Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Quite possibly the best thing about getting so sweaty playing football on the beach had been the shower with Liddy afterward.

Callum stretched his shoulders back as he pulled a fresh T-shirt over his head. His leg hadn't ached while playing today, which was a satisfying reminder that his daily weight training was helping him.

But that satisfaction wasn't what bubbled near the surface right now.

He knew this feeling.

Not that it was unfamiliar or that he hadn't felt this way during the past five years . . . it was just different.

He was happy.

Lydia exited the bathroom, wearing a summer dress, her wet hair twisted up in a clip, light makeup—not that she needed it. She was naturally pretty, and the hours spent in the sun this morning had given her a healthy, tanned glow. She set her makeup bag on the bed, her gaze falling on his board shorts. "You going swimming?"

"Kyle asked me if I could help him work on surfing for a while."

Her face registered surprise. "Kyle?"

"What's that look for?"

She glided toward him, slipping her arms around his waist. "Nothing. But he might also test you. Kyle's not exactly a fan of our arrangement."

"What part of our arrangement?"

"The one where we're having a vacation fling against our better judgment."

Callum grinned, resting his chin against the top of her head. It's amazing how easy it is to slip into her embrace. She fit in his arms perfectly, and when he was near her, he wanted to be touching her. The sweet scent of her coconut shampoo wafted toward him. How long had it been since he'd appreciated the soft, feminine side of a woman? Or slept in a woman's arms? His nights with most women usually ended shortly after sex.

Whatever he'd risked by letting her get close the night before, by bridging that gap between attraction and a physical relationship, he no longer cared. Incredibly stupid as it might be, he'd deal with the consequences later. His rigid sense of self-control was furiously trying to break into his thoughts, but every inch of him wanted her in his arms.

"I'll be on my best behavior around your brother, I promise. Give him no reason to think any worse of me."

"Hmm." She stood on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss to his lips. "You may not be able to do much. If some sexy, relationship-averse womanizer was banging your sister, you might want to have a word with him, too."

Ouch? Also, she was right.

"Womanizer?" Callum quirked a brow.

"Can you really deny that one?" She searched his gaze with laughter in her eyes.

"Fine. But also, Isla's a grown woman. I trust her to make her own decisions about her relationships."

"That's very levelheaded of you." She grinned and dropped her arms. "I also don't believe you for a second . My guess is that Isla is the one person on the planet you'd drop everything for. So even if you trust her judgment, it doesn't mean you want her around someone you think will end up hurting her."

He pursed his lips. Funny how well she seemed to know him.

Her words found an unexpected mark, too.

Hadn't he warned her the night before that he'd hurt her?

God, what am I doing?

The muscles in his arms flexed, and he released her.

"I should get going. Before your brother thinks I'm cowering."

She grabbed a striped canvas bag from beside the bed and slipped her sunglasses on top of her head. "I'll walk out with you. I think I'm going to hang out by the pool for an hour, then come back here to pack before we all have to leave here."

Callum gave her a sympathetic look. "Are you giving up your plan to change Elle's mind?" As much fun as they'd had since the previous night, they hadn't talked about any of the important things that were affecting them both since then either. They still needed to get the damn wedding dress today.

And then there's the whole matter of Sergio , which he foolishly hoped wouldn't even come up again. He wasn't about to ask, that much was certain. Not after their last discussion about it.

"Yeah." Liddy sighed, then grabbed a wide-brimmed hat. "I don't want to make things more stressful for Elle. It was probably already too late when I made the excursion plans yesterday, but I didn't want to accept it. Letting go of what I might want may not be easy, but it's the best solution."

Callum joined her by the door, taking her hand when she offered it as they walked outside. Once again, he felt the sharp twang of guilt at her words. How often did Lydia let go of what she wanted to keep things amiable?

He'd seen her do it at the office frequently enough.

And during this trip.

