[Invitation to Eden 15.0] Return to Sender (5 page)

“The island knows what you need. Don’t you feel it? The way it pulses around you? Almost like it’s alive.”

Marc raised his brows at that. Alive? The island? It was a landmass stuck in the middle of a large body of water. How would it know what he wanted or even needed?

“Don’t doubt, man. Don’t doubt. I’ve seen things happen here that wouldn’t—couldn’t—happen anywhere else. Trust me. The storm is here for a reason.”

“It had better be a good one. I had plans that involved dinner and watching the sunset right on that dock behind us.” Marc scoffed.

Sean only shook his head. “If tonight doesn’t work out better than you originally planned, I’ll...”

“Buy me a drink?” Marc guessed.

Sean chuckled. “Sure, if that works.” He pulled up to a side entrance of the massive castle and parked the cart. “We’ll go in this way, a lot faster and less chance of running into a certain somebody too early.” He winked at Marc before he led the way.

His body was a bundle of nerves, but he attempted to keep his cool. It was difficult, though. In a little over an hour, he’d be face to face with Lauren, the girl his heart couldn’t let go.

He followed Sean down a hallway and out into a sheltered courtyard, and couldn’t get over the amount of people there. For some reason, he’d been under the impression the island wasn’t that busy this weekend but he should have known better.

“Crazy, right? With the storm, everyone is coming up to the mainland. Give it another hour or so and you won’t be able to grab a seat.” Sean led him over to a large table where his other brother and two women—he assumed the wives—all sat.

“Marc, this is Trev, and Tyler...” he glanced around and then shrugged, “will be here shortly.”

“He’s with Lauren still,” Trevor said. He stuck his hand out to Marc. “Good to meet you.

Marc looked from Sean to Trevor and back to Sean and caught the faint look of disapproval in Sean’s gaze.

“You’ve only got a little over an hour, so what do you say we get the games started?” Sean rubbed his hands together and looked about the room. “Ping-pong. Let’s go!”

Marc watched as Sean took off and shook his head. Ping-pong? Really?

“Be warned, he’s a fanatic when it comes to that ball and paddle,” Trevor said.

“How fanatic?” A man and his sport was never to be trifled with. Personally, he preferred rugby.

“Won state championship in high school and got a team started while stationed overseas a few years ago. The group is still going strong.”

Marc groaned. “What’s with guys and little balls? Give me a big one any day.” The moment he said it, he knew it came out wrong. “Rugby, dude. Rugby.”

Trevor slapped him on the back before he pushed him along to follow after Sean.

Marc was itching to do anything other than play Ping-pong, but it would probably be a good way to vent some steam, release some energy and waste time until after Lauren’s massage.

He checked over his shoulder to see whether Tyler had come in but he didn’t see the guy yet. Which worried him. They all knew the reason she was here, right? For him? Which meant, hands off, right?

But the thing was...Lauren didn’t know that. A sinking feeling hit him then. What if he were too late?

Maybe the massage had been a bad idea. Maybe he should have been the one to meet her when she first arrived? What had he been thinking? Why had he let Lexi and Paul talk him into spoiling her for a bit before he revealed himself?

How could he have been so stupid?

Chapter Six

She couldn’t move. She was literally glued to the bed and there was no way on God’s green earth she was moving from this spot.

The massage therapist had golden hands and knew all the right spots to work. She couldn’t believe how tense and tight she’d been and how amazing she felt right now. She tried to move her legs to the side but they were loose jelly. A giggle escaped before she could stop it.

Maybe she shouldn’t have had that extra glass of wine before the massage? She peeked at her fingers and smiled. That wine had been worth it because it meant she now had the prettiest shade of coral pink on both her fingers and toes.

“Do you need some help, ma’am?” There was a knock on the door.

“I can’t seem to get up,” Lauren called out. She giggled again. She knew how silly she must look but she didn’t care.

“This has been the best day of my life in a long, long time.” She smiled up at her miracle worker, who only shook her head, helped to adjust the sheet around her body and then pulled her up to a sitting position.

“Make sure you hydrate a lot before bed and tomorrow will be just as good.”

“Water. Right. I’m sorry we went over the allotted time.” Her pretty nails were worth it, though.

“Don’t you worry about it. You are my last client of the day and honestly, probably my most fun.” Her miracle worker smiled before she stepped back out into the hallway. “Oh, I placed some warmed up towels outside the shower doors for you. Enjoy your shower.”

Lauren sat there, hunched over, not really wanting to move any more than she had to, but then her stomach grumbled and she knew if she didn’t eat something soon, she’d pay for it later. The small plate of cheese she’d munched on earlier with her wine really hadn’t cut it and considering she hadn’t had much to eat all day...no wonder the wine went straight to her head.

She hopped off the bed and the sheet pooled at her feet before she headed into the shower just off the room. The hot water rained down over her relaxed muscles. She leaned up against the tiled walls and let out a long breath. How was she supposed to get out of here and make it to dinner?

