✿ Reid's POV

I turn on the couch.

Stupid, stupid!

I just had to go and ruin everything huh?

But it wasn't my fault.

No seriously.

“Never do that again, Armani.”

When I close my eyes, the look on her face at the poolside is all I see. But when I said that to her on the night of the gala, I didn't mean never for her to kiss me again.

I meant she should never stop me from putting someone in their place.

You should have elaborated, my conscience shoots my way.

I groan and turn again, somehow forgetting I'm not on a bed but a very uncomfortable couch, and nearly fall.

“Stupid!” I punch the side of the couch and sit up.

My phone's screen lights up with a notification and I take the opportunity to look at the time.

1:27 AM

I sigh and scrub my hand over my face. I'm about to get up and reach for my laptop when the sound of bed creaking reaches my ears.

What the—?

I crane my neck, hoping to see what's going on in the bedroom but sadly I lack night vision. I shift in my seat again when another sound reaches my ears. The padding of feet.

Shit! She's coming this way!

I lie back down and pretend to be asleep. The footsteps reach the living room and make a turn for the kitchen. She's wearing a... is it pink—?

Oh shit, it's pink!

She's wearing a pink tank top and The Grinch patterned shorts.

Cute.

And I know this because I'm peeping out of one eye and the moonlight is being very generous. She opens the fridge and the dim lights let me see that unhappy look on her face and my heart immediately sinks.

It's my fault she's up at this hour with that look on her face.

She closes the fridge and turns away, only to stop short and open the fridge again, this time to get a bottle of water which she barely takes a sip of. She twists the cap back on and presses the bottle to the side of her head. Expecting her to turn back into the bedroom, she doesn't. But moves into the living room.

I hold my breath and stay still, praying she doesn't see I'm awake and spying on her. But she barely glances my way and instead, opens the balcony and steps out into it.

What is she doing?

She closes her eyes and inhales deeply, wrapping her arms around herself. I sit up.

Go talk to her, my conscience goes.

I hesitate. I had the habit of making everything worse than it already was. But then I do it anyway. When I step out onto the balcony, the air pinches me.

It's fucking frigid out here. Why does she keep coming outside without a jacket?

I quietly walk back inside and into the bedroom. Pulling out the drawer containing my clothes, I find a sweater and pull it out. I walk back out of the bedroom and onto the balcony. Calmly announcing myself so I don't scare her, I drape the sweater around her.

“I'm fine. You don't have to.”

Her voice is stern and she tries to shove it off her but I hold on.

“It's cold, Lee,” I say.

Like your tone.

“And I said I'm fine. I won't be out here long anyway.”

She tries again but I don't let go.

“You don't need to be out in the cold air long before you catch phenomena.”

“I am not—” she pauses and exhales, “I'm not going to catch phenomena. I have a high tolerance for cold temperatures.”

“Still...” I press.

“I'm fine” she insists, all this while not sparing me even a small glance.

I nod and take my hands off her shoulders. I'm expecting her to hurriedly shove the sweater off her but she doesn't. I smile to myself a little.

“Is there something you need?”

Armani. Add it.

I clear my throat.

“I wanted to apologize for earlier.”

Aileen adjusts the sweater around her.

“Lee, I—”

“Didn't mean to upset you” she cuts me off and finishes.

Well.

“I know. And I should know that you would never purposely do anything to hurt me” She glances at me, “And so you're terribly sorry. That is what you're going to say right?”

That and I won't be able to live with myself if you don't forgive me and call me Armnai but okay.

I lower my head for a few seconds and look back up at her.

“Am I that predictable?”

A half-hearted... no, quarter-hearted chuckle leaves her lips.

“Even if there was a guide on how you work, you still wouldn't be predictable.”

Armani. Add it, goddammit!

“Is that a compliment or...?” I try to chuckle but it doesn't get a positive expression from her.

“Just go back to bed okay, Armani?”

Yes, she said my name.

“So we can go on with splitting up Anika and Ethan and be done with this whole thing.”

