The Exception Read online

  “Two weeks ago. It was a backup, just in case. And as you can see, the just in case happened.”

  When the plane arrived at the gate, I took Jillian’s carry-on bag from the overhead and handed it to her. After grabbing mine, I took a step back and let her out first.

  “I’m going to use the bathroom before I head to baggage claim.”

  “Oh. Okay. I can wait for you,” she spoke.

  “You go ahead.”

  I didn’t know how to say it. This shouldn’t have been so hard and I didn’t understand why it was. Maybe because we shared a connection on the plane. Who the hell knew.

  “Actually, my girlfriend is meeting me. She flew in this morning.”

  ****

  Jillian

  Awkward moment. Was I surprised? No. I didn’t expect a man like him to be single and I never asked him why he was flying to Hawaii alone. I didn’t know what to say.

  “That’s great.” My lips gave way to the smile that I had perfected. “Well, I guess this is goodbye. Thank you, Drew, for making my shitty day a little less shitty. It was nice to meet you.”

  His lips formed a small smile as he held out his hand to me.

  “It was nice to meet you too, Jillian. I hope everything works out for you and you find yourself.”

  “Thank you.” I lightly shook his hand.

  As I walked away, Drew called my name.

  “Jillian?”

  I turned around and took one last look at him.

  “Do me a favor. Please be careful while you’re here. No matter where you go, there are always some crazy people around.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” I gave him a small wave and headed to baggage claim.

  There was a part of me that was sad about saying goodbye to Drew Westbrook. He was the first nice person I’d met on my self-discovery journey. Talking to him for most of the day made me feel good. For the first time in my life, I felt happy inside. When I arrived at the baggage claim area, I saw a nice-looking gentleman holding up a sign with my name on it.

  “That’s me.” I smiled.

  “Ah, welcome to Hawaii, Miss Bell. I’m Kaleo, and it’s my pleasure to drive you to your hotel.”

  “Nice to meet you, Kaleo.”

  “Your luggage will be coming out right over here.”

  As we were waiting for the luggage to be unloaded, I happened to glance over and saw Drew hugging a tall, blonde-haired woman. A lump formed in the back of my throat and I quickly looked away. I just wanted to get the hell out of here and to the hotel so I could climb into bed and sleep my troubles away. Finally, I saw my luggage come around and Kaleo picked it up and led me to the sedan that was parked right outside the doors. I had no choice but to pass by Drew and his girlfriend, so I kept my eyes looking straight ahead and pretended not to see them.

  When Kaleo pulled up to the Kahala Hotel & Resort, he removed my bags from the trunk and the bellhop in front of the hotel grabbed them.

  “Welcome to the Kahala Hotel & Resort.” He smiled.

  I checked myself in, and when I turned around, I saw Drew and his girlfriend heading to the same elevators I was. Shit. Fuck. Shit. Why did he have to be staying at the same hotel?

  “Hello.” He nodded.

  “Hey.” I smiled. “Nice to see you again.”

  The tall blonde narrowed her eye at me and I could see her claws emerge.

  “Jess, this is Jillian. Her seat was next to mine on the plane.”

  “Oh. Hello.” She extended her well-manicured hand with an unsure smile and daggering eyes.

  “Nice to meet you, Jess.”

  We stepped inside the elevator and the bellhop pushed the button for the Presidential Suite. No one spoke a word. This was awkward and there was no reason that it should have been. But then, why did I feel like I had done something wrong? As soon as the elevator doors opened, I stepped out and spoke to them, “Enjoy your vacation.”

  “You too,” Drew replied while Jess gave me a slight nod.

  Opening the door to my suite, the bellhop set my bags down in the bedroom. I reached in my pocket and pulled out some cash.

  “Thank you for bringing my bags up.”

  “Thank you, Miss Bell. Enjoy your stay with us. If you need anything at all, please let us know.”

