Chapter 7: Unexpected Guests
761 Words
The morning sun poured through the sheer curtains of the suite, casting warm golden light over the space. Isla stretched, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, still trying to process the absurdity of her current predicament—sharing a suite with Adrian. The night had been uneventful, thankfully, but that didn’t make the situation any easier to handle.
A sharp knock at the door startled her.
“Room service!” a bright voice called from the hallway.
Isla frowned. “I didn’t order anything.”
She padded barefoot to the door, pulling it open cautiously. The sight that greeted her made her stomach drop.
Standing in the hallway was a stunning brunette, dressed in a white sundress that clung to her curves in a way that screamed effortless beauty. And she wasn’t alone. A tall, charismatic man with wavy brown hair and a mischievous smirk stood beside her, holding a bouquet of tropical flowers.
“Surprise!” the woman sang, stepping past Isla into the suite like she owned the place.
Isla blinked. “Uh, I think you have the wrong room.”
Adrian’s voice drifted in from the other side of the suite. “What the—”
He appeared from behind the partition, his hair still damp from a shower, towel draped over his shoulders. His expression shifted instantly—from confusion to shock, then to something unreadable.
“Lena? Logan?”
Lena beamed. “Missed us?”
Isla’s stomach tightened. Oh, hell no.
Lena Castillo. The woman Adrian had dated after their divorce. And Logan, Adrian’s childhood best friend and partner-in-crime, notorious for stirring up trouble wherever he went.
Adrian ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “What are you two doing here?”
Logan grinned. “Oh, you know. Thought we’d crash the wedding.”
Lena threw her arms around Adrian’s neck in an all-too-familiar hug. “When I heard you were here, I just had to come. We have so much to catch up on.”
Isla felt a hot surge of irritation flare in her chest. Not that she cared who Adrian spent his time with. Absolutely not.
Adrian gently peeled Lena off him. “You should’ve called first.”
Lena pouted. “Where’s the fun in that?”
Isla crossed her arms, clearing her throat loudly. “Great reunion and all, but why are you in our suite?”
Lena finally acknowledged her, glancing at Isla with mild curiosity before her eyes flicked to Adrian. “Oh… you’re sharing a room?”
Logan let out a low whistle. “Well, well. Things just got interesting.”
Isla gritted her teeth. “Barely. It was a last-minute mix-up.”
Lena’s smirk was far too knowing. “Sure it was.”
Adrian sighed. “Look, we’ll talk later. Right now, Isla and I have things to do.”
Logan waggled his brows. “I’ll bet.”
Isla turned to him. “Aren’t you supposed to be charming?”
“I am charming.” He winked. “That’s why you’re smiling.”
She rolled her eyes, refusing to admit he was right.
Lena flipped her hair. “Fine, we’ll let you two get back to… whatever this is. But don’t think for a second this conversation is over.”
She sauntered out, Logan following behind with an exaggerated bow toward Isla. “Pleasure meeting you, Carter.”
When the door clicked shut, Isla turned to Adrian, arms crossed. “Care to explain?”
Adrian sighed, rubbing his temple. “Not really.”
She raised a brow. “Try anyway.”
Adrian hesitated, then sat on the edge of the bed. “Lena and I… dated briefly after our divorce. It wasn’t serious, but she never really got that memo.”
“Clearly,” Isla said dryly. “And Logan?”
Adrian smirked. “Logan’s just here for the chaos.”
Isla huffed. “Well, he’s in the right place.”
Adrian studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. “Does it bother you?”
She scoffed. “That you dated someone after we split? No. That she just barged in here like she owns you? Absolutely.”
His lips twitched. “Protective, Carter?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Annoyed, Hayes.”
A silence stretched between them, charged and heavy. Finally, Adrian sighed. “I’ll handle it.”
“You do that.”
With one last lingering glance, Isla retreated to her side of the suite, ignoring the way her pulse pounded a little too hard.
She wasn’t jealous.
Not even a little bit.
- Writer