I stop the cartwheels in my head and frown.

“Wait what?” I ask, taking her arm and stopping her as she cautiously passes by me.

She gives me a blank look.

“What?” she parrots. “We have a deal, remember? To split up Anika and the Aussie. And since they're here in this resort too, we don't have to put our plan on hold till after your birthday. We've already dragged this breaking them apart thing for so long. Let's just get this done and over with so we can both go our separate ways.”

My frown deepens.

She wants to get rid of me?

Me?

After everything we've...
After I thought that we...

I bite back my thoughts and inhale deeply, ignoring the way her eyes search my face.

“Yes, you're right. This is a simple job that shouldn't be dragged on anymore. We'll get on with it in the morning then” I say.

Her strict face falls but in that moment I'm too angry and exhausted to care what is going on in her head.

“See you in the morning,” I say and don't wait to hear her response before turning away from the balcony.

✯✯✯✯✯✯

✿ Aileen's POV

“Long night?”

I blink away from my wandering thoughts, tear my eyes away from my fake fiancé, and turn to the woman beside me.

“Err...” I glance at where Reid is seated, “Yeah, yeah.”

She smiles and gently touches my arm.

“He's a very handsome one” she whispers to me and winks.

I give her a polite smile.

“Just don't let him hear you. You'd be inflating his ego” I whisper back.

The woman laughs.

“You're preaching to the choir, honey. I married one forty-five years ago today and his ego can't fit through any door” she giggles.

I smile.

“Congratulations on your anniversary.”

“Thank you. I'm just here to see if I can get them to give me access to the kitchen so I can make him his favorite food.”

That's so sweet.

I smile.

“He's a lucky man.”

“Oh that he deflates his ego to know” She nods then extends her hand to be, “I'm Maggie.”

“Lee” I shake her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Lee. Your hair is very pretty. And so is your smile.”

I chuckle.

“I barely slept but thank you, Maggie,” I say.

She glances at Reid.

“How long have you two been together?”

“Two years” the lie rolls off my tongue easily.

“Ahh, so you're still in the honeymoon phase hm?”

Far from it.

I simply smile and she glances at Reid again.

“He reminds me of my husband” she smiles then turns me and touches my arm again, “If he is like my Gerald, then it's always going to be okay... no matter how hard it gets... as long as you two are together.”

How do you respond to this?

And I doubt there's anyone like Reid Dalton.

Not a compliment.

Because no one would be able to stay married to someone like him for forty-five whole years.

Maggie lets go of my arm after patting it gently.

“I have to go now, dear. He's the Grinch in the morning when he hasn't had his coffee.”

I don't hold back my chuckle.

“It was nice meeting you, Lee. Bye-bye.”

“You too, Maggie” I wave back and watch her hurry off.

I sigh and drag myself to the table Reid's seated at.

“Hi,” I greet, not looking at him.

When I don't get even a grunt as a response I look at him.

Reid Dalton— running on much less sleep than I am glares at the menu, clearly working to burn a hole in it. I shake my head and wander over to the buffet to fill my plate with giant hunks of tropical fruit and all manner of grilled meats. When I return, Reid has ordered a cream cheese Danish and is cradling a large cup of coffee in his enormous hands. He doesn’t even acknowledge my return.

“Hi,” I say again.

And this time he grunts.

“All that food up there, and you ordered something off the menu? I bet the cream cheese Danish isn't even as good as the ones make you.”

Sighing, he says, “If you must know, I don’t like buffets. And yes, this doesn’t come close to the ones you make.”

I do a cartwheel in my mind and take a bite of pineapple.

“Now can you please keep it down? The caffeine hasn't kicked in yet.”

I'm pleased to see him cringe when I don't keep it down and speak with my mouth full.

“I know. I just like hassling you.”

“I can tell.”

God, he is such a grouch in the morning.

“I made a friend.”

Reid puts the mug down carefully like it’s taking every ounce of control he has to not use it for violent means.

