Page 29 of Island Daddy

Since we left the office straight for my Kuhio Beach penthouse, I wasn’t provided the opportunity to take him shopping. I’d planned on buying him a new phone, certain to be a major upgrade from his confiscated iPhone which still has a home button. But by that point, the little asshole didn’t deserve to be spoiled. He isn’t my boy now. And I’m quite sure that any feelings he displayed was an act. So I figure there’s no sense in wasting another dime on him.

“Gaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh,” I bellowed throughout the whole penthouse, thrashing my arm out on the walk around a corner.

Incredibly heavy—and expensive—vases toppled over the edge of a stand on my infuriating trail to the kitchen area. Meanwhile, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I’d found another boy good at acting. Putting on a fake show of emotion for the sake of getting what he wants. But I also knew if I didn’t down at least one beer, the penthouse ran a higher risk of being trashed beyond belief. Certainly more than a few shattered handmade vases, from my Cairo trip three years ago. The shit thing is, I craved a line of cocaine the entire time it took me to chug twelve ounces of Big Wave Golden Ale.

The reminder that my brain is still wired to want blow seems to jolt me back to reality, pronouncing the deep loneliness I feel in my heart. Not only the seclusion I’ve felt for a year, but the fact that my Nani isn’t here to keep me chipper. Since Kragen is deathly afraid of canines, I left her back home with Luka and Kaimana. And because I’ve only known him for less than three days, he never had a chance to fully explain his fear.Or is that something else he lied about?

“Grrrrr,” I thunder, scratching behind my ear. “What a little twerp—I wanted to love him too,” I finish speaking to myself.

Because I’m likely not going to eat tonight, I figure a nap is in order. I want to fall asleep and forget this weekend ever happened. I’d really love it if I woke up on Friday morning all over again. Prior to my Grindr hunt. And long before the lies and betrayal. No sooner do I turn onto my right side, when my phone chirps with an incoming notification. I reach over for the device, noticing a banner from Grindr telling me that I have a new message.

A sigh falls from my lips as I roll my eyes. “So another lying piece of shit can take advantage of me?” I say aloud. “No thanks.”

I lay my head back onto the pillow when another beep emits from the device. Grindr again.Get a clue, fuckers. I’m not interested.

Moments pass as my curiosity gets the better of me. It’s wildly evident that I won’t get a wink of fucking sleep until I see who else wants to dig into my life. Probably that weird dickhead a couple of months back, who told me he wanted to do some seriously disgusting things even I wouldn’t be interested in. No way did I even send the pervert a face picture.

My hunger persists as I allow FaceID to unlock the screen. When I let out another massive scowl, my Grindr messages are revealed. Of course, I’m shocked and disgusted in the same breath. There’s one message from Kragen’s profile. Which is incredibly strange, because his device is locked in my desk drawer on a whole separate island.He must’ve brought an iPad on his trip.And the other profile picture couldn’t send any more nails underneath my flesh than it does now.

WADE, 22 – 5 miles away: Hi there. Would I get burned if I touched your volcanic cock?

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Only on Friday night did I see that Google Alert which warned me he’d be gracing the islands with his miserable presence to shoot a film. Not to mention the fact that my Grindr profile is inconspicuous as all get out. The little shit doesn’t know whom he’s texting, and I plan on ignoring him.

Now onto Kragen’s message with an attachment, probably giving me the fair warning of his written exposé for The Patriot’s Examiner. Only when I tap into our conversation thread, do I realize just how incredibly wrong I am. He’s sent a screenshot from the Sploosh website, including the candid photo of us kissing on the beach, accompanied by their nasty headline. The tone of his message is either of shock or embarrassment. Honestly, I can’t be sure in this exact moment.

What the hell is this, Reid? No doubt, the whole world’s seen this.

As soon as my thumb lands on the keyboard, another blue message bubble displays. Before I have a chance to fully read it, another one follows.

I have so much I wanna tell you, but I’m sending this from my iPad and can’t call you. Not that we’d even got to the phone number exchange portion anyways. Can you meet for a late dinner?

I owe you the truth… and after I’ve had some time to calm down, I know best how to say what I need to.

He’s right. The little fucker definitely owes me the truth. I suppose allowing him the opportunity to express what he needs to, is the least I can do. Since I need to eat, perhaps I’ll provide him the courtesy of another free meal. And well, I guess the prudent thing to do would be replacing his phone after for all intents and purposes, stealing the old one.

Glancing at the time in the top left of my screen, tells me the day has gotten ahead of me. Since it’ll already be eight at night by the time I can get dressed and put on a happy face, a late dinner it shall be. I hammer away a short reply, attempting to convey my level of annoyance behind each word.

Okay. Fine. Meet me at The Palace. Tell the host Jenna that I’ll have your dinner jacket at my table.

I shoot straight up from bed to spend the next few minutes getting ready. Though I’m riled to no end, I wouldn’t dare show up to a public place with the aesthetic of a red puffer fish. A few dabs of eye cream and a few spritzes of Creed Aventus later, have me quickly scanning the closet for something to wear. I change quickly, retrieve Kragen’s dinner jacket, then saunter back into my room. No sooner do I approach the door, when a thought occurs to me that his Wade hand-me-downs are in the closet.

“Guess I’ll still give them to him,” I huff loudly, blowing a wispy strand of hair out of my face.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

KRAGEN

What a day, man. I honestly shouldn’t be surprised by Reid’s reaction. I’m sure if the tables were turned, I’d be absolutely livid to find someone else digging into my company servers for God only knows what. But at the same time, I don’t have a high level of assurance that our dynamic would last. That’s assuming should we have chosen to take things a step further.

And there’s no way that I’d be able to live with myself in such a constant state of uncertainty. For all I know, his failed relationship with Wade Learn had an equal amount of shortcomings on both sides of the relationship fence.

I’m sprawled out on the bed which Candace and Tuti are paying for until Wednesday morning. Yet I haven’t slept here the last three nights. Carrie is on a FaceTime call with me using my iPad. Well, since I was a fucking moron and lost my only lifeline last night at that stupid party.

“I’m telling you, Care Bear,” I blurt, glancing back at her face from a momentary daydream out the window. “I think I know the other reason I hate drinking.”

She nods, grinning in the process. “Because it’s poison and makes you do stupid shit.”

A scowl forms on my face, as I can see the nasty remnants of heavy crying. “Like almost trying cocaine for the first time?”

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