Chapter 14: Smoke and Distractions

As soon as they arrived back at the resort, Sloan was determined to get Charlie's attention. He had spent the entire island tour thinking about her sudden change in behavior, and now that they were back, he needed to talk to her—just for a moment.

But the second he took a step toward her, Charlie turned on her heels and clapped her hands together.

"Alright, everyone! Change of plans. We're having a barbecue night with live music! We're inviting guests from other resorts, too!" Her voice was bright, energetic—too energetic.

Sloan froze.

Amy blinked, giving Charlie a long, suspicious look.

Mon, who had just finished tying up the boat, looked up in pure confusion.

Even Charlie could feel Amy and Mon's questioning stares, but neither of them said anything.

Sicily, however, lit up in excitement. "Oh, that sounds amazing! Live music, food, drinks—it's gonna be fun, Sloan." She nudged him playfully, grinning.

Sloan hesitated before forcing a small smile. "Yeah… sounds great."

But he wasn't convinced. None of this was planned. He was sure of it.

Earlier That Afternoon…

Charlie had paced near the resort entrance, running through all the possible ways she could avoid Sloan. She needed time—space—to sort out her thoughts.

Then, it hit her.

A barbecue night. A big enough distraction to keep herself occupied and surrounded by people.

She quickly made calls, inviting nearby resorts to send their guests over. She arranged for a local band to perform, sent messages to vendors, and even got the kitchen staff on board. By the time Sloan and the others returned, everything was already set in motion.

It was the perfect way to stay busy and keep her distance from Sloan.

Or so she thought.

Back to the Present…

The resort buzzed with activity. Staff members set up tables with lanterns and fairy lights, while others prepped the grill station.

Amy took charge of the decorations, directing people where to put extra seating. "This place better look magical," she muttered under her breath, fluffing a tablecloth.

Mon, despite his earlier confusion, took over setting up the fire pit. Sicily, surprisingly, offered to help—though her version of 'helping' mostly involved casually flirting with Mon while arranging chairs.

"You know, Mon," Sicily said, twirling a strand of her hair, "you're pretty handy. Do you always help out like this?"

Mon smirked but kept working. "Comes with the job."

Sicily hummed. "I'm sure Sloan appreciates how… involved you are." She shot a quick glance at Sloan, but he wasn't even paying attention.

Instead, he was focused on one thing: Charlie.

And the fact that she was avoiding him like the plague.

Every time he tried to approach her, something got in the way.

First, it was George.

"Mommy Chawie! Look, look! I found a seashell for you!"

Charlie smiled and bent down to take it, her attention completely shifting away from Sloan.

Sloan exhaled. He could wait.

Then, just as he tried again—

"Charlie," one of the staff members called, "should we start grilling now or wait until sunset?"

Charlie immediately turned to answer, not even noticing Sloan standing behind her.

Then, it seemed Amy was opening doors for him,

Amy grabbed George's hand and whispered, "Come on, buddy, let's go over there so Mr. Sloan can talk to Charlie."

George nodded but then promptly ran back to Charlie, grabbing her arm.

"Mommy Chawie, can I help with the food? I promise I won't drop anything!"

Charlie chuckled. "Of course, sweetheart."

Sloan ran a hand down his face. Seriously?

It felt like the entire universe was keeping them apart.

And maybe, Charlie was letting it happen.

Finally, a Moment Alone…

Sloan wasn't going to give up.

When Charlie finally stepped away from the chaos, standing by the side of the resort with a clipboard in hand, he took his chance.

"Charlie."

She stiffened for a split second before turning to him with a polite smile. "Hey, Sloan. Enjoying the preparations?"

He crossed his arms. "Didn't realize this was part of the original schedule."

Charlie didn't even flinch. "It was planned. Just thought it would be a good way to bring more guests in and maybe promote your live in TikTok and Youtube Podcast"

Sloan studied her carefully. "Right."

Silence stretched between them, the distant sound of laughter and music filling the gap.

Then Charlie, keeping her voice even, added, "Don't worry. We'll still have time to record for the podcast after lunch tomorrow. I've cleared the morning so everyone can sleep in."

Sloan raised an eyebrow. "So, you're still up for it?"

She nodded. "Of course. It's part of the plan, right?"

Sloan wasn't sure if she was talking about the podcast or something else entirely.

Before he could say anything more, someone called out, "Charlie! The band just arrived!"

Charlie gave him a small nod before walking away.

Sloan exhaled, watching her go.

Something had changed.

And he wasn't sure how much longer he could pretend not to notice.

The night was in full swing. The smell of grilled food filled the air, the sound of music echoed through the resort, and guests mingled under the warm glow of string lights.

But Sloan wasn't paying attention to any of it.

Instead, his gaze was fixed on one thing—

Charlie.

And just as he was about to finally go after her again, Sicily wrapped her arms around his, pulling him into the crowd.

Charlie turned her head just in time to see it.

And for the first time, she didn't bother hiding her reaction.

Because maybe… just maybe…

She was done pretending, too.