“Good for you,” he says calmly and pushes the cheese cream Danish he took only one bite of away.

“Do you want me to get you a doughnut or a sandwich maybe?”

He picks his mug back up and blows across the surface.

“No, I'm fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Lee. You don't have to.”

I make a face.

“Well, aren't you charming?”

“Aren't I always?”

“You could try not to be.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. You could try being like, self-deprecating, and less cute.”

Half of Reid’s mouth turns up, and I know what’s coming before it launches.

“You think I’m cute.”

“In a gross way.”

This makes him smile wider.

“Cute in a gross way. Okay.”

The waiter brings him a plate of eggs and bacon, and when I look up, I see that Reid’s smile has fallen and he’s staring over my shoulder, his face ashen. With a frown, he blinks down to his plate.

“Just remembered that bacon at restaurants is ten thousand times more likely to carry salmonella?” I tease. “Or did you find a hair in there?”

“Do you ever stop?”

I subtly flip him the bird but when he doesn't respond or even attempt to crack a smile, it hits me.

He’s freaking out about something other than his normal looking breakfast.

I glance around, and my pulse rockets.

Oh of course.

Anika and Ethan have been seated directly behind me. Reid has an unobstructed view of his ex and her fiancé... as much as he hated it, his replacement.

A tiny bloom of sympathy unfurls in my chest.

“Armani—”

“Could you try chewing with your mouth closed?” he says, and the bloom is annihilated by a nuclear blast.

“For the record, it’s very humid here, and I am congested” I lean in, hissing, “And to think I was starting to feel sorry for you.”

“For being cute in a gross way?” he asks, prodding at his plate, glancing over my shoulder again, and then quickly zeroing in on my face.

“For the fact that your ex-girlfriend is at the resort with us and sitting right behind me.”

“She is?” He looks up and does a terrible job of being surprised to see her there. “Huh. I didn't even know that.”

I smirk at him, even though he studiously avoids my gaze. With the tiny hint of vulnerability just at the edges of his expression, the bloom of sympathy returns.

“What’s your favorite breakfast food, Armani?”

He pauses with a bite of bacon halfway to his mouth.

“What?”

“Your favorite breakfast food. I've never really asked. What do you like? Apart from apple cinnamon Cheerios and my cream cheese Danish of course.”

“Dhokla. It's a sponge cake from India” He sips his coffee and swallows, and I realize that’s all I’m going to get.

“A sponge cake from India? Really? You’re telling me your favorite breakfast food is a sponge cake from India? You live in the Gem State. Can we even get a good Dhokla there?”

He apparently thinks my question is rhetorical, because he turns back to his meal, completely happy to blink those lashes at me and remain nonverbal.

God, it's so easy to hate him.

I give being friendly one last try.

“Why don’t we do something fun today?”

Reid looks at me like I’ve just suggested we go on a murder spree.

“Together?”

“Yes, together” I eye him. “All of our activities are for two people,” I say, wagging a finger back and forth between us, “And we’re supposed to be acting engaged.”

Reid retreats into his neck, shoulders hunched.

“Could you maybe not yell that across the restaurant?”

I take a deep breath, counting to five so that I don’t reach across the table and poke him in the eye. Pushing back from the table, I stand.

“I’m going to go see what we can sign up for today—”

Reid downs the rest of his coffee and reaches across the table to take my hand into his.

“I'm coming with you.”

✯✯✯✯✯✯

“Snuba?”

“A combination of snorkeling and scuba diving” he calls out from the bathroom.

What?

“Are you insane, Armani?” I frown, “I leave for two seconds and you sign us up for Snuba? Of all the activities available on this resort.”

“Relax, it's going to be fun.”

“And you know that how?” I fold my arms.

“Because I'm an excellent company,” he says, stepping out of the bathroom.

Holy—

Reid's already in his board shorts but hasn’t yet put on a shirt.

A strange, violent reaction worms through me when I see the muscles he has on his muscles. A dark smattering of hair over his broad chest causes my mouth to go dry.

Oh, he is very fine.

