Toxic Cruise Cocktail (A Rachel Prince Mystery Book 13) by Dawn Brookes

Author:Dawn Brookes [Brookes, Dawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oakwood Publishing
Published: 2024-06-21T00:00:00+00:00

16

Brandi Chang’s frayed nerves threatened to unravel. Her slim figure trembled as she stood in front of the small, worn mirror on the wall of her cramped cabin. Gratitude for the solitude afforded by the lack of a roommate was fleeting. The earlier confrontation with her ex-boyfriend overshadowed everything. It left her feeling emotionally drained. Now she was like a fragile bird trapped inside a cage, and yearning for freedom.

She had enjoyed spending time with Temsin, having dated for the past few months but his persistent, albeit legitimate, questions about her background and family had become deeply unsettling and often ended in arguments. The last one being decisive.

“Why won’t you tell me about your parents? Is it because they won’t think I’m good enough for their precious daughter?”

“Can’t you just accept that we are having a good time?”

“A good time! That’s all this is to you, isn’t it? I’m in it for the long haul.”

“Temsin, I’m not ready for anything like that.”

“That’s ridiculous. You’re in love with me. Just accept it.”

“You’re not listening to me. I said I’m not ready.”

Following the barrage of questioning, he had shattered her dream in a couple of sentences. “Why aren’t you ready? Because your parents won’t think I’m good enough, or because you think you’re going to be some big sensation on the world stage? Face it, Brandi. That’s never going to happen.”

Feeling crushed, she had snapped. “I’ve been thinking it’s time to bring this relationship to an end. We’re not right for each other.”

After noting a momentary glimpse of disbelief in his eyes which nearly stopped her, Brandi had realised there was no turning back. She hurried away from him and her feelings.

When Temsin had started to get serious, it had terrified her he might propose and force her to make an impossible decision. Either perpetuate the web of lies already woven or expose the dark truths that haunted her. Building a life on a foundation of deception would only lead to their inevitable downfall; the weight of her secrets would slowly corrode any bond they made. Yet revealing the grim realities from which she had fled, the dangers that lurked in the shadows, made marrying him or any man inconceivable. The oppressive dichotomy Brandi lived with threatened to suffocate her at times.

Taking several deep breaths, she tried to calm her frazzled nerves and regain her composure. If he couldn’t believe in her dreams, then Temsin wasn’t the one for her anyway. Brandi didn’t intend to stay on the cruise ship once it reached America. There she would pursue her passion. But the unexpected altercation with Temsin left her shaking, churning up a maelstrom of doubts. Would he have hurt her? Could he be just like her father?

Blinking back the sting of tears, Brandi steadied herself, determined not to cry. The mysterious stranger, Carlos, and his sudden appearance jumping to her aid, only compounded her growing unease. Too many unfamiliar faces infiltrating her carefully constructed existence worried her, and her mother’s cautionary words reverberated in her mind.

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