He sits down beside me. “You good?”
I nod, scared that if I open my mouth, I’ll blurt it all out and cry. I’m not going to cry. No.
“You’re not tellin’ me something. What did Enzo say to you?”
“He was just asking if I like it here.”
“You’re lyin’.”
I don’t answer him.
“What did he say, Lei?”
“Nothing, Rhett.”
“Bull-fuckin’-shit.” He stands. “I’ll fuckin’ find out myself.”
“Rhett!”
He dives out of the waterfall and into the water. I scurry out quickly, jumping in and swimming to the edge. By the time I get there, Rhett is already striding towards Enzo angrily, his fists clenched. Oh shit. Enzo is going to think I went and spilled it all, but that isn’t true. I don’t want him to think I’d be so petty.
“What did you say to her?” Rhett demands, reaching is friend. “So help me, one of you fuckers better start talkin’.”
I pause, water dripping off me, and everyone stops what they’re doing to watch this unfold. There is no point in me going in there and trying to do something, it’ll only make it worse. I need to just stay here and let Rhett do his thing.
Enzo stares at Rhett, and then crosses his arms. “I told her the fuckin’ truth.”
“And what is that?”
“That she should go home and end this, because you’ll give her the flick the same way you have every other fuckin’ woman.”
“What. The. Fuck.”
Rhett’s voice is like a whip.
“I invested my time and fuckin’ money into this retreat, too. I get it, you’re pussy struck, but I’m not goin’ to sit back and let you do this with every fuckin’ group that comes through those gates. You gotta know your limits, and she doesn’t deserve to be used, she’s a good chick.”
Rhett’s fist flies out and lands hard on Enzo’s jaw. Enzo’s head whips to the side and when he jerks it back, his face is full of rage. He lunges at Rhett and the two of them go tumbling back into the dirt, fists flying, grunting as they have it out. I press my hands over my mouth, horrified that these two men are fighting because of me. I don’t want that. I never wanted that.
Madden goes storming over and takes Enzo by the shirt, hauling him up and backwards. Lake leans down and grabs hold of Rhett, jerking him back with an arm around his chest. The two men stare at each other, panting, nostrils flaring, rage not even close to being fully unleashed.
“You have no fuckin’ right to dictate my life,” Rhett roars.
“And you have no fuckin’ right to ruin this for all of us. You and I both know that after a few months, another girl will catch your eye and you’ll move on. You’ll be done. You’ll break her heart, and you’ll give us an even worse fuckin’ name than we already have. Tell me I’m fuckin’ wrong, Rhett. Tell me she’s different and I’ll back off.”
Rhett stands, panting as Lake holds onto him.
But he doesn’t say anything.
He. Doesn’t. Say. Anything.
It feels like a slap to the face, like someone reaches into my chest and rips out my heart. I want to scream from the shame alone. I reach down, hauling up my things, not bothering to take my towel or anything that’s not in my pack. I rush towards the path, embarrassed that every person here just saw Rhett agree that I’m nothing to him and he’ll get bored of me after a few months.
I run, I run until I’m out of breath, and even then, I push on a little more. I make it back to the ranch a whole lot quicker than I got to the waterfall. I go straight to my room, pull out my suitcase and start throwing my clothes into it. Tears fall down my face, tears that are filled with hurt and anger. Rhett could have told me what I was to him. He could have told me that long before I developed feelings.
He didn’t have to lie.
He didn’t have to give me false hope.
He’s crushed me into a thousand tiny pieces.
And he damn well knows it.
“YOU’RE NOT LEAVIN’.”
The sound of Rhett’s voice fills my bedroom just as I’ve finished packing and zipping my suitcase. I spin around, not having heard him come in. He’s standing in the doorway, sweat covering his body and his shirt, he must have made a hell of a run for it. I swallow down the tears, not wanting him to know just how much I let myself care about him.
“You do not get to tell me what I can and can’t do. I paid for this god damned retreat, and I’ll leave whenever the fuck I want.”
I pick up my suitcase and go to walk out of the room, but he blocks the doorway. I slam it down onto the ground and glare up at him. “Move.”