Page 63 of Promise Not To Fall

1 part Tommy Bahama White Sand® rum

½ part Tommy Bahama Golden Sand® rum

1 part coconut rum

½ part 99 Bananas®

3 parts pineapple juice

Mix all ingredients over ice in a hurricane glass. Garnish with a pineapple, cherry, and parasol.

The beaches in the Bahamas are magnificent. The way the sand feels between your toes, the fresh salty air. All of it. I want to remember this place and never let it go.

One would think I’m taking a nice walk on the beach in the morning, right?

Nope. I’m actually chasing Jake up the beach after he came to my hotel room at 5:00 a.m. to find out what happened last night.

Bloody knuckles and bloodshot eyes confirmed that he one, has a temper, and two, he hasn’t slept. Neither have I. But the moment I attempt talking to him, wanting to explain my asshole behavior last night, he walks away from me.

“Jake!” I follow after him, running through that same warm white sand I love. Now I’m not so sure I like it because it makes running after someone really difficult.

Jake keeps walking away, so I keep walking until I finally catch up with him. If he had been trying to piss me off by walking away, I took the fucking bait. “Jake, I know I’m just the city girl of the month. I’m not stupid,” I tell him, trying to catch my breath after running. “That’s why I left last night.”

Blowing out a quick, harsh breath, he whirls to face me. “Who told you that?” he spits the words out in a hiss through clenched teeth.

Shit. He looks super pissed. “Your sister.”

“You’re pretty fucking stupid for believing my sister,” he barks back, aggravation clear in his tone. “She’s a fucking liar. Why do you think I never see her? She can’t mind her own goddamn business.”

I’m pissed off I believed his sister, and when I’m pissed, I sometimes laugh. I choke, trying not to laugh. The numbness holds me there. It’s like all my muscles are slowly falling asleep, but there’s a boiling sensation everywhere else. Like I might burst into flames at any moment. Swallowing hard, I attempt to clear the anger and humiliation washing over me. It doesn’t work.

Jake doesn’t budge, anger hardening his features. As beautiful as the fun-loving Jake is, this, the angry side, is a sight to behold. “You believed her?” he repeats with contempt, pressing me to answer him.

“Yes!” I throw my hands up in the air. It’s then I realize I’m wearing a bathrobe on the beach. Clearly I hadn’t thought I’d be chasing someone up the beach. “How was I not to believe her? She’s your sister. I thought she knew you pretty well.”

“Even after I told you I don’t know anything about her and hadn’t seen her in six months?” I nod. I don’t think he cares whether he hurts me or not anymore. His anger becomes a boiling fury as he steps forward, inches from my face. “Well, fuck, believe what you want, then, but know the fucking truth.” His expression clouds with anger. “Yeah, I’ve been with a few city girls. So what? You’ve had one-night stands, right?” He pauses, waiting for me to nod, clearly referring to last night. I won’t oblige him, and I cross my arms over my chest. That laugh that comes next from him, the sarcastic demeaning one pisses me off even more. “Well, fine, whatever, but don’t fuckin’ act like I’m the bad guy here. You girls are all the same.” He lets out a cynical snort. “Expect a good time while you’re here, and then what? You leave. I’m still here. Welcome to paradise, sweetheart. It’s fuckin’ beautiful, ain’t it?”

Jake shakes his head, throwing his arms up in the air as he spins around, gesturing to the island. He turns around again, scowling at me. “I’ve been with four girls in my life. Four. One was a longtime girlfriend, three were one-night stands, and that includes you, because I guess that’s what you’re saying you are to me. And every goddamn one of those women decided for me that I’m the asshole. I’m the selfish motherfucker who ripped out their heart. But you….” He stops short and looks away to face the ocean. He’s so tense he’s shaking, barely able to continue, but when he does, I can hear the pain in his voice. The ache in my chest says that I had this wrong the whole time. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe I knew you were different from the beginning?”

What? Oh God, my heart, my heavy, shattered heart.

I have no answer. I have nothing. I can’t even comprehend where this has gone. What exactly did I think this was? I went into it knowing it wouldn’t be serious. I’d hoped it wouldn’t, but why am I so emotional over it? Why do I care? I had to protect my heart. So where does this leave me now?

Jake turns to face me again, searching my face for something. “I’m curious, Kendall, what were you thinking when you walked into that bar?” he presses. “Were you thinking you didn’t have any luck with the celebrities, so you’d go slummin’ in a bar looking for dick?” His expression has no understanding and certainly no compassion. Now he’s trying to hurt me like I did to him. “Face it, Kendall, you were never going to give a guy like me a chance. I was your rebound fuck.”

In all honesty, he’s right. On both accounts, but the one about never giving a guy like him a chance. I wouldn’t have. He’s too much of a flirt.

“Is that all this was to you?” There’s an undertone of desperation in his voice. “If it is, then I’ll walk away right now, and you can have lawyer boy and enjoy the rest of your vacation.”

I don’t say anything, and his eyebrows arch, as if he’s waiting for me to say something.

When I still don’t answer, his face loses all the emotion he once had. “For the record, I didn’t sleep with you because you were the city girl of the week. I don’t do that. I’ve never needed to. I don’t show girls private parts of the island; there’s tour guides for that shit. No one has ever been on my jet ski before, and one girl has been to my house. You.”

“Why me, then?”

“Why not?” he asks, immediately stepping toward me. “Why would you even question it?”

“I’m not someone you would usually date.” And I’m not. Or at least I assume this after seeing what Amara looks like. Nothing at all. But then again, Jake isn’t anyone I would have usually dated, either.

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