Shattered: A Salvation Society Novel

by Bella Emy

  I adjust the top portion of my black bikini, and in my mind, I curse myself. I could have really used a one-piece right about now. But no. I had to go ahead and pack the bikini. Because I’m not self-conscious or anything right now.

  Facepalm. Facepalm. Facepalm.

  As I’m about to climb up the stairs to meet Kalen on the top deck, he starts coming down them. He stops dead in his tracks once he’s low enough to lock his eyes with mine.

  His jaw practically drops to the ground, but nevertheless, he manages to speak. Sort of. “Le-Lexi… wow.”

  I let out a soft laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Is this too much?”

  “It’s too little… I mean, it’s perfect. I mean, damn, you look great. Wow. Jesus. Hi, I’m Kalen.”

  I laugh again. Guess he likes it after all.

  “I was just about to come upstairs. Are we ready to get going?” I ask him, but he’s still got that stupefied look on his face. Oh, if only Erin could see him now, looking at me the way he is. She’d have a field day with this for sure.

  He shakes his head, blinks twice, and then says, “Great, yeah. We’ll get off now.” He turns on his heels and starts back up the stairs.

  I follow him up, and once we reach the deck, he walks over to one of the benches near the helm and picks up a white shirt. He turns to face me and says, “I hate to do this, but you’ll want to throw this on top.”

  He tosses me the shirt and I grab it in the air. I frown. “You really don’t like my bikini.”

  His eyes practically bulge out of his head, and he swallows hard. “Quite the contrary. I like it a little too much, but my fear is that so will every John, and Richie, and Tony where we are about to go. I can’t have them all ogling over you. That’s my job.” He winks at me.

  Something inside me shifts, and I feel a pool begin to form in my bottoms. My only hope is that we will end up going swimming at some point today because, at this rate, my wetness is going to be dripping down my legs before the end of the night.

  Well, my wish came true. We did end up going swimming, but not like I was expecting.

  When we arrived at the designated location, Kalen made me gear up… in scuba gear.

  “Ever been scuba diving?” he asks, as he pulls the open heel fins on his feet.

  “A few times, actually,” I respond, adjusting my water goggles.

  He smiles at me. “Cool. Then this will be smooth sailing.”

  I hope so. It’s been forever since I’ve done this, but I don’t think diving is something you can ever really forget.

  “Here, catch this,” he says, throwing a rectangular object my way.

  As I move it around in my hands, I realize it’s a camera. It’s one of those waterproof types made especially for scuba diving adventures. Which I’m sure we’ll have today.

  I raise my eyes to meet his and take in his smile as he rises to his feet. “Let’s try to get some great pictures.”

  I nod. Although I’ve done this plenty of times, I’d never captured any of my past experiences before, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can get today. Plus, with it being my birthday and all, I’m really excited about it.

  “Try to get some good shots of me down there. I happen to look very good under the waves, surrounded by the colorful decor of the ocean. But make sure you get my good side,” Kalen says, turning his face slightly to the right.

  I chuckle at his humor. I find it hilarious how he thinks he has a good side. Shit, from where I’m standing, all sides of him look damn good.

  Calm yourself, Lexi.

  The quick pace of my beating heart is telling me this is just the beginning of a day. Yup, it’s definitely going to be a day.

  We finish up getting ready, and once we have our tanks set and everything is good to go, we dive into the turquoise blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

  We swim close to one another, passing a colorful array of underwater life. This experience never gets old.

  Pretty blue tangs float past us as we swim down further into the depths of the ocean. Yellow butterfly fish flip their fins, creating the perfect underwater picturesque effect.

  After swimming around for nearly twenty minutes, Kalen swims up to a coral rock covered in a bright green moss. To his left, plants of pink, green, blue, and bright orange surround him. I keep my eyes pinned on him as he spins around, throwing up both his thumbs. I pick up the camera and right before hitting the shutter button to take a shot, a mud-green sea turtle finds her way into the picture. It’s going to be one epic shot. After getting the snapshot, the turtle swims off like she had just come for the picture and now she had to be on her way. We follow it with our eyes, and once it’s far enough away, we look at one another and he nods, motioning for me to follow him back up to the surface.

