Three hours had passed, and I still haven't decided on an outfit. Hailey would be arriving in thirty minutes, and I had changed my outfit about sixty times. The past week had gone by way too fast; our next filming location was in the Bahamas, which went sun, beach, and cute summer outfits all day.

I stood with my hands on my hips in front of my closet, critically looking over all my clothes again. Milo had scheduled us for our first public outing as a couple. For some reason, I couldn't decide on anything and shouldn't be this hard since I was only impressing myself.

Finally, I wore a sheer black top that was basically backless, with thin crisscrossing straps. The neckline was cut straight across my collarbone, so it was far from a low cut. I matched it with pale blue denim jeans, artfully torn in the legs.

The only eye make-up was detailed winged eyeliner since Milo planned on us to go Kayaking after our lunch session. I threw my hair in a braided crown, leaving the remaining curled on the edges. Just in time, Haily came storming in with her time ticking like the world would end if I was five seconds late.

My jaw dropped when I walked into the V.I.P corner of the restaurant, catching a glimpse of groomed Ambrose holding a single red rose. I wandered my way through the tables covered in crisp, white linens. The sunshine streaming through the massive skylight overhead caught in the chaotic curls of his hair.

There was a sea of photographers when I entered, and through the windows, I still got hit with the flashing lights. To joke along with the paparazzi, I used my personal polaroid to snapshots of them.

"Are you auditioning for the next season of The Bachelor or something?" My lips curved into a smile.

He chuckled, holding the flower out to me. "Just take the flower before I get embarrassed."

"I don't know... I like seeing you get embarrassed." I studied him for a beat, then plucked it from his hand. "It's quite unusual to see you wearing a suit."

Striding past him, I settled the camera down on the table. His hand brushed against mine as he reached to slide the chair out for me.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I can get my own chair."

"I know you can, honey."

Before I could fantom, he placed a gentle peck on my nose, cheeks, and forehead. His lips were like sandpaper; it reminded me of those moments when I wore wet clothes and developed a rash because of it. I almost forgot why he kissed me; it's because of our contract. Though, for some reason, I still became flustered and lost my train of thought.

He looked over my shoulder at the other diners, but a row of potted plants blocked us from their view. "Do you think they can see us from here?"

I shook my head. "I doubt it. But I wouldn't put it past them to find another way to get photos of us."

He sighed dramatically but sat down. A waitress appeared and took our drink orders. Ambrose asked for a Pepsi, and I requested my usual.

"A dirty Martini? Seriously." Ambrose's eyes crinkled with amusement. "It's like eleven in the morning."

"Hey, don't say anything until you try it."

"I don't really like people who drink a lot," Ambrose confessed as he opened his menu.

My eyebrows perked up in amusement. "And why is that? A bad drunk night? A drunken hook-up?"

He cheekily grinned. "Something like that... but I don't really like talking about those things while I'm trying to order lunch."

Before I could question further, our waitress came over with our two drinks and took our entrees orders. Subconsciously, I sipped on my water instead of the freshly crafted alcohol in the elegant glass.

"I can't believe we are in a high-end restaurant and you ordered chicken fingers and french fries," Ambrose teased, his lips curling into a wide grin.

I playfully swatted his hand. "I'm a picky eater and chicken fingers never fail me!"

Ambrose adjusted his black tie, a soft smile on his face, his brown eyes crinkling. "I could have given you a suggestion like the lobster roll."

I flinched, shaking my head instantly. "Nooo, I don't do lobsters..."

His eyes bored into mine as if he was searching for an answer from my reaction to the word 'lobster'. The term brought back scarred memories that I rather leave hidden between the folds of my memory. Milo is about to get a pay cut for making me suffer through a sea-cuisine, knowing my phobia against lobsters.

Suddenly, he burst into laughter. "Don't tell me you're scared of lobsters."

Pink blossom crept on my cheeks. "I-I'm not."

His eyebrows challenged me. "Really? Your uneasy tone says otherwise."

My eyes narrowed into silts. "I can't stand you sometimes..."

Ambrose proudly leaned back in his chair with his arms opened wide, as if he wanted to receive a hug. "Come on, talk to bean sprout, I won't judge or laugh."

