Chapter – 6

The cold breeze kissed my face as I gazed off into the distance, listening to the sounds of the sea.

Orlando continued to rub my back, his fingers circling soothingly. “A month ago, there was a request to the estate office for a beach wedding. I didn’t accept it since Enrique’s wedding is planned here, and he wanted the beach guesthouse for his honeymoon.”

This information had me perked up. Brian, that bastard. “Is it them?”

“Brian Schultz and Alana Swanson.” He nodded. “Your father called me personally when I declined their initial request.”

Tears accumulated again as this news hit home. Brian knew this estate was my retreat. “I wanted to get married here.” My voice was barely a whisper.

Orlando shifted, facing me as his hands circled my body. I wiped my tears and looked away when his thumb started rubbing my right hand.

“There’s a vacancy in one of my companies if you’re interested,” he said. “You can stay at the staff quarters if you want to.”

I appreciated the change of subject and nodded. “I’d love that.” I knew about all their businesses and didn’t have to think twice. In fact, I was planning to ask Mike myself. Orlando was so close, his strong shoulders inches away. Without thinking, I leaned my head on his shoulder, taking in all the comfort he was offering.

“What’s your story?” I asked him after a few moments of silence.

His body stiffened, confirming my suspicions. “I don’t have a story.” His voice was clipped, distant.

“I want to forget,” I said, dropping the subject that seemed to upset his mood. “I refuse to cry, and I don’t want to ruin my life over him. This trip is supposed to be a distraction, but when I’m alone, all I can think is about him.”

I wasn’t expecting a response. He wasn’t much of a talker, but he listened well. Orlando had always kept to himself. I never understood why.

But this time was different. It seemed like I could feel his pain. I understood the emotion behind his permanent cold glare and knew he was hurt once. He seemed to understand me, and maybe that was what brought him closer. I was sure the others were noticing the changes in him. Orlando has always been around me since my arrival.

“What did you do?” I pressed, treading carefully. I thought maybe opening myself to him would make him talk.

“I worked.” His voice was a whisper. “I drowned myself in work until I could no longer keep my eyes open.”

I wondered if he’d ever talked about it before. Silence once again stretched between us. Comfortable.

Orlando rested his chin on top of my head, and I realized I was leaning on his chest. So warm. Somewhere during the conversation, I must’ve shifted. He adjusted my body in his arms, an intimate action done as if this were a normal occurrence between us.

I didn’t dwell much on this closeness. My eyes fluttered as the cold air and his warmth lulled me. His thumb still traced circles on my hand. The pain in my heart lessened as the circles continued. Before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep.

***

My heart and head felt light when I stretched under the cozy blankets. The softness of the bed had me swooning. I snuggled deeper, inhaling the mild citrus scent on the sheet that relaxed me further. It was like any other day before Brian.

That name. I sat up as if a bucket of cold water had splashed on me. How did I get here? I reminisced my walk to the beach and falling asleep in Orlando’s arms.

I couldn’t believe in one night we had gone from being complete strangers to something more. There was an unspoken understanding between us last night. He listened to me, and his touch was like a balm to my aching heart. There was nothing sexual about that touch. Just comfort. Orlando must’ve brought me here.

My phone rang, causing me to shake my thoughts and search for it. Finding it under the bed, I cursed, seeing who it was. “Hey…”

“Arianna, oh, sweetie. You had us all worried. What were you thinking?” The chastising voice belonged to Mike’s mother, Gabriella.

“I’m sorry.” I felt like crap for shutting her out.

“Mike told me what happened.” Her voice cracked on the other end as I suppressed my tears. Suddenly, I wanted to sink myself in her embrace and let go. Hearing her voice reminded me how much I missed her. “When I found out, I wanted to come down and wring his neck. How dare he mess with my daughter like that?” My tears flowed freely now. “Mike wouldn’t let me. He said you wouldn’t want all that drama.”

No, I wouldn’t.

“But I swear, Ari, when I see that bastard again, he’ll remember why he shouldn’t cross my daughters ever again.”

Gabriella always referred to me and Rosie as her daughters. Her love was fierce, and Mike was every bit like her. So, I knew she wouldn’t hesitate to follow through on her words.

Her voice softened. “Tell me you’re okay, sweetie.”

“I’m okay,” I sniffled.

