ISABELLA

      "Baby!" I called out to Omari when I heard him enter the suite.

      We'd been in Hawaii for almost a week now and we had yet to spend any time together, other than a few meals here and there. Omari's view of relaxation was golfing and quite frankly that was the most boring sport I'd ever seen and couldn't bear to watch him play through eighteen holes before beginning again. A couple of days ago I had seen a flyer for this huge pool party/soiree thing that the resort was hosting for this evening and had told Omari about it. He'd agreed to come with me and just chill but it was a little less than an hour before we were supposed to leave and he'd just entered our bungalow.

      "Yes?" Omari asked as he entered the master bedroom.

      "You need to hurry and take a shower if you're going to be ready in time," I told him.

      "Ready for what?" Omari asked as he made his way to the bathroom door where I was standing.

      I paused from brushing on my waterproof mascara to turn my full attention to Omari. "For the pool party I told you about days ago. The pool party you agreed to go to."

      He frowned and gave me a look that told me he was going to try to pull out. "Baby, I'm tired and really don't feel like going tonight."

      "So golfing all day has tired you out?" I asked in an annoyed manner as I ran my fingers through my loose hair.

      "Bay-" he started but I lifted my hand to stop him.

      "Don't, its fine," I told him as I untied my silk robe and let it fall off my shoulders to fully reveal the tiny purple jeweled Dsquared bikini I'd donned after getting out of the shower. "I don't want you to feel obligated to spend time with me."

      I walked past him, ignoring the feel of his gaze on my body as he watched me make my way around the room. It took everything in me not to yank the closet open but I was cool with every movement and simply opened the wardrobe and pulled out the matching sheer ankle length caftan and pulled it over my bikini.

      "You're going out in that?" Omari asked as I slipped my feet into a pair of purple jeweled Dsquared sandals.

      "Yes," I answered evenly as I slipped my princess cut diamond studs onto my ears and securely pushed on the backs.

      "Don't you think that's a little much?" he asked and maybe it was. Honestly I got all done up because he was supposed to be with me but I wasn't about to change because he decided not to come with me.

      "No," I replied before walking past him and out of the door.

OMARI

      I shrugged off Izzie's annoyance and relaxed by myself, catching up on some shows and movies I'd been missing. Bad Boys II went off and I glanced at the clock and frowned when I noticed that it was well after one in the morning and Isabella still wasn't back yet. Just when I started to get worried I heard her laugh from outside our bungalow thanking someone for the ride before the door opened and she walked in. Her damp hair was pulled back into a low ponytail while her caftan was draped over her right arm whose hand was holding her shoes.

      "The pool party just ended?" I asked her.

      She paused and her face straightened as she took me in. She shook her head before saying, "The pool party ended an hour ago at one. Me and a couple of people decided to take the festivities down to the beach. There were good times."

      "How good?" I asked suspiciously noticing her slightly tipsy manner.

      "You would know if you came along," was her simple response as she walked past me. Shortly thereafter I heard the shower start and knew she was washing the chlorine, and maybe even salt water, out of her skin and hair.

      "Izzie!" I called out when I awoke to an empty bed. A frown crossed my face when I didn't get a response. "You still mad at me babe?" I asked even though I didn't expect a response. "Is. Stop playing."

      After still no getting a response from her, I got out of bed and bed and began to search the bungalow. "Yo, she just up and bounced," I said in disbelief.

      I plopped down on the couch and grabbed my cell phone and called her. After three rings she answered with laughter clear in her voice. "Isabella speaking."

      "You where are you?" I asked her.

      She sobered up and said, "I'm chilling. Why are you calling me? I thought you wanted to golf and relax."

      "So you're still on that?" I asked rhetorically.

      "Yes!" she snapped and I sat back shocked at her outburst. "This seems like a little thing to you but it isn't Omari. We came here for a romantic getaway. This is our first New Years as man and wife and other than that one dinner together we've had no quality time. Why even bother coming to Hawaii at all when you could have kept your ass in Florida and played golf there?"