I know I’ve probably said it out loud because Reid glances at me with a smirk and then tugs his shirt over his head. Immediately, with the abs out of my sight, the fire in my lower belly is extinguished.

“Are you having a stroke, Lee?” he snaps his fingers in my face and I blink.

“Ha, ha,” I say sarcastically.

He chuckles.

“Of all the options we have, Armani. Parasailing, zip-lining, four-wheeling... not that I'd do any of them,” he shakes his head, “A massage, Armani. Something I’d consider. And you choose to sign us up for Snuba?”

“Because Anika isn't going to want to get anywhere near the ocean.”

I arch a brow.

“Anika has a fear of the ocean?”

“I wish. But sadly no. She wouldn't want to ruin her hair and whatever outfit she's going to be wearing out.”

I roll my eyes.

Of course.

“So what’s the plan?” I ask.

“We’re taking a boat” he answers.

I make a face.

“Can't you just go without me, Armani?”

“No. Now c'mon. We've got a dozen flights of stairs to go down.”

I reach up to thump the back of his head and he chuckles an “Ow” before taking my hand in his.

We make our way down the stairs and into the lobby, then follow directions out to a twelve-seater van waiting at the curb.

Cute.

With one foot propped to climb in, Reid pulls up short so quickly that I collide with his back.

“Ow! Jesus Christ, Armani. Are you trying to break my—?”

Reid shuts me up with a hand shooting back and grips my hip. I'm about to scold him again when then I hear it... the high-pitched nails-on-a-chalkboard voice of Anika Woods.

“Reid! You and Lee are coming snorkeling?”

I poke my head into the van and smile.

“We sure are! What a wild coincidence!”

Reid turns around and murders me with eyeball daggers. I hold back my giggle before smiling as I look at them again.

“Should we just hop in the back there?”

“Sure, mate. I think those seats are the only open ones” Ethan’s voice sounds pretty giddy, and when Reid ducks to climb in, I see why.

There are eight people seated in the van already, and only the very back row is empty. Reid is so tall he has to practically army crawl to get through the gauntlet of bags and hats and seat belts crisscrossing the path. With slightly more ease, I settle in beside him and glance over.

Surprisingly, the fact that he looks absolutely miserable doesn’t fill me with abject joy as expected.

“Remind me to let you pick everything we do from here on out, Lee. I clearly chose poorly.”

I blink.

“Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat that?”

I earn a small chuckle.

“You know, we can do something else,” I tell him. “There’s still time to leave.”

He shakes his head.

“No. I'm not letting them run me out of showing you how fun I can be.”

“Oh God” I roll my eyes with a chuckle.

The driver closes the double van doors and gives us all a thumbs-up through the window, indicating we’re ready to head out. I catch Reid deflate a little as Anika pulls out her phone to snap a picture of the two of them.

Gently, I elbow Reid. He clearly doesn’t get that it’s meant as a 'hang in there', because he elbows me back, making me snort a little.

“Oh the bulldog's back?” he teases.

Jerk.

I elbow him again, harder now, and he starts to shift to return it but I evade it, turning to dig my knuckles into his ribs. I do not expect to find Reis’s hysterical tickle spot, and he lets out a deafening, high-pitched shriek that I swear makes me momentarily deaf. It is so startling that the entire van turns to figure out what the hell we’re doing in the back seat.

“Sorry,” I call out to them, and then quieter to him, “That’s a sound I haven’t heard a man make before.”

“Never speak of it again.”

I giggle. Reid opens the window on his side and lets in the breeze as the van pulls away from the curb. The driver cues up the mellow music, and I am ready for a nap when, in front of us, a teenager pulls a bottle of sunscreen out and begins liberally spraying it down one arm and then the other. Reid and I are immediately lost in a cloud of oily fumes despite the window being open

“Please don’t spray that in the van,” Reid says, with a gentle authority that does something weird and wavy to my breathing.

The teen turns, gives us a flat “Oops, sorry,” and then tucks the bottle back in her backpack. Beside her, her father is absorbed in a hardware tools magazine, completely oblivious.

