by Bella Emy
Ha! Yeah, right. At this point, I’ll probably never get married. I can’t even keep a boyfriend long enough to go steady.
“Hi, Lexi!” Kennedy screams.
I smile. “Hey, girl. How’s the honeymoon?”
She beams. “Oh, it’s just going wonderful! Max and I are having a great time, and Venice is absolutely beautiful!”
“Looks like it,” I reply.
Erin lets out an audible breath. “Gorgeous. The weather is not as beautiful here today, but Lexi has convinced me to take a walk on the beach. It’s probably going to do me some good after the night I had.” She makes a face, sticking out her tongue.
Kennedy furrows her brows. “What happened last night?”
Erin shakes her head, not wanting to get into it so I decide to answer for her. By the looks of it, the thought alone seems like it makes her want to hurl. “She had a bit too much to drink, so she spent the night hugging the toilet.”
“Ah. I see,” Kennedy answers. “Feeling better now though?”
Erin nods. “Yeah, definitely.”
“Good,” Kennedy says. She quickly snaps her head to the right, nodding. “Hey, guys. I’ll have to call you back later. Looks like we’ve arrived at our destination.”
I nod. “Yeah, no problem. Go ahead. Enjoy it, girl. We’ll talk soon.”
After we hang up with Kennedy, we pick up our stuff off the sand and continue walking down the beach.
“So, what did I miss last night?” Erin asks as we walk along the shore.
The cool water feels so good against my feet. Even though today is not as hot as it has typically been, it’s still nice to feel the refreshing waves against my skin. Something about the cool water and the cloudy skies completely relaxes me.
I shrug. “Not much.”
From my peripheral, I see her eyeing me. Oh, yeah. She’s not buying it. I don’t know why I thought for one second that she would.
I try to ignore her, hoping she’ll just leave it alone and let it be, but of course, that’s not where this ends.
“Not much? Care to elaborate?” she pushes, as I knew she would.
I furrow my brows. “Uh, not really?” I try.
She lets out a laugh, the same laugh that has always told me there’s no way she’s letting this one go. “Nice try. Fill me in. I know you didn’t spend the whole night in the room with me as I nursed myself back to health.”
“How do you know? You were knocked out.”
She smiles. I continue watching her from the corner of my eye. “I woke up and you were gone.”
Fuck, did she need me and I wasn’t there? Why hadn’t she called me? I would have run back to the room, and maybe I wouldn’t have run into Kalen, either.
“Erin, you should have called me. I would have come back immediately.”
She puts out a hand, waving it left and right. “For what?”
I stop walking and turn to face her. “You needed me, and I wasn’t there. I’m sorry.”
She looks confused. “Needed you?”
“Yeah… I’m sorry.”
She starts cracking up.
“What’s so funny?” I ask, lost, trying to figure out what the hell she finds so amusing. Leave it to my best friend to think something serious is funny.
She tilts her head back, catching her breath. “You’re hilarious, Lexi. I woke up because I needed to use the bathroom. I had to pee so badly, and by then, I ended up feeling better anyway. I didn’t wake up because I was purposely looking for you or because I wanted you to get me something. I was perfectly fine. You need to chill the fuck out, girlfriend. We’re still on vacation for another couple of days, you know?”
Dammit, don’t remind me it’s almost over. I don’t want to leave this paradise. I mean, I’m hella excited for my new career venture and all, but this place is beautiful. Who the hell would want to leave the resort… and seeing Kalen?
Fuck, that’s the exact kind of shit that’s going to get me into trouble. Maybe if this vacation comes to an end and I can start my new life at my new business, I’ll be better off and won’t have to worry about running into him anymore.
We pick up walking again and she grabs my arm. “Seriously, you wanna tell me where the hell you went, or what you did… or who?”
I raise an eyebrow and smirk. “Who?” I repeat.
Erin finally lets me go and laughs again. “Aww, come on. I’m just teasing, and since you won’t tell me, I’m guessing the worst… or in your case, the best, because you haven’t gotten laid in so long and doing someone, anyone, would actually do your cranky ass some good.”
“Very funny.”
“I know, I’m hilarious. Now spill.”
I roll my eyes but decide I’d better get on with it. She’s going to know sooner or later, so why let it linger any longer than it needs to. The sooner I let her know, the sooner we can move on.
Right, because she’s not going to hound me once I tell her what I’m going to tell her…
Giving in, I brace myself for the million questions that I know she’ll soon be throwing my way. “There’s nothing much to tell. I wasn’t really sleepy yet, so I decided to go downstairs to the bar. There was music playing, lights illuminating the beach, so I headed toward it. I grabbed a drink, spoke to Kalen, and called it a night.” I throw in that little detail like it’s nothing and hope it passes her by.
But it doesn’t and she grabs me by the arm once more.
“Wait, what? Go back…”
I act like I don’t know what she wants to hear. We reach the pier and stop to the right of it, taking a seat on some large boulders. “I called it a night after grabbing a Mojito.”
She shakes her head. “Nah-uh. You said something else.”