  As we reach Kalen’s boat and he climbs onto it, he quickly pulls off his tank and goggles and then helps me onto the boat. I place my tank, camera, and goggles next to his on deck and then start to unzip my scuba suit. My eyes can’t help but land on his as I notice him doing the same. And of course, his are glued on me as well.

  I purposely peel the suit off of me very seductively and notice the slow curl of his lips into a smile.

  How the hell am I going to get through the rest of this getaway without touching this man? I want to kill Erin right now for forcing me into this. What kind of birthday present is this? I’m going to die from blue vag syndrome.

  By seven that evening, I’m famished and more than ready to get some food into my system. After we finished our scuba diving adventure—which so far has been the total highlight of my day… or maybe that was seeing the way Kalen gawked at me when he first saw me in my bikini—we cleaned up and got ready for the evening ahead.

  I put on the little black dress that Kalen had picked out as part of my evening wear, and it’s gorgeous, fitting me like a glove. It’s very elegant and sexy, and everything couldn’t be more perfect if I tried.

  “You’re going to love the celebrations tonight at Starfish by the Sea. It’ll be like they’re having a birthday party just for you.” He keeps telling me how every year they throw this fantastic summer bash, that just so happens to occur on or around my birthday.

  Even though it’s been hard to keep my hormones in check, this has still been one of the greatest birthdays I’ve had in a long time. And I know we haven’t done all that much, but being with Kalen again makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

  He docks the boat at the pier, and once we hop off, he grabs my hand, and we start walking toward Starfish by the Sea. It’s off to the right, but I can already see the neon pink and blue lights coming from it and hear the loud music.

  “You see the rides over to the left?” Kalen points and asks as we walk hand in hand toward the festival.

  I follow where he’s pointing to and nod. The lights flashing from the Ferris wheel and merry-go-round quickly grab my attention. “That looks like fun.”

  “Maybe after we get some food, you and I can get on one of those rides. Sure, the view right on the sea is amazing, but have you ever seen the view from up above?”

  I shake my head as we reach the dining section of Starfish by the Sea, and Kalen pulls out a chair for me at one of the outermost tables. Tons of people are seated nearby, enjoying the live band playing the music I had first heard.

  I take my seat and allow him to push in my chair. “Thank you.”

  “Absolutely, beautiful.” Kalen walks over to sit across from me, and he smiles as he gets situated. I wonder if by absolutely beautiful he means me or the view. Well, I’m definitely not brave enough to ask and find out.

  “This place has the best seafood around. You should try all of it tonight.” He interrupts my thoughts, and I’m thankful for it.

  I raise a brow. “All?”

  He chuckles. “You don’t think we’ve come to Starfish by the Sea to only try one dish, do you?” He picks up his menu from the table and looks over it. Unlike all the restaurants
I’m used to where the hostess brings you a plastic menu, this place has a paper menu, which appears to have all the items they serve on one side of it. He scans over it for another second and then says, “Their stuffed crab and shrimp scampi over linguine are absolutely divine.”

  I’m trying hard to concentrate on his words and all that he’s telling me, but it’s so hard to do so looking the way he does. In his black T-shirt, slicked-back hair, and already charming looks, it’s not easy to focus.

  Add that into the way I’m already feeling about him, and forget it. There’s no way I can concentrate. Plus, I can’t get the image of how he was looking at me out of my mind.

  Somehow, between the live music, boardwalk games and stands, and the amazing food, I manage to make it through an hour and a half sitting across from Kalen without making myself look like an idiot. That’s something I’d be very capable of doing because of the way I’m feeling toward him. Leave it to me to make a fool of myself. But still, I haven’t. Yet.

