More to You ✔

Chapter 48 Decisions Part 2 (Maria)

Maria stretched out her legs on the soft bed and let her head sink into the pillow. She longed to bottle up this contentment and have it wash over her during awkwardness with Tom and Mitch. Prae sat in the striped armchair near the second bed, busy on her phone. Earlier, Maria had sent Tom an open invite for drinks, but he never responded, which was concerning. She'd thought they'd handled their earlier conversation well, but maybe she upset him and he needed space.

Emma returned through the terrace doors with a shopping bag of clinking bottles. With a grin, she extracted a large bottle of rum and plastic shot glasses. She lined up three on the circular table beside Prae and unscrewed the bottle cap.

Prae raised an eyebrow as Emma filled each cup. "I don't know if that's a good idea after last weekend."

Emma walked over to hand Maria a shot then returned to Prae at the table. "You've seemed stressed all week."

"You can blame Tom for that. He saddled her with the trip planning," Maria said.

"It was fun, and he's so..." Prae gazed at the large painting of a bridge like the one over the Khwae Noi river in town, which hung over the bed.

"Meticulous, borderline obsessive," Emma teased as she passed Prae a shot.

"Passionate and determined. If I can help him and Maria, I'm thrilled." Prae's smile seemed to morph from natural to strained as did her tone.

If Tom was going to chill alone all night, perhaps the alcohol wasn't the worst idea. It could help Maria figure out what the heck was going on between Prae, Mitch, and Tom. Since the pool party, she felt like a stranger in her own relationship, tiptoeing like she'd wake a grumpy uncle.

"And maybe this weekend, we can help you out too, Prae," Maria said.

The Thai woman's cheeks reddened, and she looked at her liquor. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Emma sat beside Prae in the opposing chair. "Not every man is Sakda. You're far too awesome to live vicariously by helping other people's relationships succeed. Which brings us to our first toast, to Prae and finding her a little romance this weekend."

Prae shook her head. "This weekend is about Tom and Maria."

"Why not both?" Maria proposed. "Happiness isn't a limited resource. Yours adds to ours, Prae." She raised her glass. "To all of us finding what we want most."

"Chok dee," Emma called out.

They echoed it, and all downed the strong shots. Maria grimaced and wiped the corner of her mouth while Prae shook her head.

Emma took back the cups and poured another round of shots. "I have to ask, what's going on with Tom? Romantic getaways and separate rooms make little sense to me. Does he snore and kick like a bull in his sleep, or are you fighting?"

Maria's skin prickled. She'd always kept her and Adrian's issues a secret, but Tom wouldn't lash out at her for confiding in friends. He asked Prae for advice about the trip so he was comfortable letting other people into their space. "We're fine. We're not there yet."

"As in, you're not sleeping together?" Emma handed Maria a shot.

Maria's cheeks grew warm. "No, we're not." She took her shot, hoping soothing heat would spread across her chest, but it only burned. "Is that a bad sign?" She and her ex hadn't waited, and that had led to distance from her family and faith, as well as making her vulnerable to his abuse.

"People have their reasons for waiting," Prae said.

Like sensing that her attraction was based on attempting to forget about a certain blond who plagued her thoughts? Perhaps Tom was protecting himself, and Maria couldn't blame him. He had trouble trusting after his last relationship, so it made sense to take their time.