Page 70 of Someone Exactly Like Me (Wounded Hearts 1)
Dinner is delicious. She shares stories about her and Candi growing up together and the adventures they used to have. I tell her about the trouble me and Marco used to get into, and still do sometimes. I don’t usually have these types of conversations with women and I’m thoroughly enjoying getting to know her. I can’t get enough of her.
After dinner we go back to the suite. The sun is beginning its descent into the ocean.
“What do you say we get changed and meet at the hot tub?” I’m thirsting to see her in a bikini again. I’d rather see her naked, but I’ll take what I can get.
“Sounds good.”
Destiny
Candi texted while we were at dinner. I give her a quick call.
“Hey, did I text at a bad time?”
“Hi. No. We were at dinner. We’re about to go in the hot tub.”
“Hot tub? How romantic.”
“Ugh, I know. And I’m enjoying myself more than I should.” I slump my shoulders.
“Des, why do you punish yourself?”
“Because —”
“Because what?” I can see her now, shaking her hands in frustration at me.
“Because. Because he leaves Friday. He leaves and that’s it. Even if we stay friends, we won’t see each other like we have these last few weeks. And, he’s — he’s on his way to stardom. And I’m —” I sigh. “I’m me and I’m here.”
“You can’t predict the future, Des, so, please, stop trying to and just be open. Be open to whatever, to possibility, to a chance at who knows what. You keep closing yourself off with him and shutting down, not even giving things a fair chance.”
“That’s just it. In slightly different words, he flat out told me he doesn’t get into relationships, period. Tonight, he answered the one question he didn’t answer on the beach. Basically, he said he’s not good enough so he doesn’t even bother. Someone really hurt him. I swear I felt my heart sting when he said it.”
“Okay, let that go for a minute, that’s guy-crap. Strip away all this bullshit about what you think and what you shouldn’t be thinking or feeling. Just,” she blows an exhale. “tell me what youfeel.”
“I — I don’t know. I mean, I’m going to miss him when he leaves. Spending all this time together, he’s not at all what I thought he’d be like. He’s charming and funny and playful. He’s kind and protective. He’s very diligent about his work, whether he’s getting into the mind of his characters or writing lyrics for his songs, he commits, goes all in.” I blow a huff of air. “He’s open-minded, humble, affectionate. And I’ve never seen a man communicate the way he does, it’s refreshing and, unexpected.” I pause. “Can, my body fucking melts with how passionate he is. Arm’s length away from him, I can remain feisty and fierce, but when he invades my personal space, I lose all control of myself. I can’t think straight. I feel like I’ve downed ten shots of whiskey. Speaking of which, I’m supposed to be half naked in a hot tub with him right now.” I pause. “I should probably go.”
“Okay.” She sighs. “Let go of the shoulds and the shouldn’ts and just be. Be in the moment and let yourself feel what you feel. Stop judging and condemning it.”
“I’ll try. I love you.”
“Love you. Bye.”
I change into my bikini, twist my hair up into a clip, and go out to the hot tub. Nicco isn’t there yet. I thought he would be since I took a while talking with Candi. He’s probably having a cigarette. He went our entire dinner without one.
I turn on the hot tub, tap my Yoga Music playlist on my phone, and step into the hot, bubbling water. It’s pretty deep. The scenery is truly heavenly. I cross my arms on the wall overlooking the ocean, my toes barely touching the bottom. Closing my eyes, I rest my head on my folded hands. Candi’s words are in my head, be in the moment. I focus on my breathing, inhaling, exhaling, inhaling, exhaling. Be in the moment.
He’s behind me, barely touching his chest to my back. My breathing quickens. He must be squatting down because his mouth is at my ear.
“I can’t get over how beautiful it is here.”
Opening my eyes, I see his arms, spread wide, on either side of me. “It really is.” I turn my face up toward him. “Thank you for bringing me here. I don’t come to places like this. It’s quite a treat.”
“You’re welcome. Thank you for coming with me. Do you want more wine? I had some sent up.”
“Oh no. I had two glasses at dinner.” That’s just what I need, to be tipsy in a hot tub, half naked with this scorching-hot man I’m falling for and shouldn’t be.
“You’re not driving.”
Candi’s voice pops into my head, be in the moment. “True. Okay, I’ll have a glass.”