“I was so furious that I called Orlando to arrange my itinerary when you didn’t answer. Then he said you were fine, and he’ll make sure you talked with me before I came over.”

There she went again. Her words brought a smile to my lips. The woman talked a lot, and I loved her to bits.

“You’re smothering her, Gaby.” Uncle Frisby’s voice rang in the background, the only voice of reason in the Frisby household. “Shouldn’t you let her say something?”

“You better shut it, Frisby, else you’ll be in the doghouse for the next two weeks.”

I coughed, trying to hide my discomfort.

“If you cared, you would’ve persuaded her to move in with us. Mike hauled her ass out of that wretched place.”

I could imagine him rolling his eyes as he immersed himself in the newspaper or a book. No one talked when the mom or son threw tantrums, and rightly so. Her attention switched. “Ari, why wouldn’t you come? Mike said you refused to leave when he called.”

Why? My throat constricted. “I didn’t want to be a coward.” Alana and her friends would laugh and take pleasure in my leaving. I didn’t want her to think I couldn’t handle a breakup.

“Aww…sweetie. Did I ever tell you how much you remind me of my younger self?”

Yes, she said it almost every time we met.

“Don’t you ever put yourself in a situation like this ever again. Do you understand? If something happened, you come straight to us.”

I knew that. Mike and his family would always have my back. “I love you, Gaby.”

Gabriella exhaled. “I love you too, Ari. Please take of yourself and that grumpy godson of mine, will you?”

Huh? I almost choked on my saliva and stared at the phone in disbelief. How did she know? Mike. I heard her snicker when the call ended.

Ugh! What’s with everyone?

“The princess is up!”

I whipped around to see Rosie entering the room with a mischievous smile and frowned.

“What’s with the smile?”

“Enough with the innocent act, Ari. We saw, all right.” She rolled her eyes and plopped beside me on the bed.

“What did you see?”

“Well, we saw how you snuck to the beach at midnight and how Orlando returned with you in his arms an hour later.”

My eyes grew wider. I didn’t see them anywhere.

“After dinner, we went to the rooftop for some drinks and ended up chatting for a little longer. We saw you going out.” She paused, gauging my reaction. “I was about to come after you when Enrique stopped me. He said Orlando would already be there. So, we figured you were meeting him.” Her eyebrows wiggled as she nudged me in the ribs. “That was fast.”

I shook my head and couldn’t help the smile that stretched my lips. “Sorry to burst your bubble. Nothing is happening between us.”

“But…”

“I didn’t know he’d be there. It was a coincidence, and we ended up talking. Well, I talked, and he listened. Then I fell asleep.” I intentionally avoided the cuddling part since I didn’t want her to get any ideas. It was too soon, and I wasn’t even over Brian yet.

“That’s okay. At least you guys talked. I’m sure things are going to work out differently for you.”

“Please don’t go there, Rosie.”

“It’s not easy, but not impossible either. You remember how pathetic and messy I was when I broke up with Gage?”

I did. That idiot cheated on her and laughed in her face when she confronted him. It happened during our first year of college. Rosie was heartbroken. She’d thought she’d found the one, just like I thought Brian was the one for me.

Rosie combed my untamed hair with her fingers as a sigh of contentment escaped my lips.

“I’m scared, Rosie.”

“It’s okay to be scared, sweetie. Do what you have to do. But remember, you won’t let them have the last laugh.”

I nodded and snuggled against her as the first round of tears for that day soaked her shirt.

***

When I made it to the dining room for lunch, everyone had already started. Once again, the chair beside Orlando was empty. Mike grinned, patting that seat, and I suppressed the urge to shake my head at his pettiness.

Orlando sported a small smile when our eyes met, and I nodded, acknowledging his silent greeting.

“The wedding is barely a week away. Is everything set, Orlando?” Ricardo asked, his gray eyes boring into his son.

“Everything is arranged, Papa. I’ve also rented two luxury yachts to transport guests for the wedding.”

Ricardo turned to Enrique. “Is everything to your liking, son?” His voice and features softened when he spoke to his younger son.

“It is, Papa. Orlando and the wedding planner have done a great job. I can’t imagine anything more perfect than this.” Enrique squeezed Chiara’s hand.

“Good.” Ricardo smiled a little, and I realized how similar Orlando’s smile was to his father’s.

“Where do the guests stay after the wedding?” Grandpapa Cortez asked.

