Page 12 of The Other Side of Paradise (Story of Paradise #2)

Ryan cut in again. “ Everybody, ” she said, pushing on the word.

“I’m here to set expectations clearly and lay out what I’m doing.

I’ve been deeply disappointed with the response I’ve gotten from some of my own family members, and I’m hurt in a way that will take time to heal, and I am not going to be the one to initiate that healing, either.

” She took a long breath, commanding the room now, and she put her hands up, placating, defensive.

“That said,” she went on, “I know also that a lot of people have been looking forward to this family vacation, and that a lot of people, my mother especially, have put a lot of work into making it happen. And I’m sorry that this happened now, and I don’t want to ruin that.

I’m not pulling away to punish anybody. I’m going to be more comfortable taking this vacation at my own pace with my friends here, and I want everybody else to enjoy the vacation too.

So let’s please put this whole thing aside until after the vacation, and all of you can enjoy your trip, and please don’t worry about me, don’t feel guilty over me, but don’t try to force me to come back either.

We can address this… whole thing… in more detail once we’re back from vacation.

” She took a long breath, and she continued with, “Is that something we can all do?”

The brother, clearly not the type for confrontation, spoke up immediately with, “I think that sounds very reasonable. Ryan’s a grown-ass woman who can do what she wants.”

The mom went guilt-tripping, giving Ryan a teary-eyed look, and said, “Sweetheart, I just want the family to be all in one place, to all be together. Is that too much to ask for?”

I felt like I was out of place. There was another guest waiting at the side, clearly wanting to get to the desk but not wanting to be a part of this whole thing.

I wondered if I’d be able to just slip away while nobody was looking.

Ryan sighed, squeezing her hands tight. “Yes, actually,” she said, voice tight.

“If you count Shane as part of the family still, then yes. I won’t be in the same place as him.

So I think I’ve made it clear that you have to choose which one of us to have around, and as far as I can tell, you’ve chosen him. ”

The mother tried with, “It’s not that I’ve chosen him—” and Stella cut in, glaring daggers at her.

“You absolutely chose him,” she said. “Why are you giving grace to her cheating ex-boyfriend instead of her? You’re taking his side in this whole thing—”

The grandmother cut in, talking over them by turning to me, and I tensed up as she said in a patronizing voice, “Miss, can you please just give me the details for Ryan’s new room so we can get her out of this?”

Ryan looked like she was losing her mind trying to work out what her grandmother was saying, and she said, “Grandma, it’s at another hotel . Allison doesn’t have any say in the matter.”

I snapped. Against all my better judgment—even knowing how these things worked, I blurted, “I wouldn’t tell you anything anyway, Ryan is my friend.”

The whole room suddenly felt like somebody hit pause—you could hear a pin drop in the beat of silence that followed, where the grandmother looked like I’d just committed a crime against humanity, before she gave me the most passive-aggressive look anybody had ever dreamed up.

“Look, sweetie,” she said, her voice dripping condescension, “that’s not how business works.

Okay? I understand you have a lot of feelings, but you have to do as the customer says, or you could lose your job. ”

I almost laughed. Gavin would try to stick up for me, but the management with the actual decision-making power?

It was anyone’s guess. But I found suddenly that I didn’t care that much.

This job sucked sometimes. And what would be a better way to go out than this?

Ryan stepped forward, putting a hand on the grandmother’s arm with a, “Grandma,” but I cut in with a casual shrug and said,

“You know, if you’re going to get me fired, go for it. I’m still Ryan’s friend.”

And then the clouds parted and a ray of heavenly light shone down through it, because Stella cut in between me and the grandmother before she could say anything, with, “Grandma, I swear to god, if you harass the managers to get this poor girl fired, I will literally never talk to you again.”

Oh, god. Stella was sticking up for me. I felt dizzy. She was really hot when she was angry.

The grandmother wasn’t as grateful as I was—she flushed, scowling at her. “Stella, you’re being ridiculous,” she said, and Stella put her hands up.

“ I’m being ridiculous,” she said. “You’re the one who doesn’t even understand different hotels are run by different companies!”

Ryan cut in with, “Everybody, please—I know you all have your brunch reservations and the matinee today. Go ahead and make them and let’s stop fighting.”

The brother put a hand up. “That sounds great,” he said, trying to smooth it over, and Stella went to un-smooth it over.

