“Vaughn, stop being ridiculous,” Miller interjected. “And yes, I knew, I have eyes. He looks at her like I looked at Marta.”
Kyle looked over at Miller. He was still sitting at the table, but where he’d been relaxed and almost slumped in his chair before, he was now sitting upright, with both arms resting on the table. Knowing that Miller thought that Kyle looked at Drea the same way he had looked at his own wife meant something to him. The love that radiated off Miller when he talked about her was something Kyle envied and something he knew Drea had always idolized. His statement also meant that Drea was right—Miller was defending them and their relationship, even though they hadn’t been entirely honest with him.
“What about you,” Vaughn said, turning to Grayson. “Do you know about this too?”
“Well, I didn’t realize he’d sealed the deal, but I might have been encouraging it,” he answered, looking over at Kyle and giving the ‘well done, buddy’ nod. Kyle nodded back his thanks.
“Vaughn, for the last time, knock it off,” Simone finally said.
“You too?”
“Yes, me too. She’s had a crush on him since the moment he got here. You know that,” Simone answered him. “So when I saw him kiss her the other night—”
“What?” Vaughn cut her off.
“Uncle Vaughn, if you’d let us explain. We’ve been dating—” Drea started.
“Dating? Drea, he’s been leading you on for years. So I’m sorry if you thought there was more to your friendship and I’m sorry that these two have been indulging your fantasies about it,” he said, gesturing at his brothers.
“Vaughn, she has not been imagining that there is more to our friendship. We’re together, we just chose to keep it to ourselves—”
“Because it’s against the terms of your employment contract?” Vaughn said, cutting him off.
“What?” Kyle asked.
“Even if you aren’t after her money, which I don’t believe for one second, it’s still against resort policy for staff to be romantically involved with each other. You’re fired.”
The words rang in Kyle's ears. He shouldn’t have been surprised to hear them. He knew they were coming. It was what he’d been afraid of since day one of this, what he’d been telling Drea would happen. Deep down he’d always known it, but when Miller and Grayson had started to defend him, there had been a glimmer of hope that maybe the outcome would be different.
“You can’t fire him!” Drea called out, moving in between him and her uncle.
“Oh, but I can.”
“He’s my employee, Vaughn,” Grayson added in.
“Don’t we all get a vote?” Drea asked, panicked.
“He might report to you, Grayson, but as Executive Director of the resort I get final say over employment. Kyle, get out, you’re fired.”
It was as if the earth underneath him turned to quicksand. He couldn’t breathe as the room spun. He looked to Drea, who was fighting back tears.
“No, no, no,” she said.
“Vaughn, don’t be an ass,” Miller said, standing up. “You are not firing the kid because he is involved with Drea. By that logic you’re going to have to find a new housekeeping manager and a maintenance tech.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but my decision is final. Get out.”
He didn’t need to be told again. He wanted to scream and throw up, but knew that no matter what he did, he wasn’t going to change the man’s mind. He looked at Drea, whose tears had started to fall. Reaching out, he squeezed her hand before turning to her uncles.
“Grayson, Miller, it’s been an honor.”
With those final words, he walked out of the kitchen.
He heard Drea yell his name as he walked away, but he kept walking. He wanted to turn around so badly, but none of it mattered anymore. Everything he’d worked the last five years for was out the window, all because he’d kissed her at breakfast. All his hard work, all the money he’d saved up, meant nothing. He hadn’t saved quite enough to try and make it stretch to get his business up and running, and he certainly couldn’t also help cover his mom’s medical costs.
If he’d only had more self-control, more discipline, he could have held out a little longer. Six more months would have been all he’d needed to have enough saved, and he could have done this properly. Given his notice, gone out on his own, and asked her uncles’ permission to pursue her. But it was all over now.
As he made it to the lobby he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out to find a text from a number he didn’t recognize.
Unknown number: Hi Kyle, this is Claudia Maury, I live across the street from your mother. She gave me your number in case there was ever an emergency. Not that there is one now, but I haven’t seen her around for a couple days and she’s not answering her phone, so I just wanted to check in to make sure everything is OK. Have you heard from her?
Shit, Kyle thought. He knew she’d sounded off the other night when they talked. But he’d been so focused on getting back to Drea he accepted her answer of “tired” and didn’t push any further. He should have known better. All sorts of worst-case scenarios flew through his mind as he rushed back to his dorm. He had to get back to Florida.
Drea watched as Kyle just walked out of the kitchen, ignoring her pleas for him to come back. Her heart sank, why would he just keep walking? Her uncle’s words echoed in her head, he’s been leading you on for years...sorry if you thought there was more to your friendship. Vaughn was wrong, he had to be. He hadn’t been there this morning in the shower as Kyle told her how amazing she was, or this past weekend in San Juan as he told her how much she meant to him and how she could cry to him whenever she needed to. If he’d known about those moments, he wouldn't have accused Kyle the way he did.
“Vaughn, have you lost your fucking mind?” Miller asked.
“You do realize I was about to promote him to Marina Manager, right? Who am I gonna get to do that now? Much less actually do the tours on the Runnin’?” Grayson tacked on.
They continued to argue, but Drea could barely hear them. She slumped down into her chair, just staring into space. She couldn’t believe what just happened. How had the conversation gone from being one of the best moments of her life to blowing up in her face? Oh, that’s right, her family. She felt something on her arm and looked over to find that Simone had moved and was now sitting in the chair Kyle had been in.
“Drea,” she said softly. “Drea, honey, talk to me.”
“Simone, not now,” Vaughn cut in.
“Shut it, Vaughn, you have done more than enough this morning,” she shot back.
That was all it took to snap Drea out of her pity party. She shot up from her chair and slammed both her palms on the table, making the dishes still sitting there rattle.
“Stop!” she shouted. “All of you just stop!”
Everyone in the kitchen stopped moving, even the staff who had been milling about and working like nothing was happening over at the family table.
“Not you,” she said, turning around, addressing the staff. “You all can keep doing whatever you were doing.”