  I grabbed my phone from my purse and looked at the time. It was almost eleven. I promised my best friend, Kellan, that I would call him as soon as I got settled. It was two a.m. in Seattle, and I took my chances that he was still up.

  “Hello,” he answered.

  “Hey. It’s so good to hear a familiar voice.”

  “I’ve been waiting for your call. How are you? I’ve been worried sick.”

  “I’m okay. So what happened?”

  “Oh, Jillian. I don’t even know where to start. Your mom and dad are pissed as hell, and Grant, I just think that little douchebag was more embarrassed than anything. Your mom came to me and asked me if I knew about the little stunt you pulled.”

  “Were those her exact words?”

  “Yes. I’d never seen her so angry. Her face was so red that I was sure she was going to drop dead of a heart attack right there in the church. Grant made an announcement and told all the guests that this was just a misunderstanding and he’d get it sorted out. I’ll be honest with you, Jill, I don’t think you’ll ever be able to come back here.”

  “I don’t ever plan on it. You know that and I know that. Listen, I’m exhausted and I just want to go to sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Okay, baby girl. Sweet dreams and I’m proud of you. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Kellan, and thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

  After ending the call, I unzipped my suitcase and pulled out my nightgown. Once I changed, I pulled back the covers, climbed into the luxurious king-sized bed, and pulled the sheets up over me, holding the edges with a tight grip. A million different emotions were going through my head and I just needed to turn my brain off. Easier said than done as I tossed and turned all night.

  ****

  Drew

  She’s very pretty,” Jess spoke as the elevator doors shut.

  “I didn’t notice,” I lied.

  “Oh, come on, Drew. Who the hell wouldn’t notice a girl like her?”

  Jess was raring to start a fight. I could tell and I was in no mood. I was tired and I didn’t plan to be up all night arguing with her.

  “Jess, I’m warning you. We aren’t going to go through this again. For fuck sakes,” I spoke as I opened the door to the Imperial Suite, “I couldn’t help that her seat was next to mine.”

  “Did you talk to her?” she asked as she headed towards the bathroom.

  “Of course I did. We were on a six-hour flight.” I didn’t dare tell her that we also sat next to each other on the plane from Seattle.

  “Did she come here alone?” she asked as she stood in front of the mirror and took off her makeup.

  “Yes. She was supposed to get married today but couldn’t go through with it.”

  “Wow. It seems like you got her life story.”

  Slowly closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath.

  “Not really.”

  “Why would she tell you that? A total stranger? Who does that shit?”

  “Apparently, a woman who needed to talk to someone.”

  “Did she hit on you?” she asked as she turned the light off and climbed into bed.

  “No. She didn’t hit on me and you’re being ridiculous right now. Listen, you need to stop being so jealous of every woman who looks my way. Have I ever given you a reason to mistrust me?”

  “No.”

  “Exactly.” I reached down and kissed her lips. “Now get some sleep. I’m exhausted and had a really long day. I didn’t plan to get in this late.”

  “But I’ve been looking forward to having sex with you all day.” Her hand reached down and rubbed my cock.

  “Not tonight, Jess. I’m way too tired.”<
br />
  “What a great start to this vacation.” She huffed.

  “Can you please for once in your life think about somebody besides yourself?”

  She turned the other way and I didn’t care. I sighed as I placed my hands behind my head and stared up at the ceiling. The only woman on my mind at the moment was Jillian.

  Chapter Six

  Jillian

  The sun peered through the window as I opened the curtains and greeted the warm beautiful day. Staring at the full ocean view from my window, I smiled at the peace and serenity I felt at that moment. Sitting down on the bed, I opened up my laptop; there was someone I needed to check in on and talk to.

  “Hey, you. I’ve been waiting for you to skype.” Kristen smiled.

  “I’m sorry. By time I got to the hotel last night, it was late, and you’re six hours ahead, so I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “I can’t believe you did it.”

  “Me either. How are you feeling?”

  “Same. I have chemo tomorrow and then another scan next week. But don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. You need to focus on you and you only.”