It was a lie.

They always lied. Milo made the exact same promise and burst into laughter after I revealed the story behind my phobia. Sure, I could admit it's pretty funny to wrap your head around, but it left a permanent scar on me.

I just wished people took it seriously.

I let out a nervous chuckle, glancing towards Ambrose, who's crossing his arms in anticipation of my answer. "You're lying. Everyone laughs. I get why, but it makes me feel ashamed about it when it wasn't my fault, to begin with."

His hand reached for mine, sending a shock wave of nerves throughout my body. "I won't," he paused, catching the frown on my face. "I won't invalidate your feelings like that."

"A-alright," I spoke lowly. "Ugh, it's so stupid. It really is. One day, my parents had a really bad fight, and I sneaked away to a nearby park. Eventually, when they remembered my existence, they yelled at me in front of everyone and dragged me home. As punishment, my dad um- he-."

His fingers drew circles on my skin, sending an arrow of reassurance in my heart. "He locked me in a dark closet." My eyes closed tightly, the images of that night flashed by. "I was pretty short as a child, so I couldn't reach the rope to turn on the light... I used the shelves to reach the rope, and I turned on the light."

Suddenly, I felt like I couldn't breathe and a bullet was lodged between my chest. Tears were forming in my eyes, making my vision blurrier by the second.

"You don't have to continue..." he whispered.

His eyes shone with sincere almost reminding me of the sweet glances he shot towards Lana. Almost.

"It's fine. When the lights turned on, there were chopped lobster heads on the shelves. I remembered the scream I let out when I saw their beading eyes. I stayed curled up in the corner for about two days before they opened the door," I finished, swallowing the tears with it.

"Are you going to be okay with me eating a lobster roll in front of you?" he asked, concern lingering in his voice.

I shrugged. "Yeah. It isn't the first time, but don't expect me to look in your direction."

Ambrose reached into his pocket for his wallet and dropped thirty dollars on the table. My eyes widened as he grabbed my hand, his rough fingers lacing with mine. A smile rose on his lips, causing my heart to somersault.

"I wasn't in the mood for lobsters, anyway. Let's go get an ice cream sundae instead," he suggested, lifting his tuxedo to keep my vision intact and away from the flashing cameras.

My cheeks grew pinker by the second. The driver unlocked the door for us and we jumped in, wanting to get away from the invasive cameras. Ambrose had been the first person who hadn't laughed over my story. My destructive ex, Colton, snorted when he swore he would take my experience seriously.

I should've known he was an ass when he kept making a joke about it.

But people in love don't always notice the red flags in front of them.

I wasn't the type to say thank you, but I had so much gratitude for Ambrose at this point in my time. Tears fought to escape. Instead of displaying a cry of sadness, I wanted to break down because someone actually listened to me.

God, I just hoped this wouldn't backfire on me...

"You know the lobster rolls are just the stuffing," I said, sassily.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable. Being forced to be on this date is bad enough, right?" He playfully nudged my shoulder.

Being forced on this date...

Besides the cameras, I almost forgot how everything here is fake. It's possible he kept a strong poker face for the paparazzi but was dying inside from laughter. Reality is slowly settling in; Why was I sharing personal things with this idiot? He didn't like me. I didn't like him.

But why was I feeling a sense of security around him?

Why?

I didn't like not having my feelings under wraps. That's the reason why I had to dump Wes. Before my emotions took charge and got myself in a sticky situation. Wes was the type of guy I needed in my life; a caring, hopeless romantic, sweet, and charming. It didn't take too long before I realized emotions were being mixed with pleasure.

So I dropped him faster than Abby Lee Miller could replace her dancers. It was a desperate attempt of keeping myself on the right path. This was why I couldn't do boyfriends... Hook-ups were easy. One-night stands were easy. Little flings with my co-stars were easy.

Boyfriends were hard.

I'm damaged. And no one wanted damaged girls.

"What kind of ice cream do you want?" Ambrose asked, clicking the note icon on his phone. "Gerald is going to pick it up so we don't get attacked with cameras again."

I pursed my lips. "Mint Chocolate chip with brownies and sprinkles."