      "Aight so I've been neglecting you, I get it, but how was your leaving without me helping the situation?" I asked her.

      "It wasn't meant to help Omari. I was angry and needed to get my mind off of the fact that there's only three days left of our vacation and you seemed happy to leave things the way they were going," she pointed out, "so when Kevin asked-"

      "Hold up," I interrupted, "who the fuck is Kevin?"

      "Kevin," she started, "is someone I met our first day here. He and his friends welcomed me into their circle and we all partied together at the pool party last night. I would've introduced you but getting you two together was a conflict of schedules."

      "So you've been spending time with another dude?" I asked needing her to clarify what she was saying.

      "You say that as if it’s just me and a dude," she replied in an offhanded manner.

ISABELLA

      "I think we need to talk and clear the air," Omari replied in a tight tone.

      "Really?" I asked. "About what?"

      "Don't play with me Isabella," he finally snapped.

      "Is that bass I hear?" I asked him.

      "Is," was all he said and even though we'd never been in this situation before I could tell by his tone that he was serious.

      "Alright. I'm on my way," I told him before ending the call.

      "Trouble in paradise?" Kevin asked as I placed my phone in my purse.

      "What?" I asked shocked to see he was standing there. "Where did you get that from?"

      "The ring," he replied as he pointed toward my left hand, "and part of your conversation gave it away. Go handle your business. I'll let everyone know that you had an emergency."

      "Thanks Kevin," I told him with a small smile. I gave him a quick hug before heading towards my rental car and making my way back to the resort.

OMARI

      About twenty minutes after we'd ended our call Isabella walked through the front door and tossed her purse on the sofa before giving me her full attention. "So?" she asked.

      "Look," I started, "I was wrong. I brought you here to have a relaxing vacation and I'll admit that I spent a good portion of my time away from you but I didn't think that you'd mind. I mean you had your spa treatments and specialty stores to shop in. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal. I'm sorry that about that but that doesn't mean you had a right to go seeking comfort in the next man."

      She sat three and stared at me before shaking her head and saying, "I wasn't seeking comfort in the next man. Ashley, Kevin's sister, his cousin and another girl we met last night were there with us."

      I nodded before saying, "You forgive me?"

      She sighed and said, "I love you Omari and I know this seems insignificant in the grand scheme of things but the truth of the matter is that I don't ask you for much. All I want is a little consideration from you; just let me know you care about me outside of sex and me feeding you."

      "Is that really what you think?" I asked her hurt. "That all I want from you is for you to cook a meal and fuck me?"

      "I hope not," was her response. I shook my head. We had a lot to talk about if that's how she felt.

ISABELLA

      "Baby I care," Omari replied as he pulled me toward him and wrapped him arms around me. "I've never been one to open up and tell a woman how I felt...mostly because I've never really been in love with a woman."

      Omari was several years my senior and I knew he was experienced. I'd, of course, assumed that some of the women he'd been with had been for love. It was shocking to find out that the assumptions I'd made had been incorrect one.

      "You have to understand that things, especially women and their affection came easily for me. Women, regardless of how long we'd been together, tended to be attracted to me either because of the physical or what they thought I could do for them. I own several businesses and am financially stable in my own right but my father's money added to that made me a well wanted commodity. When I dated, I did so without attachment because I knew that there was a better favor of me being used than for a women coming in without any schemes. None of the other women I dated never had a problem with me doing my own thing and then joining up with them. It's different with you because you never wanted anything from me but my love and I guess that's why we're having this problem. With you things were and are different," he stated as he began to lightly caress my back.

      "You were my wife first and foremost and so I couldn't just build wall, especially when I wanted to take care of you...wanted to show you that we could make this situation a positive one. Our relationship isn't purely sexual Bella because for a good portion of it we weren't sexually active," he pointed out. "Now as far as the food goes...well I'm not going to lie and say that I don't enjoy the fact that you can throw down."

      "Omari," I replied lightly hitting on the chest causing him to laugh and pull me closer.

