Page 25

Jade

The day had finally come when the start of this Cavallo vow renewal extravaganza was upon us.

It would’ve been easy to forget all about it with the long hours I had been working at Bellissima , but apparently, I couldn’t do that.

Between my sisters who’d insisted on helping me pack and Red, it just hadn’t been happening.

So here we were. Red and I had already made the journey to Providence. Now we were taking a ferry to Newport.

Considering that we were in public, on a ferry with other people, and we needed to show off our lovey-dovey bullshit, I seriously wished I would’ve voted we take the car the whole way there.

Finally, I took my hat off. Bianca had sworn I needed the floppy, light blue hat that matched my delicate blue dress with cap sleeves. Brushing a hand through my hair and trying to control the loose strands that flew around my face, I caught a glimpse of Red from the corner of my eye.

He was seated closer to the water. Probably not the best idea with the number of times he bothered me. Who knew? I might have been tempted to push him off.

My eyes concentrated on him as he looked out at the water.

“You work too hard,” I said, somewhat out of the blue.

Now if you were in my head, you would have known I was thinking about how happy and peaceful he looked.

Almost like he wished he’d done this more often, but I knew for a fact he didn’t have time.

“You’re rich enough, you can afford to take a few days off. ”

He shook his head, smiling as his blue eyes met mine. “When I’m retired, I’ll do shit like this, and it’ll mean more because I’ll have worked my whole life and earned it.”

“Or you’ll give yourself a heart attack from working so much and never get to enjoy anything.

Then again, look at my adopted parents. They worked their whole lives to put food on the table for us and where did that get them?

They didn’t get to soak up retirement like they wanted.

They passed away, and guess what? Death doesn’t give a shit about money problems. Those are troubles you can’t take with you.

They’re just something people on earth worry about until it makes them sick and tired of the same old story. Of living the same old story.”

Wow. I wasn’t entirely sure where that came from, but it was already out there, words that had flown out of my mouth and hung in the air between us for him to think about and dissect.

Not that he’d understand, since he was loaded.

Rich people only seemed to get richer. Whereas, for people like me and my adopted parents, it was a vicious cycle of paying the bills every month until the afterlife swept in and took those troubles away.

I didn’t like getting that deep with anyone, though, so would it be possible you could forget I ever said that? Do you think it was possible Red could?

He placed a hand gently over mine in my lap, the one that wasn’t holding onto my hat for dear life, afraid it would blow it away with the occasional light gusts of wind. “You don’t ever talk about your parents. What were they like?”

I shifted in my seat and cleared my throat because it felt like a frog was sitting in there, but this one was sitting on my windpipe.

“Parents. They were like parents,” I croaked.

In reality, there wasn’t much more to say about them.

They’d changed my life in ways I hadn’t even known, but they were gone. I accepted that.

He nodded, wetting his lips. “Don’t think you’re doing me any favors by telling me. If you want to, I’ll lend my ears, but if not, then great, less I have to listen to.”

I wondered where he got his gentlemanly ways from. “I found the ring,” I blurted out, deciding that if he wanted me to talk about something that hurt, then my parents—adoptive or birth—weren’t the answer.

His gaze shifted down to my hand and the engagement ring that drew more attention than that time I’d walked out of the bathroom with toilet paper hanging off my pants. What? It came from the floor. And, yes, it was gross, tell me about it. “When did you lose it?” he questioned, his brows furrowed.

Of course he’d think I was talking about this one. I wasn’t. “I didn’t lose it. I never take it off, so how could I lose it?”

“You never take it off? Not even when you’re alone?”

That was what never take it off meant. I nodded. “It’s just easier that way. Not that I don’t want to. This thing weighs so much. It’s like twenty-four seven weight training for my finger.”

“Glad I could contribute to your muscle strengthening.”

My head snapped his way. “You think I need strengthening?” I tossed him a dirty look.

“I don’t think you need anything. I think you’re perfect.”

My heart raced, and my hands got sweaty. “What’d I say about that sappy shit?” I pulled my hand away from him.

“I thought that was only when I was eating you out,” he responded smugly.

“It’s applicable always. We’re not a real couple,” I practically seethed.

His jaw twitched as he leaned over, his hot breath hitting the shell of my ear and causing a sensation to travel down my spine. “Lower your voice, Jade. Someone could overhear you,” he whispered. Then he backed away and angled his head. “Now let’s kiss, so it looks legit.”

