“One hour. That’s how long it took for me to know everything I need to know, Bristol. I don’t know what happened before dinner last night between you and that boy, but the minute his eyes found you, he lit up like the sky on New Year’s Eve, and he made a beeline to sit next to you.”
She pads across the deck to join me, softening her voice. “I’m not sure why he sat there quiet all night, but I know just like the rest of us here the boy’s got demons inside his head that torment him. However, when you jumped up to hug Kayden, the miserable, discouraged expression on his face was louder than a thousand screaming words. He stood up and slinked out of the room before you could see how much it affected him. Someone who doesn’t want you doesn’t act like that.”
“He was with someone else last night,” I blurt out, suddenly pissed and hurt at the same time, even though I have no reason to be either. “I heard them in his cottage when I walked back to my room.”
“You don’t know who it was or why they were there,” she interjects.
“It was him and a woman obviously having a good time. I’m pretty sure she wasn’t there playing Scrabble.”
Charlotte loops her arm around my waist, pulling me closer to her. “Don’t jump to conclusions, and don’t overreact. I’ve got a feeling that’s what he did last night when he saw you with Kayden.”
“You mentioned that earlier. Why with Kayden? I don’t understand. He’s like my big brother; that’s gross . . . and he’s old.” I scrunch my nose up with disgust.
“Hey now,” she lightly slaps my hip, “watch who you’re calling old, youngin’.”
“You know what I mean.” I rest my head on her shoulder, chuckling lightly. We both stand there quietly for a few minutes before I speak again.
“I came here to have fun and explore on my own, to finally meet old friends and make some new ones, and most importantly, to help myself heal from the losses I’ve suffered, not cause more heartache, which will be inevitable if I get involved with Davis McKay.”
She releases me from the embrace and smiles a sad smile. “Great love is worth great risk.” Turning to walk away, she calls out over her shoulder, “I’ll see you around later, Bristol.”
Love?! Who the hell said anything about the L-word?
The bomb Charlotte dropped before leaving my cottage ticks away in my head as I throw everything I need for the beach into my bag. I’ve known this guy one day, half of which we hardly spoke to one another, and she wants to talk about love? I’m not even sure I like him. Maybe she had too many mimosas or Bloody Mary’s at breakfast . . .
It’s a little past noon as I dawdle down the dirt road from my cottage to the main house, taking my sweet time looking at the different flowers and butterflies fluttering about. Lena greets me by name when I enter, her smile bright and merry, and I return the gleeful gesture.
My first stop is the small business center. I owe both Granny and Alyvia an email, which I should’ve done last night. The first, I type out quickly, assuring my grandma I’m alive and well and letting her know which unit I’m in. I struggle a little with the second, going back and forth whether to tell Lyv about the excitement of the trip thus far or not. I hate to make it seem like a big deal when, I’m not even sure if it is a deal.
For all I know, Davis found some island girl to hook up with while he’s here, or maybe he really is a cougar hunter and charmed the pants off of one of the older women. Maybe he regrets the whole ‘take this pretty little mouth’ spiel, a result of his adrenaline overload and alcohol intake from getting on a plane again. Maybe I need to stop worrying about ‘maybes’ and just let whatever happens, happen.
I choose not to mention him, keeping the wording optimistically vague, and instead, tell her about the picture-perfect place, delicious food, and the pimp-ass outdoor shower. Promising to
She pads across the deck to join me, softening her voice. “I’m not sure why he sat there quiet all night, but I know just like the rest of us here the boy’s got demons inside his head that torment him. However, when you jumped up to hug Kayden, the miserable, discouraged expression on his face was louder than a thousand screaming words. He stood up and slinked out of the room before you could see how much it affected him. Someone who doesn’t want you doesn’t act like that.”
“He was with someone else last night,” I blurt out, suddenly pissed and hurt at the same time, even though I have no reason to be either. “I heard them in his cottage when I walked back to my room.”
“You don’t know who it was or why they were there,” she interjects.
“It was him and a woman obviously having a good time. I’m pretty sure she wasn’t there playing Scrabble.”
Charlotte loops her arm around my waist, pulling me closer to her. “Don’t jump to conclusions, and don’t overreact. I’ve got a feeling that’s what he did last night when he saw you with Kayden.”
“You mentioned that earlier. Why with Kayden? I don’t understand. He’s like my big brother; that’s gross . . . and he’s old.” I scrunch my nose up with disgust.
“Hey now,” she lightly slaps my hip, “watch who you’re calling old, youngin’.”
“You know what I mean.” I rest my head on her shoulder, chuckling lightly. We both stand there quietly for a few minutes before I speak again.
“I came here to have fun and explore on my own, to finally meet old friends and make some new ones, and most importantly, to help myself heal from the losses I’ve suffered, not cause more heartache, which will be inevitable if I get involved with Davis McKay.”
She releases me from the embrace and smiles a sad smile. “Great love is worth great risk.” Turning to walk away, she calls out over her shoulder, “I’ll see you around later, Bristol.”
Love?! Who the hell said anything about the L-word?
The bomb Charlotte dropped before leaving my cottage ticks away in my head as I throw everything I need for the beach into my bag. I’ve known this guy one day, half of which we hardly spoke to one another, and she wants to talk about love? I’m not even sure I like him. Maybe she had too many mimosas or Bloody Mary’s at breakfast . . .
It’s a little past noon as I dawdle down the dirt road from my cottage to the main house, taking my sweet time looking at the different flowers and butterflies fluttering about. Lena greets me by name when I enter, her smile bright and merry, and I return the gleeful gesture.
My first stop is the small business center. I owe both Granny and Alyvia an email, which I should’ve done last night. The first, I type out quickly, assuring my grandma I’m alive and well and letting her know which unit I’m in. I struggle a little with the second, going back and forth whether to tell Lyv about the excitement of the trip thus far or not. I hate to make it seem like a big deal when, I’m not even sure if it is a deal.
For all I know, Davis found some island girl to hook up with while he’s here, or maybe he really is a cougar hunter and charmed the pants off of one of the older women. Maybe he regrets the whole ‘take this pretty little mouth’ spiel, a result of his adrenaline overload and alcohol intake from getting on a plane again. Maybe I need to stop worrying about ‘maybes’ and just let whatever happens, happen.
I choose not to mention him, keeping the wording optimistically vague, and instead, tell her about the picture-perfect place, delicious food, and the pimp-ass outdoor shower. Promising to
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