Page 62 of One Night in Hawaii

“I’ve worked some, but not much.”

“I wish you would let me pay you,” she said softly. “You did show us around for nearly a week.”

“I can’t take your money,” I told her. “It would be too weird. I think you know how things ended up. It would make me feel like… well, a working girl.”

“But you took us snorkeling and you guys both showed us that cool bar. Let me pay you for a few days.”

“No. Thank you, but no. I really had a good time. It wasn’t work at all.”

“Do you know much about the other islands?” she asked.

“I’ve spent time on all of them,” I said. “I spend most of my time here just because Ryder is here.”

“I would love it if you would show me around the other islands,” she said. “I want to see it all.”

“I would be happy to do that,” I said, smiling. “Ryder knows a lot about them as well. He’s probably surfed every beach. You should have him teach you to surf.”

She laughed. “I’m not sure this body was meant to do that.”

“Ryder is an excellent teacher. He taught Archer.”

“True,” she said, smiling. “Maybe I will.”

25

ARCHER

With a deep breath, I unlocked the door to the apartment that I once shared with Ashley. The week of avoidance had only prolonged the inevitable, but now there was no escaping it. The place was mine, and I had to face whatever awaited me inside. She had her own place, but somehow just kind of ended up living with me. My apartment spanned three floors and was big enough we could both be in the place at the same time and never realize it. I never officially invited her to move in. It just kind of happened. When she left without a word, I made it clear to everyone in our circle to pass along the information she knew she was no longer welcome at my apartment. Whether she paid attention was anyone’s guess.

As I stepped into the familiar surroundings, a pang of nostalgia hit me. I remembered the day I bought the apartment. It looked nothing like it did now. The building wasn’t one of the newer ones on the Upper West Side, but I saw potential. It had been so satisfying to buy something with money I made and didn’t inherit. It took nearly a year to make the renovations. I loved my apartment. I was so proud of it. I had a hand in picking out every detail, right down to the automatic blinds and the quartz countertops. I loved my home, but that love had been tainted by Ashley’s presence. She loved my home, and when things were good, we talked about the parties we would host.

I thought I was the one pushing the marriage. I thought our parents were nudging us along. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she had an ulterior motive. She targeted me. I fully believed that now. She saw an easy mark and made her move. I firmly believed she was sleeping with Matthew. I hadn’t quite figured out when it started. I would, though. I was going to find it all out.

I hoped beyond hope that Ashley had already moved out, sparing us both from an awkward confrontation. But I knew her too well. She was stubborn and determined, and the thought of giving up on our relationship was not something she would take lightly. I could almost picture her digging in, unwilling to back down without a fight. If she moved in, she could claim it was her domicile and that was another legal battle we would have to address.

I sensed her desperation to tie the knot, but it was clear she had her own reasons for pushing me toward marriage. It felt like she was trying to back me into a corner, forcing me to be the one to end things. It wasn’t a feeling—I knew that’s exactly what she was doing.

However, I wasn’t ready to give up just yet. While I hadn’t officially said no to the marriage proposal, I was actively seeking a way out. I had hired a lawyer to comb through the intricacies of the marriage contract, hoping to find a loophole that could release me from this predicament. She was the one dangling now. She had been texting and calling, but I ignored her. I had stayed at a hotel under a different name to avoid her.

I needed to focus on getting my life in order. There were matters to attend to with the company, and I couldn’t let personal issues distract me from my responsibilities. It was essential to have my ducks in a row, professionally speaking, before I confronted Ashley about our future.

As I walked through the apartment, it became evident that Ashley was still there. Her personal belongings were scattered around the living room, and the faint scent of her perfume lingered in the air. She had no intention of going quietly, and a knot tightened in my stomach at the thought of the impending confrontation.

My ringing phone cut through the quiet, startling me. I pulled it out and saw it was my father. “Joy.”

I couldn’t ignore it. Things were coming to a head. Lawyers on both sides were making a fortune off of the mess. I was pushing Mr. Shipley to get me out of the contract while my father was pushing me to just go through with it and start planning the divorce. I didn’t want to waste a day with Ashley, let alone years. I had a woman waiting for me. There was no way she was going to sit back and wait for me to get married and stay married for years. I wasn’t even sure she was waiting for me now. She might have already set sail—literally.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Where is she?” he snapped.

There were a lot of she’s in my life. “Can you give me a name?” I asked sarcastically.

“Penelope! Where is she?”

“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging. “I wasn’t aware I was supposed to be watching her.”

“Do not make jokes,” he hissed. “This is serious. Get over here. Matthew is here and he’s very upset.”

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