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

I shake my head as we reach the dining section of Starfish by the Sea, and Kalen pulls out a chair for me at one of the outermost tables. Tons of people are seated nearby, enjoying the live band playing the music I had first heard.

I take my seat and allow him to push in my chair. “Thank you.”

“Absolutely, beautiful.” Kalen walks over to sit across from me, and he smiles as he gets situated. I wonder if by absolutely beautiful he means me or the view. Well, I’m definitely not brave enough to ask and find out.

“This place has the best seafood around. You should try all of it tonight.” He interrupts my thoughts, and I’m thankful for it.

I raise a brow. “All?”

He chuckles. “You don’t think we’ve come to Starfish by the Sea to only try one dish, do you?” He picks up his menu from the table and looks over it. Unlike all the restaurants I’m used to where the hostess brings you a plastic menu, this place has a paper menu, which appears to have all the items they serve on one side of it. He scans over it for another second and then says, “Their stuffed crab and shrimp scampi over linguine are absolutely divine.”

I’m trying hard to concentrate on his words and all that he’s telling me, but it’s so hard to do so looking the way he does. In his black T-shirt, slicked-back hair, and already charming looks, it’s not easy to focus.

Add that into the way I’m already feeling about him, and forget it. There’s no way I can concentrate. Plus, I can’t get the image of how he was looking at me out of my mind.

Somehow, between the live music, boardwalk games and stands, and the amazing food, I manage to make it through an hour and a half sitting across from Kalen without making myself look like an idiot. That’s something I’d be very capable of doing because of the way I’m feeling toward him. Leave it to me to make a fool of myself. But still, I haven’t. Yet.

So, fighting to keep my hormones in check and after a fantastic meal—which by the way, he wasn’t lying about. Starfish by the Sea has to be one of the best places I’ve ever eaten at before—we find ourselves taking a walk alongside the beach. The waves lapping at our feet are so refreshing, and I’m thankful for them because being with Kalen is causing my heart to beat at a pace I never expected before. And the fact that he’s holding my hand doesn’t help one bit.

His hand on mine gently tightens, and then he speaks. “Lexi, I just want to say I’m really sorry about what happened. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling. I just hope that us getting away is helping you keep your mind off things and hopefully, you’re having a little fun out here with me.”

I know I probably should know what he’s referring to right now, but all I can think about is him holding my hand on this perfect evening. He’s made my birthday absolutely wonderful so far. “Huh? What are you talking about?”

He stops walking and causes me to stop as well. We face one another. “Lexi, your lounge…”

“Oh, that,” I say. The reminder of the other night when I received that call from Joanna comes crashing back to the front of my mind.

“Are you okay, Lex?” he asks, searching my eyes.

I shrug. “I’m okay.”

He studies me further as the water caresses our feet on the shore. “I’m here for you if you ever want to talk about it. I didn’t mean to bring it up, but I wanted you to know I’m always here for you, Lexi.”

Except for when you left me.

I bite my tongue and tilt my head up to the sky. A starlit sky hangs above us. This night would be perfect if I didn’t have this stupid reality hitting me every once in a while. “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.”

He squeezes my hands once more. I can’t deny that every time he does that it causes chills to run down my spine. “I can imagine. It must be so hard.”

All I can do at this moment is shrug. I don’t have the words to say anything more. And thankfully, I don’t need to because he speaks yet again. “Come with me, Lexi. I want to show you something.”

One of his hands’ lets go of my right one and he tugs me in the opposite direction. I follow him as we walk up the shore in the sand toward an abandoned building.

“What’s this?” I say once we reach it.

He lets go of my hand, fishes out a pair of keys from his pockets and slips them into the lock. “You’ll see.”

I peer over his shoulders as he swings the door open. I’m anxious to see what this is all about as he walks in and hits the light switch.

“Here we go.” The place illuminates as the lights come on. But they are not blinding. They’ve got a soft glow, causing a romantic atmosphere to embrace us. My eyes take in my surroundings, and I’m left in awe. It’s empty and looks as though it’s been that way for a long time.

“Wow… this place is massive.” I spin around and lift my head to the ceiling. Still visible are stars painted on a sky-blue ceiling. “This is yours, too?”

He chuckles. “Not really. I mean, there are a few of us who have keys, but no one has purchased it yet. It used to be an ice cream parlor where vacationers used to swing by and grab their favorite frozen treats. But then the owner got sick, passed away and the place shut down. Since his wife knew us from all the years we’ve been in the area, she gave a few of the local businesses around here