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“That’s quite insightful, Ava.”
“That’s what I got when I finally woke up. I suppose the final nail was that he was cheating on me with someone from work. I caught him with her the day I went to tell him what I was feeling. I walked out on him then and there, but I finished things off on the way here actually.”
I can feel him start to peer around me. He wants to see my face. I make it easier for him by spinning slightly in his arms. “What do you mean?”
“He’s an athletic trainer for a college in the Atlanta area. He was on the flight to Miami with his team and I ended up in the seat next to him.”
“Was fate trying to tell you something, Bella?”
I rest my cheek against his shoulder. “Initially, I was angry. I was pissed this trip was going to start like that. I was pretty rude to him at first. Then as I thought about it, this was my shot at real closure. I don’t think we’ll ever be best friends, but I don’t want to hate him or regret our time together. I mean, it was seven years of my life. I had planned to spend the rest of my life with him. I think forgiveness in some form is important to me.”
“I’m glad you could forgive him. That shows a clear path you want to walk. Selfishly, if that path has led you to me, I’m grateful.”
“Do you always look at things with the glass half full?” I ask.
“I try to. Much energy can be wasted otherwise.”
”Is that something your parents taught you?”
“No. Something I’ve had to learn the hard way.”
Since Rafael made breakfast, I offer to handle the cleanup. There isn’t much, but it gives me a few minutes by myself to breathe. Whatever this is between us is intense and sometimes overwhelming. I want some time to process last night and our talk this morning.
He kisses the back of my hand and said he wants to get something set up outside. My instructions are to take as long as I like and meet him on the back patio in my swimsuit when I’m ready. There is a hint of promise when he says it. I don’t know. It sends a shiver down my spine.
I finally open my suitcase and start to unpack a little. I hang a few of my sundresses on hangers, dig for the swimsuits I packed, along with my beach hat and wrap. I rest the robe on the back of the door where I found it just a short time ago and turn for the sink. There is a single white rose on the counter.
Just beyond the reach of the petals are all of his things. He left the same side of the sink for me as he did with the side of the bed. I guess I’m the right to his left. I leave a few things on the back of the counter then turn for the shower. He’s left the right side of the niche open for me as well. I’m not used to this type of consideration. It may seem small to some; however it speaks volumes to me. He wants us to be equal here and everywhere. Rafael doesn’t know it, but he’s putting me more at ease and making it harder to keep a level head.
I pull on my emerald green two-piece suit and give myself one last look in the mirror. The nerves are still there, so I hope my sunglasses hide a bit of them. The accordion patio door is wide open. It’s hard to tell where the inside begins and the outside ends. There are no bugs. Not one. Everything about this place is foreign to me and I might even like it.
I could see peeks of the ocean while lying in bed. Beneath the cover over the lanai I have a full view. My hands rest on the back of the indigo chaise sectional, while I take in every inch of our private beach. The sand is fine and nearly white for as far as the eye can see. There are random shrubs dotting the open spaces the palm trees don’t cover. In front of me is a beautiful infinity pool that looks to spill into the ocean.
The entire side ledge looks off into what will become the sunset later. The two short ends have very different functions. One is a wall of glass that peers over into a dining area in the shallows of a secluded bay. The other is a staircase at the end of an outdoor bed beneath a pergola. It’s twice as wide as the bed we slept in last night and is the same stunning indigo as the couch beneath my fingertips.
My eyes rotate to the staircase that leads in and out of the water. Rafael’s head and shoulders push out of the water. His hands reach up and slick his hair back. The water beads quickly race down his back as he takes each stair one at a time. I catch myself with my jaw starting to fall open. He grabs his sunglasses from the corner of the outdoor bed, sliding them back on his sun-kissed face.
“What do you think?” he asks.
“Beautiful. So beautiful.”
He smirks playfully. “You took the words from my mouth. Can I assume you’re not afraid of water?”
“I love the water. We have plenty of it.”
“I’d like to show it to you in a different way.” He extends his hand to me. “Come with me then?”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see. I had something special brought in for us.”
Rafael kisses the back of my hand and begins to walk around to a staircase hidden next to the pool. If you weren’t looking, you’d miss it. It leads to an S-shaped path down to a dock. Anchored just offshore is a hybrid speed boat. There is an area toward the front of the boat to lie in the sun and dive from the front if you choose. Behind the captain’s chairs are some bench seats with a canopy to put up if you seek a little shade.
“Oh my God. Is that for us?”
He wraps his arms around me from behind, pulling me back to his chest. “You like?”
“I more than like. You can drive it?”