“What? You’re not making any sense. How does that—”

Without hearing my argument out, he cupped my cheeks, rubbing the pads of his thumbs over them romantically as he savagely claimed my lips.

Goose bumps rolled over my body. I scooped his bottom lip into my mouth.

In response, he traced my upper lip with his tongue before driving it into my mouth, fully exploring.

I snaked a hand between us and flattened my palm on his chest, my other hand loosening its grip on my hat. “Mmm,” I moaned, which only egged him on. I didn’t mean to, but it sort of escaped.

It was only his tongue that was inside me, but it felt like he was inside me in every sense of the word. Like he’d gotten in my head, and if I was being honest, I didn’t know if I wanted him to leave.

What was I saying? I used my palm and pushed him off me, licking my swollen lips as he gave me a befuddled look. Of course he was confused. I was confused. But shit like that could never happen again.

Someone get me a sticky note that I could stick on my forehead. I did not belong with a man like Red. Period. A giant period. Because that was the end of the story.

“So, what ring did you find?”

His question startled me, my eyes growing wide and my mind whirling. Oh, right. I’d told him I’d found the ring. Nate’s ring. Except I’d left that part out, so I told him now.

He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing as his face went pale. I wasn’t sure why he looked sick, but fine. “You found the engagement ring Nate bought for you?”

“Yep.” I knew I had opened the floodgates on this one, but I didn’t know if I wanted to get into it.

It was like opening old wounds. Maybe they were better left festering beneath the surface.

One thing I knew for a fact was people had enough of their own problems and they didn’t need to take on anyone else’s.

That was why I kept everything inside. I didn’t feel the need to burden someone in that way.

I got up, still holding my hat and fingering the rim as I walked to the back railing and looked out at the water. I closed my eyes and let the feeling of calm wash over me. This, to me, was a luxury. I was going to Newport for no good reason and wearing clothes that cost more than my last car.

I shuddered when an arm wrapped around my waist. Red. I opened my eyes. “I don’t have anything else to say. Wouldn’t want you to have to listen unnecessarily.”

He kept his hand on the small of my back, standing next to me, looking out onto the water with me. “Fine by me. I’m just here for the view.”

“The view all around the ferry—water?” I knew this was Red’s lame attempt at trying to be there for me.

It was nice. Would have been nicer if I cared about things like that.

I let out a deep breath. “I thought Nate was going to propose. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise, so I merely put it back where I’d found it. ”

“But he didn’t propose.”

“Would you like to tell the story?” I asked and waited a beat before going on. “He did not propose. He broke up with me.”

“And that hurt you.”

“Maybe, but I’m a tough cookie.” I shook my head, my eyes remaining fixed in front of us as I thought back to that day. “No, the real dagger to the heart was what he told me when he broke up with me.”

I glanced over and immediately connected with Red’s eyes. When had he begun staring at me? “What did he say?”

“Your brother should give motivational speeches.”

He ground his teeth, his jaw twitching uncontrollably. “Jade, tell me what he said.”

“Pass on go?” It came out as more of a question because I knew I’d started this and him wanting me to finish made sense. “Honestly, it doesn’t make a difference, because now it’s what fuels me. It motivates me in a way.”

“Yeah, everything that happens in our lives makes us the people we are today. I’ve read greeting cards and shit. Now tell me what that fucking jackass said.”

“He’s your brother,” I responded, my eyes flickering between his that were ablaze with a fire I’d never seen burn in them before.

His nostrils flared. “He’s still a fucking jackass.”

“I don’t belong. Not with him. Not with anyone like him. I’d been kidding myself, and he’d fallen down the rabbit hole with me, too, to think that I could ever belong.”

His hand curled into a fist on my back before he removed it, clutching the railing so tight his knuckles were turning white. “I’m going to kill him.”

Whoa, I couldn’t tell you the reaction I was expecting from him, but that was not it. I leaned over and brushed a kiss on his cheek.

He blinked, looking over at me and making him loosen his grip. His expression softened as well. “What was that for?”

I choked, swatting his bicep, his incredibly hard bicep. “Perception is everything. You looked angry, and I couldn’t let you ruin the facade we’ve been working so hard to keep up.”

“Of course.” Shaking his head, he turned around, crossed his arms, and leaned against the railing. Seemed dangerous, but okay. If the ferry made a turn or sped up, and he suddenly fell over, then where would I stand as his fiancée?