Chapter – 2

“Ouch!” I cried in shock and rubbed my ass as I blinked to clear my vision.

“Move your sleepy ass before I dunk you in water.” Mike’s voice infiltrated my still sleepy brain.

“I hate you!”

“Hate me more when I drag you out in this outfit. You have five minutes to change.”

“All right. All right.” I gave up. There was no point in taking out my fury on him. Knowing Mike, he wouldn’t hold back either.

I rubbed my sore ass that still ached from the pinch as I hauled myself to the bathroom, only to pause, noticing everything that had been laid out on the vanity.

“Four minutes.” My surprise was answered by another yell from my bedroom.

“A girl needs her time.”

“Yes, and we have only an hour left for the flight.”

That was enough to rouse my brain. “We’re flying where?”

“Three minutes. I don’t care if you’re naked. You know me.”

Shit!

Mike wasn’t someone I’d categorize into any stereotypical roles. He was brutally honest and didn’t give a damn how others felt about him. Brian once again made his way into my mind as I climbed into the stall for a quick shower. He had even charmed my friends and made them believe he was into me.

“Two minutes!”

My body jerked on hearing Mike’s voice, and I welcomed the distraction. Now wasn’t the moment to wallow in self-pity. I had no time to apply soap. I quickly dried myself and pulled on the underwear and the floral sundress he’d chosen for me.

“Time’s up!”

“I’m coming.” I opened the door just in time to see his leg in mid-air. “Must you be always so dramatic?”

Mike shrugged. “That’s the only way to handle your stubborn ass.”

“I’m not stubborn.” I followed him out of the room, and we didn’t speak until we reached the threshold.

“Hey, Mike…it’s been a long time,” Alana’s friend Andrea purred. “Are you in a hurry?” she asked when he tried to walk around her.

“Can’t you see?” Mike snapped.

“Whoa! There’s no need to yell.”

“There’s every need if you’re in my way.”

“Well, I was coming to speak to Arianna.” She turned her attention to me. “We’re going to choose bridesmaid dresses today. Alana wants you to be ready at two p.m.” Andrea pivoted on her heel while I was left wondering when I was added to the list.

“She’s busy,” Mike answered on my behalf. “I’m taking her somewhere.”

“Wha—”

We were out the door and in his car before Andrea could finish that sentence. While I didn’t like being manhandled, today was different. I appreciated Mike’s reaction to her.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere far.”

“How far?”

“Far enough to find the real you.”

His response surprised me.

“You’ve changed a lot in these two months, Ari. You’re not you anymore,” he said when I didn’t respond. “You don’t laugh or have fun. Hell, you don’t even hang out with us anymore.”

“I didn’t realize that.” My lungs contracted as I processed his words.

 “So, this trip is to bring me back?”

“Yes.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

***

The music blared, distracting my thoughts. Mike swatted my hand when I tried to turn the radio off. His eyes challenged me to try again, and my jaw clenched, trying to hold in the retort.

Ever since Brian’s betrayal, I stopped listening to music. I didn’t know why. I guessed I didn’t like the way it made me feel.

“Rule three—never turn off the music when you’re in my car.”

Yeah, his rules. Men and their cars. Why did they have to love a piece of metal so much? Had they taken care of their women the way they cared for their cars, the relationship could be so much better.

This again brought me to Brian. He loved his Mustang so much that we ended up hailing a taxi instead of driving back from our date. The reason? It rained unexpectedly, and we were drenched. To put it in his words, “The interior will be ruined.”

Sometimes, I wondered how I even fell for that guy. He was so different from me. Brian liked jazz, while I loved pop music. While he preferred to waltz, I enjoyed twerking to Nicki Minaj’s rap. The differences ran on every level. He loved a three-course dinner, while I was content with a piece of pizza or a burger.

Now I saw why he chose Alana, who shared his likes, but it still didn’t explain or justify his betrayal. He could’ve told me. I had no closure.

“He came of out of his cocoon when he was with you,” my subconscious reminded me. True. Brian relaxed after two months of our dating, and he said he could get used to my weirdness. No, he said, “I love your weirdness.”

My love-struck brain never processed what he meant at that time. It was now I realized. I was weird to him.

“I’ll be forced to lay out new rules during our trip if you keep zoning out.”

Mike’s annoying voice pulled me out of my depressing thoughts.

“Look, Ari, I don’t have experience with breakups. But I will say that he’s not worth this suffering.”

I looked away, not in a mood to listen.

“You have two choices. Either you can forget him and move on, or you can wallow in self-pity and ruin your life over him.” His voice hardened when I choked on a sob. “If you don’t stop it, Ari, I swear I’ll turn this car around and punch the daylights out of that bastard.”

That had my attention. Mike wouldn’t hesitate to follow through, and I didn’t want that drama. I bit my lip to stop the next sob.

“Good. Now, listen up, sweetheart. I know it won’t be easy, but you must do this. You should let this go.”

“It isn’t easy to erase it all overnight.”

“It will never be.”

“How do I forget him, Mike?”

Mike shrugged. “Distraction.”

Distraction. Yes. But what did he mean by “distraction?”

“Keep yourself busy until you no longer think about him.”

Yeah, easier said than done. All I wanted to do was to crawl into a hole and die.

The airport was a twenty-minute drive from my home, and we reached it in less than fifteen minutes thanks to Mike’s skillful driving. We walked along the concourse as I fought the memories that sneaked in.

I tried Mike’s advice. Distraction. Only it wasn’t working how I wanted. Different smells stirred my senses as he herded me toward the gate. The rich scent of coffee beans, cookies, and cakes succeeded in grabbing my attention as we walked past a café.