It took awhile, but she managed to crawl her way out of the shower and get dressed. She was thankful that the summer dress she’d thrown in to the bag fit her properly. How they managed to find her clothes that fit her hourglass figure was beyond her. She normally had a hard enough time trying to find something to fit her hips and thighs while accommodating her larger than preferred chest.

“I hear you’re all done.” Tyler’s voice was on the other side of the door and Lauren’s stomach flip-flopped at his voice. She stuck her feet in her sandals, grabbed her bag and opened the door, a huge smile on her face.

“That was amazing.” She leaned against the wall.

“You look amazing,” was all Tyler said. He held out his arm and she reached for it. “Ready for dinner?”

Her stomach growled loud enough for him to hear.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I’ve been looking forward to this meal since you mentioned it.” The only question, in her mind, was whether she would be eating alone or with a certain muscular Greek god that could take her mind off what this whole weekend was about.

She preferred option two. She didn’t want to think about Marc. Not anymore. It was time to let him go, time to move past the hope she harbored deep inside.

Who was she kidding? Despite the sweet smiles, and the feel of his muscular arms beneath her hand, she’d trade this hunk for Marc any day. If the island really knew what she needed, it would have brought Marc to her.

“Why the frown?” Tyler stopped outside a set of white French doors. A warm glow emanated from behind the soft white curtains that covered the glass on the other side.

She shrugged. “No reason, other than this dinner signifies the end to an amazing day.”

“What if it wasn’t the end, but rather the beginning to something you’ve always dreamed about?”

Lauren just looked at him, not bothering to respond.

“The island knows what you want and need...”

She laughed. “Then the island should know I’m wanting something chocolate for dessert and then a warm breeze while I lay in the hammock tonight.”

“Just wait and see.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Leave your heart open, okay?”

Puzzled, Lauren watched Tyler as he walked away from her. She was really going to have dinner by herself, on this island where supposedly her dreams were to come true? Really? Whoever planned this day for her forgot one tiny tidbit of information. She hated eating alone. There was nothing worse than being alone at a table surrounded by couples who whispered sweet promises to each other.

She had half a mind to walk away and find her own way down to her cottage for the night when she remembered the promise of chocolate. And the fact she wasn’t sure how to navigate the maze Tyler had walked her into.

With a sigh, she turned the knob on the door and pushed it open.

The warm glow in the room surrounded her, the soft music that played danced around her but it was the sight in front of her, or rather the person, that made her already weak knees give out until she crumpled to the floor in a heap.

Marc was here. He couldn’t be. That couldn’t be him. Could it?

Whomever it was, he rushed over to her and knelt down.

Neither one said anything. Lauren couldn’t. Her mouth had gone dry and all she could think was why. Why?

“Hello, beautiful,” Marc said to her.

Marc. It was really him. She would know his voice anywhere, because it still whispered to her in the middle of the night, even now, after six years of believing she wasn’t enough for him.

She smiled and raised her hand to gently stroke his cheek. It was really him.

“I’ve missed you,” Lauren whispered. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and then struggled to get up.

With her hands firmly enclosed in Marc’s, he helped her up off the ground and they both stood there, their hands clasped, small smiles on their faces as they stared at each other.

“I take everything back that I thought about this island. I love it,” Lauren said.

Marc’s eyes lit up and he pulled her close. “I can’t believe you’re here. Really here.” His gaze traveled over her face and she loved the way he appeared to be memorizing everything about her.

It had been six years. She wasn’t as young, or as skinny as she had been back then. There were a few wrinkles at the corner of her eyes and her skin didn’t glow like it used to. Did he notice?

“I...” they both said at the same time, stopped and then said it again before they laughed.

“You go,” Lauren said.

Marc shook his head. “No, you.”

They were at a stalemate and Lauren loved it. Happiness flooded her soul and she couldn’t believe he was here, in the flesh. That it was his skin touching hers, his presence that filled her up...him.

Her hungry stomach beat them both as it growled loud enough to fill the room. Lauren winced before she looked behind Marc at the table and noticed the basket of bread there.

“Are you here to have dinner with me?” What a silly question, and yet...she was afraid to take anything for granted right now. It felt like a dream come true, having him here. But not all dreams ended with a happy ending.

“I thought that would be a nice way to end your day, if that’s okay?”

She felt a bit tongue-tied. What was she to say? Ask him how he’d been? Why he’d been silent for six years? Why he stood her up and never contacted her? Why he was here, now?

“I’d love that,” was all she said.

Marc pulled out a chair for her and she caught the brief scent of his aftershave. Still smelled the same. When he sat beside her, there was a brief lull between them that carried a sense of awkwardness.

She watched him, as he buttered his bread, poured their wine and did anything else at the table that would normally be considered mundane. She memorized the way he moved, the way he held his knife, cocked his head and even smiled at her. Everything she would need to get her through the next six years.

As much as this seemed like a dream come true, even she knew princesses woke up from their slumber. If they’d ended right there and then, with things being on the surface between them, she could have gone back to her room in a state of bliss, excited about what tomorrow would bring.

