to do well since I did swim team in high school, too.”
Madi wanted to tear her hand away from him. To go to another part of the ship and lock herself away, but she couldn’t.
The tracks on his cheeks told her how much he regretted the story he was telling her.
“We were both drunk by the time we settled into this cabana thing. I’m pretty sure I was the instigator, but she didn’t say no at all. She was right there with me. But we were still drunk. I knew we were. I knew we shouldn’t, but I didn’t stop myself from going after what I wanted, what she wanted. I don’t know what her thought process was, but that was mine.”
He used his free hand to swipe at his cheeks. “She was gone when I woke up the next morning. I packed up and left without talking to the couple who managed the house. I probably could have found out who she was and gotten in touch with her, but I didn’t. Then it had been too long. I’m clean. I’ve been tested several times as part of routine checkups.”
That part hadn’t occurred to Madi yet.
“And there were never any children. That’s a role that belongs solely to you.” The look in his eyes had to be as close to love as she’d seen from him. “If I ever meet her again,” Wyatt continued. “I need to ask her forgiveness. But now I need to ask for yours.”
What could she say to that? Clearly, he felt remorse. She hadn’t even known him at the time. How could she require an apology from him? Or not forgive him for something she didn’t think he needed to apologize for?
“I know we didn’t know each other yet,” he went on. “But under more normal circumstances we would have this conversation long before the ‘I dos.’ I couldn’t let things go too far physically without telling you. You know my reputation and had no reason to doubt it. If this changes things for you, I understand. I hope it won’t, long term, anyway, but I understand if it does.”
Madi slumped against the back of the love seat. “I’m not sure what to say,” she told him honestly. “Or how I feel. But why now?”
“Because it’s the first time we’ve been truly alone and because Nicklaus reminded me of it earlier. Otherwise I don’t know if it would have occurred to me today.”
“How did he do that?”
“He asked if I wanted this local drink, a Ravenzini. That’s what we had that night. He said he and Yvette make a very light version, and I probably had full strength, but I still couldn’t bring myself to try them.”
That explained why Nicklaus had started to get drink mixers out then put them away.
Wyatt turned to look at her then reached out with his thumb to brush the tears she didn’t realized she’d cried off her cheeks. “I’m going to go somewhere else for the night. You need some time to absorb this and figure out how you feel.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead before letting go of her hand and standing up. “I’ve got my phone with me. If it’s not too cold, I’m probably going to go sleep outside, so I don’t bother anyone. If it is, there’s plenty of places I can do that comfortably inside if I need to.”
Madi just nodded, not sure how she was supposed to react or what she should say.
Instead, she felt numb.
Wyatt walked around the wall the bed was pressed against then out the corridor between the bathrooms through the small living area and out of the stateroom.
When the door clicked shut behind him, she wiped the tears off her cheeks and stared at the water through the window. Rather than stay where she was, Madi went out the door on the side of the room and around to the small deck behind their stateroom.
She sat in one of the chairs and pulled a blanket over her. The outdoor heater had been turned on by someone.
Madi took a deep breath and tried to sort through what she’d been told. Wyatt had never led her on. He’d never said he hadn’t ever slept with anyone, though he’d never said he had.
This conversation would have been worse in front of cameras or even in their room at home where cameras watched every move on the outside.
The yacht really was the right place, given their lives together so far.