3

Sleep once again evaded me, and I walked toward the beach. The beach always soothed me. The salty air and the sound of the unrelenting waves always put my mind at ease. Whenever I stayed here, I spend the night at the beach, enjoying the peaceful solitude.

The water was warm despite the cold breeze that bit my skin. The cold no longer hurt. It helped to numb the raging emotions. My personal therapy. Every person reacts differently to pain. To me, it was the work and sometimes the biting cold.

Meeting her today wasn’t on my agenda. It never was. Fate set us up all those years ago. I did not realize it took more than a few dates to understand someone. Having sex with a woman wasn’t love. At the tender age of eighteen, I was unable to differentiate infatuation from love. And that led to my downfall.

I never revealed my true identity to anyone in college. My privacy mattered the most, and that was why I stayed in the college dorm and used public transportation. There were thousands of Cortezes in this world, and no one gave a thought about my background. Growing up in the eyes of the press for most of my life, the freedom I found in the Big Apple tasted divine. It was too far from home for anyone to recognize me. Those were the best days of my life until her.

It wasn’t easy to get over one’s first love, or so they said. While I still contemplated whether that was love, it nevertheless affected me, leaving me scarred. Kenzie was every boy’s wet dream and so popular in college. She excelled in everything she did, and there was always a group surrounding her.

It took over three months to build enough courage to ask her out. I still remembered the ecstasy that made my heart jump when she said she’d have coffee with me. Only the memory now left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Our relationship was under wraps for several reasons. Only Dean, my best friend, knew about it in college. I hid it because it would put us in the limelight if paparazzi got wind of it, while she hid it for other reasons. I was a fool to not foresee it.

Easing out a breath, I went to sit on the idle park bench. The ocean was oddly calm in contrast to the distressed state of my mind. Why did we have to cross paths again?

Seeing her at the restaurant this afternoon once again ripped open the wound I thought was healed. The meeting shouldn’t have bothered me, but it did. I couldn’t help but wonder how she had moved on with ease while the brief dalliance left me to pick up the pieces of my heart, still scared to trust another.

I was lost in my thoughts when I saw something move in my peripheral vision. My gaze jumped to the shadowy figure approaching the beach. Wrapped in a blanket, it was hard to tell who it was, except for the fact it was a woman.

Her feet made no noise as she walked toward the water, seemingly lost in thoughts. As she turned slightly, the light fell on her face, illuminating a side of it. Arianna? What is she doing here? I raised my left wrist out of habit to check the time then realized I didn’t have my watch.

The fluffy blanket slid off her shoulders, making her shiver. She secured it around her and stepped out of her fluffy flip-flops.

Uh-oh. Here it comes.

 Arianna never liked the cold. The moment her feet touched the cold beach sand, her face twisted. With a shudder, she jumped back into her flip-flops, her expression turned comical, and it drew a smile to my lips.

I continued to watch her as she moved toward the ocean, nearer to the water but not close enough to touch it. She stared into the distance, losing herself in her thoughts. Her body shivered as the cold wind brushed against her. Her forehead creased, and a frown tugged at her lips. She stood statue-still for the next few minutes. It was hard to tell if she was even breathing.

She hadn’t noticed me yet. Should I make my presence known? It was clear something bothered her. Was it that bastard? What else could it be? I was in her shoes once. After contemplating for a few more minutes, I decided it was time for a little chat. A young and confident woman like her shouldn’t be pining over a fool who clearly didn’t deserve it.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

A scream ripped past her lips, and I covered her mouth instinctively. There were security guards on duty, and the last thing I needed was for them to find us and assume something else. They usually left me alone if I was here.

The blanket slipped to the ground as her warm body connected with mine. “Shh…it’s me.” She went still as another shiver passed through her slender frame, mild cologne teased my nostrils. “What are you doing here?” I asked and stepped away, picking the blanket from the ground. I missed the warmth of her body and quelled the urge to pull her close to me again.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

Her appreciative glance swept over me, lingering a little longer than it usually did, making me aware I was shirtless. Stray strands of her hair danced around her face. It was hard to tell the color of her cheeks when her gaze averted to the ground.

Handing her the blanket, I turned to walk away, hoping she would follow.

“You’re cold.” Her comment came as I took a seat on one of the benches laid out on the beach.

“I’m used to it.” The cold helped in more ways than one. She didn’t have to know that.

