Aloha, page 34
Chapter 1
Norah
Standing at the window, I watch as the florist finishes setting up the flowers that line the aisle that I’m going to be walking down in less than an hour. Looking around, I take in how beautiful it looks. My dream wedding day is coming together just like I’d planned for so long. Rows of white chairs stand on lush green grass, white roses and peonies everywhere.
People start to wander out from the cocktail area, the women in pretty gowns, the men in smart looking suits. Well, most of them anyway. Jake’s friends look good, most of the men in my life are either hockey players or related to hockey players and the majority of them look like they picked up their suits from their closet floors after their last road-trip.
Holy shit, it's my wedding day.
The day I’ve been dreaming about for as long as I can remember, yet the ball of anxiety that formed in my stomach late last night just won't seem to shift and the nagging voice in the back of mind is saying one thing on repeat, you need to see Jake.
I know it’s just jitters and every bride gets them, but I also know that traditions are silly and if I want to see my soon-to-be husband before we sign that bit of paper, then I damn well will. Glancing around the room, looking for my maid of honor, Kallie. She’s been like a guard dog all morning, even the mention of me seeing Jake earlier today was met with her threatening to lock me down until the ceremony starts.
“If you’re looking for Kallie, she had to go fix some emergency with one of your brothers and his tux!” Ella, one of my bridesmaids calls out. Why am I not surprised at that? I love my brothers, but they only seem to only be happy in sweatpants and workout gear. Getting four overgrown hockey boys into tuxedo’s has been one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced this weekend.
Seeing my chance at escaping for a few minutes, I don’t hesitate to take it. Hiking up the layers of tulle that make up my skirt, I slip out of the room and make my way to the staircase that leads up to the honeymoon suite Jake and I will be sharing from tonight.
Luck is on my side because I get to the door of our room without being spotted. Twisting the handle, I push the door open and slip inside, all the while praying that the rest of the groomsmen are all downstairs already. When he’d last texted me this morning, Jake had said he was going to skip getting drinks with the guys like they’d planned so that he’d have a clear head to remember every second of today. Part of me thinks that it’s really because he knows my brothers will be there and he hates that they act like they hate him.
Well, I’m almost certain it’s an act anyway.
My shoulders slump as I look around the quiet room, it seems like he’s changed his mind because it’s empty. I can’t even call him to meet me here because the stupid dress I’m wearing has no pockets and I’ve not seen my phone for hours now. He probably won't answer from the unknown caller ID, but I decide to take a chance and call him from the room phone anyway.
Making my way to the bed, I’m stopped short by the sight of the bed sheets in complete disarray. One pillow is on the floor, the others pushed up into the headboard. I’m pretty sure I can see grip marks there. The blankets are a twisted mess, the corner of the bottom sheet pulled back to expose the bare mattress underneath. Unease twists my gut, that ball of anxiety turning to a heavy acidic weight. Jake is the most serene sleeper I’ve ever known. It's almost eerie, like he’s a machine that simply unplugs at night. He can get up in the morning and the bed doesn’t even look slept in.
Maybe he couldn’t sleep just like you couldn’t? I try to reason with myself. It might have worked if it wasn’t for the stains on the sheets that look a lot like smeared lipstick and the empty condom wrapper on the nightstand.
“Jake? I need to get back downstairs before Norah notices...” The words die a gargled death on the lips of my so-called best friend, as she steps out of Jake's bathroom, reaching back to zip up the maid of honor dress that we spend weeks looking for. The very same maid of honor that had a small emergency to deal with, giving me enough time to sneak away to see my soon-to-be dead fiance.
“Norah,” Kallie gasps, “it’s not what it looks like-” she says immediately,not even attempting to lie. I’ve no idea if she says anything else because I can’t hear her over the thundering sound of the blood that is now rushing in my ears. I stand there frozen, watching her lips move but not hearing a word from her.
I think I might be dying, there’s no way my heart can beat this hard, this fast and it not kill me.
