Page 63 of Beginnings By the Sea

“I feel sorry for you, Cohen. I hate that this jealousy between you and Miles has turned you into whatever you are,” I said, waving a hand about his body. “I thought I saw some redeeming qualities in you, unless every moment you spent with me was a lie.”

Cohen shook his head. “It wasn’t all a lie, Nyla. I do have feelings for you, and I would’ve married you in a heartbeat.” He placed a hand over his heart. “I’m in love with you.”

I wanted to believe that was true, that he could love someone. Sadly, I didn’t think he was capable, at least not until he turned his life around. Being deceitful and manipulative would not make him happy for the rest of his life.

Slowly, I breathed in the salty sea air and released it. “As angry as I am with you right now, I do hope you are able to find real love one day. Honestly, I think it’ll help you become a better man. Because right now, I’m not seeing it.” A fleeting expression of pain crossed Cohen’s face again before quickly disappearing behind a carefully crafted mask of indifference. “Then again,” I continued. “A part of me wants to punch the dog shit out of you, but I’m afraid I’ll break my hand.”

Cohen laughed once and nodded. “That’s the Nyla I fell for. I deserve anything you throw my way.” He lowered his gaze and blew out a sigh. “Will I ever see you again?”

I waited for him to meet my gaze again before answering. “No,” I replied, wanting him to see all the emotions on my face. “Our relationship ends here. I don’t think I can ever forgive you for this, and I know Miles never will.” My house was only around the corner, so I nodded at his car. “You can leave now. I’m going to walk the rest of the way.”

I was about to pick my purse up off the ground, but then I looked at my hand and smiled. There was only one way to let go of my anger. Cohen turned his back on me to walk to his side of the car, but I closed the distance quickly.

“Hey,” I shouted, catching him off guard. The second he turned around, I punched the right side of his face. It felt like fire shooting up my arm, but knowing I punished him a little felt good. He grunted in pain and stumbled back into his car, lifting a hand to his face. “Okay, I deserve that,” he said, moving his jaw back and forth.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins, and I knew once it wore off, my hand would hurt much worse than it did now. “Yes, you did. Goodbye, Cohen. You might want to leave town before Miles finds you.”

I didn’t bother watching him drive away; instead, I made my way home. When I was about to reach the driveway, Miles sprinted out of the house. He caught me in his arms and spun me around, planting his lips on mine in a passionate kiss.

“I was so worried about you. Are you all right?” he asked as he put me down on my feet again.

“I’m so sorry for ever trusting Cohen. You were right about everything.”

A low growl rumbled in his chest. “Where is he?” he demanded.

“He’s gone,” I said. “But I left him a parting gift.”

I let him go and he cupped my cheeks, his eyes searching mine. “What do you mean?” My hand had already started to swell up, and I could feel it throbbing. I held it up so he could see the damage and his eyes widened. “He’s going to have a black eye. My hand hurts like hell.”

Miles chuckled before kissing it gently. “I hate I didn’t get to see it.” He dangled an arm over my shoulders as we walked inside the house together.

“I have to get ready for work. I’m going to need a lot of coffee this morning.”

The second I stepped into the kitchen, it smelled like coffee heaven. Miles had a fresh pot brewed for us.

“I got you covered,” he said. “I have a class to teach at the Cape Fear station. I didn’t want to leave without knowing you were okay.”

I glanced over at the clock, and luckily, I still had a few minutes left to get ready for work. “I hate that we went through everything last night only to spend the day apart. But I promise, tonight is all ours. It’s time we start planning our future.”

Miles stepped closer and pulled me into his embrace. His gaze never left mine as he spoke, and a smirk spread across his face. “Looks like we have a few minutes before we both have to be at work.”

My heart raced with anticipation, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, and?” I asked, hoping we had the same thing on our minds.

He swept me off my feet and carried me down the hall to our bedroom. Reaching out with one arm, he dropped me onto the mattress and followed closely behind. His kiss was full of passion and I deepened it, loving how he held me protectively in his arms.

“I think I need to show you how much I love you,” he said, his breath warm against my neck.

I melted into him and smiled. “Be my guest.”

30

NYLA

The day had gone by quickly and I was exhausted. I filled Autumn and Gina in on everything that had happened. Even Everleigh came by the office at lunch, and we talked the entire time. I didn’t want to leave the office and go anywhere in town because I knew everyone was talking about the tabloids. News sure did travel fast in the entertainment world. Nothing had gotten out of hand yet, but I had a feeling it was about to.

The world knew my name and where I lived, courtesy of Cohen and his attempts to hurt Miles. Cohen knew I didn’t want to be in the public eye, but he made sure I had no choice or say in the matter. It was like the calm before the storm. I had a feeling Miles knew it, too. Even the clouds in the sky felt ominous, all thick and gray with the sound of thunder in the distance.

The sand was warm beneath my feet as we walked down the beach. It was summer and crowded, and I could feel eyes on us.

---