Chapter 7
Nelly
We decide to have a beach picnic at the Flamands Resort beach shores. I hope to enjoy the sunny day and watch the waves flow down towards the shores easily, but Ethan has other plans when he joins me with a sunscreen tube and two surfboards.
Each time Ethan comes close, I catch a whiff of his earthy scent, and it heightens my awareness of him. The jolt of electricity that sparks through me in those moments is confusing.
Because I should be over him now. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that our kiss revived old flames in me. I can’t think about it, I conclude while battling the tension rattling my insides.
“Ready?” he asks, while wearing a mischievous grin.
I bat my lashes at him before tilting my head to one side. “What for?”
“Come on … We’re at a beach, Nelly. Did you think we’d sit on the shores all day, watch the sun, and hope for some snoopy teenager to take pictures of us?”
“No … But …”
“No buts,” he interrupts and takes my hand before I can protest. “We’re gonna surf, have fun, and relax. You look like you need it.”
Ethan tosses the sunscreen to the ground and leads me towards the shore with one hand on mine. My pulse skips a beat as I recall the last time I surfed.
I haven’t done anything this exciting in years, and the thrill gushing through me now reminds me of the old times with Ethan.
“You ready?” He lets go of my hand and starts gearing up for the surf. Ethan puts on his earplugs and goggles, then he reaches into his bag and hands me mine.
I can't help but chuckle, a spark of amusement bubbling up within me as he hands me a surfboard leash.
“When you suggested we spend time at the beach, is this what you had in mind?”
“Yes,” he flashes a cheery smile. “What better thing is there to do on the beach? You used to be more adventurous than this.” His eyes twinkle playfully.
“I agree.” I bend to put on my leash. “But unlike you, I’ve had a pretty rough couple of years since the last time we went surfing together.”
My statement brings back the same memories for him because a knowing smile plays out on his lips. “Italy,” we chorus, both recalling our amazing week in Italy with Tom. Tom met Robyn on that trip and his life changed since then.
“Forget everything else,” Ethan tells me as we head for the shore with our surfboards. “Just breathe, enjoy the air, and ride the waves as they come.”
“Ride the waves,” I murmur as we set ourselves on the water and move into position to start surfing.
I let the rhythm of the ocean fill my ears. The sound of the surf spikes my adrenaline, and I take a deep breath, finding the balance that allows me to ride the waves.
Time slows down as I get engrossed in surfing. The view of the large wave coming at me, threatening to crash and leave a spray of salt water over my face, is a thrill.
Ethan’s laughter roars alongside the roar of the waves and it eases the tension ebbing through me from earlier, letting me relax till we make it back to shore again.
I’m soaked when we get on dry land, and the throes of his laughter mingle with my chuckles till we move closer to each other and hold hands.
Ethan’s laugh ends with a smile before he gently tucks a wet strand of hair away from my face. “That was amazing, wasn’t it?”
My heart topples faster than ever, and I can’t find words for a while. “Yeah,” I dart the tip of my tongue over my lips. “Haven’t had that much fun in years.”
We’re engrossed in the moment now, staring deep into each other’s eyes as the thud of my pulse drowns into the background. My eyes drift slowly to Ethan’s lips, and the memory of our kiss floods my mind.
“We should make videos and take pictures of this time,” I suggest as the heat spiraling through me starts robbing me of my senses.
“Yes,” he mutters, the same breathlessness in his tone before he moves away from me.
We walk back to the beach chair where our towel and sunscreen lay, and Ethan grabs his phone first to take a couple of selfies of us together.
“This rocks,” he shows me the goofy picture of us together. Once Ethan posts it and tags me, my phone starts beeping numerous times.
We both laugh as we check the comments under his post. “Now we have the world talking,” I comment, and Ethan shrugs before he turns to me.
“We might as well give them more to talk about.”
“I agree.” I hook my hand in his and join him in the changing room.
During the rest of our time together on the island, we made sure to capture every single moment.
We spend time at the resort’s spa, then go on a day’s hiking trip from Anse des Flamands to Anse de Grand Fond.
Every second we spend together on the island is magical, and I wish it wouldn’t end. At least not soon.
***
After the week we spent at St. Barts, we return to LA and it’s back to business.
Ethan has a couple of events to attend out of town that weekend, and once he’s back, we attend a charity function at the Getty Center.
“You look beautiful,” Ethan murmurs to me as we pose on the red carpet for the flock of eager photographers clamoring to get a picture of us together.
His right hand sits around my waist as he tucks me closer to his side. I plaster on a smile, aware of the flush that creeps over my skin when he presses a kiss to my cheek for the cameras.
I hike my chin and turn to meet Ethan’s gaze while trying to ignore the bright flashes of camera lights in my eyes.
“Isn’t it weird? How interested these guys are in your personal life?” I question when he leads me away from the red carpet. The event’s host is already addressing the crowd as we enter the hall, and I hold my purse tightly in front of me, keeping my chin high as I scan the crowd.