Walking hand in hand with anyone was an odd reality for him. He'd never spent a lot of time holding hands with Sophia. Their relationship had been built on summer friendships and, later, holidays and breaks from university. The lengthiest amount of time they'd spent together had been when she'd come to help him after his accident. In some ways, their failure as a couple had been predictable. He'd been young, and they were childhood sweethearts.

Up until recently, she'd occupied a place in his memory that brought with it dislike and resentment.

But today when he'd looked over on the beach and seen her, he'd truly felt nothing toward her. His father had once told him that the opposite of love was indifference—a telling thing coming from someone who'd been a master of indifference for most of his life.

And since his breakup with Sophia, he'd used that lesson as a guide for how he handled relationships with women.

The sound of a splash drew him from distant memories. Hunter and Granny were in the pool, while Leo prepared to cannonball. No wonder Granny likes him. Either that or Leo had realized he needed to do better to keep up with the spitfire.

Kyle waited for him on a lounge chair, along with Isla, who'd done him the favor of grabbing his old surfboard from his mum's house on the property.

Across from them on the other side of the pool were a few other people Callum didn't know—some of Liddy's extended family—and Elle and Quinn with most of Quinn's family.

"I guess everyone decided to move up from the beach." Liddy wrinkled her nose. "So much for getting any reading done." She released his hand. "Have fun with my brother."

"There she is." Elle got up from her lounger and came toward them. She grimaced. "Kat is asking me about the wedding dress again."

Bollocks. Maybe a surfing lesson would have to wait.

"Liddy!"

Oh. Fuck. This moment keeps getting worse.

Callum stiffened as he followed the direction of the voice.

Sergio.

He stood near the path that led to the office and waved at Liddy. Sophia was beside him.

Several heads turned toward Sergio.

Oh shit.

What in the hell is he doing here now? Worse still, had he told Sophia why he was here?

"Who is that?" Elle asked as Sergio started toward them. Thief or not, Callum still didn't like him. Especially not with the way he was looking at Liddy.

Dammit.

Liddy turned and looked at Elle. "Um, he's, um, a friend of mine."

Sergio reached them, smiling. "I hoped I would find you." He leaned down, then greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. "You look beautiful."

Elle arched a brow.

Think fast, Liddy. Right now. Get Sergio out of here. He wished she could read his stare.

"I'm Sergio," he was already saying, holding out a hand toward Elle.

"This is Elle, my sister," Liddy said.

By now, curiosity had driven Quinn toward them, who came over to join them.

"Ah." A light lit Sergio's eyes. "The bride."

"Everything all right?" Quinn asked, pausing beside Elle.

"Yes, I'm just here to take your sister out later," Sergio said with a smile, then slipped his hand on Liddy's shoulder. "But I came early, to surprise her. The rain yesterday caused a mudslide on the highway, and I wanted to be sure another accident wouldn't prevent us from getting to know each other better." He squeezed Liddy's shoulder.

Redness crawled into Liddy's face as Elle and Quinn swiveled questioning gazes toward her.

Callum snuck a look at Sophia.

She watched them intensely, with no obvious intention of walking away just yet.

"I—um. I can explain," Liddy started.

"Did you get the dress back?" Sergio turned toward Liddy.

"Dress?" Elle crossed her arms.

"I'm so sorry about the mess with it all. Liddy was guarding that dress with her life before security came and stole me away, though. She's a good sister," Sergio said.

"Yeah, the best," Elle said sarcastically. Her gaze nearly skewered both Liddy and Callum.

Sophia had stepped back, but her expression seemed to show she was rather enjoying this.

Fuck it. He had to tell Sergio to keep his mouth shut before he said anything else, even if it meant exposing the truth about Liddy's and his fake relationship to Sophia.

"Mae, suave un toque. Ellos piensan que nosotros somos una pareja. Por favor no diga nada mas," Callum said quietly. Hold on. They think we're a couple. Please don't say anything else.

