Chapter 3 A Family Trip

Rue

"A Trip?"

My voice comes out much louder than I intended it to, and when a few pairs of eyes come to rest on my mother and me, I give an apologetic smile.

"Rue, honey," my mother sighs. "Is it really that hard for you to go on a vacation with us?"

"Of course not," I tell her, but inside I'm screaming yes. "It's just that I have my internship and..."

"And you're on spring break right now." My mother counters, stopping me before I can even make an excuse. "And the vacation is only for five days. We are going to a paradise island that Leo's family owns."

"His...family..." I hiss, eyes widening. "His family owns it?"

When I was in high school, I heard rumors that Mr. Owens came from a very well-off family, but I didn't necessarily believe it.

I mean, how could I when he was working as a teacher?

If he really was born with a silver spoon, then wouldn't it be better for him to go and work for the company that kept his family rich?

"That's right," my mother beams. "Everything has already been taken care of, from lodgings to our flights. We just need to bring ourselves and enjoy."

"Mom," I sigh, wishing that I didn't even hear this. "Wouldn't it be better for the two of you to go without me?"

I mean, wouldn't this be considered their honeymoon?

Even as I picture them sleeping together in a room beside me, my heart feels like it is breaking into a million pieces.

How could I bear such a thing?

It was bad enough having to watch them be lovey-dovey here and now, but to see them all over each other while we vacationed as a family was just...

"It would be a good thing." My mother pushes. "Leo has already said that he would like to bond with you since we are a family now."

"We aren't family."

The words leave my lips before I can stop them, and when my mother's smile falters, I regret them.

"I mean..." I try, wanting to just disappear. "I'm an adult now, so it isn't like he has to act like a father toward me."

I didn't want that. I absolutely didn't want that because the thought of being in love with a man who was supposed to be my father left me uneasy.

But being in love with your mother's husband doesn't? The small voice in the back of my head counters.

Fuck. How was it possible all of this was happening?

Why him?

Why me?

Why her?

Fate was such a fucked-up thing.

What did I spend all those years doing now that there was no way that I could actually win over the man that I was secretly chasing?

"Rue, please," my mother says, and I see a desperate plea in her eyes. "Please, do this for me."

For a moment, I don't speak as I try to stop the torrent of emotions that are rushing through me, and when I swallow, I know that I'm going to regret the choice that I'm about to make.

"Okay," I sigh.

And that's how I ended up on a plane two days later with my mother and Mr. Owens sitting beside me.

Of course, they are all over each other like the happy new couple that they are, and that just makes me wish that I didn't agree.

The flight is long and torturous, and by the time the plane lands, I'm rising from my seat like it is on fire. And when my mother and Mr. Owens look at me, I simply shake my head.

"Stiff legs." I tell them, smiling. "I've never been good with long travels."

"That's true," my mother agrees, and I'm thankful that she can't hear what I'm thinking. "Even as a kid she was always whining about how much longer till we got where we were going."

"Mom," I hiss, flushing. "Could you please..."

"No," Mr. Owens says, smiling. "I'd actually quite like to hear more about your past."

Eyes widening, I stare at the man in front of me as he smiles, and once again I see that strange look in his eyes that I saw at the wedding.

"And since she doesn't do well with sitting still for too long, how about we start disembarking?" He continues, rising. "The sooner we reach the resort, the sooner our vacation starts."

"That's true," I agree, appreciating that he was at least humoring me. "Let's get going."

"What to do first?" My mother murmurs as Mr. Owens grabs our carry-ons and starts to carry them off the plane. "We have the pool, the beach, and oh, I heard that they teach people how to snorkel!"

"No need to rush," Mr. Owens laughs. "We can do it all within the time we have."

"You're really spoiling me." My mother sighs, throwing her arms around Mr. Owens's arm and snuggling in.

"Only the best for my lady."

Grimacing, I try not to watch the two in front of me too closely because if I did, I knew that I would end up breaking, but when we reach the resort and are led up to our lodgings, I find that instead of having separate rooms, we have a large condo with two bedrooms.

"Dammit," I growl as I move across my own room and slam my luggage on my bed. "What are the chances that something like this would actually be happening?"

Swallowing, I try to ignore the sound of movement just beside me as I realize that if Mr. Owens and my mother did anything, I would certainly be able to hear it.

I was going to have to buy some earplugs while I was out to ensure that didn't happen, but before that, I needed to find a way to escape so that I could actually enjoy this vacation without them.

Sure, I agreed to come because of my mother's pleas, but that didn't mean that I had to spend the whole five days with them, right?

It was normal that we all went out and did our own thing.

If I could fill my schedule with activities and avoid the two of them for the entire vacation, then I could go home and start getting over the man that I pined after for so long. And eventually move on to another love that wouldn't be so out of reach.