by Alexa Davis
“I suppose...”
“Oh, hang on,” I jumped up at the sound of my cell ringing and grabbed my bag, holding out a hand to stop her in her tracks. “Let me just take this.”
As I raced into the back room to take the call in private, my heart raced furiously in my chest. This wasn’t just any phone call. I could tell from the number plastered across my screen. It was my landlord, which could only mean one thing. The thing that I’d been so desperately wanting to happen, right when I didn’t want it to.
“Hello?” I stammered into the phone, hating that he had picked this moment. Sure, things were complicated between me and Milo, but that didn’t make me ready for it to end.
“Hi, there, Eliza.” He sounded warmer now, which could only mean good news. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ve spoken to the plumbers, and they’ve finished the job now. Obviously, I need to get industrial cleaners in there for you to get the place in order, but right now, it’s looking like everything will be done by Wednesday.”
“I can go back to my apartment on Wednesday?” I asked sadly, feeling like that was the worst thing ever. If I moved out of the cabin, I wouldn’t have any excuse to keep seeing Milo. I wouldn’t have to face him again until I got the keys back from him.
It was how it always should have been, but I felt a crushing disappointment inside. Things were weird, but also going incredibly well. It made me feel like I was losing him way before I felt ready to. And, it’d be even harder to know that he was still in the same town as me. That would kill me inside.
“Yes, that’s right; sorry about the inconvenience this has caused.”
Oh, you have no idea! “Thank you, let me know for sure about Wednesday.” Maybe something would come up – maybe Wednesday wouldn’t work out, after all.
As I hung up the phone, I had to suck in a couple of deep, disappointed, slightly shaky breaths. This was good news or at least it was supposed to be. I could actually go home. But it felt like my world was coming to an end.
I didn’t even have the time to dwell on it today, to get it all processed, because of all the customers that would be coming in soon.
I forced myself back out into the shop area, shock rendering me speechless. I would still have to work, despite all of this, and I needed to put my game face back on. I couldn’t let my personal life get in the way of my business.
“What’s going on?” Laynee gasped, drinking in my shell-shocked appearance. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Who was on the other end of the phone?”
I glanced up at her, my eyes filling with tears. I wanted to keep it all in, but it was becoming a little too overwhelming. “The pipes are fixed,” I told her hollowly. “It looks like I’m going home.”
“Oh...” Laynee got it right away, and she didn’t know what to say either. “Oh, well, that doesn’t have to change things. You can still hang out with Milo.”
“Things are so strained between me and Milo as it is. I mean, it’s great and we can hang out just fine, but that will all change as soon as I’m gone. It won’t be the same, and you know it.”
She pulled me in for a comforting hug. “I know this sucks, sweetie, but maybe it’s a good idea. If you’re afraid of getting hurt, then maybe you need some distance. Maybe this can bridge the gap between him staying here and him going. It might make it all easier.”
I knew what she was saying was right, it made a whole load of sense logically., but my emotions weren’t being logical. This was going to suck; this was going to be the hardest thing ever. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to do it without falling apart.
“You’re right.” I smiled as brightly as I could muster. “Maybe this is the way it’s supposed to be. I should be glad to get back home, anyway. I’ve missed the place.”
“Yeah, sure. I bet it’s all you’ve been thinking about,” she said as she rolled her eyes at me. “Now, come on, we actually have a lot to do today, so let’s get on it. We can have a chat about all of this craziness later.”
But I knew that I wouldn’t be able to think about anything else. My brain would strain itself all day long, trying to work out how I could make this work for me, for both of us. I guessed the first thing that I needed to do was tell Milo and go by his reaction. If he was happy to have me out of his hair, then I wouldn’t have any choice. If he looked as crestfallen as I felt... Well, then I’d go from there.
PART 3
Chapter Twenty-One
Milo – Monday
The fresh, crisp, early morning air felt good against my skin as I walked down toward Landon’s business to meet him. I wasn’t totally sure what he had planned for me today, but I was looking forward to it. I had no idea if this investment would be a massive money maker, but I wasn’t totally sure if that was the most important thing to me anymore. I had a feeling that I wanted to invest in his company for other reasons...
“Hey, there.” I spun around to see Landon right behind me, looking as chipper as ever. Clearly, he was a morning person, which I liked. In this business, it showed dedication. “Nice weather today, right? I had a thought, if you were up for it, that you could come out on the boat with me for a few hours? I’ll show you the factory and stuff, too; I just thought it could be good for you to see the whole company.”
“I would love to.” I smiled happily at him. I hadn’t ever been out on a fishing boat before, I’d only ever been on the water on a yacht, and I had the strong sense that this would be different. “That sounds fun.”
He led me down to the harbor, and I felt my heart skipping an excited beat. This was different; this was actually the sort of adventure I’d come here looking for without even realizing it. Stepping out of my comfort zone was just what I needed.
Plus, being out on the water would give me the much-needed distraction from obsessing over Eliza. I needed to get her out of my mind, just for a short while, so I could go back to it with fresh eyes. It was such a complicated mess, and I had no idea where things would go next.