Sergio gave him a baffled look. He didn't know I spoke Spanish, clearly.

"No, I want to hear what he has to say, Cal." The spark of anger in Elle's eyes was unmistakable. Liddy shrank back.

"Um—" Liddy pulled away from Sergio and grabbed Elle's arm. "Can I talk to you? Alone?"

"Actually, no." Elle's eyes flashed. "I think Quinn will probably be interested in hearing whatever you have to say. I sure as hell am." Her face reddened. "What in the hell is going on, Liddy?"

The jig is up.

Liddy squirmed. "Callum and I have something to tell you."

"Can we take this to the beach?" Callum asked, glancing at Quinn with a pleading look. He was distinctly aware of Quinn's family watching the scene unfolding with curiosity.

Liddy was red-faced and already speaking, "So Sergio and I met on the plane ride from London, and I mentioned to him I had your dress. We got to talking and exchanged numbers, but after I got my bags, I needed to go to the bathroom and asked Sergio to watch the dress. And then I thought he stole it, only he didn't."

Elle's brows drew together. "I'm not following any of that."

Sergio cringed sheepishly. "I didn't know you hadn't told them, Liddy. I am so sorry."

Callum kept his gaze trained on Quinn. They were attracting attention. And given Logan's involvement in all this, he doubted Quinn would want the whole thing handled indiscreetly. "Please. Let's just go farther down the beach, at least."

Sergio, who'd irritatingly had his arm on Liddy's shoulder, pulled away. "I'll wait up by the office. Pardon." He gave Liddy a sympathetic look, then started back the way he'd come.

Sophia smirked at Callum, then followed Sergio.

Now's her chance to ask Sergio anything she wants. But he wasn't about to leave Liddy's side to save face.

Elle and Quinn hadn't moved.

So much for being out of view.

Callum came closer to Liddy, who appealed to him with glossy eyes. "Let me try to summarize, if I can. Liddy brought your dress with her. Before we'd got all our bags, Liddy went to the bathroom. When she came out, Sergio, who'd been holding the wedding dress, had vanished. Turned out Logan had left a bag of marijuana in the dress bag and a security dog detected it."

"Logan?" Quinn repeated, then shot his brother a hard look.

Fuck. From the way that Logan shrank back, even at the distance, it was clear Logan knew what they were talking about.

"Okay." Elle pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Where is my dress, guys?"

"At the airport." Liddy stepped closer to Callum.

Isla stood cautiously from the lounger, looking worried. Everyone around the pool was staring at them.

Elle palmed her forehead. "I have no idea what's going on. Why would you lie to me about Isla bringing the dress? And the whole thing about you forgetting it, Callum?"

"We didn't know Sergio hadn't stolen it," Liddy said in a soft voice that was barely audible. "I thought he did, and Callum covered for me—in exchange for me pretending we were dating."

"What?" Elle's voice was sharp. She gave Callum an accusing glare. "What the fuck?"

Quinn cringed and set a hand on Elle's forearm. "Maybe we should go down to the beach."

Thank you.

"And let them both just get out of the tangled knot of lies they've been telling?" Elle looked like she was halfway between bursting into tears and throwing punches. Hopefully people would assume it was just about the dress, for now, if they'd overheard that bit.

Quinn set his arm around her. "I think we should hear them out. Preferably in a place that doesn't involve everyone else around us. I'm not thrilled with these revelations"—he gave Callum a hard look—"but I don't want to introduce any unnecessary drama to our wedding either."

Elle clenched her jaw, then nodded. Without waiting for any of them, she stormed down the beach, away from the people at the pool.

"You'd better have a really good reason for all this," Quinn said to Callum angrily, then followed Elle.

Callum reached for Liddy's hand. She looked miserable. "It'll be all right." He squeezed her hand but didn't let go. She deserves my full support. She hadn't gotten into this mess on her own. He wasn't going to leave her feeling alone.