But then Marc had to ruin it.

“I couldn’t believe it when Lexi showed me a photo of the two of you on the beach.”

Lauren almost sputtered the wine she’d just sipped and ended up coughing instead.

“You know Lexi?” she managed to squeak out after her extreme coughing fit.

She asked the question again, despite his nod. It wasn’t possible. How could he know her best friend? How?

“I’ve known her for a few years now. Since she started to date Paul.”

Her heart sunk. He knew both her best friends. How, in God’s green earth, could they have gone six years and never once mentioned Marc to her?

“They never mentioned me before?”

He shook his head and then shrugged. His posture was suddenly rigid and he pulled away from her a bit.

It was only a slight tilt, but it spoke volumes.

“I don’t understand. They’re my best friends.” Marc heard the solid emphasis on my. “Lauren and I went to school together, and I met Paul during my trip to Europe, after...”

Marc nodded. “After you left me in Paris. I know. He told me all about it.”

“Paul told you...when? When did he tell you all about it?”

“Last week.”

“Last...” He’d only found out about her last week? She’d talked to Lexi a few times during the week, and there’d been a flurry of text messages between her and Paul yesterday over the wedding cake he was making for her client.

Marc nodded, a somber look in his eyes. “I wish I had known years ago...so close and yet, so far apart.”

Lauren let out a haggard breath and felt as if everything inside her was being wrenched apart. Lexi and Paul had been in her life for ever. How could Marc’s name never come up? How? She shook her head and rubbed her neck as she racked her brain to remember whether he’d ever been mentioned. He must have.

“What is Paul to you?” Maybe they were just passing friends. That would explain it. And she’d never really told Lexi about Marc, never had to. They both nursed their broken hearts in private, knowing there’d been a connection between them but never needing to explore the reason behind it.

“He’s my best friend and business partner.”

Her head whipped up. “What?” She pushed aside her half-eaten dinner and reached for her glass of wine.

“I know. How have we never crossed paths before? How?” He shook his head but then reached his hand over to touch hers.

She moved hers away.

She wasn’t sure how to react, how to respond, or even what to do. This was crazy. Crazy.

There had to be something he wasn’t telling her. Something he was hiding from her. She pushed her chair back and guzzled her wine, not taking the time to savor it as it slid down her throat.

“I’m sorry. I mourned you. Mourned you for six years. I thought I’d lost you forever...why didn’t you come and meet me?” She reached for the wine bottle; she poured the liquid into her glass and then gulped it back again.

Did she really want to know the answer? Wasn’t it better to live in her dream world, with all the scenarios she’d built up for herself?

“I mean, I know your parents were ill,” she stared down at her wine and swirled it in the cup, “so I just assumed something happened and that’s why you never showed up.” She lifted her gaze but he stared down at the table. That didn’t look good.

She needed to get drunk and fast. Maybe then her mind would be able to process this and stop her heart from breaking apart again.

“You never called me. Never said goodbye.” She hiccupped. She wanted to die from embarrassment. This was her tell, or so her sisters said, for when she was upset. “Never explained why,” hiccup, “you weren’t there when I,” hiccup, “returned.”

All the tears she’d cried in secret, all the whispered longings, the questions she’d never been able to share with anyone poured out of her and the only thing she now felt was relief.

Relief to let it all out.

“I’ve loved you forever.” She took a deep breath, calmer now. “I loved you until there was nothing left inside me, and you didn’t care. You tossed me aside, like I wasn’t worth anything, and moved on.” She wiped at the tears before she pushed her chair back even farther. Her legs wobbled as she stood there and she was suddenly nervous that she’d fall down again, at his feet.

Oh God. She wanted him to deny it, to give her an explanation that made perfect sense, one she could easily forgive and understand. Like his mom was on her deathbed, or an emergency had come up and he’d tried to get there but... All he did was sit there, his gaze downward, as if he were too embarrassed by her reactions.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said.

She waited for something else, for an explanation, but he just sat there. And the longer he sat there, the more her ire picked up until she wasn’t embarrassed but rather angry with him and his lack of response.

“I’m sorry? That’s all you have to say?”

He finally looked up then and in that moment, she knew, no matter what he said, she would rather have lived with not knowing.

“We were just kids.”

Lauren took another drink of her wine and sputtered at that.

“Just kids? It was only six years ago, Marc. I’m almost thirty now. I think I was more than just a kid.” If he dared to use that as an excuse...

“I’m sorry. That came out wrong.” Marc sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. She could tell he was nervous.

“I made a mistake. One I’ve regretted every day since.”

She swallowed hard. She wanted to stop him, to tell him to stop, but she couldn’t. She knew, though, that she would hate everything he was about to tell her. Everything she’d worried about but never wanted to admit.

“You never came, did you?” she said.

He shook his head. “I couldn’t.”

She almost sighed with relief. He didn’t come because his mother was sick. That had to be it.