Naomi pulled up the photo gallery and looked through it, her expression changing from curiosity to embarrassment. She finally said, “Her poses look amazing, but why didn’t you get any photos of Jessica?”
She continued flipping through the gallery, clearly disappointed and then turned to Mason with a frown. “Your skills are all over the place! You got a great shot of me, but her beautiful swimsuit was totally wasted!!”
I couldn’t help but sneak a peek at Naomi’s camera. She was zooming in and out, admiring her perfect shots under the coconut tree. Every detail was flawless.
Noticing me looking, Naomi quickly clicked a few buttons and tilted the screen towards me. This time, the photos were of me—blurred focus, awkward angles. Each shot captured my embarrassment in full.
If this had been the old me, I’d have cried and made a scene, trying to get Mason to prove he loved me more. But now, I just felt humiliated and ridiculous.
I calmly took the camera from Naomi’s hands and started deleting those photos and with them, five years of memories.
Mason, seeing that I wasn’t making a fuss, felt a twinge of guilt. He rarely softened his attitude, but he took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders. “I’m sorry about the photos. I didn’t get any good ones. Did you bring a long skirt? I can take a few more shots after you put it on.”
I felt a mix of anger and disbelief. Did he really expect me to endure this date with Naomi and his lovey-dovey behavior, all while nursing my injuries?
Just then, a sweet fragrance surrounded me. I thought Naomi was too close until I noticed the jacket I was wearing. The cuffs were lined with long hairs that definitely weren’t mine.
Disgusted, I tossed the jacket to the ground. Naomi happened to come over with a Band-Aid and as she did, the zipper of the jacket scraped her ankle.
Mason thought I was trying to provoke him, so he grabbed the camera and slammed it into my chest. “It’s just a few broken photos. I already apologized. Do you really need to hit her?” he snapped.
He turned on me, saying, “You’re the one who pushed Naomi, who only tried to help by getting you a Band-Aid. Maybe next time you’ll think twice before acting like this!”
He then cradled Naomi’s foot, examining it carefully. It was just a minor scratch, but he seemed more concerned. Without a second thought, he whisked Naomi off to get a tetanus shot, leaving me behind.