“We’ve reserved rooms in one of our hotels in the city, Grandpapa,” Orlando answered. “I’ve also hired an agency to supervise the security, so it’ll strictly be a family affair.”

Grandpapa and Ricardo nodded while I could feel an invisible tension mounting. And I couldn’t help but notice how Orlando’s jaw clenched when he mentioned it would strictly be a family affair.

***

“Mike, what’s with all this tension?” I asked on our way to the beach. Everyone else was walking ahead of us. Skyler and Chiara had their arms around Rosie’s neck as they argued about something.

“You noticed that, huh?” Mike stared at the sea that now glittered like blue diamonds kissed by the afternoon sun. The warm air was pleasant. “How much do you want to know?”

“As much as I need to understand what this is all about.”

“Well, Uncle Rick’s wife ran off with her secret lover when Enrique was only three months old.”

“Oh.” That explained why they never spoke about her.

“Uncle Ricardo was a wreck. Their divorce was very ugly and very public. She claimed he was abusing her. He was arrested but released since there was no evidence. When she found she wouldn’t get a dime from him, she went on to claim the children weren’t his. It became a mess when she drew the media in. Orlando and Enrique mostly grew up with me in our household until the press got tired of hounding them.”

Wow. I could only imagine what Orlando went through as a child. At least Mike’s mother, Gabriella, was there for the siblings. She was a kindhearted soul. She was also the only maternal figure in my life. “Do you think she’ll cause trouble at the wedding?”

“She’ll never cease to use an opportunity. The Cortez family, including us, have a restraining order against her.”

“Why is she here now?”

“It’s complicated and not something I’m sure Orlando would want me to share. I can say he’s doing his best to keep this under wraps. The press wouldn’t let go of this if they found out.”

That woman was a character. It explained why Ricardo remained single.

“Does Orlando have a girlfriend?”

Mike paused, and his brows creased as he gave me a once-over. His posture relaxed as a playful smirk found its way to his mouth. “Girlfriend, eh?” He shrugged. “He’s single. As for his past relationships, he’s pretty secretive about it.”

It wasn’t something I was expecting, but it would do. Why would I care, anyway? It wasn’t like we were dating. I was here to distract myself from the pain and heartbreak of my sister marrying my ex. I needed to stick to the original plan.

Sticking my nose in Orlando’s business promised heartbreak. I was content with his friendship and the understanding we had. I didn’t want to lose it. I didn’t know why, but just the thought of him not talking to me caused an ache in my heart.

“Ari…” Mike called in a hesitant voice. “Look, you know I’d be more than happy if you and Orlando ended up together. But just don’t get too comfortable with this thing you’re starting, okay?”

“I don’t understand.” In contrast to my words, my mind understood exactly what he was talking about. He didn’t want me to fall for Orlando. The logical side of my brain said one couldn’t fall for someone immediately after a breakup. I wasn’t really concerned at this point. How could I fall for Orlando when I still couldn’t get over Brian?

“Look, he might not be even around once this wedding is over. Ari, it’s natural for an aching soul to reach out. But Orlando, I don’t think he’s ready for that step.”

“So, you do know about his past.”

“Not really. We…” He scratched his chin and looked around, making sure no one was nearby. His voice lowered. “We have a theory. Orlando was happier than ever when he came home for spring break. Then, the next time he came, he was a changed man. We know a girl is involved. Whatever happened, he never got over it.”

“Okay.” It was easier to connect the dots now. Orlando’s breakup must’ve been worse than mine. What happened? Did she cheat on him?

“Listen, if this thing between you works out, I’ll be the happiest person alive. But I’m not sure how to feel about this. You’re my best friend, and he’s my cousin. If something went wrong––” He took a deep breath, shaking his head. “Just be careful, okay?”

I nodded. My thoughts galloped, imagining different scenarios. Ugh! Shut it, Arianna. Focus on the present.

“All right, come here.” Mike pulled me into his embrace.

I sighed contentedly as his strength surrounded me. His hand encased my head just like my dad used to do when I was little. I never knew why it stopped. Maybe that was why God sent me Mike. “I love you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you or Rosie,” I said, burying my face against his chest. I grabbed his t-shirt, bunching it in my fist.

“I love you too, and we’ll always be here for you,” Mike whispered and kissed the crown of my head. “Now go and have some fun.”