Flashes of memories slice through my mind. The times I’d come home from work to find them in my apartment together. Never in compromising situations, but I’d still been a fool to ignore the gigantic waving red flags. The looks, the jokes. Her hand on his arm. His hand on her back. All the times he would offer to drive her home when she was tipsy. I’m a fucking idiot.
“Are you sure he’s the one?” she’d asked me over a bottle of wine just last night. And like the fool I am, I’d said he was the love of my life.
The space where my heart was just a few seconds ago twists painfully in my chest. I need to get out of here, I want to escape this nightmare. I need to escape it, but none of my limbs are co-operating.
The door to the room swings open behind me as Jake strides in, the cocky smirk on his face sliding clean off when he sees me there, Kallie in the doorway to the bathroom. His eyes dart between us, flick to the nightstand and back to me again. I can see him trying to work out exactly how much I know, how much I’ve seen, and I can see with a newfound clarity the mask he wears slipping into place. The fake smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, the calculated look he adopts.
Has all of it been fake? A lie?
“Norah, baby, what are you doing here? You know it’s unlucky for me to see you.” I take him in, his jacket off, hair in disarray. Did he fuck her in his wedding suit? My stomach lurches at that thought.
“Jake,-” Kallie croaks, the tears evident in her voice.
“Kallie, did you find the groomsman gifts you were looking for?” he cuts her off with words sharp enough to snap me out of the fog I’ve been trapped in. I watch with morbid fascination as he approaches me, I can almost see his mind working overtime, scrambling to come up with a believable story for what the fuck is going on here.
It’s not until his clammy hand closes around my elbow and he leans in for a kiss that I’m finally able to move. Twisting free, I sway to the left to dodge his advances. Before he can reach for me again, I do the one thing my brothers always taught me to do when a boy was coming on too strong. Gripping Jake's shoulders tightly, I bring up my right knee and slam it into his balls as hard as I can. I don’t take the time to feel any satisfaction watching him crumble to the ground, writhing in pain. I get no joy from his breathless whimpers, choosing to walk away instead. I get to the doorway before turning back to get one last look at the two people I never want to see again after today.
Yanking the damned diamond ring from my left hand, I heave it with all my might, watching as it flies through the air before landing on a now prone Jake.
Then, I take off running as fast as my wedding dress allows me to.
Chapter 2
Norah
The warm afternoon sun beats down on me, the faint sound of music coming from the swim up bar, the slight but very appreciated breeze that drifts over my heated skin all combine to send me into a much-needed slumber. The three Mai Tai’s I had after lunch may also be contributing to that.
I try to convince myself to pick up my stuff and go back to my room, but something about being in what should have been my honeymoon suite very much alone & unmarried, doesn’t seem appealing right now.
My mind wanders back to memories of the chaos that had occurred on my should-have-been wedding day. The almost brawl that had broken out when I’d ran out of Jake's room and straight into my brother, Maverick. I'd been passed from brother to brother, Maverick passing me to Finn when I’d told him what I’d just seen. The same had happened, Finn passing me to Ward, he in turn passing me to Riley as each of them had the story relayed to them. I adore my brothers, and in that moment, I had to appreciate that I was the baby of the family and my professional hockey playing siblings would hopefully teach Jake a lesson.
Did it make me a bad person to hope they’d afflict real pain on him? Maybe, but I’d debated myself on that over multiple cocktails over the ten days I’d now been in Hawaii, and I’d still not managed to feel any kind of guilt over it. Instead of dwelling on what they were all doing in that hotel room, I had charged upstairs, stripped out of my dream wedding dress, thrown on my pajamas, called an Uber and headed straight for LAX. It had cost a small fortune to bring my flight forward a day, but that was going to be Jake's problem since I’d used his credit card.