“My blanket is huge enough for both of us.” She sat beside me and threw one end of the blanket over my shoulder, bringing it around us to hold it together. “You’re freezing.”

A sigh of contentment left my lips as her warmth seeped into me. The words of protest died in my throat. Her floral scent crept again into my senses, making me want to bury my face in the crook of her neck and inhale. What the hell? Where did that thought come from?

“So, Mike said you resigned from your job. What happened?” I asked, wanting to distract the straying thoughts.

“Brian happened.”

“You broke up with him?” I wanted to hear it from her mouth. Every bit of it. Why? I didn’t know. Maybe it was because I wanted to rip his hide to shreds after this. Looking away before I did something stupid, I tried to control the tongue that had the mind of its own.

“No,” she said with a dismal shake of her head. “He dumped me for my sister. They’re getting married in three weeks.”

The pain in her voice was raw. It sliced through my heart. “Asshole.”

“And he didn’t even bother to break up with me.” A chuckle chimed out from her, but it held no humor. It didn’t brighten her eyes. Her gaze grew distant as she stared at the ocean again.

“When did you find out?” Clenching my fist tighter, I stared at our feet because all I wanted to do was to close the few inches between us and pull her to my chest. Her nails were free of paint. My gaze flicked to her. Did she stop painting them because of him?

“Two months ago when he showed up for one of our family parties.” Her voice lowered. “He proposed to her in front of everyone.”

She was silent for the next few minutes. Her eyes gazed at the now restless waves.

“You know, that night at the party when he began telling everyone how he met a girl from his dreams and how much he loved her, I thought he was talking about me. I believed he finally got his parents’ blessings and was going to surprise me.”

Her voice cracked as she took a deep breath. I despised the tears in her eyes. The fun-loving and flamboyant girl I knew no longer smiled like she used to. A permanent sadness now resided in her eyes. All because of him. That fucking bastard. My jaw clenched as the anger for that unknown face reached a whole new level.

“Then he got on one knee and said her name.” Her resolve broke, and a violent sob choked out. “He said, ‘Alana, my love, will you make me a proud man by becoming my wife?’”

The strangled cry gripped and squeezed my heart in a tight fist. I could no longer hold back. The intensity of her sobs increased when I pulled her in my arms, rubbing her back as she cried.

“I don’t remember how I made it to my room that night. I was numb.”

Every cry that left her lips sliced through my heart. Please don’t cry, I wanted to tell her, but my throat constricted and words failed. I continued to rub her back, my fingers slowing down to run a smooth circle in a soothing motion.

“A month ago, there was a request to the estate office for a beach wedding. I didn’t accept it since Enrique’s wedding is planned here, and he wanted the beach guesthouse for his honeymoon.”

“Is it them?”

“Brian Schultz and Alana Swanson,” I confirmed. She needed to know. After returning to the room from dinner, I looked for that particular email. It was no mistake like I initially thought. “Your father called me personally to request when I declined their initial request.”

“I wanted to get married here.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Did that bastard know? I shifted her, so we faced each other, my hands encircling her. She never relied on her family. Arianna always worked hard. Why would she resign her job? Wouldn’t that put her at a disadvantage? A frown tugged at my lips. Perhaps she was in transition mode when the breakup happened.

“There’s a vacancy in one of my companies if you’re interested. You can stay at the staff quarters if you want to,” I offered, feeling she’d appreciate a change. Maybe she’d find solace with work. It would help her through this pain.

“I’d love that.”

Good. Arianna knew better than to argue with the Cortez brothers. A smile tugged the corners of my mouth again. She rested her head on my shoulder, and a sigh escaped her lips. The silence stretched between us.

“What’s your story?”

My body went stiff. “I don’t have a story.” The treacherous heart galloped within my ribcage. How did she know? Kenzie’s face flashed in my mind. Kenzie with Desmond. Kenzie in college. My jaw clenched.

“I want to forget. I refuse to cry, and I don’t want to ruin my life over him. This trip was supposed to be a distraction, but when I’m alone, all I can think is about him.”

Her confession forced me to relax, reminding me she too was in pain. It was a good thing she talked about it. While talking didn’t take away the pain, it sure helped to ease it.

“What did you do?”

“I worked,” I whispered, though I wanted to avoid the question. “I drowned myself in work until I could no longer keep my eyes open.”

