Island Love Songs: Seven Nights in Paradise / The Wedding Dance / Orchids and Bliss

He sure as heck hoped that she hadn’t avoided him because of an unfounded fear that he would become some sort of nutcase. She owed him a conversation, an explanation, and that was all he had wanted. If she’d been able to tell him that she didn’t love him and didn’t want to marry him, as much as it would have hurt, he would have wished her well and moved on.

But she hadn’t told him anything, and that had him stuck emotionally. Unable to truly move on.

“I—I—I’m sorry,” Melanie stuttered. “It’s just—I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“That makes two of us.”

“I’m here for Richelle’s wedding,” she explained.

“Ah. So Richelle’s getting married again?” Lawrence processed the information. He remembered all too well that it was Richelle’s own failed engagement that had led to Melanie’s doubts about whether or not any marriage could be successful. That and the fact that her father had never been able to stay faithful to her mother.

“Not again,” Melanie clarified. “This will be her first marriage. Since her wedding to Vern last year didn’t actually happen.”

“Yeah, I know what that’s like,” Lawrence couldn’t help saying. When Melanie’s lips tightened, he asked, “She getting married to Roy? The football player?”

“Yep,” Melanie answered, not looking at him. Instead, she was searching the beach. “And, ah, there they are. They told me to meet them, so, uh, I’ll see you around.”

Lawrence’s eyes narrowed. “You’ll see me around?”

“What do you want me to say?” Melanie asked, sounding exasperated.

“I want to know why,” Lawrence said. “That’s what I want to hear from you. Tell me why you left me.”

Melanie withered beneath his hard stare. But Lawrence didn’t avert his gaze, because she deserved to wither. She deserved to feel even a morsel of the pain she had caused him to feel.

“This isn’t the time,” she said.

“Then when is the time?” Lawrence asked. “Let’s set a date. Mark me in on your calendar and put it in that phone of yours so you won’t forget. We’re in Fiji, where you can’t hide behind your work. Maybe now I can get some answers.”

“Lawrence, stop.”

“Stop?” he countered. “So that’s just it? You break my heart, you humiliate me in front of my family and friends, and I don’t have a right to know why?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“No, you didn’t say anything. You just stood me up and never even gave me a courtesy call to say you were sorry, at the least.”

Melanie’s bottom lip trembled. And once again, there was the look of fear in her eyes. But he could see now that it wasn’t the kind of fear that said she was afraid he would hurt her. Rather, it was the kind of fear that came when you were caught in an uncomfortable situation you didn’t want to be in.

But dammit, she owed him closure. She owed him answers, and then he could forget her forever.

“We were supposed to get married,” Lawrence went on. “We were supposed to be husband and wife. Only you didn’t show up. You made an executive decision to change the plans we had for our life together. Fine—maybe you’re not sorry about how you handled the situation, about how you hurt me. But at the very least, don’t you think you owe me an explanation as to why?”

“I—I can’t do this. Richelle...she’s waving me over.”

“Richelle isn’t going anywhere. We’re on island time.”

Melanie was shaking her head. “I—I’m sorry, Lawrence. I—I am. I know I never told you, and, yes, you deserved an apology, so I’m telling you now. I’m sorry. Just know that.”

And before he could say another word, she quickly turned, desperate to be able to escape him, and all but sprinted on the sand over to Richelle and Roy.

Leaving Lawrence standing there like a fool.

Much like he had stood like a fool at the altar of the church on their wedding day, waiting for his bride-to-be who would never show up.

Chapter 3

“Was that Lawrence?” Richelle asked, gazing beyond Melanie’s shoulder to look in the direction of the stretch of beach near the island bar.

Now beside her friend, Melanie finally released a pent-up, frazzled breath. “Yeah.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

Melanie’s heart was beating frantically, and she felt light-headed. She was in a state of shock.

“Why is he here?” Richelle went on, a sense of wonder in her tone.

Melanie threw her hands up in frustration, and then dropped down onto the lounge chair beside the one where Roy was sitting. “Hell if I know.”

“Wait,” Roy said. “That was Lawrence—your former fiancé?”

Melanie nodded.

“I didn’t realize you guys were talking again.”

“We’re not.”

Roy looked confused. “But you must have told him you were going to be here.”

“You think I invited him here?” Melanie asked, her tone incredulous. Then, realizing that her reaction was too harsh, she said, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice. It’s just that...I haven’t spoken to Lawrence in nine months. I have no clue why he’s here.”

“I was just gonna say, if you want to bring him to the wedding, it’s cool with me.”

Melanie’s eyes widened. Invite him to the wedding?

“Roy, honey,” Richelle began, placing her hands on Roy’s shoulders. “You said you were going in the water, right?”

Roy looked over his shoulder at Richelle, who smiled sweetly at him, then at Melanie. And he seemed to get that Richelle was shooing him off so that she and Melanie could have some privacy.

Roy stood and dutifully took his shirt off. “Yep.”

Richelle gave him a quick kiss, and then he headed into the turquoise-blue water. Richelle sat across from Melanie on the second lounge chair.

“Wow,” Richelle said, and then chuckled softly. “We come all the way from New York to Fiji and Lawrence is here?”

Melanie looked up from the sand and met Richelle’s gaze. Her friend’s eyes were dancing with excitement. “You don’t have to sound so happy about it.”

“I don’t think that’s a coincidence,” Richelle went on. “Come on, you don’t think it’s a coincidence that he’s here?”