My Despicable Ex - Book 2 Read online

  He gazed at me and smiled. “Nobody can juggle ten tasks at a time. Slow down and enjoy life.”

  We had talked about the same topic before, but this time, it really set in. “I know I’m missing out on so much of life.” I gripped his hand. “I didn’t know what I was missing until you made me slow down to see all the beauty around me. Life is moving at such a fast pace that I’m not even enjoying it.”

  “You know when the best time to relax is?” he asked.

  “When?”

  “When you have absolutely no time.”

  “You know, you’re right. That’s it! I’m gonna rebel against my hectic lifestyle. I swear I’m going to enjoy the rest of this vacation.”

  “And even when you get back, you can’t do a million things. Maybe it’s about time you think about hiring employees.”

  “I want to slow down. I really do.”

  “It’s your time, your life. You may as well enjoy it.”

  I swallowed hard. “I’ve felt so rejected over the course of my lifetime. I figured nobody wanted me, so I threw myself deep into my work to hide the pain. Maybe I try to decorate the outside with nice clothes, hairstyles, and makeup, but deep down, I’m dying in the inside.”

  “You are beautiful, inside and out.”

  He embraced me in a tight hug, and we held each other for a long time. I felt a healing starting to take place as he stroked my back slowly. I knew I needed to take back my life, but I just wasn’t sure how. Jake promised to be there for me no matter what, if only as a good friend.

  “Life is a long journey,” he said. “We may as well enjoy and appreciate it every step of the way.”

  “I’ll try,” I said, “and thanks for the good advice, Jake.”

  We finally found the dock, and the man who greeted us knew exactly who Jake was. After explaining how to stay safe, he handed us the oars.

  I inspected the nine-foot, clear vessel, entirely transparent; I’d never seen a kayak like it before. I picked up the lifejacket and put it on, then looked up at Jake. “Are you ready?”

  He nodded and climbed in. I climbed in easily and sat in the bow seat, then picked up the paddle, which I used to gently push the canoe away from shore. Jake glanced over his shoulder and grinned at me. I smiled back and dipped the paddle into the water until the blade was submerged, using the proper strokes to correct the bow drift away from the paddle side without killing momentum. As the paddle passed my body, I twisted my hands down and out. The paddle blade rotated a quarter-turn, and then I pried the blade away from the boat.

  Using my leg muscles and upper body strength, I made smooth, powerful, well-balanced strokes and headed west, propelling in a straight line. We could see fish and all kinds of vivid colors below us. It was really spectacular.

  Jake’s acquaintance called to us from shore, “Let’s get that picture!”

  “Thanks!” Jake called back. “Can’t thank you enough.”

  We smiled for our picture, and then the bartender hurried off.

  We paddled around and just lazily floated, talking for hours about anything and everything. We joked, laughed, and really connected, just like old times. We even went back to shore, grabbed a bite to eat, and sat on some huge rocks. Jake laid his head in my lap, twirling a thick blade of grass between his fingers.

  I brushed a piece of hair from his cheek. I couldn’t get over how handsome Jake was, how much I loved caressing his face. I couldn’t believe this beautiful, handsome man with a heart of gold genuinely cared for me, and wanted to be with me. And here I was running as far away from him as I could get. My feelings were overwhelming and intense, rushing over me like a tidal wave. It was in that moment that I decided that I wanted Jake back.

  I stared down at his angelic face. I wanted this wonderful man in my life because I simply couldn’t breathe without him. I didn’t know why I didn’t see it sooner. I couldn’t let him go without giving it one more shot. Jake was older now and more mature, and so was I. What we had was too special to just throw away.

  So I threw out every classic girl move I knew. I stared at him longingly until he caught me, then looked the other direction with a coy smile. I touched his arms and chest anytime the moment presented itself, and my touch lingered. I stared at his lips like I wanted to hungrily devour his mouth in a passionate kiss. By the look in his eyes, I knew he was getting the hint loud and clear.

