Craft Beer & Roses

Chapter 2

The man stopped in front of her. Strands of inky black hair fell effortlessly over his smooth forehead. His sharp brown eyes still enhanced his roguish features. His body was still stacked with muscles in all the right places.

"Hello beautiful." His voice was still smooth. "I always knew we'd see each other again." His smile was still so wide. Still so bright. Still so full of trouble.

Aviva's brain struggled to form a thought, let alone a sentence. She didn't know whether to cry or reach out and strangle him.

Suresh. The man she'd dated for over a year. The man with whom she shared so many memorable, wild adventures. The man who made her feel alive with passion and light.

The man she had wanted to marry...

If he wasn't an unfaithful, knobhead wanker.

She should have known. The Love Island representatives had asked her so many questions, but they were particularly captivated by her tumultuous breakup with Suresh. She figured that to them, it was one of the more intriguing things about her. He was part of her, and she deeply resented that fact.

The seconds ticked by. Her fingers busied themselves with the strings of her bikini bottoms to prevent her hands from wrapping around his throat. Aviva hadn't seen or spoken to Suresh since the night of their breakup. Not only did he cheat, but he hadn't even bothered to seek forgiveness – not that she would have given it freely. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, his cold acceptance of being savagely removed from the fabric of her life after having woven himself so tightly in it left her completely broken.

Aviva realized she'd been standing there looking wide-eyed and confused for far too long. Schooling her expression, she finally willed herself to speak.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Suresh."

Suresh's smile widened. "I bet you didn't." He looked so pleased with himself. "I know you hate surprises, but I hope that changed once you saw me."

The fucking cheek!

Aviva breathed in, painfully aware of the islanders eyeing her, eagerly anticipating her response.

"I still hate surprises." Her eyes narrowed. "Especially this one."

Suresh ran his fingers through the loosened locks of his hair, smoothing them back into place. He was seemingly unbothered by her growing ire.

"Right. I guess you can go on and explain so we can get on with it all." Aviva spoke through gritted teeth. She felt that if she bit down any harder, her molars would crack under the pressure.

"After all this time, that's what you're gonna give me?" He questioned, smile still plastered on his stupidly handsome face.

Aviva had sometimes dreamt about seeing Suresh again. The things she would say. What she would do. So many scenarios would run through her mind. She had a particular fantasy that involved honey and an angry nest of bees. Suresh was allergic to bees.

More often than not, however, she envisioned her confident mask and patchwork heart shattering into a million irreparable pieces all over again...though she'd never admit that out loud. The depressing thought always made her wonder if she was ever totally whole to begin with.

Aviva didn't want to be the girl who cried on national television because her ex was an obnoxious arsehole. She refused to give him any more of her tears. She couldn't risk letting him know how much he apparently still affected her. So instead, she masked her hurt with disinterest and moved on.

"I'm busy meeting other boys..." Her eyes found Alfie and Eddie, who both stood taller under her attentive gaze, "in case you hadn't noticed."

"Huh. Right." From what Aviva could remember of their time together, there was very little that could shake Suresh's steadfast confidence. For the first time in a while, she witnessed his cool demeanor crack by just a touch. Yet he righted it almost as quickly as it left. "Those boys will never know you the way I do, though, will they?"