Eternal Island (Book 1 in the Eternal Series) (37 page)

She laughed. “You’re just trying to get me naked again.”

Abe’s mouth fell open and his eyes filled with guilt. “How could you say that about me?”

“I know you too well!”

“Huh. I would never do that!”

“So, if I took a shower in the bikini you bought me you wouldn’t have a problem with that?”

Abe contemplated his answer before he spoke out loud. “I can’t promise it would stay on long, but no, I don’t have a problem with you wearing it.”

“I knew it!”

Ariana shoved him and ran to the bathroom, giggling, with him chasing after her.

§ § §

Jonah knocked on Lidia’s door. Becky was still asleep in his bed, but there was something bothering him, and he needed to talk to Lidia.

She opened the door in a purple satin robe, her long dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail holder at the base of her neck. He could see the small bump in her lower abdomen.

“What’s wrong, Jonah? It’s not even seven in the morning yet. You don’t usually roll over until two p.m.”

He looked at her and knew then that what he’d been fighting was only too real. How had he been so blind all these years?

“Can I come in? I haven’t had any sleep yet. I’ve got some things on my mind and I need to talk to you about them.”

She eyed him suspiciously, but opened the door. “You know my door’s always open to you.”

She walked in and sat down on the couch. He was pacing back and forth in front of the coffee table.

“Jonah? Are you alright?”

He stopped suddenly and knelt down beside her, his eyes wide and anxious.

“What…” He got up and started pacing again.

“Jonah, you’re really starting to scare me,” Lidia said with panic rising in her voice.

He stopped again and dropped to the floor in front of her, sitting cross-legged, his face in his hands. “I have a question, and I want you to be honest with me.” He raised his head and looked her straight in the eyes. Lidia nodded for him to continue. “Okay. Here’s my problem. What if there was this guy, and he was reckless and ruthless all his life, not caring about anyone but himself. You following me here?”

“Yes, go on.”

“And what if this guy just realized what he’d been doing wrong all his life, and finally opened his eyes and saw, really saw, what he’d been missing?”

“Wha…”

“What if this guy, who had been running from love and commitment all his life… what if he realized that love had a hold of him anyway, and there was nothing he could do to shake it off? What if he didn’t want to shake it off? What if love was something he finally welcomed? What would you suggest to a guy like that?”

Lidia was stunned. Jonah was asking her for love advice? She couldn’t sit there, no matter how much she loved him, and listen to him tell her that he had finally fallen in love with Becky. She just couldn’t do it.

“Jonah, I can’t help you. I think you need to leave. I’m sorry, I can’t… not this…”

She wrenched her eyes from his and forced her legs to take her to the door. She opened it and turned around. Jonah was in the same spot on the floor, his head in his hands again. He was so good looking, even in the state he was in.

“Jonah?”

“I can’t go back to that room, Lidia.” He lifted his gaze, pleading with his eyes.

Were those tears? Oh, for heaven’s sake, she just couldn’t throw him out like this. It would break her heart, but she would do this one thing for him, one last time. “Okay, Jonah. Go ahead, tell me you love her.”

His forehead scrunched up in confusion. “Tell you I love who?”

“Becky. Or is it one of the other hundred women you’ve been dating?”

Jonah slowly got up, his eyes never leaving her face, and walked to her side. “I don’t love Becky, Lidia. I don’t love any other women. I love you.”

She inhaled quickly and covered her mouth with her hand as a tear escaped her eye. “How? Why…”

“If you don’t have any feelings for me, I’ll leave. I won’t bother you ever again. But I can’t be with her, or any other woman… anymore… regardless of your answer.” He swallowed hard and his eyes dropped from hers as he explained. “I… we were… we were having sex last night, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how you would feel under my hands, under my lips, in my arms… I had to stop. She kept asking me what was wrong but I couldn’t tell her; she’s done nothing wrong. I don’t want to hurt her, especially since I told her Sunday night that my feelings for you were nothing more than a brother’s love. But that… I think that was what got me thinking, and once I started I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And tonight, while we were… you know… it made me sick to think that I was doing that with anyone other than you.” His gaze searched for hers and when he found it, he locked her there. “I am in love with you, Lidia. I think I always have been, but just too stupid to know it. Say something, please.”

