Shattered: A Salvation Society Novel Bella Emy (best ebook reader for laptop .TXT) 📖

want to be impolite. I don’t want to be rude or bring attention to us. How would it look if I cursed out the owner of the resorts here? I’m sure that would kill his business and his ratings.

Although that would be a great way to get back at him…

Yet, I won’t stoop that low.

Taking a deep breath, I finally say, “Kalen,” and nod.

A smile curls on his lips. “Ah, she speaks. It’s good to hear your voice again.”

Is it? I squint my eyes.

A nervous chuckle erupts from his throat. “Look, Lexi. I’m not trying to start anything with you.” He takes another sip from his glass. “I know you’re pretty ticked with me, yet, I don’t really know why, but that’s beside the point. I’m not trying to open up a can of worms.”

Open up a can of worms? Right. The can’s been popped open and the worms have already wiggled their slimy way out. Doesn’t he know why I’m pretty ticked? Well, if that doesn’t make my blood boil, I don’t know what does.

Clearing his throat, he continues. “All I want to do is get to know you once again as a friend. That’s all. I’d like to put whatever happened between us in the past behind us. I want to move forward and I don’t want you to feel some type of way every time you see me… like I can tell you’re feeling now by the way you’ve been glaring at me since I commented on your drink,” he points to my cup and then adds, “which you should probably finish already since the ice is melting.”

My gaze rips from Kalen to my drink. “Ah, fuck.”

He lets out a throaty chuckle as I throw it back and swallow a large gulp of alcohol.

I’d better finish the rest of this before it gets nasty. I don’t really like it if it’s not ice-cold.

Finishing his own drink, he then catches me off guard. “Have dinner with me tomorrow evening.”

I practically spit out my drink when his words leave his lips. “What?!” I don’t think I’ve heard him correctly.

If looks could kill, I’m sure the way I’m glaring at him right now would have him buried six feet under.

Yet, this doesn’t stop him. Instead, he speaks once more. “Fine, breakfast. Have breakfast with me tomorrow morning, then.”

Okay, this deserves a lot more alcohol than I had previously expected, but I can’t order another drink. In fact, I think the best thing to do right now is march my ass right back to the room.

Picking up my glass from the counter, I tip it back, letting it hit my throat and swallow the remaining amount. I rise up from my seat, and right before I step away from the bar to leave, I turn to face Kalen. “It was nice catching up, but I hope never to do that again. Good-bye, Mr. Starling.” Turning on my heels, I face away from him and stomp back toward the entrance of the hotel.

Chapter Twenty-One

The nerve of Kalen Starling. The fucking audacity he has even to think that I would entertain the thought of having dinner with him… or breakfast… or whatever. No way. Not happening. Not even in a million years. Not even if he were the last man on the planet.

Fuck, I’d rather retire to a convent, wearing nun gear, or whatever it’s called. I’d rather never have sex again than go out to eat with Kalen, pretending everything he did to me doesn’t matter.

Okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme because it has been quite some time since I’ve gotten laid. I haven’t spent the night rolling around in bed in so long with someone other than my battery-powered boyfriend, Jason… which, yes, I damn sure named. I needed to scream someone’s name as I came each time, pretending I’m not a hopeless loser, never to be intimate with a man again, and the first person to pop into my mind was Jason Momoa. A girl can dream about being taken on an underwater adventure by the ruler of the ocean, can’t she? Aquaman seemed just fine.

I shake the thoughts from my head. With Kalen looking the way he does and me not getting laid in so long, I’m aching for some relief.

But that’s not the point of this right now, and I need to stay focused on the matter at hand. What it all comes down to is the fact that Kalen Starling will not get to me, and I refuse to let him think that I would ever share a meal with him.

I’m sure he figured with as much time that has gone by, I probably put it all behind me and that we can be old buddies again. But nope. That’s not happening. Sure, it’s the past, and I don’t dwell on it—much—but, there are just some things that are unforgivable, and Kalen completely dismissing me after taking my virginity and making me believe we had everything is just one of those things. I will never forgive him for breaking my heart.

How is it that he doesn’t remember why I can’t stand him so much? That makes me even more furious to know that it doesn’t even bother him as much as it bothers me. If there ever was a chance of me forgiving him, with him admitting that he doesn’t know why I’m so mad, just blows that chance away. But let me make it quite clear that there never was a chance or will be. I may bend on a lot of things, but this one, never. Not now, not ever.

“That is gorgeous!” Erin’s voice sounds. Kennedy just FaceTimed us a few minutes ago to show us Venice, her honeymoon spot.

Even though she’s been talking to Kennedy for a while, my mind keeps wandering back to dangerous territory. Some things just shouldn’t be thought about. But I can’t help it. I’m appalled and shocked that he had the nerve to ask me out. Twice. Ugh!