Page 6 (1/2)

Perfect

Ella kicked off her shoes, placed her wineglass on the wooden slats, and then dropped down onto the edge of the dock The noise frolanced up to the full ed soa whole new life in Vegas—without her high school sweetheart—her husband

In the one through a depression But slowly, she’d picked herself up again Her grandparents hadn’t raised a fool One look in thestitches and a black-and-blue eye, solidified her decision to walk away

Not that it’d been all roses and sunshine before she’d swan-dived into a table, but in one year Rory had gone froreat husband to a complete drunk after the death of his father

She’d tried to help hi an appointo, even when she said she’d go with hi it was that she couldn’t help someone who didn’t want it She also wouldn’t wait around for his violent outbursts

Ella had stopped loving hie after a drunken stupor But that night had h She hadn’t looked back It had been the right decision and she refused to regret it

She loved her new life and was proud of it If her fa, it was a clear viehat true love looked like Real love didn’t involve hurting your spouse

“I thought you’d left”

Snapped out of her thoughts, Ella’s breath whooshed fro Kyler standing on the edge of the boat dock with his arms folded across his chest “I needed some quiet,” she replied

He looked down to the water before his gaze returned to hers “A good place to get it” He stepped onto the dock and the wood swayed beneath her “Mind if I join you?”

She sed, her throat suddenly dry “Not at all”

He never looked away from her as he removed his shoes and socks, then rolled up his pants to his knees He sank down next to her and dunked his feet into the water “So, you like this, do you?”

She laughed, watching a bigentirely, well, not manly “Don’t you think it feels nice?”

He circled his legs, swirling the water “It feels like cool water” He glanced out to the lake, leaning back on his arht”

“Gorgeous” You are, too