Page 33 of True Abandon

“After all you went through to give them the sickest honeymoon ever?” She twists her face in annoyance. “Damn those rich bastards. They’re the cheapest of all. You did everything for them. That’s a real bummer. You deserve better.”

“Thanks.”

“I mean it! You need more of a backbone. I’m sick of people taking advantage of you. You’re way too good for that nonsense.” She places a reassuring hand on my shoulder and gives it a little shake. “I love you like a sister. Someone messes with you, they mess with me.”

Her comment makes me roll my eyes as she pulls me in for a hug. Our moment of sisterly bonding is interrupted by a man’s grunt. “You coming back to bed, Kimmy?”

“It’s Kelli,” she shouts over my shoulder toward her room. “Let me get one more ride out of him, and then I’m kicking him out.” She releases our hold and turns back to her room.

“I’m dead-bolting my door,” I call out to her.

“There’s a fresh can of mace in your top drawer,” she says as she closes her door.

Blowing out a large puff of air, I practically deflate against the refrigerator. Kelli’s giggle pours through the walls, followed by a man’s moans.

I toss my bottle in the recycling container and walk into my room, closing the door behind me. I don’t deadbolt it, but I do grab the mace from my dresser and place it within arm’s reach—a girl can never be too safe.

I slide the glass door open that leads to the covered lanai off my room and breathe in the scent of the coconut trees and the fresh ocean of nearby Poipu Beach.

Kelli originally picked out a condo on the north side of the island. After some research, I learned that while the rent was great, the condo was a forty-five-minute drive from the hotels we were working in. The long commute paired with the fact it was in the country side with no fast food chains or stop lights made it a no-go for me. If I was moving to Hawaii, I needed to be near civilization.

Our new home is in Koloa, a perfect location for us to travel to work, the beach, shopping complexes, and restaurants. There are plenty of homes around us, and the people are friendly.

My room is light and bright. Even on my most anxiety-laden days, I give a long stretch, take in the gorgeous sky outside, and feel rejuvenated. The fact I haven’t had many nervous ticks and twitches since being here is not lost on me. It’s as if this place is so far away from my old life in Virginia, far away from my second life in New York, that I can finally be free.

That was before Jax walked back into my life. I kick my garbage can over in frustration. I’m biting my nail as I fall onto my bed and open my laptop. It’s been months since I looked him up. I thought I was past this, yet here I am Googling his name.

The first thing I see is False Accusation hit the Billboard Hot 100. It’s pretty high on the chart, but still. That’s a huge feat for a band that’s had mild success the last few years. I haven’t listened to the radio at all since being in Hawaii, and the music we play at the hotel is very Jack Johnson/Jason Mraz-ish. Dixie-style rock & roll isn’t exactly the type of music the Kauai Princess plays for their guests.

A few articles talk about Jax’s accident. One states he was “gripping to the last strands of life.” It’s overly dramatic, but I guess that helps sell albums.

While he was recuperating from his “near-death” experience, one of their songs hit a heavy rotation and found a following over the winter. Another article shows how the lead guitarist, Jax Davis, quit the band and was quickly replaced.

I tug on my braid as I scroll through the article. Why someone would quit a band, when it’s finally experiencing success after years of hard work, is beyond me. That just shows the kind of person he is. Someone who will walk away from any committed relationship and leave someone else to deal with the fallout.

I close my laptop and walk back out onto the lanai and lift my head to the night sky. Without the light pollution I’ve grown accustomed to in New York, I can see every star. I find the brightest one, close my eyes, and make a wish.

I wish Jackson would leave tomorrow. I wish he would walk away, and I’d never see him again.

For some reason, I don’t think this wish is going to come true.

chapter SEVEN

Driving down Lihue Road, my Jeep Wrangler glides on the freshly paved street. The scent of oleander growing on the side of the road has a bubblegum undertone—interesting for the rose-like flower that’s powerful enough to kill.

I park my car in the employee lot of the Kauai Princess. The building doesn’t look like much from the street, but once someone walks up the path to the main lobby with its vibrant archways, botanic gardens, and exotic birds, they’re immersed in a tropical paradise. Even the grounds around the service entrance are perfectly manicured.

Walking to the front desk, I fidget with one of the three bracelets I’m wearing around my wrist.

“Aloha! Don’t you look adorable today?” Lani coos as I approach. “How do you get your hair like that?”

My hair is half up, half down, and it looks like I’m wearing a crown around the top of my head. Pieces of my hair are pulled through the braid and down to create a waterfall effect.

“I’ll show you. It’s easy.” I fix the leaves on a floral arrangement on the counter. “I got your text last night. Did Kal really try to juggle fire rings?”

During my restless sleep last night, I received several drunken pictures from Lani.

“Kalino was wasted.” She looks at me with a slow smile that builds. “Heard he finally got the nerve to ask you to drinks.”