Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 568

"I'll wait until Dominic settles in for the night with Celeste," Sparrow replied smoothly. "And then we can go home."

I looked down at the stone floor and sighed softly. "I just wish Tasha was here. She would have loved the yacht party."

Sparrow turned his head, his eyes turning serious. "About Tasha. You know Celeste didn't want her here at the party, right?"

I bit my lip and kept my eyes on the railing.

"What exactly happened back at the hotel?" Sparrow asked, his voice firm and steady. "As far as I know, Miss Adams isn't someone who would snap at Tasha for no reason. What did Tasha do?"

My chest tightened. I had known he would ask this sooner or later, and I had been trying to figure out how to explain it without making things worse.

"Well, it was just a misunderstanding," I kept my tone calm and reasonable. "You know Tasha is still naive. She's still learning how to behave."

"What does that mean?" Sparrow questioned. "Last time I checked, you and Tasha are the exact same age."

"Our ages might be the same, but our lives haven't been," I cut in quickly, looking him in the eye. "We thought the hotel wasn't open yet, and we believed we were the only ones there waiting for you. Then Tasha spotted Celeste.

Tasha had no idea who Celeste was, and she wondered why a stranger was walking around. She thought Celeste was an intruder, so she tried to question her. By the time I saw what was happening and stepped in, Celeste had already taken offense.

And honestly, she had every right to be mad. It's her engagement party, and the hotel belongs to her future husband. Even I would have been offended if someone questioned me in my own place."

Sparrow shook his head and let out a tired sigh. "You have to keep Tasha in check. She can't keep acting like a child."

"I know," I lowered my gaze, showing him I agreed. "I had a serious talk with her right after, and she deeply regretted what she did. She showed genuine remorse."

"Not really," I hesitated, deciding to tell part of the truth. "It's just that I tried calling Tasha earlier, and I couldn't get through. She's probably home by now, but it still makes me nervous."

Sparrow frowned at me. "Why are you so worried about her? Look, I know you love Tasha and care about her. But Tasha isn't a little kid. I'm sure she's fine."

"I know," I rubbed my arms against the chill. "It's just that Big Bryan is still out there somewhere, so I feel uneasy."

Sparrow gave a low chuckle. "Bryan is too scared to come anywhere near my wife. Don't worry about it. As long as Tasha doesn't wander into dangerous spots and goes straight home, she's completely safe."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I murmured, watching the waves roll against the shore. "I just can't stop myself from worrying about her sometimes."

Sparrow stared at me for a long time, studying my face. "This obsession you have with her, don't you think it's unhealthy?"