“No, forget that,” she said, righteous fire burning in her eyes. “I’m not going with anybody until they’ve apologized.”

The mother gave her a pleading look. “ Stella ,” she said. “We can’t go losing all our daughters now.”

Right, well, I was no parenting counselor, but I was pretty sure the easy solution then was to stop pissing off the daughters. But I kept that part to myself. Ryan put a hand on Stella’s shoulder. “Stella,” she said. “You love live music. Go, go.”

Stella shook her head, cheeks flushed pink, and she said, “Not if I’m… absolutely… furious with the people I’m seeing it with. I’m not going.”

The brother sighed, a hand to his forehead, and said under his breath, “This is about the lifeguard…”

“Stella,” the grandmother stepped in, chiding her, “stop being childish.”

Childish? Stella was being childish? For actually having the guts to speak up instead of throwing a passive-aggressive fit at the front desk?

I lost my temper in the way service workers did, speaking in my best patronizing customer-service voice.

“Ma’am,” I said, pulling everyone’s attention back to me, “if you’re scheduled for brunch before the one PM matinee at the King Theater, you should probably move. Your reservation must be coming.”

The grandmother scowled at me. I couldn’t help smiling wider as I followed up,

“If you’re debating whether it’s childish for somebody to stand up for her sister, then maybe you can debate it over brunch.”

Stella laughed. Oh, god, I’d made her laugh.

I saw stars. The grandmother went marble-white, drawing herself up taller with a long breath in, and Stella stepped in between us again.

“Don’t even think about complaining to her manager,” she said.

“Like I said. This girl loses her job because of you, and I don’t know you anymore.

Okay? I’m staying behind. Get a move on. ”

Oh sweet baby Jesus. She was hot enough even just being angry in general. Being angry on my behalf? I was going to pass out.

It took a few tense moments before it all dissolved, most of the family members filtering out, leaving behind Stella and her siblings, and reality set in a little bit once I wasn’t trying to stick up for Stella Valerie Bell.

I didn’t know what I’d do if I lost my job here.

I doubted my parents would be thrilled if I went back because I didn’t have the income to spend the rest of the summer out here.

And I wouldn’t be thrilled to have to ask them for help.

I slumped against the desk with a nervous, awkward laugh, and I said, “Um… thanks for standing up for me. I probably shouldn’t have said anything. ”

Stella beamed at me, absolutely radiant, and my chest felt so tight it hurt.

She was so pretty. I wanted to do a painting of her face.

That would have been a creepy thing to ask.

“Hey, relax,” she laughed, her voice warmer and more genuine than it had been when we’d first talked.

“If anything, I’m hoping she does fire you now.

I’m looking for any excuse I can get to not talk to that old bag. ”

Oh—maybe this wasn’t about me. I pouted, hands on my hips. “Oh, I’m just a pawn on your board, huh?”

Ryan laughed. “Stella just likes to start things,” she said, and she smiled tiredly between us. “Well, Allison, this is my sister Stella. Stella, this is my friend Allison.”

Oh, I knew. God, did I ever know. But I wasn’t about to let it slip to Ryan that I’d already been thirsting over her sister from the moment they arrived.

Stella, thankfully, played along, smiling at me like it was our first meeting.

I guess our previous meetings didn’t mean as much for her as they did for me.

“Hi, Allison,” she said, and my name in her voice was wild to listen to. She turned back to Ryan. “This is the friend who’s been showing you around the place?”

“Her and another, uh—” Ryan paused, clearly trying to think of how to describe Brooklyn. I doubted she wanted Stella to know the details. “A mutual friend… I guess technically I met Allison first, but it feels more appropriate to say I met Allison through Brooklyn.”

Stella furrowed her brow. “Brooklyn? Isn’t she the bartender Shane tried to cheat with?”

Stella was clued into stuff, I guess. Ryan hung her head. “How do you even know her name?”

Stella gave her a wild, confused smile. “You’re friends with her?”

Friends was one way to put it. Ryan looked away. “Well, yeah. Why not? She’s the one who had the honesty and integrity to notice he had a girlfriend, stop everything, find me, tell me, and make sure I was supported through it. She’s a really good person.”

She was being so coached. I couldn’t help it. I smiled at Stella. “Ryan does like her a lot. ”