      "Shit, the saying that food is the way to a man's heart wasn't lying," he joked. "Seriously though, I don't want you to feel insignificant or that you're only useful to me when you're cooking or when we're intimate. It's going to take me a little while to get into the swig of sharing things and being more open but just be patient with me. And please let me know when you get pissed. Don't just leave."

      "Okay," I agreed as I leaned my head against his chest.

      "So we're good?" he asked.

      "Yes," I answered before leaning up to kiss him softly.

      "Awe," Paula replied as I finished telling her what happened. "You had your first argument."

      "Shut up," I replied as I laid out on one of the lounge chairs and took in the sky. It seemed as if everything was much prettier in Hawaii.

      "Whatever. So guess what?" he asked.

      "What?" I asked her.

      "Druex flew out to see me," she replied.

      "Really?" I asked surprised. I mean I knew the two were talking but I didn't think it was anything serious.

      "Yeah. We went out to a movie and ended up bumping into Erica's nosey self," Paula replied.

      "Oh Lord. What did she have to say?" I asked know that the girl went and opened her mouth. For some reason Erica couldn't mind her own business if her soul relied on it.

      "You know the usual," Paula started. "She stared said hi and then asked about Josh."

      "No she didn't!" I said knowing that her brave ass would.

      "You know she did," Paula retorted.

      "What did you say?" I asked.

      She laughed and said, "I didn't say anything."

      "What does that mean?" I asked picking up on her wording.

      "Druex wrapped his arm around my waist and asked her if she saw Josh anywhere around. When she said no he told her then maybe she should ask someone who gave a damn about him where he was before leading me away from her. The look on her face made my freaking night," she replied with amusement clear in her tone.

      "Uh-oh," I replied in amusement. "I didn't know you and Dru were like that."

      "We're getting there," was her little response.

      "So guess who I saw the other day?" she asked rhetorically.

      "Who?" I asked curiously. There were so many people from back home that I missed catching up with that it wasn't even funny.

      "William," she replied and I froze. Nah, she couldn't be talking about who I thought she was talking about.

      "William who?" I asked needing her to specify who she was speaking of and hoping I was wrong in my assumption.

      "William Daniels," she replied lightly and I froze.

      You know that guy you always lusted for and secretly planned on marrying one day and having two point five kids while somehow maintaining your figure and being utterly fabulous? Well William was that guy for me. He was a close friend of our families and we flirted a lot. He was four years older than me so I usually only got to see him when he was home for college but I seriously wanted that man. He was a sweetheart but besides all that he was fine as he wanted to be with a body that was out of this world. The last time I'd spoken to him was at the wedding. He didn't really say much but the look he gave me said it all.

      "Ho-How's he doing?" I asked her trying to play off my nervousness and not doing a great job at it.

      "He's doing well. We only spoke briefly but I found out that he got drafted to the NFL. Can you believe that? His fine ass has no business playing such a rough sport," she spoke and I had to silently agree.

      "Which team?" I asked curiously.

      "I'm not sure. We really didn't get into all that. He did ask about you though?"

      "Really?" I asked. I wanted to know what he said but at the same time I didn't.

      William was like a can of worms for me...my guilty pleasure, if you will. I had no intentions of seeing him or speaking to him on that level but he was the equivalent of trouble for me. An addiction of sorts and as such he was a hard habit to break.

      "Yeah. He wanted to know if you were okay; if Omari was treating you well and I calmed his nerves. I had to let him know that O was a good guy and keeping you happy," Paula replied.

      "Oh okay," I replied not knowing whether to be relieved or troubled with that.

      "I have to go sweetie but I'll call you back later. When do you start classes again?" she asked.

      "In a week," I told her.

      "I'll call you before then," she replied before ending the call.

      I put my cell phone on the floor beside me and thought about William. I'll admit that he was temptation for me and that if he approached me it would be hard to say no but I was going to have to work that out. Will was a part of the past that, at one time, I thought would be my future but Omari was here and he was it. He would have to understand that, if he didn't already.