"That's easy enough for you to say," Liddy muttered, her stress visible in her expression and the rigidity of her movements as she walked away from the pool area. "You wanted to lie to your family. I didn't."

Harsh—but also true.

When had he grown so comfortable with deceiving the people he cared about?

Maybe it had happened in degrees.

Quinn was quietly comforting Elle as they approached them on the beach. Elle, who'd turned away from them, looked over and her gaze settled on Liddy and Callum's joined hands. "I thought you two were just pretending."

Liddy dropped his hand, as though stricken.

"Elle, look. I'm sorry." She swiped a few tears away. "I really am. I didn't want to lie. I just—I was so worried about you because you were so stressed, and then when I lost the dress, I didn't want to give you more to worry about."

"But why pretend you were dating?" Elle crossed her arms. "That's the part I don't get. What does one thing have to do with the other?"

"It's my fault." Callum wished so badly he could shield Liddy from Elle's anger. This must be killing Liddy. "Almost all of this is my fault. I overheard Sergio on the phone telling someone where he was going to be on the day after we arrived. But rather than give Liddy that information, I bribed her into pretending to be my girlfriend to put an end to my mum's harassment about me getting together with my ex."

Elle searched his face, her cheeks red. "God, you know, I always thought you could be a selfish prick when you wanted, but you had the good sense to draw the line at your friends. Seriously, Cal? You pulled this with my sister? What sort of person does that?"

Quinn grimaced beside her.

Not that I should expect to rely on Quinn's support right now. I deserve their anger.

"It's not Callum's fault," Liddy said, shifting her weight onto her back foot. "Yes, he suggested it, but I'm the one who lost the dress and assumed Sergio had stolen it. Callum didn't need to help me, and he went to a lot of trouble to help me find Sergio afterward. Like a lot. We basically got stranded in the middle of the country without any money, out of gas, no cell phone—plus some restaurant owner held my passport as a guarantee when we couldn't pay the bill."

Quinn's brows drew together. "You must be joking."

"Wait, that's where you guys went? To find this Sergio?"

Callum nodded. "Liddy did everything in her power to get that dress back for you, Elle. I fully accept that I've behaved like an arse. But please don't hold her responsible. She only ever wanted to do right by you."

Elle stared down at the sand, appearing torn, her shoulders bunched. "Telling me—and Quinn—the truth would have been the best way to do right by me. Not only is it incredibly insulting to find out you've both been lying to us, but I was hurt by the way Liddy took off, too. With no explanation."

Elle met Liddy's eyes. "I told you I needed your help, and then you just left. And now I find out you were lying too?" Elle's eyes shone with tears. "I really didn't expect that."

Liddy took a step forward, then hung back. "I'm sorry, Elle. I felt—feel—horrible. The whole time, all I wanted to do was just tell you the truth, but after that initial lie, everything happened so quickly and then I felt like I owed Callum . . ."

Tense silence hung between all four of them.

How could he ever come back from this? Elle might forgive her sister, but him?

I brought this upon myself.

Elle swiped tears from her cheeks and Quinn slipped his arm around her shoulder, hugging her against him. Shaking her head, Elle looked from him to Liddy. "So all that kissing and hand-holding—that was just for show? To lie to us?"

"Not really. Callum mainly wanted to just get his mom to leave him alone."

"I don't remember Cal's mom being on that catamaran when you guys were making out," Elle remarked dryly. She held up a hand, abruptly. "You know what? Don't answer. I really don't care. It's gross, but you all do whatever you want. How do I get my damn wedding dress?"

Pain flashed across Liddy's features. "We have to go to the airport in Liberia to get it. The airline will only give it to me. But we can leave right now and get it in Callum's rental car."

"No, we're going to go with you." Elle glanced back at Quinn. "I need my dress, and honestly, I'll feel a lot better if I can be there to make sure there isn't another issue." She checked her watch. "I'll meet you by the parking lot in five minutes."