“We don’t have time.” Mike dragged me along. “Besides, I’ve stocked everything you need on the plane.”

“Are we flying on your private jet?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

I shrugged, relaxing more. “Where are you taking me, exactly?”

“The Cortez estate.”

A pair of cold gray eyes flashed in my memory at the mention of the name. The Cortez estate was located on a private island near New Ikandas, a small yet glorious city that marked the border of the United States and Canada. Señor Cortez’s father bought it as a gift to his late wife in the early 1900s. I had been there a handful of times, and it was a wonderful retreat if you were looking for peace.

“Why would you choose the Cortez estate?”

His gaze snapped to mine. “You forgot Enrique’s wedding?”

Right. Enrique was finally tying the knot. I vaguely remember Rosie telling me about his wedding, but it had slipped my mind.

“Grandpapa Cortez wants everyone under his roof for Enrique’s wedding. You’re my third wheel.

A chuckle left my lips. “I can handle that.” Mike was engaged to his long-time girlfriend, Skyler. “Is Rosalinda going to be there?”

“Yep.”

Our gang wouldn’t be complete without her. A real smile stretched my lips when my eyes found the bubbly blonde inside. The recent addition of cherry-red highlights to her hair stood out, and I had to admit it looked cool on her.

“Took you long enough, Ari,” she chirped, dragging me to the seat.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” I asked.

“On a godforsaken island in the middle of nowhere.”

“Oh.” That explained her mild irritation. Her boyfriend, Jeff, was an archaeologist.

“You had me worried last night,” she complained as I took a seat.

“My phone was—”

“On silent mode. Blah-blah-blah.” She rolled her eyes. “Please don’t shut us out, Ari. It hurts.”

Her voice radiated pain, and I nodded. “I won’t.”

“So, what’s next?”

“No idea. Mike hauled me out of my bed this morning. There was no time to plan.”

“That sounds like him. If it helps, he did the same to me. Except he shoved my ass in a taxi.”

My eyes felt heavy as I adjusted my position in the seat. A pounding headache from last night returned. Massaging my temples, I reclined in the seat, exhaling as the comfort of sumptuous leather enveloped me. Rosie’s hands replaced mine. The mild fragrance of lavender drifted into my nostrils, and a wisp of a smile bloomed on my lips. It felt so good. She continued to rub the diluted oil on my skin.

“What can I do to help?” she whispered, worried.

“You’re already helping by being here for me, Rosie.” I missed her. Rosie had a job in Seattle, so we didn’t see each other as much as we used to. She’d invited me over several times, and I’d been too stubborn.

I focused on her thumb, now circling in a soothing motion on my hand. Having friends like Mike and Rosalinda helped. But how could they help me in my own head?

Before I knew it, my mind was once again shoved into the swirling pit of previously sweet memories that now rose to haunt my days and nights.

“You’re very different.”

“Good or bad?”

“I don’t know.” Brian shrugged. “I’ve never met someone like you before.”

“What’s your family like?”

“You know them well. My parents have been friends with yours forever.”

“Wait, are you telling me you’re the Schultz-Schultz?”

“If you put that way, I’m the Schultz-Schultz.”

“Your mom hates me!”

“Oh, that’s bad.”

“What are we gonna do?” I asked, knowing she would never accept someone like me, especially me.

“Doesn’t matter.” Brian’s smile was contagious. “She isn’t the one getting married.”

“Marriage?” My brows quirked as my heart fluttered.

“Yeah, someday.” There was that shy smile on his face again as I pulled his head down. When our lips met, everything felt right.

 “Ma’am…”

My eyes shot open as I felt the slight tap on my shoulder, and I blinked to clear my vision. “Hey.” My voice was groggy.

“Mr. Frisby ordered this for you.” The flight attendant placed a tray before me and left with a professional smile in my direction.

“How long was I out?”

“About two hours.”

“Oh.”

Uncovering the lid, hot chocolate, chocolate muffins, and sponge cake greeted me. Food certainly was a way to instantly lift your spirits. The delicious aroma coming from that hot chocolate was beckoning me to dive in.

“Skyler is one lucky bitch,” Rosie commented as she popped a piece of chocolate muffin in her mouth.

“She is,” I agreed. Mike knew how to treat a woman. “So, since we’re stuck on the island for the next two weeks, I’ve made some plans to make the most out of it.” Rosie bounced in her seat, pulling out her notepad.

“I’m listening.”

“Well, while we’re not busy with Enrique’s wedding, we can go surfing and skiing.”

“Girl, you can’t even swim without drowning yourself.”

“I heard Orlando hired a sexy lifeguard when he heard we were coming.”

The pair of gray eyes flashed again in my mind. Eyes that carried a sadness and anger I could never fathom. Orlando, Mike’s maternal cousin and Enrique’s elder brother. It felt like ages since I last saw him.

“He’s gonna be there.” My whisper was barely audible, even to myself. Enrique was more approachable and friendly than Orlando. While Orlando was pleasant to be around, he was always guarded.

I didn’t understand why his presence suddenly mattered. It wasn’t like we never talked. He was always there at our weekend dinners with Grandpapa Cortez. The thing was, he was always there. Silent and observing.

“I’m concerned about his yacht and jet skis, not him,” Rosie said, distracting me.

“And who’s going to convince him?” Orlando rarely allowed anyone to use his jet ski or yacht.

“That’s why we have Mike, isn’t it? Besides, I’m sure Cortez Senior is easily convinced.” She winked.

Grandpapa Cortez was the exact opposite of Orlando. Cheerful, even now. Though he missed his wife dearly, he never let others see or feel his sadness. The old man still visited her grave every day with her favorite flowers. That was how deep their love was.

“Okay. Have it your way, then.”