It wasn’t until I was in the air that I let the tears fall. I gave myself those few hours to let it all out. I’m sure I looked more than a little crazy, my wedding hair still in place in an elaborate up-do, the pj’s that had BRIDE emblazoned across the back and over the pocket on my chest. The beautiful bridal make-up that had taken an hour to do running down my face as I cried a river of tears. The hostess had kept a steady stream of alcohol coming my way along with plenty of pitying glances, but somewhere over the pacific, I’d stopped caring. Anger set in; the tears dried.
My heart hardened as I came to the realization that love is a scam. It's a cruel joke. It's an illusion.
It's something I’ll never put myself through ever again. I’d always prided myself on being a good person, I run a charity that helps sick kids get their dying wishes fulfilled, I nursed both my parents through horrific terminal illnesses, sacrificing my college education to do so. How does karma repay me? It lets my fiancé fuck my maid of honor on my wedding day, that’s how.
Although, I highly doubt that was the first time, they were probably at it for months, if not our whole relationship. I wonder if they’re together now? My mind starts to fill with the what if's that have plagued me all week. The answers I know I’ll never get because I’ll be damned if I ever speak so much as one word to those two assholes ever again.
My phone had rung off the hook that first day, both Jake and Kallie sending me a barrage of messages and voicemails. None of which I’d even considered opening. It only took one quick call to get my number changed and just like that, blissful silence. Well, except for the daily check-ins with each of my brothers, all of whom were and still are furious on my behalf and baying for Jake's blood.
“Hey Miss Norah.” A soft, melodic voice says from above me, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. Cracking an eye open, I find Koa, one of the many staff that have looked after me since I arrived, grinning down at me. “If you’re not careful, you’re going to sleep through your excursion.” I can tell he wants to add on an again, but his good manners win out and he keeps it to himself.
“Thank you, Koa, I’ll be there this time. I promise.” Feeling bad that he’s tried to get me to leave my spot at the pool so many times and I’ve been too stubborn to. The plan when I'd decided to come on my honeymoon solo, had been to wallow in self-pity, not to join in on all the activities we’d pre booked. It was a plan that had been working well until Koa had found out why I was here alone. Since then he’d been on a mission.
“There’s more to Hawaii than just Mai Tai’s, getting a tan and feeling sorry for yourself, Miss Norah. I want you to see it before you leave tomorrow.”
We share some small talk, ending with me pinky promising to be ready for my pick-up time later, before I head back to my room to shower and pack my things ready to leave tomorrow. I’m probably not ready to face reality, but I’m damn well ready to pretend like I am.
It’s later in the evening and I’m very much regretting that of all the excursions I’ve made it to, it’s a romantic evening of stargazing from the top of Mauna Kea.
Thankfully, I’m not alone. There’s a small group of us. There’s a couple of newlyweds whom I’ve managed to avoid through both the chaperoned drive here and the picnic meal that was waiting for us earlier. Then there’s the older couple that spent most of the night alternating between bickering and holding hands and acting like they’ve just met.
And then there is Reed.
The silent, broody guy who looks about as happy to be here alone as I probably do. Outside of being introduced to one another by our tour guide, I’ve not said more than a word or two to anyone else, but even that is more than anyone has gotten out of Reed. He’s probably around my age, but the perma-scowl he’s sporting on his obnoxiously handsome face makes him look older. Not that it takes away from how good looking he actually is though.
He must be at least 6 ft 4, with a bulky, athlete's body that could easily put my brothers to shame. Unruly dark hair that you can just tell he never wastes time on but always falls oh so perfectly. And I’ve not gotten close enough to be sure, but I’m pretty certain he’s got blue eyes to round out the romance novel level of gorgeous that he is. Fortunately for me, his good looks do not matter because I’ve sworn off men for life, so I allow myself to indulge in a few furtive glances his way, it would be a shame to waste that level of eye-candy after all.
We’ve just got done watching the sunset from Puʻu Kalepeamoa, and the experience can only be described as humbling. From the drive up through cotton candy clouds, to watching the sky turn from a serene blue, to a warm orange with slashes of pink, fading into a haze of inky black as the sun descended seemingly into the dormant volcano we were sitting on. I’ve never experienced anything so breathtaking in my life.