  So, fighting to keep my hormones in check and after a fantastic meal—which by the way, he wasn’t lying about. Starfish by the Sea has to be one of the best places I’ve ever eaten at before—we find ourselves taking a walk alongside the beach. The waves lapping at our feet are so refreshing, and I’m thankful for them because being with Kalen is causing my heart to beat at a pace I never expected before. And the fact that he’s holding my hand doesn’t help one bit.

  His hand on mine gently tightens, and then he speaks. “Lexi, I just want to say I’m really sorry about what happened. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling. I just hope that us getting away is helping you keep your mind off things and hopefully, you’re having a little fun out here with me.”

  I know I probably should know what he’s referring to right now, but all I can think about is him holding my hand on this perfect evening. He’s made my birthday absolutely wonderful so far. “Huh? What are you talking about?”

  He stops walking and causes me to stop as well. We face one another. “Lexi, your lounge…”

  “Oh, that,” I say. The reminder of the other night when I received that call from Joanna comes crashing back to the front of my mind.

  “Are you okay, Lex?” he asks, searching my eyes.

  I shrug. “I’m okay.”

  He studies me further as the water caresses our feet on the shore. “I’m here for you if you ever want to talk about it. I didn’t mean to bring it up, but I wanted you to know I’m always here for you, Lexi.”

  Except for when you left me.

  I bite my tongue and tilt my head up to the sky. A starlit sky hangs above us. This night would be perfect if I didn’t have this stupid reality hitting me every once in a while. “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.”

  He squeezes my hands once more. I can’t deny that every time he does that it causes chills to run down my spine. “I can imagine. It must be so hard.”

  All I can do at this moment is shrug. I don’t have the words to say anything more. And thankfully, I don’t need to because he speaks yet again. “Come with me, Lexi. I want to show you something.”

  One of his hands’ lets go of my right one and he tugs me in the opposite direction. I follow him as we walk up the shore in the sand toward an abandoned building.

  “What’s this?” I say once we reach it.

  He lets go of my hand, fishes out a pair of keys from his pockets and slips them into the lock. “You’ll see.”

  I peer over his shoulders as he swings the door open. I’m anxious to see what this is all about as he walks in and hits the light switch.

  “Here we go.” The place illuminates as the lights come on. But they are not blinding. They’ve got a soft glow, causing a romantic atmosphere to embrace us. My eyes take in my surroundings, and I’m left in awe. It’s empty and looks as though it’s been that way for a long time.

  “Wow… this place is massive.” I spin around and lift my head to the ceiling. Still visible are stars painted on a sky-blue ceiling. “This is yours, too?”

  He chuckles. “Not really. I mean, there are a few of us who have keys, but no one has purchased it yet. It used to be an ice cream parlor where vacationers used to swing by and grab their favorite frozen treats. But then the owner got sick, passed away and the place shut down. Since his wife knew us from all the years we’ve been in the area, she gave a few of the local businesses around here the keys and said we were welcome to take over if we wanted it. There’s paperwork to fill out if we want to buy it, but no one has yet.”

  “It’s incredible. Are you thinking you might take over?” I turn back to face him.

  He shrugs. “Maybe. I do have my hands full with Starling Paradise, but this place isn’t too far from there and it could totally be done.”

  I nod and don’t for one-second miss the fact that he’s walking toward me.

  Our eyes lock once again as he comes just mere inches away from me.

  His hand reaches out and grabs the back of my neck, bringing me closer to him. I almost trip, but thankfully, my clumsiness hasn’t taken over. Not yet, anyway.

  Holy fuck, is he going to kiss me? My heartbeat speeds up, my palms turn sweaty. This could be it. This could be the moment that I’ve been waiting so long for. But is this what’s supposed to happen? Is this the way things are supposed to turn out?

  For so long, I was absolutely sure Kalen and I were no more. Our love was something of the past, and that door was shut and locked long ago.