  We strolled along the beach barefoot and waded in the water, then rested under the shade of a palm tree. Jake told me countless stories about his firefighting days, and I told him all about the world of fashion and all about my designs. He believed in me and encouraged me to live my dreams.

  I laughed. “I’ve filled about 100 sketch books with my designs.”

  “You’re so talented.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Why don’t you draw me something?”

  I reached into my tiny purse. “I have that fancy napkin I saved from that restaurant.” I dug for a pen and sketched one of my designs, a model with her hands on her hips for a little personality, with a purse, shoes, and jewelry for accents. “Every sketch is like a blueprint.” He smiled and I continued. “Here you go. What do you think?”

  He studied it carefully. “I love the style.”

  I beamed. “You’ve gotta see my portfolio.”

  “As soon as we get back, you can show me.”

  I bit my lip. “I’m not supposed to be talking about work, right?”

  He smiled. “This is different. You’re not actually working. You’re telling me about your passion, and I love learning about every aspect about you.”

  I grinned back.

  Birds flew overhead, and we rested in the shade as waves gently crashed onshore.

  “How do you get your ideas?” he asked.

  “They strike me whenever. Like right now, I’m picturing a garment, maybe black or white with a bright pink or blue.”

  “That would definitely stand out.”

  I playfully nudged him. “That’s the point, and those colors go good together.”

  He grinned.

  I continued. “I love that you’re so excited about my work.”

  “I can’t wait to see your sketches and everything you’ve created.”

  I sketched as I talked. “I’ve designed three dress lines. I’d love to see a top model walking down a runway in one of my gowns. I know you’re looking at a beautiful mess, but try to picture some colors, like white or black.”

  “It’s sure to be a hit.”

  “I’ve got a good mind for business, but I really need the money to get going. I’ve already blown through $50,000.”

  He slipped his fingers into mine. “That’s why we’re here, right?”

  I gripped his hand and smiled. “You’ve always supported my dreams, Jake. You never thought they were stupid.”

  “Never.”

  “Nobody really believed in our fashion dreams, but I guess some of my friends knew we were dead serious when we got the tax ID number and business license. When we registered our business and established a business bank account, our friends knew we weren’t playing around. Any business tips for me?”

  “Your business plan needs to include all your expenses and future goals. Include everything, from advertising, production, web-hosting, and supplies, materials, and equipment. And you have to include your salary.”

  “That’s nonexistent right now.”

  “Well, you can’t build a business overnight. It’ll come in time. Just remember to stick to the budget. I can help you with that too.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Have you tried to get a business investor or a loan?”

  “I couldn’t get any investors to bite. Who wants to invest in a fashion photographer’s dream? They had no faith in us, but I’m gonna show them. Three banks turned me down. My mother was the rich one, not me.”

  “Your mother controlled every aspect of your life. Are you sure she didn’t have something to do with you not getting
the money?”

  “Mom wouldn’t have done that. I mean, she was controlling, but she wouldn’t have gone behind my back and tried to sabotage my dreams like that.”

  “Why would three banks turn you and Nadia down if you both have stable jobs?” he asked, still sounding suspicious, then bit his lip hard.

  “My mom wouldn’t do something awful like that.”

  “Why wouldn’t she just give you the money?”

  “She wanted me to have a stable career, a so-called real job with a successful company. I loved my mother dearly, but sometimes she took things to extreme when it came to getting her way.”

  “She was a wonderful person, but she could be very domineering.”

  “Yeah, I know. She controlled every huge decision I made. I didn’t like the way she ran my life like I was still a child. She repeatedly voiced her opinion over mine, she belittled me with her tone, and she treated me and talked to me like a child.”

  “I know. I saw that it hurt you, and I didn’t like that at all,” Jake said.

  “I was sick of never being good enough,” I vented. “Mom should have paid more attention to taking care of her own life, and she should have let me live mine. In a way, I’m trying to prove to my mother than I can run a business on my own, that I can do it, even though she said I couldn’t.” I let out a long breath. “I’m so glad I’m not like that. I’ll never do that to my children. I’ll let them express themselves and be who they wanna be, and I’ll support them in every way.”

