Chapter Twenty

As the sun began to dip closer to the horizon, painting the sky in soft hues of amber and lavender, Lydia and Scott swam lazily near the villa. The water was warm, soothing, and so clear they could see their shadows dancing on the ocean floor.

Lydia floated on her back, her hair fanning out like silk around her. “This doesn’t feel real,” she whispered, more to herself than to Scott.

Scott, treading water beside her, looked over. “What part?”

“All of it. The wedding. This trip. You.” She turned her head toward him, her expression thoughtful. “A few weeks ago, we were strangers.”

He nodded. “Yeah. And now we’re in the middle of paradise, married—technically—and pretending like this is normal.”

Lydia gave a soft laugh. “Pretending. That’s the key word.”

They were quiet for a beat. A sea bird cried overhead, and the waves lapped gently at the wooden beams of the villa.

“I’m not very good at pretending,” Scott admitted.