I furrow my brows. “Oh, the music and lights? Yeah, it was great. There were plenty of people dancing, too, and it was—”
“Kalen!” she finally shouts, looking like her eyes are ready to pop right out of her head. “You said you spoke to Kalen?!”
I pretend as though that little detail is nothing. “Oh, that. Yeah, we spoke for two seconds, no big deal.”
“No big deal? Girl, you were ready to puke when you saw him at the rehearsal dinner and then again the other day, and now it’s no big deal?! I think it’s a huge deal. Tremendous.” She studies my expression and then adds, “...and I think you’re pulling my chain, you bitch!”
I laugh. “Okay, so maybe it was a big deal, but I didn’t do much of the talking… he did. And he asked me out to dinner. I declined. Then he asked me out to breakfast, and I declined that, too.”
Now her eyes really are coming out of her head. “You can’t be fucking serious, Lexi?! He asked you out, twice in one night, and you said no both times?”
“Yes,” I state, matter of factly.
Erin throws her arms up in exasperation. “Oh my God, woman! I understand if you don’t want anything to do with him, at least nothing serious. But for God’s sake, would it kill you to talk to him or hang out with him?”
“What?” I let out a nervous laugh.
“I know you hate him for what happened long ago. I get that, trust me. What he did is in no way excusable. He acted like a douche. But he’s obviously still very much attracted to you. And you can’t tell me you don’t think he’s still hot, too… if not more so than he was.”
I shrug. “I don’t hate him… I just dislike him—a lot. But so what if I think he’s still hot… or hotter.”
She giggles. “Exactly. Anyway, no one is asking you to marry the guy. But you should totally see where it goes with Kalen.”
I consider her words. See where it goes with Kalen. I mean, did she forget what he did to me? God, I can’t even imagine it. Just the thought of us possibly hanging out again and getting close like we used to be, with him causing me to feel things I haven’t in so long… I mean, who wouldn’t love to get laid after so long? He definitely looks like he’d be damn good at it, too.
When we did it, I didn’t know anythi
ng about it. I was totally inexperienced, so I had no idea what to expect. Now, since I’m older and have gotten intimate with a few guys, I know.
I shake my head. What am I even thinking? I need to drive this conversation to safer grounds. “I don’t know, Erin. Everything we’ve been through? I’m still so irate with him. And would you believe he doesn’t even know or remember why I’m so mad at him? That just pisses me off even more!”
Bringing the thought to life makes me catch a grip and remember why I’m mad at him in the first place, and it’s exactly what I need to calm my fucking hormones down. I can’t believe I was actually considering going there with him again. It’s all the damn whore in me’s fault.
She shrugs. “Would you hate me if I were to admit to you that I don’t even know why you hate him so much?”
I gasp.
Kidding!” she teases, and I punch her in the arm. Then she continues. “Look, girl. I know what happened. I know the details and I know why you feel the way you do toward him. I was there when you spilled everything out to me as it happened and even years after it did. Whenever we talk about him and the past, you remind me. And that’s fine. But the reason why I know all of it so well is because you tell me and because I was there for you while you cried.”
“What are you saying?” I ask.
She smiles and drapes an arm over my shoulder. “What I’m saying is, maybe he doesn’t remember or forgot or frankly never even knew because he never heard it from you or you never got to tell him. Maybe now’s the time to kiss and make up… literally.”
I laugh, considering her words. Maybe Erin is right. Maybe if I just swallow my pride and talk to Kalen about how I felt, how I still feel, about everything that happened, I can put all of this behind me and move past it. It would be nice not to have these feelings of hatred—or rather heavy dislike because I don’t hate him, every time I think of the past.
“Maybe,” I respond.
Erin smiles widely. “Yeah, at least you didn’t send me to hell, and you didn’t say no. That’s definitely a start.”
I smirk. “Don’t get too excited. I only said maybe.”
She points a finger at me. “But you didn’t say no.”
Rolling my eyes playfully, I respond, “No, I didn’t say no…”
“And that, my friend, is a very good thing. Now, just to figure out how we’re going to ask Kalen out.”
My eyes widen, my expression shocked. “Wait. What?”
She chuckles. “Well, you rejected him twice. I don’t know if he’ll try again. But you know what? If he really likes you like I’m guessing he does, he just might ask you again.”
“Maybe…”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The cool breeze against my cheeks as I sip my red wine feels so nice. Looking out over the balcony, sitting here, enjoying the ocean scenery is just breathtaking. It’s a beautiful evening, and nothing can change my mood.
Okay, so my head hurts a little, but it’s nothing that a little rest and relaxation— with a nice glass of wine— can’t help. Yeah, I know that wine typically is the cause of headaches or triggers them, but in my case, it seems to help every time.
Walking along the shore this afternoon with Erin felt amazing, but this right now is so relaxing. I think I can feel my soul at ease, which is perfect because I know that once I’m back home and starting my new routine with the lounge, there will be no time to relax.
A few people are still walking down at the beach, and once again this evening, the club music and flashing lights are still going strong. Seems like there is a party every night down here. I’m glad just staying by myself tonight and enjoying the peace. Erin is having dinner with her parents, who are about to leave to go back home in the morning. They had invited me to go with them, of course, but because of my headache, I declined.