Without waiting for a response, Elle walked toward the hotel steps.

Liddy looked stricken. "I don't think she's ever been so mad at me before."

Quinn reached over and squeezed her shoulder. "It'll be fine. Once the shock wears off, she'll let it go."

Liddy drew a sharp breath. "Yeah." She didn't look comforted, though. "You won't tell anyone, will you, Quinn?"

Quinn offered a kind smile. "You know you can count on me for discretion, Liddy."

Liddy nodded then glanced at Callum. "I'll meet you by the car. I need to find Sergio real fast and talk to him."

Sergio. What might he have told Sophia by now? Or his mum?

This is going to get even messier, fast.

Callum watched as Liddy started up the stairs, feeling Quinn's intense stare.

"I fucked up, Quinn."

"Yeah, I'd say so." Quinn crossed his arms. He didn't sound pleased, but wasn't overtly angry, either.

I can work with that. Then again, they'd been through twenty-nine years of friendship at this point. He hoped they could survive this hiccup.

"You're sleeping with her, aren't you?"

Callum clenched his jaw. Quinn might forgive his lack of judgment when it came to this—and the lies—but he would not as easily forgive this. Callum gave one curt nod.

"Goddammit, Cal." Quinn turned away for a second, his hands flexing. "Elle loves me. And she's trying to be patient with you because of that. But I swear, if you hurt Liddy, you and I won't be able to come back from that. She's my sister now. And I know how you are with women. I'd like to think you'd know better than to risk our friendship over a holiday fling with someone I care about."

Damn.

Yes, if I'd been a decent man—a decent friend—I would have stayed away.

And he'd tried. He'd done his best to stay away from Lydia Winnick.

He'd spent two years ignoring her. Maybe not for the sake of his friendship with Quinn but still. That respect had been there.

And now he'd fucked up beyond belief.

"But I swear, if you hurt Liddy, you and I won't be able to come back from that."

Years of friendship...and he'd royally fucked that up, too.

"May I be so bold as to ask if you have any intention of continuing a relationship with her after you both return to London?" Quinn gave him a hard stare.

Callum shook his head.

The honesty of his own answer made his heart squeeze painfully.

She deserves better than what I can give her.

"Then you need to end this. Right now. Whatever it is you're doing with Liddy cannot continue. She's not like you. And she'll get hurt, you know it. For everyone's sake, end it now, before this gets worse."

Quinn brushed past him as he left Callum alone on the beach.

Callum was only here because of his friendship with Quinn.

". . . I know how you are with women. I'd think you would know better than to risk our friendship over a holiday fling with someone I care about."

And now Callum may have screwed that up beyond repair.

And Elle was right.

I took advantage of Liddy.

Threatening gray clouds had moved in while they'd all been speaking and he watched them, a dark feeling crossing over him. He had no idea how to proceed with her right now or what to even think. The truth was out to Elle and Quinn, but others were still under the impression he and Liddy were a couple.

And especially after last night, explaining that we aren't might only cause Liddy more pain and embarrassment.

He could go on, pretending they were a couple. Sleeping with her. But Quinn has asked me not to.

I have to end it.

Before she gets hurt.

Hopefully right now the damage would be minimal. They'd fucked but she'd said she was prepared to handle that. To be a fling and nothing else.

A light rain started.

I never should have touched her.

Lifting his face toward the sky, he closed his eyes.

He'd spent plenty of time in the rain in England, of course, but the rain here was different. Warm. Cleansing.

I have to end this.

Before I ruin everything.

He hoped he wasn't too late to make things right. But what if he was? Quinn had flat out told him that their friendship was over if Liddy got hurt. And Liddy was right—he didn't have the luxury of many friendships. Not anymore. Quinn had been a good friend over the years, one he'd needed.

And once they got back to La Hacienda tonight, he'd do what needed to be done.