  But what if now that door is being unlocked and opened? What if now this is the way things are supposed to go? Am I crazy for thinking something we had years ago can be rekindled today? Can something that was shattered to bits be glued together, never to splinter once more?

  “Kalen…” I whisper.

  “Fuck, you’re so damn beautiful, Lexi.” He leans in ever closer and tilts his head down. His warm, alcohol-laced breath from the drink he had at dinner caresses my face, and I relish in it.

  I close my eyes, welcoming his beautiful lips against mine when suddenly, giggling breaks the spell.

  My eyes snap open and Kalen pulls away. What just happened?

  “Who’s there?” he asks, looking about the place.

  The giggling continues and he walks toward the sound. He stops when he reaches the empty counter to the right. Banging on top, two kids around the age of thirteen or so jump up, covering their mouths.

  Kalen crosses his arms across his chest. “Hey, how did you two get in here?”

  Their giggling comes to a halt, but they don’t look too scared, and judging by the expression on Kalen’s face, I don’t think I would be either if I were in their shoes. He doesn’t look scary at all.

  One of the boys with curly blond hair opens his mouth to speak. He’s got a scar on his forehead, and he looks incredibly familiar. “The… the back door was left unlocked, Kalen, Mr. Starling, sir.”

  They know Kalen, calling him by his name.

  “We were just playing,” the other boy with emerald green eyes says.

  Kalen chuckles, shaking his head, and turns to face me. “See the problem with multiple people having keys.”

  I nod, smiling back.

  He turns back to them. “Okay, it’s fine, but you can’t come in here without permission.”

  “We’re sorry, Sir,” the blond kid says.

  God, he looks so familiar. There’s no way I could know him though. I’ve never lived out here and he looks like a local.

  Kalen holds out his hand in front of him. “It’s quite alright. And I’ve told you before, you can just call me Kalen. Come on; I’ll walk you two out.”

  I follow closely behind him as he escorts the boys and locks the door behind them.

  “Did you recognize the blond kid?”

  I squint my eyes. “He did look familiar, but I can’t say that I did…”

  Kalen chuckles. “That’s little Tommy from Polar Freeze Treats the first night we got ice cream together with Erin and Jason. Remember?”


  Suddenly the memory hits me like a bolt of lightning. “Oh, my God, yes! He had gotten that scar on his forehead from that accident going down the slide at daycare! What a small world!”

  He chuckles again. “He and his mom vacation here every year. I give them a nice discount… his father passed a few years back.”

  I frown. “Oh, no. That’s too bad. I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Kalen’s eyes roam over me as he leans against the locked door. “I’m sorry we got interrupted though…” A wicked smile pulls on his face.

  I shrug, still smiling at him. I’m sad our moment ended, but at the same time I’m a bit relieved. I don’t know if I’m ready to take that step with him. That could definitely have led to something more. “It’s no big deal, really.”

  He frowns. “Hmm, maybe not for you, but being in here with you… man, I really want some ice cream now.”

  I laugh at his confession. “Ice cream does sound good.” I don’t know if it’s the heat of what was about to happen between the two of us, or if it’s just this summery night, but it’s definitely hot in here.

  “If this place were still up and running, we could have gotten some here. But I know just the place that makes great frozen specialties. Let’s go!”

  After getting ice cream at one of the ice cream parlors nearby, Kalen and I find ourselves sitting on the Ferris wheel.

  “Wow,” I say, slightly leaning over to one side to check out the view from all the way up where we’re sitting.

  “You always did like Ferris wheels,” he says. I turn to face him and he winks. It reminds me of the first time we rode the ride together so long ago.

  I turn back to face the view because the thoughts from back then will be too much in just a moment, I can feel it.

  But he speaks again. “I told you… breathtaking… like you.”

  At those words, I snap my head to face him, and he’s a lot closer than I remember. So close, in fact, that I almost smack my lips right into his.

  Shying away, I pull myself back. “I’m sorry.”