  He kissed my head. “You’ll make a fantastic mother.”

  I gazed up at him. “Thanks, Jake. Even though we’ve been separated all these years, you’re still my best friend.” I kissed his lips and couldn’t stop grinning. “And more.”

  He gripped my hand. “I’m in this for the long haul, babe, so take all the time you need. Let’s just take it nice and slow.”

  I nodded.

  “Ready for a little more adventure?” he asked.

  “Definitely! It’s awesome seeing the reef like this.”

  The next thing I knew, it was dark. Truly, time flew when we were having fun. We paddled into the middle of Mosquito Bay, both coated in plenty of organic bug spray. I stared through the bottom of my boat at the thousands of twinkling pinpoints of light that dotted the water like turquoise-green stars in the night sky. Fish darted past us with a glittering glow; it was like gliding through a pool of glitter. Then I glanced up at the twinkling diamonds above me. “The stars are on grand display.”

  “And so are the neon water fireflies below us.”

  I smiled. “Otherwise known as glowing plankton.”

  “Yeah. It’s like a starry sky underwater.” He glanced down at the natural phenomenon. “We have stars above and below us. This is so cool.”

  “Isn’t amazing how the sky shines with the same brilliance as Mosquito Bay?”

  “Yes. I’m declaring this the Eighth Wonder of the World.”

  His excitement was contagious. “I just can’t believe it! All the water is glowing blue. It’s amazing.”

  “Yeah, nature can put on one heck of a light show,” I said. “I read in the brochure upstairs that this is the highest concentration of the organisms in the world, about one million per gallon of water.”

  “Incredible! I’m so glad this was on our bucket list.”

  “Me too.”

  As we navigated around the bay, Jake banged the side of our kayak, scaring the fish. The little creatures darted away, leaving streaks of glorious light like some kind of psychedelic jet stream behind them.

  A galaxy of microscopic lights illuminated under our canoe. Watching the glow rush with every single stroke of our oar was surreal. The water flashed with a blue-green, eerie, ethereal light. Fish swimming in the black water left a long, blue, bioluminescent trail. The water came alive with pinpoints of light as we paddled along, the millions of sparkles below us mesmerizing me. I noticed some pretty big fish, and everything that moved lit up. I simply couldn’t stop staring at the hundreds of dinoflagellates zipping past us at warp speed, like shooting stars.

  “This looks like something out of Star Wars,” Jake asked.

  I laughed. “We watched that movie so many times. You mom said if you put it on another time, she was going to pull her hair out.”

  He laughed at the memory. “You know how much I love my sci-fi. But seriously. It’s like were the Millennium Falcon going into hyperspace, with that kaleidoscope of stars streaking by.”

  I grinned. “You’re right! It’s exactly like that. Must be a school of fish swimming away.”

  “Ashly, look!” he said, his eyes wide.

  “Oh my gosh!” I said, pointing to a huge stingray gliding underneath us.

  “That’s amazing,” Jake said, “and look how much light it’s giving off. And is that a…look! A jellyfish!”

  “Whoa!” They varied in size, from marbles to beach balls.

  “I’m so glad we did this.”

  I felt a drop, followed by another, and realized it was beginning to rain. The entire bay lit up as each droplet hit the surface of the water, and I’d never seen anything so spectacular and magical in all my life. Jake squeezed my hand as I grinned widely as we stared at Mosquito Bay, another place we’d always dreamt of seeing.

  We continued to paddle toward the neck of the bay that led to the ocean, but a loud crash echoed. I gasped as a jolt shot through me; it felt like we had hit something really hard.

  “What happened?”

  “Rocks,” Jake said, “and we’re wedged in.” He stood and gave a mighty push, and after a scraping noise, the boat was free.

  The kayak wavered, and he tried to steady the boat, but it tipped anyway. We both fell into the warm water with a huge splash. The water was shallow, about five feet deep, so I was able to stand.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, splashing around. Every inch of my body was encircled by a blue aura of light.

  He laughed. “Just clumsy. How about you?”

