrew okay?" Megan asked me, pulling me to one side of the reception area, away from the women behind the counter and also from Elisa, who would shoot photos of me in the women's lounge.

"He's upset," I murmured. "But he doesn't want to let anyone down. Neither do I."

"I know I've been a little rough on you at times and probably too demanding—" Megan said.

"Probably?" I interrupted with a smile.

She tipped her head. "Okay, definitely. There's a lot riding on this campaign, with Victor and Bennett being so heavily involved. I never saw Bennett as competition before because he barely worked. I thought he just wanted to enjoy his father's money, but suddenly he has his nose in everything, and he's continually second-guessing me. I've been doing marketing for years. He's been doing it for like three months, and he thinks he knows more than I do. But I have to deal with him because he's the boss."

"I know he can be challenging, but he is building relationships with very popular influencers and going after a non-traditional customer market for Carrington Resorts. Maybe he brings a fresh perspective that his father could use."

"I don't think they're getting along at all. I met with them earlier, and they were definitely jabbing at each other. They were also very upset about the discovery of Andrew's friend and how that might affect the grand opening."

"That's understandable. What is the plan?"

"Well, Bennett wanted to ignore it completely, but Victor felt sure someone on the staff or in the sheriff's office would leak it, so it was better to get ahead of the news by stressing it was an accident. Victor wants to control the narrative."

"I agree with Victor."

"So do I, and I said that, which didn't go over well with Bennett. Anyway, besides that incident, there's trouble brewing between Victor and his son, and I hope it doesn't erupt before we get through the grand opening."

"They both know how important this launch is. I'm sure they'll keep the peace."

"I hope so." Megan paused. "I feel badly about what happened to you yesterday, Lauren. I can't imagine how you felt watching the yacht sail away from you. You must have been terrified."

"I'm not sure that word is strong enough. I've never felt so scared in my life. I didn't think anyone knew I was gone."

"Harper made them stop the boat when she realized you were missing."

Andrew had told me the same thing, but I was still surprised Harper had noticed my absence. She'd been so into Colin; I hadn't expected her to be the one to realize I was gone. A tiny voice inside me wondered if that was because she'd seen me go in the water, like maybe she'd pushed me in and then had second thoughts about letting me die.

I shook that thought out of my head, knowing my insecurity was making me distrustful of everyone.

"I'm very grateful to her," I said to Megan, trying not to show any ambivalence on my face. "And thank you for the nice text you sent last night."

"It was the least I could do. One last thing, Lauren. We did film your rescue. I don't believe it will ever be seen by anyone, because it's not something Victor wants to publicize, but I wanted you to be aware we have that footage."

"I don't want to see it," I said quickly. "I'm trying to forget the whole thing, and I'm hoping this spa day might do the trick."

"Then let's get started."

The spa shoot took forever. It was after four when Megan finally called it a wrap. We'd had massages, manicures, pedicures, and facials. We looked good, but I didn't feel good, and I didn't think Andrew did, either.

As we left the building, I let out a sigh, happy to be outside and on our own again. It would also be nice to have a break before the party tonight. Not that I wanted to go to another party, but I was quite certain that Andrew did. This was an excellent opportunity for him to build a professional network, and it wouldn't be bad for me, either. I didn't think as much as Andrew did about the importance of a network, but I also wasn't trying to build my own business. And he'd done everything he'd been asked to do for the marketing campaign; I needed to do the party for him.

I looked over at Andrew, who was reading something on his phone. "Should we go back to the suite?" I asked, feeling a little uncertain about what I wanted to do next. While I was tired of having my photo taken and pretending to be rapturously in love with my husband, I also wasn't looking forward to being alone with him and probably ending up in another awkward conversation, because his mood today was all over the place, and I didn't know which mood was real and which was an act.

"What?" he asked, giving me a distracted look.

"Do you want to go back to the suite? We have a couple of hours before the party at Victor's villa."

"No. I need to talk to Colin and Jay about some work issues."

I wondered if they would discuss work, or if Allison's death would be the subject of their conversation, but I wouldn't ask him that. If he needed to mourn her death with people who knew her, then I wouldn't stand in his way.

"I'll be back at the suite around five thirty."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

He left without giving me a kiss. Apparently, he was tired of pretending, too.

Where did that leave us?

I had the feeling our marriage wouldn't last longer than our honeymoon. Not unless something changed, but so far, the only changes had been bad.

Instead of heading back to the hotel, I walked down the path to the harbor. I needed to clear my head, to get away from my own thoughts. I was surprised by the new cluster of small and large boats that had appeared since yesterday. Apparently, Victor's high-rolling friends had arrived.

