“No no. Thank you though,” I say quickly. “I’ll order an Uber. My hotel is just down the street.”
She nods, her expression gentle, her hand on my arm.
“Okay then. Take care,” she says, as I climb into the Uber and head to our hotel.
When I get there, Timmy is nowhere to be seen.
I call him, and he doesn’t answer.
I text him:
Me:
Timmy. Answer your fucking phone.
Where are you?
About five minutes go by, and then my phone buzzes.
Timmy:
Sorry. I went to sleep in the truck.
I was mad at you.
You hurt my feelings.
For fuck’s sake.
Me:
I woke up in the fucking plants at the hotel where I was waiting for you. The place you stormed off from.
Timmy:
Sorry, sorry. I’ll be right there.
He comes back, slightly sheepish.
After a while, he speaks up. “I went to Romeo’s club,” he says, a cruel glint in his eye.
“No you didn’t,” I respond, calling him out. “There’s no way…”
He looks down. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m just messing with you.”
The rest of the early hours of the morning are uneventful.
The next morning, I text my friends and tell them a little of what happened, without going into too much detail.
As I’m getting ready, Timmy pulls me to him, where he’s sitting on the edge of the bed.
He looks into my eyes. “Margaux, I’m so sorry,” he says, his tone soft. “I know I’ve been fucking up lately. It wasn’t right to leave you alone at the hotel. I’m sorry. I really mean it, I’m going to do better. I’ll follow through on all the things I’ve promised—I’ll be consistent with my therapy, I’ll get my medication adjusted. And I want to cut back on drinking—I really think that will help with everything.”
I hug him back, ever hopeful. But the little voice in the back of my head reminds me:This isn’t the first time you’ve heard him make these promises.
After checking out, we drive over to meet them at a waterfall nestled in a stunning botanical garden in another part of the island.
Timmy seems to have recovered from his tantrum and is in high spirits. His eyes sparkle as he points out a bunch of native plants, and his enthusiasm is contagious.