The tears were threatening to pour, but Lidia found just enough strength to speak before they broke the dam and spoiled her self-control. Damn hormones, always made her teary.

“I’ve loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you, Jonah, when I was thirteen. But I can’t just let you in – if you got it wrong… it would shatter me to pieces. You need to take some time and think about this. Think very carefully. If you are serious, you will end everything with her and anyone else. In a month, and no sooner, if you still feel the same way, then you can come to me and maybe we can be together. I won’t have her or anyone else look at me as if I’m a tramp who broke the two of you up. I’ve waited for you all my life; another month won’t kill me.”

“You’ve loved me since you were thirteen? But you mated Max – why? And how many people knew about this? Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t they…?”

“I couldn’t tell you; you would have broken my heart, just like you’re going to break that young girl’s heart soon. It was the wrong time. You weren’t ready – you said as much yourself. You were never going to settle down and I wasn’t getting any younger. I figured… if I couldn’t have you… then I needed someone to take care of me, even if it wasn’t love… And I think pretty much everyone but you knew how I felt. I didn’t exactly hide it…”

“I was so blind… Abe? Has he known all along? Max? That’s why he hated me, isn’t it? How could I not have seen it, Lidia?”

She smiled through her tears. “You didn’t want to.”

Jonah started to hug her, and she stuck her arm out to hold him back.

“In a month, Jonah, no sooner. We’ll see just how far you’ve fallen. Goodnight, now.”

He nodded and walked out the door.

C
HAPTER 56

Lidia was trying hard to keep the happy, bubbly feeling inside her from growing out of control. She knew how Jonah felt about love, and how he could change his mind, about anything, in a split second. Although she had never heard him say those three words to anybody. Maybe it wasn’t just a dream. Maybe he really meant it. Time will tell, Lidia, she said to herself, time will tell.

§ § §

As he walked back to his room, to break Becky’s heart, Jonah contemplated what he would say to her. He couldn’t just pick up and leave, like he had done to countless women before. Lidia was here, and she loved him back.

He could bring out his normal jerk side and make Becky dump him, but that could take months, especially if Becky had already fallen for him. She probably had – he had almost caught her several times about to say those three words he had never said to anyone, and if he had, he never truly meant them, not before Lidia.

Jonah couldn’t keep the smile from his lips; it lit up his entire face. How could he dump Becky with a shit-eating grin like this, and her not catch on to the real reason?

He would have to find a way, he couldn’t make it look as if it were Lidia who split them up.

Maybe he should bed one of the blood whores and let Becky catch him in the act, but he didn’t think Lidia would be too happy, if she found out. Man, this was hard.

He could do this. He would just tell it to her straight. He would tell her that he thought her feelings for him were too strong, and he would never love any woman but his mama, God rest her soul.

But what would happen in a month, when he’d shout to the world his love for Lidia? Becky was liable to go all psycho bitch. He could handle her, but Lidia was a mortal, and pregnant, so that scenario was out.

Jonah unlocked his door and Becky sat up on his bed. She looked like she’d been crying. Ugh! As if dumping a woman wasn’t hard enough, she had to make it harder by turning on the waterworks.

He went straight to the bathroom and shut the door. There was a soft knock a few moments later.

“What?”

“Can we talk, Jonah?”

“I’m busy, can’t it wait?” he said in the rudest tone he could come up with. Jonah wasn’t rude to anyone, he simply didn’t care. But he cared about Becky, and that is why this was so hard. They had become good friends over the past few days, and he hated to ruin that friendship, but he just didn’t see any way around it.”

“No, it can’t wait, Jonah. I have to do this now.”

Oh, for Christ’s sake, she was going to tell him she loved him. He took a breath, steeling himself. He could do this.

Jonah opened the door and turned off the bathroom light. She had turned the bedside lamp on, and that was a bad thing. He’d prefer the room to be pitch black so she wouldn’t see right through his façade.

“You wanted to talk, so talk.”

