Chapter Eight

Mikah

Cancun would be my first vacation in years. The only thing in my way was a four-hour flight and customs. With my carry-on bag shoved into the compartment above me, I took my place between Kit and a stranger who had already made it clear with a romance novel in hand that she wasn't up to make friends—unless they were fictional. Kit had opted for a word search to pass the time before takeoff. Both of us were ready for a drink. While I waited for that to become a reality, I watched Hallie board the plane. She may have taken the same Uber as I did, but she held the attention span of a gnat while in the airport, visiting every giftshop she could find. She'd nearly missed boarding.

It must have been my eye roll, Kit saw. She closed the word search and turned to glare my way. I removed my eyes from my roommate and directed them at my sister. With a quick glance to Hallie, and back at me, she motioned a hand in the blonde's direction.

"What?" I asked, already aggravated and feeling as though I was being accused of something.

"She's never been to an airport. It's her first flight. You couldn't help her out?"

"Didn't realize it was my day to babysit," I said. "Speaking of... who is watching my niece?"

I was smacked with the word search on the arm before Kit turned to sit upright in her seat. "She's with aunt Laurie. Don't change the subject."

"It is not my job to be Hallie's chaperone. Nor did she ask for help. She's a big girl, Kit. She found the plane all by herself."

I was used to my little sister's huffing and puffing when she felt she hadn't gotten her way or had lost an argument. The word search was once again opened, but she wasn't actually finding lost words. It seemed to just make her appear busy when she wasn't. It was a classic tell for nearly everyone in the Mulligan family... silence was rarely a good thing.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." Kit's knee bobbed as she flipped the pages of the puzzle book.

"Nothing is never nothing with a woman. What did I do now?"

"Are you still seeing Shelby?"

I cringed and played off the accusation, knowing that wasn't the entire truth.

"Mikah!" Kit hissed.

"I don't need a lecture," I said defensively. "I put the relationship on pause again. It was just sex, and she was getting clingy."

"Because in her delusional head, she loves you!"

My cheek caved as I bit it, watching the seatbelt line flash to red. I applied it, as Kit did the same, still muttering about Shelby being part of my life. I had to assume it was Shelby herself who had said something to Kit or to my mother. But Kit got it wrong. It was me who was the delusional one.

"And what about you?" I asked Kit, still feeling heated. "I hear you're sleeping with your therapist?"

"Fuck off," she said beneath her breath with a shaking head. "You don't know shit."

I knew way more than she realized. My delusional ex saw them together, and it was anything but professional. We came from a small town, and not much stayed a secret around there. I needed to break the ice on this subject and now was as good of a time as any. Kit couldn't go anywhere. Her ass was planted for the next four hours.

"I'm not paying that creep by the hour to sleep with you," I said, scolding her. We now had the attention of the romance reader, peeking from above the book. "That is so beyond fucked up, Kit. He is taking advantage of you. It is unethical."

As Kit opened her mouth to speak, something towards the plane's front snapped it back shut. Her gaze widened as she whispered an "oh no".

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Hallie's voice boomed through the cabin. "No. Absolutely not. Is this a joke?"

I looked over my shoulder to see a couple waiting for Hallie to stand from her seat so they could take their seats in the center and at the window. I had seen her angry plenty of times, mostly at me, but this was not the same. Hallie hated me, but whoever was standing beside her right now was hated way more. Hallie looked ready to throw punches at the person who sat them together.

"Who is that?" I asked Kit, watching the man attempting to plead with Hallie. Even I knew that wouldn't get him anywhere. He nervously eyed the passengers on the plane while gripping his hair and apologizing.

"Her ex," Kit muttered. "She knew TJ was coming, but we didn't think he'd be on the same plane."

"So why can't the woman sit between them?" I asked, still watching the drama unfold.

"Because he cheated on her, and that's the mistress. His now wife."

My smile broadened. "Think we can get popcorn for the show?"

"You're such a prick, Mikah." Kit elbowed me as she stood, and crawled over my lap to get to the aisle.

