Chapter Six

Kylie

 

As soon as Kylie stepped into the restroom, she knew she was in over her head. The opulence of the space decorated with dark cherry wood and white marble made her speechless. Light glinted off the crystal sink, making her blink twice as she stared at her reflection in it. She had a feeling the sink alone cost more than all her belongings combined.

Devon wasn’t just well-off, he was loaded—with a capital L. Even with her affluent upbringing and those of their classmates, Kylie had never seen wealth like this before. The realization made her stomach turn. That, along with the fact that Devon would be attending the charity event that her employers were throwing tomorrow, started a wave of nausea to roll through her. Their worlds—as different as they were—would soon be colliding.

There was no way she could enjoy the evening now. As much as she wanted to savor another drop of champagne, enjoy the sunset, and, most of all, be near Devon, she couldn’t let herself live a life that wasn’t hers. She was a working-class nanny; he was a rich entrepreneur. Ironically enough, she had looked down on people like herself once upon a time. The harsh reality of how the tables had turned coated her mouth like spoiled wine. She swallowed the bitterness, resolving to end the evening early.

Kylie stepped out of the restroom and made her way back to Devon’s side. As soon as she neared him, he turned and placed a hand on her arm. Heart aching, she stepped out of his reach. “I’m actually not feeling so great. Thank you for planning such a lovely evening, but I’m going to go.”

Concern creased his forehead as he studied her face. “Are you experiencing motion sickness? I can ask the captain to stop for a while.”

“Stop? We’re already moving?” She suddenly noticed the change in scenery outside the windows. There was only blue water as far as the eye could see. “I had no idea we’d left the shore already.”

A smile curved Devon’s lips. “It’s one of the perks of this boat. It makes for a smooth ride.” He paused and asked, “Would some ginger ale help? I’ll get you a glass.” He walked toward the bar before she could answer.

“No, it’s all right.” The concern in his hazel eyes melted her insides. Kylie felt torn between wanting to stay and wanting to run away as far as possible. Though, in her case, she’d have to swim, seeing as how far they were from land. “I’ll be fine. Maybe we can sit down for a while?”

His eyes brightened as he came back to her side. “I have the best seat in the house for you. Follow me.”

Devon led her down the spiral staircase until they reached the bottom floor of the vessel. The circular room was enclosed completely with glass from top to bottom. Six seats in the center, all facing outward, provided a perfect place to admire the view. Kylie’s jaw dropped as she realized they were smack dab in the middle of the Pacific, surrounded by sea life.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Devon grinned, seeming to enjoy her reaction. He took her hand and led her to one of the seats before sitting down beside her. “I’m sure this will take your mind off your seasickness.”

“This is amazing.” Kylie leaned forward, watching fish of every color swim by. Bright hues of yellow and fluorescent blues and reds filled the window as fish darted in and out of the coral reefs. Several times whole schools of fish swam by in a blur of fins and tails. “It’s like snorkeling but so much better. You don’t have to worry about being tossed around by the waves.”

“Or drinking salt water,” Devon joked as he sucked in his cheeks with his eyes open wide. “I always feel shriveled up after swimming in the ocean.”

Kylie couldn’t help but giggle at his ridiculous expression. Devon had always been able to make her laugh with his silly antics. “You’re all grown up, but you haven’t changed much at all.”

“I take it that’s a good thing?”

She nodded. “Yes, it is.”

Their gazes locked, and her stomach dropped. The tenderness in his hazel eyes overwhelmed her. For a split second, she felt like a teenager again, about to be kissed for the first time. She remembered her and Devon’s first kiss well, how he had moved in slowly, taking his time to savor the moment before their mouths met. Tilting his head to the side, he’d given her the most endearing smile, all the while holding her hand as if he never wanted to let her go. He wouldn’t have either if he had any say in the matter. She was the one who’d closed the door on them, just like she was doing now as she forced herself to look away. They may have shared a past, but there was no future for them. This was just a date, a chance to live out a temporary dream before reality came calling.

“Hey, uh, check this out,” Devon suddenly spoke up. He reached for a remote on the side of his seat and pressed a few buttons. A small screen lowered from the ceiling directly above them. “This shows us real-time info about the seabed and the fish we’re seeing. You can also adjust the opacity of the windows, depending on how sunny it is. And there’s an option to turn on some lights for nighttime viewing.”

“Wow, whoever designed this thought of everything.” Kylie’s eyes widened as she took in the sight. She was relieved to have something else to focus on besides the hunk of a man sitting next to her. Several names flashed on the screen: Bluestripe Snapper, Longnose Butterflyfish, and Trumpetfish. Devon pointed out the fish to her as they flexed their bodies to propel themselves through the water. When a football-shaped fish with an extra-long snout and bright stripes passed by, the name of Hawaii’s state fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapuaʻa, popped up. “That’s a mouthful. I still can’t say the full name.”

Devon chuckled. “I’m not even going to try. You know I barely passed Spanish.”

“But you did so well in all your other classes. Much better than me.”

“I had to in order to keep my scholarship.” A wistful look crossed his face. “It’s so nice to not have to worry about finances anymore. Now I can do what I want and buy what I like without giving it a second thought. It’s a pretty great lifestyle, isn’t it?”

“Hmm,” Kylie murmured as if in agreement. She focused on the scene outside the window, trying to take her mind off the topic of money. Yet, the more she tried not to think about it, the harder it was to move past the idea that money—or the lack of it—was the main obstacle in her life. And now it was a stumbling block in her relationships, too. If only she could swim as freely as a fish.

Her heart heavy, she took a deep breath and reminded herself to look on the bright side. She was fortunate to have this evening out and to be able to spend it with such a handsome and charming man as Devon. With him, there were no pretenses and no awkward silences. Theirs was a friendship born out of familiarity and pleasure. They truly enjoyed one another’s company, and for that, Kylie was grateful.

Soon, a marvelous sight caught her attention. A large sea turtle swam up, its two front flippers stretched out like the wings of a plane. “Dev, look! A turtle!”

“Nice!” He flashed her a grin. “I was hoping we’d see one. He’s coming right up to us. Kinda makes you wonder who’s checking who out.”

Kylie leaned in for a better look. She spotted several bright yellow fish on the turtle’s back. “What are those Yellow Tangs doing?”

“They have a symbiotic relationship with each other. The Tangs keep the turtle’s shell clean by eating the algae and parasites off it.” He paused as a thoughtful look crossed his face. “You know how your household staff keep your mansion clean? That’s what the fish are doing for the turtle.”

She raised a brow at Devon’s answer, surprised at the analogy he used. “So, the fish are like hired help?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “That’s a good way to put it.”

Kylie swallowed hard, her heart aching. She was wrong; Devon had changed. Now that he was at the top of the success ladder, he talked like someone with money, power, and influence. A man who no doubt had dozens of staff waiting at his beck and call. People like her, one of the hired help. No amount of pretending could erase the fact that someone like Devon would never associate with someone like her.

With a heavy heart, she rose to her feet. “I’d like to go now, if you don’t mind. I’m not feeling my best.”

Devon’s brows rose in surprise. “Of course. I’ll let the captain know to head back.”

She followed him up the stairs, feeling like a small fish in a big, wide ocean. She may have enjoyed a free ride for the evening, living like a big fish, but it was time for her Cinderella adventure to come to an end.