  “You know I’m always worried about you.” I pouted.

  “Well, don’t be. I want you to have fun in Hawaii and focus on you. I’ll be here when you come to New York.”

  “Is Noah taking good care of you?”

  “He always does.” She smiled.

  “Okay. I’m going to go so you can get some rest. I wish you could be here with me.”

  “Me too. But no worries. We’ll take a trip one of these days.”

  After saying goodbye, I rubbed my hand down my face. The guilt I felt about not flying straight to New York was eating at me. Kristen wouldn’t hear of it and told me to go somewhere for a while to collect my thoughts before settling in to my new life. She was one of the strongest women I knew and I couldn’t wait to see her.

  After I took a shower, I curled the ends of my long brown hair, slipped into my floral spaghetti-strapped sundress, and headed downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast. When I walked in, I saw Drew and Jess sitting at a table. He was reading the newspaper and she was looking at her phone. Sighing, I asked the hostess to seat me on the other side of the restaurant.

  As I sipped on my coffee, my phone rang, and it was Kellan.

  “Hi there,” I answered.

  “Hey. Sorry to bother you on your vacay, but I have to ask. You haven’t used any of your old credit cards, right?”

  “No. I haven’t. I’ve been paying cash or using my new card.”

  “Good. Your mom paid me a little visit earlier and demanded to know where you were. I really had to talk my way out of that one. I even had to cry. She and your father are checking all your credit cards, rental car places, airports, hotels, and your bank account.”

  “They can check all they want. They won’t find anything.”

  “Apparently, the limo driver spilled the beans and told them he dropped you off at Pier 59.”

  “That asshole. I paid him good money to keep his mouth shut.”

  “Well, your parents paid more to get the truth. But he didn’t tell them you got into a cab. He just said that when he dropped you off, he saw you walking down the street on foot.”

  “Did you get rid of the dress?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I went to the hotel last night, boxed it up, and sent it off to that girl in Wisconsin this morning.”

  “Thank you.”

  As I looked up, I saw Drew looking over at me. I gave a small smile and nod.

  “Hello? Jill? Are you there?”

  “Sorry.”

  “Are you okay? Are you having second thoughts about everything?”

  “God no! But I’m fine. It’s just I met this guy on the plane yesterday and then, when we landed in Los Angeles, we grabbed a bite to eat. We sat together again on the plane to Hawaii. Now he’s staying at the same hotel and I just saw him looking at me from across the restaurant.”

  “Oh. Meow. Is he hot?”

  I smiled. “Yeah. He is incredibly hot and he’s here with his girlfriend.”

  “Damn.”

  “No damn, Kellan. A guy is the last thing I need. Remember, I’m starting my life over. It’s a guy-free zone, at least for the next ten years or so.”

  “I think ten years is a little ridiculous, Jilly Bean.”

  “Nah. Ten should give me enough time to figure out who I am. There will be no exceptions.”

  “If you say so. Go enjoy Hawaii. I just wanted to update you on the evil queen.”

  “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll talk to you later.”

  As I was eating my breakfast, I saw Drew and Jess get up from their table and head out of the restaurant with his hand on the small of her back. I won’t lie and say that my mind didn’t wonder what it would be like to have him as a boyfriend. The thought of dating scared me. I had only been with one guy my entire life: Grant. Ugh. The thought of him made my stomach feel sick. He came from an influential family of lawyers. And yes, we did attend Yale together. I think it was his and my parents’ way of keeping an eye on me. His father, a hotshot lawyer, owned his own high power firm, and as soon as Grant passed the bar, he would immediately become a partner and then take over completely when his father retired. I had no clue how he was going to be a lawyer since he never bothered to listen to what anyone said unless it benefited him. He was the true definition of a narcissist. He wasn’t even all that good looking. I mean, he was cute in his own five-foot-eight way. He was your typical preppy boy. Short dark hair that swept to the side, blue eyes, and certainly no muscles anywhere to be found on his body. He always wore polo shirts, which I hated, and occasionally, he would tie a sweater around his neck. If you looked up the definition of a snob in the dictionary, you’d see his picture full front and center. He looked down on people who didn’t have the kind of wealth he had and he was never ashamed to flaunt it. He was a cheater, a liar, and didn’t care about anyone but himself. Now let’s talk about sex. The thought made me shudder. His penis. Well, let’s just say that half the time, I couldn’t even feel it. I faked more orgasms than I had actual ones, and the actual ones were compliments of myself. He thought he was the man in the bedroom, but the truth was, he was just a boy who didn’t know what the fuck he was doing. We hadn’t had sex in months. It became draining trying to make up excuses why I didn’t want to. I was too tired, I had a headache, I had an infection, I was ovulating, I was on my period, I forgot to take my birth control pill the night before. You name it, I used it. Having sex with him was something I dreaded. It wasn’t a partnership. It was more about him satisfying his own needs.