The ringing of my cell phone brings me out of my thoughts. A smile pulls on the corners of my face as I lift my phone off the stand, sitting to my left.
“Hey, girl!” I answer on the third ring with enthusiasm.
My excitement dies as soon as those words leave my lips. A pause and some hesitation is coming from the other end, and I can sense something is wrong.
“Lexi…” The sound of Joanna’s voice confirms my suspicions.
My heartbeat speeds up. “Jo… what’s wrong? What happened?”
I hear her suck in a breath before she speaks. “Oh, my God, girl… there’s been an accident.”
“Accident? What accident? Joanna, you’re scaring me.”
She sniffles then says, “There was a fire… everything got destroyed.”
My heart stops. “What? Where? Are you okay?”
“Girl, I’m fine... But, oh my God, I’m so sorry.”
A million thoughts run through my mind. There can only be one reason why she’s telling me she’s sorry. The fire either took place at my apartment or, oh my God… my lounge.
“Jo?” Her name comes out as a whisper, but I know she’s heard me regardless.
“The lounge… your lounge… it’s ruined.”
I shut my eyes tightly. All those months of preparation and hard work, waiting and dreaming about opening day that was now just days away, all melted down for nothing. Literally. It’s gone. My hopes and dreams have gone down the drain, blown in the wind, like the breeze hitting my cheeks right now.
Oh my God… what am I going to do? Sure, I haven’t spent the five thousand dollars from Mr. Elmers, but what’s that going to help? Insurance, sure. And yeah, I have some money in savings but not enough to fix damages and find a new place within the next couple of days.
“Lexi, I’m so sorry,” Joanna’s words ring through the receiver.
Taking a deep breath, I ask, “What happened?”
“It was all over the news. I was getting ready for work when suddenly they showed it… it happened overnight. In the building next door, the apartment complex, the lady in one of the apartments fell asleep with a cigarette in her hand. They tried to get there in time, but by the time they did, the place was already destroyed. It’s not completely burned down to the ground, but there’s so much damage, it’s going to take weeks to repair it. I’m so sorry…”
I don’t say a word. I pop in an AirPod into my right ear, and once it connects, I pull open the internet browser app. I type in Fire and the name of the city, and sure enough, all the results populate.
“Oh, my God,” I whisper, taking in the images of my place that now is almost completely unrecognizable.
“Lexi, I’m really sorry. I’m standing down the block from it now. I couldn’t believe it.”
I nod, knowing she can’t see me right now. “I’m going to call you back... Later... Night.” I hang up before Joanna has a chance to say anything more. I need a break. I need to think. I need to go the fuck away and disappear.
If I thought I had a headache before, then I have a migraine now. Fuck.
Unbridled tears stream down my face. I can’t believe this has happened to me. What am I supposed to do now? I was supposed to open the lounge in just a few days, but instead, I’ve got a huge mess to clean up.
I need to make a call to my insurance company and deal with this disaster firsthand, but at the moment, I can’t think properly. I need to clear my head for a few minutes.
The crashing of the waves against the shore call to me. That’s exactly where I’m going to go.
Just as I’m about to rise from my seat and head downstairs to the shore, Erin appears in the balcony doorway.
As I turn to face her, she notices my horrified expression and makes an O with her mouth. “Lexi, what’s wrong?”
There’s no reason to hold back. There’s no need to hide it. The sooner I let these words leave my lips and voice them, the sooner I can go away and try to clear my mind.
“Lexi?” Erin walks out onto the balcony and places a hand on my shoulder.
As she looks down at me, and my eyes meet with hers, I shake my head. “It’s my lounge… the
re was a fire.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The rest of the evening passed by in a haze. After I told Erin what happened, she didn’t let me leave the room alone. She went down with me to the beach, and after walking for about fifteen minutes, spilling all the details of what happened and all my emotions out to her, we sat down in the sand, and watched the waves.
When we got back to the room, she helped me make the appropriate phone calls to begin the insurance claim and everything that would need to be done.
As of right now, I’m out of a lounge and just watching my dreams spin down a drain. I extended my hotel stay here at Starling Paradise just because I can’t imagine going back in a couple of days to deal with this firsthand.
“Can I go downstairs and get you some breakfast, girl?” Erin asks me from where she’s standing against the couch in the living room.
I spin around in my chair and face her, shrugging. “I’m not really hungry right now.”
She frowns. “You’ve got to eat, Lexi. Let me go grab something for you.”
Before I have a chance to tell her I can’t manage to eat anything right now, the ringing of the room’s phone goes off. I jump at the sound. I had nightmares last night of my phone ringing and I kept receiving one bad notification after the next.
Who’s calling the room phone? If someone wanted to reach either one of us, wouldn’t they call our cell phones? It has to be the front desk.
I pick it up after it rings a few times. “Hello?”
“Good morning, Lexi.”
Kalen? Is that him? I decide to ask away. “Kalen? Is that you?”
“Ah, no more Mr. Starling. That’s got to be a good start.” His chuckle fills my ears. “But anyways, yes, it’s me… at your service, milady. How are you feeling?”