Flirting with him is fun, but that’s all it can ever be. Especially after Daisy told him to stay away from me. That was all I needed to hear to know he’s not for me.
I refuse to go into a relationship thinking I can change him. That’s what happened with Sean, and look where that led.
All those years I spent thinking I was the reason he stopped sleeping with other girls, all those years I thought I was the reason he gave up his rockstar lifestyle. Turns out, I was just stupidly oblivious, blinded by love and the idea that I had changed him. I felt important and honored at the time, but again, I should have known it was just an act.
Bullshit.
It’s all bullshit.
The love of a good woman changes no one but the woman. She leaves brokenhearted and feeling like shit.
Changing into something more sensible, I head back out to the kitchen to find Kai wandering the small space, looking around at all the strange artwork and furniture that came with the place.
It was the reason I decided to rent here. It came fully furnished, and the price couldn’t be beat. It is a little eclectic—okay, that’s a lie—it’s a lot, and I mean a lot.
But it’s kind of fun being in a place that doesn’t look like what I lived in with Sean. That was cold and sterile and so damn expensive, and I was always afraid I was going to spill salsa on the pristine white couch. To be honest, I never once felt at home there.
Too big.
Too empty.
Too void of feeling.
But here, in this weird lime green abomination on this massive plot of land, I feel like I’m home. Comforting and quiet, a stillness that brings me peace.
“I always knew this place was weird, but being inside here, it’s even weirder than I thought,” Kai says, laughing as he looks at an abstract, multicolored painting of a cow. “Did you buy this place?”
“No, just renting, but…” I start to say but stop. I have no idea if I’m going to stay, and I don’t need to share every detail with him, even if just yesterday I poured my heart out to him. “Renting,” I add. “Just renting.”
“It’s kinda cool,” he adds, pushing aside the heavily patterned curtains to reveal the bright sunlight that is starting to make an appearance.
“Yeah, I thought the same thing when I walked through it. I guess it has been for sale for a long time, so the owner decided to rent it.”
“It has been, which is strange because everything on the island sells so quickly. But I know this can’t be subdivided even though it’s on tons of land. Some law that was passed for this area of the island,” Kai tells me. “Developers want land. This place needs a local.”
“You should buy it,” I prompt, and Kai laughs, melodic and sweet. “What? You’re a local, right?”
“I am, but…” Kai says, sitting down at the table as I set down a cup of coffee.
“But what?”
“I don’t know,” he replies with a look that tells me he’s honestly thinking about it. “I guess I never thought about buying something here. I rent with Eli, and before that, my brother.”
“You should do it. I mean, if you can afford it,” I add, not wanting to be too presumptuous. “It feels like your vibe.”
“What about you? Maybe you’re interested in buying it.” He smiles sweetly, and there’s something about him that’s very calming. He has this presence, an air of relaxedness I’ve never felt before.
“Not with what I make. Don’t get me wrong, I earn a decent living, but I don’t think I’d ever be able to afford to buy something here.”
“What do you do, Quinn?”
“I’m a masseuse,” I tell him, but with a hesitation in my tone. I scan his face, watching for the judgment I used to get from Sean when I would tell people.
He’d chime in with, “It’s just a hobby,” or “She’s planning to quit soon and go on tour with me.” None of that was true in my eyes, and going on tour with him was my worst nightmare.
I only did it once, using vacation time from my job to do it, and I regretted every second. Late nights, loud parties, so much drinking and drugs, him ignoring me, him telling me I had to be nice to the fans because they were his livelihood. But I knew it was more than that, and in the back of my mind, it whispered to me that he was enjoying the attention way too much.
“That’s awesome!” Kai nearly cheers, and something in me swells with happiness. “You got a job yet? Because Owen’s parents own the Orchid Bay Resort, and it has a spa. You should check it out. Remember Owen from last night?”