"No way." I grabbed her arm to sit her back in the seat. "We need to talk about this business with your therapist. He should lose his license."

"It's my business," she spat, releasing the grip. She waved at Hallie. "Take my seat!"

"Kit!"

It was too late. My plan to confront Kit about her therapist had backfired, and now I was stuck with the one person I needed space from. As Hallie climbed over me to take the open seat, I wondered how I could get into Kit's head that she needed help, and we were seeking it from the wrong person. It took years to get her to get help and her therapist literally fucked it up. If I stopped paying him, she'd likely hate me enough to not accept help again. And there was no way to bring Ollie into the conversation, as he didn't realize he was seeing the same therapist as Kit. I couldn't ruin any success Ollie had, either.

I dropped my head back to the seat and rolled it in Hallie's direction. Now settled, her attention was focused on the couple whom now shared a row with Kit. It took a minute before she snapped out of the trance and caught me watching.

"You okay?" I asked, unsure how to act after seeing her eyes glaze over.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, sneering. "Why was your sister so eager to give up this seat?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I repeated her words back to her with a condescending grin.

"Perfect."

"Yep."

>><<

After a wordless flight and an hour in customs, we had finally arrived in Cancun, Mexico. Ollie and Sloan had already been here for a few days and would stay a week after we'd leave for their honeymoon, and I was jealous they'd been living it up while I'd been tending bar back home. It was bright, hot, and beautiful here. Hallie and Kit were now attached at the hip, claiming a row of seats on the bus that would take us to the resort. I sat beside a stranger, which was fine. My only goal for this trip was to get through this wedding and enjoy a few days of vacation.

As the bus took us through the busy roads of Mexico, passing everything from tiny markets, streets lined with bars, and major shopping centers, I received texts from my mother, telling us that her flight had arrived on time earlier in the day and that she was already assisting Sloan and Ollie with last-minute wedding prep. As sure as I was that she was likely driving them both crazy, it made me happy that she had something to help fill her time. She loved weddings, and I think for a long time she believed none of her kids would have one. Ollie, being the first and likely only, was not surprising.

I couldn't get over the heat compared to what we'd left behind in Chicago. The sweats I'd worn for the plane ride's comfort were now proving to be a mistake. Thankfully, the ride didn't last long, and we'd finally made it to our destination.

The resort was huge. Stunning didn't describe it. A six-story, stucco white building with curved pillars and tropical plants everywhere you looked. That included some of the most vibrant flowers I'd ever seen surrounding a massive decorative fountain. The lobby doubled as a gathering place. There were seating areas everywhere, most of them filled with people holding drinks and conversing as others checked into their suites. I'd be doing the latter—I wanted this vacation to get started as soon as possible.

I headed straight for the lines, along with Hallie, while my sister and a few others headed for ocean views first. There were four lines to check-in, and thankfully Hallie avoided small talk by taking the line beside mine. We both approached the counter at the same time. As I was handed a keycard for room 410, Hallie received one for 403.

Of course, Hallie was just across the hall and down a few rooms. Probably the same distance we were at home. And even though we were both showing our disgust in our facial expressions, the place was enormous enough that we wouldn't need to see each other unless it was for a wedding activity. The beach was even bigger, and that's where a majority of my time was being spent.

As we each finished handing over our IDs and credit cards for incidentals, Hallie took hers back and shoved them into her bag before turning her body to face me. "So, when are we starting?"

"Starting?" I asked, taking back my card from the desk clerk.

"My takeover of the apartment."

So cocky.

I turned as I returned my card back to my wallet and grinned. "Tipsy, we both know you are so far out of your league with this bet. There is no way you are getting laid twice before me while here. You can't even tell me the last time you got any, and we both know I've been getting plenty. Just forfeit before you make yourself look pathetic. That apartment is, and will remain, a bachelor pad."