“It’s like they all want a piece of Ethan Everhart. It has to be exhausting, even for you.”
“I’m used to the attention,” Ethan answers before he adjusts his bow tie. “We’ll be making a huge donation as a couple tonight, just to prove that we’re really partners now, you know.”
“Can’t we just give for the sake of giving to charity?” I counter, eyeing him as he smiles at some other guests and waves at others. Ethan embodies the celebrity role with ease, and it’s not unusual that he’ll feel more comfortable with the crowd watching than I would.
An applause erupts when the chairman of the event takes the stage to give a speech. My gaze wanders around the hall then and lands on an unexpected face.
“Oh boy,” I mutter, and Ethan turns to me. He raises a brow in question, and I shift my eyes away from the man I spotted when I notice him approaching us.
The last time I saw Patrick Cross was the day we broke up. Our relationship had been great for a while, but Patrick accused me of not being entirely into him and ready to make things serious after he asked me to move in with him.
“You okay?” Ethan asks, as I recall the end of that relationship with a wistful sigh. Patrick hadn’t been wrong. I had hesitated to move in with him after he offered because a part of me knew he wasn’t the one. It just didn’t feel right. I hadn’t fully opened up my heart to Patrick back then.
“Ethan,” I clear my throat a little. “The man walking over to us right now … We dated while I was in business school, and we broke up before my parent’s car crash. I think he’s coming to say hello.”
“Oh,” Ethan breathes out, and I notice the brief tightening of his chin before he adds. “I can handle your ex, Nelly.” An incredulous look is on his face. “What would you like me to do? Play it cool or be a jealous husband?”
“Just be yourself.”
Patrick Cross is now in front of us, and Ethan chooses that moment to move closer to me and keep a secure hand on the small of my back. “Nelly … Never thought I’d see you in person again.”
“Patrick,” I smile as I extend a hand to accept his handshake. Patrick lifts my hand to his lips and presses a kiss to the front of my palm just before Ethan clears his throat.
“My husband, Ethan Everhart,” I introduce with a smile, and Patrick raises a brow before he turns to Ethan.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Everhart,” Patrick greets them as they shake hands. His eyes tighten at their corners as he assesses Ethan for a bit.
“Likewise, Mr. Cross,” Ethan replies. “Are you also a regular donor here at the Children Forever Foundation? Or a first-time guest?”
“Regular,” Patrick nods, and I notice both men have the same tightness wrinkling around their eyes while they address each other. Especially Ethan. He doesn’t take his hand off my back and he keeps his chin high.
“Charities have always been my forte. Do you remember when we discussed starting our own foundation, Nelly?” Patrick asks in the lightest of tones, but Ethan’s chin hardens a bit at it and I feel his body stiffen.
“Yes,” I respond to Patrick, but don’t get the chance to say more before Ethan interrupts.
“Nelly and I always talked about donating to charities while we were in school too. She’s always been keen on making a difference.”
“Yes, she has,” Patrick agrees. “I just didn’t think she would get married so soon. After all the last time I saw her, she was keen on focusing on her career.” Patrick looks back at me now, then smiles. “I guess things change.”
“They do, especially because love comes when we least expect it, you know,” Ethan angles his body towards me, then drops a kiss on my temple. “My wife is amazing for sure,” he adds with a proud smile.
Patrick’s eyes land on mine, and the tension in his shoulders is visible before he gives me a silent nod. “I should leave you two to enjoy the night before my date starts missing me,” he says. “It was nice seeing you again, Nelly.”
Once he’s gone, Ethan turns to me and pretends to cough. “That looks like a guy who’s still into you.”
I lift my head to meet his gaze. “Definitely not … We broke up a long time ago.”
“Yeah right,” Ethan answers, and I catch him glancing around to find Patrick and glare at him for a moment.
“Wait a minute, are you … Are you jealous?”
Color painted his cheeks and his ears reddened a bit as he scoffed. “Me? Of course not. Why would I be jealous of a guy you broke up with a long time ago?”
He sounds serious, but he is avoiding my gaze.
“Actually, he broke up with me.” A teasing smile plays on my lips because I find his reaction amusing. “I was sad for a while.” Ethan’s eyes tighten at the corners as he frowns, and he tries to hide his scowl by turning away from me and unbuttoning his tux.
I let my laughter spew out when he rubbed the back of his neck, then I tucked one hand in his. “Relax, Casanova,” I say before falling into step with him so we can walk around the hall and mingle with the rest of the crowd. “Patrick Cross is the past. We’ve moved on.”
“I wasn’t jealous,” he insists after a while.
“Yeah, sure you weren’t,” I joke, and he joins in my laugh before we walk up to the hosts for the evening.
The entire time we’re chatting with the other guests, I find myself wondering what Ethan was truly feeling after meeting Patrick. Was he really jealous?
If he was, then that might mean he feels something for me, right? I should not make any assumptions, especially when it comes to what Ethan really wants because the last time I did … The last time I assumed he was into me too, it ended with me heartbroken and alone.