The path along the oceanfront was flat and easy, and there were plenty of tourists about, especially as I neared the town of Avalon. Maybe I'd stop at a café and get a drink and a snack. It would be nice to sit outside and actually feel like I was on vacation for a few moments. When I arrived at the nearest waterfront café, I was surprised to see Harper sitting alone, staring at her coffee with a pensive expression.

I pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.

"Lauren," she said, clearly startled by my appearance. "What are you doing here? I thought you were shooting your honeymoon visit to the spa."

"All done. Do you not see my glowing facial-treated face and my perfect nails?" I asked, waving my manicure in front of her.

"Nice," she said. "You look a lot better than the last time I saw you."

"That might have been the worst I ever looked," I admitted.

"When they first pulled you onto the boat, your skin was so white, you looked like a ghost," Harper said. "It's good to see the pink back in your cheeks. How's the pain from your hip?"

"It's still there but a thousand times better than it was yesterday, and my plunge into the ocean has had no lasting physical effects, just psychological ones."

"I'll bet." Harper gave me a questioning look. "Did you really just fall in, Lauren?"

"What else do you think could have happened?" I asked, curious to hear what she would say.

"I don't know, but when I went downstairs, Allison was very close to the swim platform. She said she was looking for you because you weren't feeling well. I believed her. I didn't have any reason not to—until today."

"Today?"

"Colin told me Allison is dead, that she fell off some balcony at the villa she was looking to decorate. He said it was a terrible accident. And I couldn't help thinking how many accidents seem to be happening."

"Most of them to me."

"You could have died, just like Allison." Harper drew in a shaky breath. "I don't like the feeling I'm getting, Lauren, like something bad is going on at our resort. Every accident has a plausible explanation, but there have been a lot of accidents in the last two days. And we have a ton of people arriving today and tomorrow. I have to say, I'm not sure the resort is all that safe."

"I don't think our guests are in any danger," I said. "But I agree that there's something going on, and I'm a little scared for myself. I have to tell you that yesterday I thought Allison might have pushed me into the water. She'd been angry since she'd arrived, and I thought she was jealous of me and Andrew and maybe wanted to get me out of the way. But now she's dead, and I have a hard time believing it was an accident. So where does that leave me?"

Harper met my gaze, looking more serious than I had ever seen her. She hesitated, swallowing hard.

"What?" I asked.

"I was thinking the same thing, that Allison might have pushed you in the water. Colin told me that Andrew didn't like her the way she liked him, and he didn't think she'd ever gotten over him, even though she pretended she had." Harper took a sip of her coffee, then set the mug down. "But as you said, now she's dead. Did Andrew kill her because she tried to hurt you?"

"I can't believe Andrew is capable of that."

"It seems impossible," she agreed. "Maybe her death was an accident."

"Has Colin said anything to you about any of it? Did you tell him you thought Allison might have pushed me in?"

"I mentioned my theory to him last night, and he shut me down fast. It was the first time he was sharp with me. The anger in his eyes disturbed me. It felt too intense. We were supposed to go out on a kayak today, and he blew that off, saying he had work to do with Andrew. I thought Andrew was supposed to be honeymooning, not working, but I guess there's some deal that's time sensitive."

"I don't know. To be honest, Andrew and I aren't getting along that well. I've been feeling like shit, and I keep hearing little things about him that he's neglected to mention to me, and I wonder what else he isn't telling me."

"I tried to warn you that Andrew might have secrets."

"You did," I admitted. "I probably should have listened. But I'm hoping once we get through this week, we'll be able to sit down and talk about everything."

"I thought you were free tonight, but Colin said you and Andrew are going to a party tonight. What's that about? It's not on the official schedule."

"It's a private dinner at Victor's villa. I think he feels guilty about me falling off his yacht and almost dying, so he invited us to the party. It's not a photo shoot, which is a relief."

"That sounds very cool and important. Is Megan going?"

"I'm not sure who from the staff will be there."

"Except for you." Harper's gaze darkened. "You really are moving up the ladder fast, Lauren."

"It's not a promotion or a salary bump; it's a party. You really shouldn't be jealous of me, Harper. I've almost died twice in the last three days. If anything, I should be jealous of you."

"You're right. I need to stop comparing my life to others," Harper said, giving me an apologetic look. "Something I have to work on. And I need to stop jumping into what looks like perfect, because perfect never seems to be true. I don't have as good a feeling about Colin as I did before. He's gotten cagey, and I don't like it."

"At least you're not married to him. I'm starting to feel the same way about Andrew. But at the moment, we are tied together. I have to hope whatever he's being secretive about isn't that bad."

"What if it is?" Harper challenged. "What are you going to do?"

I met her gaze. "I'm going to try not to have another accident."