  Flashes of light shimmered underwater as I moved about, as though as there was a halo of electric blue all around me. The more we moved around in the water, the brighter the eerie, blue glow was. I cupped water in my hands and actually watched it light up.

  Jake splashed water on his hair, and crystals of light dripped down his face. He splashed more water, and it lit up like sparklers on the Fourth of July.

  I jumped when Jake touched my elbow, sending my heart racing again.

  “Isn’t this amazing?” he whispered, his hot breath brushing my cheek.

  His black hair was slicked back, and water beaded his eyelashes. I peered at the bright sheen of blue-green that was shimmering right beneath the surface. I trailed my fingers through the glowing streaks, and the phosphorescent marine algae lit up like millions of tiny neon sparkles, like Alaska’s Northern Lights, only underwater. “It’s almost like Avatar, all those glowing scenes at night,” I said.

  Jake laughed as I threw a handful of water in the air. I marveled as bursts of electric-blue light rained down. Translucent streaks swirled across the water, making our bodies appear to glow. I wiggled my feet and lifted my arms, watching bright droplets roll off my skin. Jake looked at me, and my heart melted from his smile. I couldn’t deny what I felt. I was desperately, totally, and completely crushing on him in every way.

  “Not only are you gorgeous, but you also have the most beautiful smile.” He pushed a stray lock from my forehead.

  I felt myself blush, and hot waves washed over me.

  “I’ve been dreaming of the day I could hold you again,” he said.

  My heart soared when those words left his lips, because I’d been feeling the exact same way, at least over the last twenty-four hours. “Do you believe in fate?”

  “I’m not sure, but I don’t believe in coincidence.”

  “Me neither.”

  Our eyes locked, and everything around me disappeared. An electric shock shot through my body when he slipped one of his s
trong but gentle hands to the nape of my neck and pulled me close, my skin grazing against his in an embrace.

  He skimmed his fingers through my hair and wrapped his arms around my shivering body. I stared up, barely able to hold his gaze, as his lips lowered ever so gently against me in a soft touch, growing stronger as sparks flew. His breath felt hot on my skin, and heat rushed to my cheeks. I still couldn’t fathom how anyone could be so irresistible. Somewhere inside my mind, a voice yelled to warn me to keep my composure, but my heart told me to just relax and enjoy Jake’s company. Tilting my head, I closed my eyes, ready to melt into his embrace as I parted my lips against his. I tugged at his shirt, inviting him to deepen our kiss. His strong hands cupped the back of my head as his soft tongue swirled around mine in circles. It grew bolder, turning into something so passionate, so intense, so wild and crazy—everything Jake represented. Minutes passed, the best minutes of my entire life.

  A surge of water crashed against my legs. My stomach knotted as something gritty, like sandpaper, brushed across my ankles. I instinctively jerked back and swallowed hard, hoping it was harmless, perhaps a sea turtle. “I felt something.”

  Jake was treading water a few feet behind me. “You mean like a fish?”

  “I-I don’t know. The water’s too dark to see.”

  “It’s probably a sea turtle.”

  I wasn’t about to find out. The beach was still about 400 feet away, but at least land was in sight. I blew out a half-breath as I flung one arm out to try and swim for the kayak. I took off with a vertical kick and a fast-paced, hand-over-hand stroke.

  A dark shape headed straight for us at a slow, careful, deliberate place, and a triangular gray fin broke the surface about fifteen feet away.

  Chapter 11

  I froze and tried to hold my breath, but the sound of my breathing carrying through the eerie silence. I was certain that the shark would attack, but instead, the shape disappeared. My gaze darted back and forth, but the ocean was calm, without a ripple in sight. “It’s gone. Swim!”

  “No, wait! It’s back,” Jake said, “and it’s coming right for us!”

  The fin approached. When the creature swam within a few feet of us, I screamed. With visions of all those sci-fi horror films running through my head, I wondered if I was going to be a meal for those gnashing, serrated teeth. As if to taunt us, the fearsome swimmer slowed down and submerged like a submarine. A shudder ran through me, and I watched in disbelief as the menacing shadow glided beneath us.