The fog of sunscreen slowly clears and there's the view of Anika and Ethan making out two rows ahead of us.

“Oh you've got to be kidding me” Reid mutters angrily.

I shake my head and turn to the windows to look at the view of the snaking shoreline to our left, and the brilliant green mountains to our right. A pulse of fondness fills me.

“This is so pretty, Armani” I reach out to squeeze his arm a little.

I feel Reid turn to look down at me, but I don’t meet his eyes.

“It is.”

His voice is so deep it almost feels like a seduction. Our eyes meet, and then dart apart, but unfortunately, our attention lands directly ahead of us again, between the heads of the sunscreen teen and her father, where Anika and Ethan are schmoopy-murmuring to each other with their faces only millimeters apart.

Oh, give it up already, supermodel.

“I think we should kiss too, Lee. That'll make her see we're not affected by what they're doing” Reid lets out, already slipping an arm around my waist.

I try to push him off but he holds on tighter.

“Get off me, Armani. Are you insane?” I chuckle.

“No, I'm trying to kiss you, c'mere.”

“No” I laugh and finally elbow him away. “We're way out in the back. No one's gonna see us kiss.”

“Well maybe when I get a moan out of you they'll turn” he drops his tone and the fire from before when I saw him shirtless returns.

“That's never happening, Armani,” I say and shift away from him.

“Wanna bet?” he smirks and holds out a hand.

I slap his hand away and he laughs.

“For what it’s worth,” I whisper, scooching back closer to him. And the way his arm comes around me to keep me close does nothing to extinguish the fire in my lower belly, “Ethan looks like a tool. He’s the understudy version of Reedus, without any of the scary-sexy charm.”

“Or the hair and minus that undeniably irritating accent.”

“Okay,” I chuckle, “This version just looks... oily.”

Reid grins down at me, then turns forward to the make-out session still going on.

“They’re just up there making out. There are, like, eight other people in this van. The worst part is that I can see their tongues. It’s... gross.”

“I bet Reid Dalton has never been inappropriate like that.”

“I mean,” he says, frowning, “I like to think I can be affectionate, but some things are infinitely better when they happen behind closed doors.”

Heat engulfs whatever words remain in my head, and I nod in agreement. The idea of Reid doing unknown, hot things behind closed doors makes everything inside my body turn to goo.

I clear my throat, relieved when I look away, take a deep breath, and the goo dissolves away. Reid leans in a little, catching my eye.

“You think you can bring it today?”

“Bring what?”

“The fake-fiancée game.”

“Don't I bring it every day?”

“Meh. You've been slacking a lot lately... like right now, refusing the make-out session of our own.”

“Shut up” I nudge him, making him chuckle. “What’s in it for me if I bring it harder today?”

“Hm,” Reid taps his chin. “How about I let you pick our next activity?”

“Okay. Fair” I say and lean in, meeting him halfway. “I don’t want to get your hopes up or anything, but I look really great in this bikini. There’s no revenge like being with someone new who has a great rack.”

His lip curls.

“Wow. What an empowering, feminist statement.”

“I can appreciate my body in a bikini and still want to set fire to the patriarchy” I glance down at my chest. “Who knew what a little meat on my bones would do?”

Reid laughs. After a few beats of silence, he speaks up again.

“I actually just remembered that Anika almost got implants when we were together. She always wanted bigger...” He mimes cupping boobs.

“You can say it,” I tell him.

“Say what?”

“Boobies.”

He chuckles.

“Jesus, Lee.”

I chuckle too.

“So she wanted implants,” I prompt.

He nods.

“I bet she regrets not getting them back when she was enjoying my paychecks.”

“Well, your fake fiancée has great boobs. Be proud” I nudge him.

He smiles.

“Oh I am, trust me.”

And fireworks rocket through my body.

“And that's why we're going to the realest couple on that boat.”

Thank you for reading!
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Ciao
~the_atticwriter