The silence settled between us again, and I adjusted our position so she could lean on my chest. It felt so right, having her in my arms. A sigh of contentment left my lips as I rested my chin on her head. She relaxed further. My fingers continued their massage, caressing her silky smooth skin.

It wasn’t always like this between us. Hell, we rarely spoke despite knowing each other for years. I still remembered Mike’s warning when they were barely thirteen. It was his birthday party, and we were hanging out at the beach. A few of my friends, including Dean––now a popular football player––were there. It was also the first time I saw Arianna wearing a two-piece bikini.

An eighteen-year-old me thought it was cute. Definitely not in a sexy way. She was a kid and my cousin’s best friend. I knew her since their diaper days. Before kindergarten, Mike, Enrique, and Arianna were in the same daycare. That day at the beach when her eyes found our group, I could almost feel her self-consciousness. To make her feel comfortable, I said she looked good. And that warranted Mike’s wrath.

“Stay away from her, Orlando!” The anger on Mike’s face caught me off guard.

“Who are you talking about?”

“You know who. Arianna. Don’t talk to her.”

Oh, now I understood. “Chill, dude. I didn’t say anything bad.”

“You said she looked good. That’s as bad as it could get.”

“Come on, Mike. She’s just a kid. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“She’s thirteen, and she’s not a kid.”

“Calm down, Mike. My brother didn’t mean anything.” Enrique took my side.

“Are we really having this discussion right now?” I couldn’t even believe the direction the conversation was headed. I would never look at her that way.

Mike took deep breaths and puffed his chest like a man as his hands fisted at his sides. If it wasn’t for the burning anger on his face, I would’ve laughed out loud. His coffee-brown eyes narrowed at us. “Look, cousin, she is off-limits. She might have a crush on you, but I won’t let anything or anyone hurt her.”

Whoa! Arianna had a crush on me? Damn. I raised my arms in surrender. “I wouldn’t even dream of it.”

“That goes for you too, Enrique.” He pointed at my younger brother, who was turning into a flirt.”Treat her and Rosie as your sisters. If I hear you whistling at them one more time, I’ll rip your lips off.”

Enrique’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets that day as he surrendered, crossing his heart as he promised Mike.

The memory brought a smile to my lips. How would he react if he saw us together now? There was nothing wrong with the way I was holding her, I assured myself.

Arianna had always been beautiful. It wasn’t just the way she looked. It was mostly her bright smile and carefree nature that made her presence delightful. She had a knack for diffusing the tension and making people laugh. Her casual jokes had even made Papa laugh. He rarely laughed after our mother cheated on him. Our mother tore our lives apart. He never loved anyone again. But when Arianna was present, he loosened up and often laughed during their conversations.

A small sound from her brought me out of my thoughts. She shifted in my arms, snuggling into my chest. She murmured something incoherent, and I admired her with a smile on my lips.

I didn’t know if I served as a comfort to her. Her company took my mind off my ex, though, and for the first time, it was calm without the suffocating need to work. A deep sigh relaxed my lungs. It was growing late, and everyone must be asleep.

Standing up with her, I adjusted her in my arms, carrying her to the room assigned to her. She whispered my name when I laid her on the bed, once again drawing a smile out of me. I covered her with a blanket and walked to my room.

“It’s good to see you smile.”

Mike’s voice took me off guard. He was sitting on my bed, his expression impassive.

“Thanks. What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to talk.”

“What do you want to talk about?” Tension coiled around me, as I knew what was coming.

“Arianna.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. We just talked.”

Mike took a deep breath before fixing his sable eyes on me. “Good. Because I don’t want to feel helpless again and worry if my friend would do something stupid while trying to pull herself together.”

“Mike…” The desperation in my voice was that of the kid who was denied his ice cream. I didn’t know why it made me feel this way. It felt good to hold her in my arms and be there for her. My thoughts were jumbled as I turned away from him.

“I trust you, cousin. Though you won’t admit it, I know you were in her shoes once. Please don’t hurt her. Stay away if you have the slightest doubt this would go anywhere.”

“I won’t hurt her.”

“It’s not just her I’m worried about.” Mike’s concerned gaze pinned me when I risked a glance at him. When he put his hand on my shoulder, I could only release a shaky breath with a nod.

Could I bring myself to stay away from her? Only time would tell.