Chapter 272

‘You’re a liar,’ I said the moment she picked up the phone. ‘What did I do?’ Yvaine yawned. ‘You told me this was a singles’ cruise.’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘It’s not.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘I saw Ashton.’ I closed my eyes, but his image wouldn’t leave. It had been close to three months since I’d last seen him. It should have been impossible, yet he seemed taller somehow. Everyone else wore T-shirts and Bermuda shorts. He had shed his jacket, but the black shirt and black trousers remained, making him both impossible to ignore and impossible to approach. Add his aura of aloofness, that silent warning to keep away, and people steered clear. Even the girls brave enough to be drawn in by his face lost their nerve when they noticed the woman beside him. ‘Did you?’ Yvaine’s voice was falsely surprised. ‘What a coincidence.’ ‘Liar. Did he put you up to this?’ ‘Nope.’ ‘Lie again.’ ‘Still nope. He’s single, isn’t he? So are you. Like I said, this is a singles’ cruise.’ Smugness clung to her words no matter how hard sh