Her blue eyes narrowed. Her anger was taken out as she signed her name for the room. I'd never heard a pen hit paper that hard, and when she was done, the pen was slapped back on the counter. She ignored me as she pivoted and instead came face-to-face with a stranger in line behind her. And just like that, her temper faded and was replaced with a smile bigger than I had ever seen on her.

"Hi," she told the man cheekily, and held out her hand. "I'm Hallie."

My smugness soured as the silver-haired stranger accepted the shake. "Dean."

Hallie giggled as her hand was shaken. Dean did the same, unsure of what was happening. But I knew as soon as she turned what she was doing. The man was at least twice her age, and that didn't seem to be an issue. Clean shaven, fit, and wearing name-brand athletic polo and dress pants, I knew I was already in trouble of losing this bet.

"Business or pleasure?" Hallie asked, stealing a glance at his ring finger, which was free of any jewelry that said he was legally taken.

The man grinned, now either understanding or really hoping he knew where she was headed with her questions. His ogle of her before answering was nauseating.

"Pleasure. You?"

Hallie bit her lip as she swiveled around and picked up the pen she'd slapped down only a minute ago. And when she returned to the stranger, she took back his hand.

"I'm in room 403." She wrote the same number on his palm. "You tell me."

My head shook at her, but she wasn't done. Not even close. She tossed the pen back to the desk, but it wasn't even seconds later her hand had this guy's polo in a tight fist and her lips on his. Before Hallie allowed this man to check-in, he whispered something into her ear that caused her to kiss him again.

I wanted to hurl as my eyes rolled.

I clicked my suitcase handle back into position and took off for the elevators, hearing Hallie do the same behind me. My long legs were no match for her, and her walk turned into a jog to catch up. My hope to get into the lift before her was futile. I hit the up button just as she arrived back at my side. We'd be riding to the fourth floor together, and I made sure she saw my annoyance with that fact as we walked in and watched the doors close. And fuck, it was hot in there. I was already tugging at my shirt that was sticking to my chest.

Hallie pressed our floor and leaned her back into the wall before grinning in my direction. "What were you saying again... about me being out of my league?"

I glared at her, seeing how proud she was of snagging who could be her first one-night stand of the trip. "I'm not worried."

"He told me to give him an hour, and he'd be over."

"Probably needs time for the Viagra to kick in."

"You're sounding a little worried, Mikah."

"I'm no-" I was cut off by the elevator jolting and stopping.

"Oh fuck, no," Hallie said, pushing me aside. The lights began flickering like a strobe light at a rave as she ran both hands down the panel of buttons. "I am not getting trapped with you in the dark."

I couldn't agree more. In the time that we lost most of our electricity in the unit, it felt as if the temperature had shot up another twenty degrees. I nudged Hallie back out of my way, formed a fist, and hit the panel as hard as I could.

It worked.

We jolted again, causing both of us to reach for the handrails on the wall. Neither of us let go until the doors opened on the fourth floor. I got my ass off first. If it was going to glitch again, I wasn't getting stuck with Hallie.

A sign directly ahead pointed us to our rooms, which thankfully had us moving in opposite directions down the hall. Opening the door to 410 was better than I could have imagined. This wasn't a normal hotel room; it was damn near the size of the apartment back home, complete with a kitchenette, dining area, living area, a downstairs bedroom and bath, and an upstairs bed and bath. It was way more space than I needed, but I wanted every inch of the tropical-themed space to myself.

After deciding on the upstairs bedroom as my spot, I dropped my suitcase at the top of the threshold and made my way directly to the sliding door to the right of the bed. I slid the curtains away, unlocked and pulled the door open to—first, a blast of heat that made my chest feel heavy—the most breathtaking view of the ocean I'd ever seen. White sand spanning for as far as the eye could see, a massive pool area with a villa and swim-up bar—one I didn't have to work, and beautiful women everywhere.

I leaned into the railing with the sun beaming down on my face. I was already in love with Cancun and felt more relaxed than I'd been in nearly four years. But I couldn't stand around here all day... I had a bet to win.