Page 127 of Worth Every Moment

“Erica, wait,” I call.

She spins and flings one of her heels at me. “Fuck you,” she yells as the shoe cracks across my eyebrow.

Pain shoots like fireworks through my skull, stars dancing in my vision. I cover my eye with my hand, my fingers coming away red with blood when I pull them back to examine the damage. The other shoe follows swiftly, but this one I duck, and it lands in the sand behind me with a dull thud.

Erica doesn’t stop and I’ve halted long enough to give her a head start. I race after her, but she screams at me not to follow as she enters the cabin and slams the door.

Panting, I batter against the wood. “Let me in. Open the door.”

“Fuck off,” Erica yells. “Go back to the wedding. To your fiancée. Your family. They’re probably missing you.”

“Erica,” I say, thumping on the door again. “Let me in.”

“Never.Never.”

Muffled sobs sound from the other side of the door, and I slump against it.

“Please,” I beg. “Please, open the door. Let me in.”

“No. I willneverlet you in again.”

She says nothing more, and every tiny fragment of misplaced hope burns to ash in my heart, because hers is closed to me forever.

44

ERICA

“Psst. Erica.”

The noise rouses me from the bed, where I’ve fallen asleep fully clothed, head resting on a pillow that’s stained with tears and makeup.

My head feels muddled. I rub at my eyes, but the room is still dark.What time is it?

A gentle tapping comes from the back door. “Let me in. It’s Amy.”

I hurry to the back door, undo the latch, and open it to find Amy standing in the moonlight. Her pink hair is more vibrant than ever, and she’s wearing a full-length magenta sequinned dress, which hugs her curves and catches the glint of the outdoor lighting like a million tiny sparks.

“Oh, shit,” she says, taking one glance at me as she steps inside and takes me in her arms. “That bastard. I can’t believe he did this to you. I will fucking kill him.” She releases me. “You know he’s out the front? Just lying there in the sand.”

“He is?”

My voice sounds hopeful, and Amy wags a finger in my face. “Nuh-uh. Don’t even think about it. That arsehole is lucky I didn’t throttle him. He doesn’t deserve to see your beautiful face ever again. We’re getting you the fuck out of here.”

“How did you know where I was?”

Marie pops her head around the door, giving me an awkward wave. “Hey there.”

“This one was worried about you,” Amy says, nodding in Marie’s direction. “Come on, let’s pack your stuff. Everything. Don’t leave anything. No reason for him to contact you whatsoever. Take the whole fucking room.” She strides to the cupboard and opens it, pulling down all of my clothes and throwing them on the bed. “I’ve got a boat leaving in fifteen minutes, and when we hit the mainland, we can take the PJ to London. We’ll be home tomorrow afternoon.”

My stomach sinks while my heart thrums above it; the conflict makes me nauseous. If I go with Amy now, I might never see Seb again. And as furious as I am with him, that doesn’t feel good.

Marie hauls my suitcase out from the hallway cupboard and together they start emptying all my belongings into it. Meanwhile, I sit, dazed, on the edge of the bed amidst piles of clothes as they get to work.

It only takes them a few minutes to pack everything up.But the most important thing I came with is lying outside in the sand.

The urge to cry burns behind my eyes, and I swallow to loosen the thickness in my throat.

“Who the fuck is she, this Diana woman?” Amy says as she forces my suitcase closed, huffing as she zips it. “Where did she come from?”