  I had meant what I said to Kellan on the phone. My new life and journey that I was about to embark on was about me. I didn’t care if “Mr. Right” walked up to me at this very moment. Guys weren’t going to be a part of my journey. Not for a very long time. This was a solo mission. My entire life had been in the hands of other people and now, I was taking it back. After finishing breakfast, I decided to do a little stand-up paddle boarding. After I headed up to my suite, I changed into my black bikini, threw my cover-up on me, grabbed a towel, and headed out the door. When the doors to the elevator opened, I saw Drew and Jess standing there.

  “Hi.” I smiled.

  “Hi,” Drew spoke with a small smile.

  “Hello.” Jess looked me up and down. “Are you going to the pool?” she asked.

  “Paddle boarding,” I replied.

  “Ugh, I hate paddle boarding.”

  “Well, it’s not for everyone.” I slightly rolled my eyes.

  When the elevator doors opened, I stepped out and spoke, “Have a great day.”

  “You too,” Drew replied.

  While they walked away, I couldn’t help but stare at his attire. Black swim trunks that were just the right length, a tight light gray t-shirt that hugged his body in all the right places, and flip-flops. He looked smoking hot and I won’t lie and say my bikini bottoms didn’t get a
little wet. Ugh. Shaking my head and entering back into reality, I walked over to where the paddle boards were.

  “Can I paddle board out to that little island?” I pointed.

  “You sure can. There’s a couple spots where you can sit down and get some sun if you want.”

  “Great.” I smiled.

  A feeling of peace overtook me as I got on the paddle board and began to make my way towards the island. As I was sitting there with my knees hugging my chest, I stared out into the ocean and listened to the serene sound of the waves. I had been to Hawaii many times growing up, and every time I visited, I felt the same peace that resided in me now, but that sense of feeling flew away the minute we stepped on the plane to go home.

  Staring out and taking in the warmth of the sun that enveloped me, I noticed a man who kept falling off his paddle board heading towards the island. As I strained my eyes to get a better look, it seemed that man looked like Drew. He saw me staring at him as he sat on his board and put his arms out as if he was giving up. Laughing, I grabbed my board and paddled out to him.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I was trying to get to the island to come and say hi, but it just wasn’t working out.”

  “Have you never been on a paddle board before?”

  “No. Actually, I haven’t.” He sighed.

  “Where’s Jess?”

  “She came down with a migraine and went back to the room to lie down. I was sitting down at the pool and remembered you had said you were going paddle boarding, so I thought I’d give it a try.”

  “How did you know I was at that island?”

  “I asked the guy at the rental place if he knew which direction you were headed and he said you had asked about the island. So, hi.” He smiled.

  “Hi.” I grinned. “Do you think you can make it back to shore without falling in the water?”

  “I don’t think so. Maybe I should have had some lessons first.”

  “That probably would have been a good idea. You know you can just sit on your knees. You don’t have to stand up if you’re not comfortable.”

  “I thought about that, but then I’d look like an idiot out here. Look around; everyone is standing.”