“Look, I know what you’re doing and you don’t have to be an arrogant ass about it. You’re trying to dump me, because you think I’m in love with you. I’m not, Jonah. What we have is just fun sex, so get over yourself. Do whatever you want to do; it’s not like we’re married. All I ask is that you don’t make me look bad. And I won’t be put on the backburner while you’re out, tramping, and be expected to come back into your arms whenever you fancy a quickie. You’re a fun guy to hang out with, you’re decent in bed and you’re a really good friend, so please don’t go out of your way to make me hate you now. I knew about your commitment issues before I gave in to that kiss, and I knew how this would end. I just hoped it wouldn’t be so soon.”

Had she really just said that he was
decent
in bed? What the hell?
Decent?
Ouch! Jonah fought the urge to argue the point. But, instead, he went to her, picked her up and sat her on his lap. “I’m sorry, Becky. You are such a good friend, and I’m a complete jerk. I just don’t feel like everyone else in the world feels about love.” He smiled down at her. “I’m sure it will catch up to me one of these days, like it did Abe. But until it smacks me in the face, I’ve got no use for it. I can’t get too close to any one person, Becky. I think it’s better to end it now with a little arrogance, than leave it for later, when you are too close and it would really hurt to say good bye. I don’t want you to hate me.”

Becky got up off his lap and stood before him. “It’s been fun, Jonah.” She smiled. “I hope, for your sake, that love does smack you in the face. You need it, and soon.”

She kissed him softly on the lips.

As she walked out the door, he whispered. “Sooner than you know, Becky, sooner than you know.”

C
HAPTER 57

Two hours later Ariana and Becky were running to the private jet.

“Hurry up! If we’re going to get to Arkansas and back to Beverly Hills by eleven tonight, we’re going to have to haul ass,” Rainey shouted from the door of the plane. “Elton, can you handle this? Because if you can’t, I can.”

“I’ve got this, Rainey. You, girls, just sit back and enjoy the flight.”

“Thank God someone has all their ducks in a row,” Rainey whispered through clenched teeth.

Ariana and Becky climbed the stairs to the jet and sat in the comfortable reclining chairs, made for a King, as Rainey secured the door.

“Abe said we weren’t leaving until ten.”

“I guess I should have called you. Your fiancé doesn’t listen to half of what I say. I told him three times that we were leaving at nine a.m. It’s twenty past now, and we have to stop in Phoenix and fuel up.”

Ariana reclined her chair, put her headphones on and turned her mp3 player to some soft tunes. She needed to get some much needed rest, and the music tuned out the voices in her head.

§ § §

“Ariana. Ariana, honey, wake up. We’re almost there.” Rainey was shaking her lightly. She had fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep. She hadn’t meant to sleep so long, but man, she felt so much better.

“Almost where? Phoenix?” she asked groggily.

“We’re going over the Arkansas River. Elton said that he’s going to start the descent in about five minutes. It’s five forty-five. Cut it pretty close, didn’t we?”

Ariana sat up in her chair, her heart skipping to the thought that she would see her best friend in less than fifteen minutes. “Where’s Becky?”

“She’s been in the bathroom, on and off, the whole trip. I think her and Jonah split up. Can’t say I didn’t see that one coming, though. It was only a matter of time.”

Ariana felt bad. Becky hadn’t acted like her usual cheery self this morning, and it hadn’t even occurred to her to ask if there was anything wrong. What kind of friend was she turning out to be?

She got up and knocked on the airplane’s only bathroom door. “Becky? Can I come in?”

The door unlocked, but didn’t open, so Ariana turned the handle and pulled.

The bathroom was small, not as small as on the passenger planes she’d been on, but space was limited, nonetheless.

Becky was sitting on the toilet with her head in her hands. “I guess you know?”

Ariana stepped in and shut the door. “I don’t know anything. I shut my mind off when we got on the plane and I went straight to sleep. Rainey just woke me up a minute ago. Is it Jonah?”

Becky took a deep breath, let it out and looked at Ariana with red, swollen eyes.

“Ah, Becky, I’m sorry. When?”

“About seven thirty this morning.” More tears slid down her cheeks. She pulled out a tissue and wiped her face, then she blew her nose. “You’re right, Ariana, you can’t choose when you fall in love, or who you fall in love with. I played it cool and didn’t cry as I told him to go find what he needed, and that I hoped he fell in love, and it hit him hard. I knew it was going to happen, I just didn’t figure it would be this soon. I don’t know, maybe I’m upset, not because I love him, but because he didn’t love me.”