It had left me with a reminder that I’m just a tiny blip on this earth, and that meant that Jake and Kallie, they were nothing but blips too. Tiny, insignificant in the grand scheme of my life, blips.
After watching the life altering sunset, the tour guide takes us back to the observatory and we get to look at the stars and planets, and our guide gives us a detailed history of Hawaii. It’s left me in awe of the place and feeling more than a little silly that I chose to come here for my honeymoon just so I can lounge in the sun for a few weeks. I’m already planning on coming back here for our annual summer vacation but actually appreciating the history of the place instead.
“You were supposed to bring something warm to wear.” A deep, gruff voice says from behind me, right before I feel the weight of something being dropped on my shoulders. A soft waft of fragrance hits my senses, a mix of fresh sea air and something darkly masculine wraps around me, reaching up I feel the warm material of a well-loved sweatshirt.
Leaning back, I see Reed staring down at me, scowl still in place, but a resigned softness there now too. I had been shivering slightly, but not enough that I’d thought anyone would notice. After all, it’s my own fault for not reading the itinerary before being picked up from the hotel.
How was I to know that after wearing not much more than bikinis and cover ups for days, I'd need to wear winter clothes. I’d been lucky to have some running tights and a long sleeve top with me. I’d been given a jacket to wear along with everyone else, but it wasn’t quite enough to stop the evening chill from seeping in. I’d obviously not done a good job of hiding how chilly I’ve really been.
“Thank you, but I’m not that cold-” I try to hand him back the sweater but instead find my hands full with a paper cup filled with hot cocoa instead.
“Just put the damn hoodie on.” He practically growls at me right before he slides his huge frame into the seat next to me. I’m suddenly very aware of just how close that seat is when I feel the heat of his thigh pressed tightly against my own. I open my mouth to argue, but once again he stuns me into silence by plucking the cup from my hand, placing it on the ground at our feet, and maneuvering me out of my jacket and into the hoodie like I’m some kind of unruly toddler.
“What in the-” I start to ask but the words on my lips die when he has the sheer audacity to shush me. “Did you...did you just shush me?”
“I’m trying to listen.” He grunts, pointing to where the tour guide stands a few feet in front of us, continuing with his detailed history of the big island. A talk I’d been avidly listening to until he’d so rudely interrupted.
I scoff in indignation, ready to give him a piece of my mind, but the people around us start to stare, our discussion not being as quiet as I’d have liked. Instead of pushing it, I decide to let it go until we’re away from the prying eyes and ears of the group. Instead, I cross my arms over my chest, sinking deeper into my seat and glaring daggers at the side of Reed’s head.
It's fast approaching 10pm by the time we’re being driven back to the hotel and after so many restless nights, I’m having a hard time not letting sleep win me over. The gentle hiss of the breaks is enough to wake me, but the warm pillow I’m leaning on is so freaking comfortable, I really don’t want to wake up.
As my senses slowly creep awake, I realize it’s not a pillow, it’s a very muscular chest.
A muscular chest that I seem to have drooled over while asleep. Pushing myself back, I look up to find an amused Reed staring down at me.
“What on Earth?” I manage to engage my brain enough to ask.
“You were falling all over the place, I came over here to wake you up but as soon as my ass touched the seat you were all over me.” he says, giving me a cocky grin.
“I highly doubt that.” I refute vehemently, knowing that I probably did exactly that. I’m a notorious full contact sleeper.
“You most certainly were, sweetie.” The older lady stops by our seats as she moves off the bus, giving me a knowing look before she turns her alarmingly hungry gaze on Reed.
“Although, I can’t say I blame you, If I was a few years-”
“Okay, that’s enough out of you.” her husband appears at her side, taking her arm and pushing her towards the doors. He looks at Reed and I with an amused look on his weathered face. “Enjoy the rest of your night kids.” he winks before looking down at where my hands are still resting against Reed’s impressive chest.
