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It’s eerily quiet, with just the sounds of the ocean surrounding us.

My thoughts, however, are loud in my head. Every time I think I know Dax, know what he’s made of, he shows me another side. The charismatic, charming, happy-go-lucky, never-serious Dax has been replaced by someone who is tense with dangerous energy. The man who can turn anything into a joke is most definitely not laughing now.

Strangely enough, I’m not afraid of him. He’s angry, but I somehow know he’d never turn that anger onto me. Even though we are completely and totally secluded out here on the beach, I hold the intrinsic knowledge that he’d keep me safe.

Safe?

Why did that word pop into my head?

Because even when I was sitting there with Anthony, terrified of what he’d do or say, I knew Dax wouldn’t let anything happen to me. Even though he thought I had something going on behind his back, he was on my side.

It’s a strange yet comforting feeling, knowing that he was willing to protect me even when he thought the worst.

Once we’ve reached the smooth rock wall, he stops and turns to me. He’s still taut with anger, and his jaw is clenched tight, but he seems more in control of himself, at least.

With deadly calm, he asks, “How could you do that? How could you get back together with him after all he’s done?”

I let out a gasp of surprise, not expecting the attack so quickly. “I’m not back with him. Why would you even think that? If I were with him, why would I be here with you?”

His expression doesn’t change. “Yet you hid the fact that you still talk to him on the phone. Has he been following along with us this entire trip? Is he the one that flattened our tire? I need the truth from you.”

He must have boardrooms quaking in fear. He doesn’t need to threaten with words. The tone of his voice is scary enough.

Too bad I’m not some shrinking violet. I didn’t do anything wrong.

Well, except that’s not exactly true. I never told him that Anthony had been trying to contact me this entire time. I purposely withheld that little bit of information.

“I should’ve told you about the texts and the phone calls. But it’s not what you think. I am not interested in Anthony. We were done the moment I found out he was cheating. I swear. There is nothing between us.”

“Yet you still talked to him? Told him where we were?” Dax fires back.

“I only talked to him that one time. He’d been texting me and leaving horrible voicemails. I only called him back to tell him to leave me alone. I told him we were done and needed to sell the condo so we’d never have to see each other again. I think it upset him. He somehow found out I was here, but I have no idea how he knew. I never told him, and that’s the truth.”

Dax’s eyes search mine, and I know he’s trying to decide if he can trust me. His hands are clenched by his sides.

“He had his hands on you,” he grinds out between clenched teeth. “Do you have any idea how badly I wanted to hit him? And if I started, I don’t think I could have stopped. I’ve never hit anyone in anger, ever, but I would’ve made an exception this time.”

I step in closer and touch Dax’s arm.

“I know.”

“I don’t think you do know. I’ve never felt this way before. I’m not one to give into anger like this. When he had his hands on you, when he hurt you, I felt something snap. For the first time in my life, I felt out of control. Even now, I feel the anger coursing throughout my body. I keep picturing you trying to pull away and him not letting you go.”

“Please believe me, Dax. There’s nothing between me and Anthony. Nothing. I just want away from him.”

Dax looks away from me toward the ocean. “When I think of you two together, it makes me insane. I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t keep out the visions of you two screwing around behind my back.”

The thundering in my ears overpowers the sounds of waves breaking in the ocean.

I push against his chest to get his attention.

“Listen to me,” I grind out. “Pay attention this time, because I’m not going to keep repeating myself. There is nothing, nothing, between me and Anthony. The only feeling I have for him is hatred. He tried to ruin my life. Do you think I’m such an idiot that I’d go back to someone like that? Especially after what you witnessed this evening. You think I want someone like him in my life?”

I raise my hand to brush against his cheek. The need to touch him, to make him understand, is something I can’t ignore.

Dax turns his head into my palm and his eyes are glittering in suppressed emotions. “I don’t want to think it, but I keep seeing you with him. I can’t erase the images in my head, and it’s killing me. Even if it’s not what happened, I can’t get the thoughts out of my head.”

The simple raw truth of his statement tugs on my heartstrings. I want to ease the pain he’s feeling, the pain that I caused.