His jaw dropped. "Now, I'm definitely judging you because that's the worst flavor in existence. It literally tastes like toothpaste."

I rolled my eyes. "It does not! You're a hater."

He shook his head, amusement lingering in his eyes. "Whatever you say, honey, we all know it's the worst flavor out of the bunch."

My eyes narrowed. "Let me guess your favorite... Raspberry."

He snapped his fingers. "Close... but it's cookie and creams."

"Wow, you are basic and pathetic," I teased.

Ambrose waved me off. "Yeah, yeah. You're just jealous before mine is the better one out of the two."

"I'll challenge you to a duel. Whoever can eat the most ice cream wins!" I suggested with a smirk.

"Deal."

Ten scoops later, I gained a victory when Ambrose surrendered on his ninth scoop feeling nauseous afterward. I was a sugar addict so I could handle twenty scoops of ice cream if needed. The driver drove us to a private dock where our rented yacht was waiting for us.

The weather was relatively warm so I put on a blue, halter strap bathing suit that had a little crochet detail just below the bustline. Ambrose sat without a shirt and plain navy swim trunks around his waist, he also donned a cap on his head as he scrolled through his phone.

"Hey, darling why don't you apply some sunscreen on me," I stated, shaking the bottle in front of his face.

"Great idea, honey. The paparazzi will go crazy," he replied taking the bottle from my grasp.

Ambrose's eyes drank in my appearance and I took the time to openly check out his amazing physique. I took my gaze away from his toned tattooed abs and laid on my front side so he could apply sunscreen on my back. The cameras seemed to love every second, taking countless shots until Ambrose finished his task.

"Let's head to the Kayak," he stated.

I was equally excited and nervous as I took in the bright blue ocean I stood before, I took in a breath and Ambrose came back with a lifejacket in his hand. He already wore his and he scrutinized me for a moment, "Having second thoughts? We don't have to go if you don't want to, I'll just take the heat from Milo."

I shook my head. "We already scheduled it."

"Doesn't matter, if you don't want to do this, we don't have to."

"I'm good, it's going to be a lot of fun." I smiled.

"Alright then, open your arms," Ambrose said and helped me wear the jacket. "Just remember to not fight me when I give you instructions."

I rolled my eyes at how dramatic he was. "I'll be a good girl, darling."

"That's debatable," he murmured as he strapped the lifejacket in place.

After a quick safety talk from the leader, we set off to get into our kayak. It appeared a lot bigger from up close, the yellow-colored canoe-shaped boat was made of hard plastic yet appeared very light. The kayak was well equipped with grab loops, adjustable seats, a compass, and a bag of rope for the leaders.

"Get in the front," Ambrose instructed.

My eyebrows furrowed. "Why should I? Maybe I like being on the back?"

He deeply sighed. "I thought you said you would listen to me, today? It's advisable for me to sit in the back because I have more upper arm strength and can guide you."

"Fine, Fine." I surrendered.

The kayak sat at the shore, waves brushed over my water shoes while Ambrose steadied the kayak and I hopped in. I sat calmly as Ambrose finished doing the rest of the work. Catching the photographers, I posed for pictures and waved at them.

"How many times have you done this?" I mused as he moved the front and worked the loops.

"About three," he replied as he buckled me. "I've gone twice with Lana. She was a nervous wreck and fell into the water both times. She always looked the cutest when she's drenched in the water."

My eyebrows knitted together in questioning. "That sounds a little odd."

"It's true! It was almost impossible to resist the urge to kiss her but Declan would've killed me."

"Speaking about kissing... where are my kisses?" I asked, offering him my cheek.

Before he could leave, he gripped my chin and turned my face more into his focus, and pressed his lips against my cheek. It was almost too romantic but picture-perfect for our fellow friends in the woods.

Ambrose got in behind and I held onto my paddle and waited until he was locked in and ready to leave.

"I wonder what Davrose fans are saying," he murmured and with the help of his paddle, he got the kayak in the water.

The kayak wobbled a little as we got deeper into the ocean. My stomach twisted as I took in the ocean that awaited me in front. It was certainly fascinating, but also very intimidating.

