I had a long, hot shower, pulled a towel around my waist and went to check out the view. On the way, I picked up a brochure of activities. Parker was on the terrace with a pot of coffee and two mugs, so I slid open the doors and stepped out.
She turned, her sharp black bob slicing the thick, hot air, her eyes covered with large, black sunglasses. “Are you really going to walk around like that all holiday?”
I glanced down at my towel. “What are you talking about?”
“Never mind. I ordered you coffee.” She nodded to the coffee pot.
“What a good wife you are.” She shot me a look that told me if she thought she could take me in a fight, she would. I chuckled to myself, topped up her coffee then poured out a fresh cup for myself.
“So what’s on the agenda today?” I asked. “You seem like you’re in a feisty mood. Maybe a little shark wrestling?”
“Agenda? We have an agenda?” She glanced down at the brochure I’d put on the table.
“Not a formal one. I just wondered what you fancied doing today. Cocktails on the beach? A boat trip? Or maybe you just want to ogle me in a towel for the rest of the day?”
“You wish I wanted to ogle you in a towel for the rest of the day.” I swear I caught a flicker of a grin at the corners of her mouth. “I was just planning on reading my book here on the terrace. Taking in the views. Maybe having a dip in the plunge pool. But if you want to do something a little more adventurous, don’t let me stop you.”
I took a sip of my coffee. “Absolutely not.”
“You don’t like the coffee?”
“The coffee’s just fine. The idea of you holing up here on your own with a book is absolutely not okay.”
She lowered her glasses to the end of her nose and stared at me. “I’m not asking you to stay. You go wrestle sharks or whatever other adventurous activity you want to participate in. I’ll stay shark-free, if you don’t mind.”
“Nope. Nope. Nope. This is our honeymoon. I’m sure we can find something we both want to do.”
“If you want to stay here and read, then we found something. Otherwise, we can agree to disagree.”
I watched as she pretended to read. It was obvious she wasn’t actually reading, but something was off with her and I didn’t know what. I’d seen her overwhelmed before. I’d seen her feeling guilty for lying to everyone she loved. But I hadn’t seen her like this.
I sipped my coffee and took in the view. I didn’t want to leave her for the day. Not when she clearly wasn’t happy. I wanted to understand. I wanted to make it better.
“Tell me what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” she replied and my gut churned in frustration. For some reason, I could lie to her family and I could watch her do the same. But I just didn’t like her lying to me. “I just want to read my book.”
“But you’re not reading your book. You’re just staring at the page. Parker, we might not be really husband and wife, but you should have realized by now that I’m a really good friend. Tell me what’s going on?”
She slid her book onto the table and pushed up her sunglasses. “If I tell you, will you leave me alone?”
I winced. “Not promising anything.”
She laughed. “At least you’re honest.” She smiled a long, lazy smile. “I’m straight-up exhausted. I thought the wedding was the end of it—you know, the push and pull with my mum and Lauren, worrying about the questions I was going to get asked, having to choose my dress, flowers, venues. I thought that after we were married, I’d finally be allowed to relax, but then I had to run around and organize work so I could come to Mexico and we had to race to the airport and—I’m just sick of having everyone’s eyes on me. If we go down to the pool or we go on a boat trip or whatever, we’re going to be the honeymoon couple in the honeymoon suite and I’m just . . . sick of people looking at me. I’m sick of people talking to me. I’m sick of talking. I just want to hole up and not speak to another living soul for the entire time I’m here.”
It made sense. She wanted to hibernate. No doubt she’d be happier if she was at home in her messy little nest of a flat, behind a locked door with nothing but a book and Uber Eats for company. But we could do a little better than that. We were in Mexico, after all.
“Well, given I’m your husband and I’m in charge of making you happy—especially on your honeymoon—I’m going to make that happen. With one exception.”