"We're going to paddle from left to right. I'm going to try and keep up with your pace so we can stroke through the water in unison," he explained.

I did as Ambrose instructed and paddled from the left side to the right and let out a gasp as the kayak staggered and almost tipped over. A little water splattered over my face and a warm breeze caressed my skin as the smell of the sea lingered in my nostrils.

"Hey, darling, smile," I quickly said to Ambrose when the paparazzi were in sight and directed the lens towards us. I wasn't sure if he had listened, but I flashed a wide, teeth-display smile.

The sun warmed my skin as we followed the group and paddled through the water. The ocean waves were powerful but thankfully, it was calm. The boat tipped to one side many times, and I kept letting out a small yelp. Ambrose laughed at me and I showed him the middle finger over my shoulder, which made him chuckle hard but eventually apologized.

The surrounding view was simply spectacular, the rich colors of teal, green, and brown were too beautiful for words. We paddled further into the ocean and the water below was so pure and clean that fishes could be seen.

"Can I jump into the water?" I asked.

"Yeah, it isn't too deep around this area, so I'm sure it's fine," Ambrose advised.

Life jackets were always a drag to swim with, so I took them off and left it on my seat. I jumped in, screaming joyfully as I collided into the warm water. The ocean was the perfect temperature since the sun has been beaming on it all day.

"You're supposed to keep your lifejacket on. It makes it easier to bring you back onto the boat," Ambrose commented, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

I shrugged. "It's annoying. I want to pretend to be fish."

For around twenty minutes, I swam around freely practicing the movements I learned from my private swimming lessons. I almost wanted Ambrose to jump in, so I had someone to fool around in the water. Grinning, I threw water on his face, earning a proud scowl from him.

"D, it's time to come in. We're going to hit the big waves soon," Ambrose stated, the sound of plastic creaky as he moved to the side.

He leaned downward to get a good grip under my shoulders and tried picking me back into the boat. Ambrose groaned as if I weighed a million tons instead of my average weight, which I knew he could curl in the gym.

"You're making me feel self-conscious," I mumbled.

He exhaled. "The water is adding extra weight."

Ambrose tried a different method; he grabbed onto my bikini straps and used them to lift me back in the kayak. Surprisingly it worked, and I was sitting on it. Everything was fine and dandy until I glanced in Ambrose's hands to see my bikini top in them.

I threw my arms around Ambrose, clutched onto his body to keep my breasts from being on full display. My boobs were pressed against his warm, toned chest. This was more humiliating than being caught shoplifting two years ago. My cheeks were burning, even though the rest of my body trembled with cold.

"W-why a-are you hol-lding me?" Ambrose stuttered.

"You took off my bikini, idiot! Don't move okay, I don't want to expose my body to everyone," I demanded in a low tone.

"A-Ah okay..."

I glared in his direction to see Ambrose's face beet-rooted red from our intense hugging session. Everyone was going to think I wanted to go skinny dipping or something. I'm inches away from pinching Ambrose when we get off this kayak, so he understands my feelings.

Luckily, the rest of the route was calm, and the boat didn't tip like it had in the beginning. The girl leader rushed over once we reached the dock and brought us a towel so I could shield myself from everyone.

Our date ended with my bikini finally back on an awkward teen, Ambrose confused over feeling a girl's boob for the first time. He could hardly face me after everything when I was the one naked in front of everyone.

"I didn't mean to hug you when I was topless... it was just my first reaction," I said, playing with my fingers.

"It's alright. I was just caught off guard and didn't expect to feel your... um-."

"Boob? Yeah, me either. I never thought we would get that intimate." I laughed, pushing my hair behind my ears.

"This will probably be the only time," Ambrose added.

I smiled. "Promise?"

"I promise." I wrapped my pinky around his finger, and we connected our thumbs together like I watched others do before.

My promise seemed like a cracked open damp as I felt the regret slip into my stomach...

Hehehe so there's a litter insight that's the relationship between Davina and Wesley meant more to Davina than we thought 👀👀👀!! More on that later!!! Hope you guys enjoyed Davina flashing lol

Love you guys and can't wait to read the comments!!