“Here.” Landon handed me some bulky, waterproof fishing gear, which made my face screw up in disgust. “I know it looks a bit crap,” he laughed at me, not offended by my reaction at all. “But trust me, you’ll be thankful for it. Even when the water doesn’t look rough, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. I’d rather you didn’t find that out the hard way.”
“Fair enough.” I nodded seriously before pulling it on. It was hot, stuffy, and very uncomfortable, but if Landon told me that I needed it, I was inclined to believe him. “Right, let’s go.”
As the boat started to sail, I watched Landon in amazement. He was a natural at this, a real guy’s guy who worked well with his hands – the total opposite of me. I’d never been that way, which was why I’d made my money in other ways.
I wanted to do more things like this; I wanted to take this new lease of life and do more fun things. This was much more preferable to spending my life partying meaninglessly.
“So, what drew you to the water?” I asked, leaning back to let the sun bask on my skin. God, this feels incredible...
“Oh, growing up in Florence, there weren’t many other options,” he replied casually. “But that didn’t bother me; I never wanted to do anything else. I love it here, it’s so beautiful, so homey. It’s the sort of place you never want to let go of.”
In a weird way, I knew exactly what he meant. I was sucked in by Florence; I didn’t want to leave myself.
“And, I love the water. I might not have been the best-behaved kid in school, but that didn’t matter because I always knew what I wanted.”
“And, you’ve achieved it well,” I shot back with admiration in my voice. “What you’ve built up is amazing.”
“Thank you. It’s been hard work, but I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been one hell of a journey. It certainly hasn’t left much room for a social life, at any rate.” That was the only moment that I noticed a flash of sadness in his eyes, but it was gone so quickly that I could have imagined it. “But, yeah
, things are doing great now. I’m hoping to expand sometime soon, just trying to get it all organized.”
“What do you need to expand?” I asked innocently enough. This could have been the perfect moment to confess who I was, but first, I wanted to hear more about his plans. I didn’t want to make my identity public until I’d fully made a decision.
“Money, mostly. The business is doing well, bringing in a profit, but it isn’t enough to expand at the moment. I’m confident, though; I’m sure I can do it.”
“I agree.” I nodded seriously. Even if he didn’t get the money from me, he would get it from someone else – there would definitely be someone who’d see how investable he was. “I’m sure you’ll go far.”
“Yeah, then all the people who told me I’d be a failure will see!”
“So, you didn’t have much fun in school then?” I teased. I could just picture him: the kid in the back of class messing about, that brilliant business mind of his not bothered with academia because he knew he wouldn’t need it.
“Oh, it wasn’t just school. It was my dad, too.” His face fell, and I suddenly felt bad for saying anything. “He never believed in me. He spent my entire youth belittling me. He always told me that I wasn’t worth anything and I wouldn’t go far.”
“Wow, that must have been hard,” I murmured sadly. I wasn’t sure what to say, I didn’t have much life experience to base this on. “I’m sorry to hear it.”
“Oh, it doesn’t bother me anymore.” He shook his head a little too sharply. Clearly, this was something he wanted to squash down. “It used to drive me crazy. I would have done anything to impress him, to make him feel proud of me, but now... Well, now I just do it all for myself.”
“Best way.”
“My mom is great, anyway! I wouldn’t be anywhere without her.” All of a sudden, he seemed to realize where we were and who I was, and he snapped right back into business mode. “Anyway, let’s get you a line, try some fishing.”
“I’ve never done it before,” I felt compelled to admit, however crazy it made me sound to someone who lived in Florence. “I don’t know how good I’ll be.”
“Where do you live?” he exclaimed in mock disbelief. “How can you have gone through life having never fished? Never mind, I’m sure we’ll find a way to make it work. We’re not doing any heavy-duty stuff anyway; I need a crew for that. This is more of a leisurely thing.”
“Okay,” I sighed, relieved. “Let’s do this.”
***
“I still can’t believe I caught something!” I laughed loudly, clapping Landon on the back. He already felt like a friend; we’d grown a bond throughout the day and he was a great guy. “You must be an awesome teacher.”
He’d also shown me throughout the factory and he’d revealed his plans to me. I had to say, I was impressed. He did know what he was doing, and there was money to be made. Maybe not in the millions, but enough for me to feel comfortable.
I wanted to help Landon. I wanted to give him a much-needed business boost. He needed someone to help him out, and I wanted to be that person.
“You know, I might as well tell you the truth,” I admitted, handing over the wad of cash for the day. “I know Justin Gains. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of him, but he recommended you to me as a business opportunity. I want to invest in you.”
“Wh... What?” Landon stammered, blown away. It was the first time I’d seen the cool veneer cracked. “What do you mean? Are you serious?”
“I am. I mean, I’ll have to get some advice from Justin, I’ve been out of the investing game for a while, but I know now that I want to do it.”
His face turned pale, and he instantly handed me the cash back. “I can’t take this money from you if that’s the case. I didn’t realize this was a business trip. Oh, God, and I told you all about my past...”
“Man, don’t worry, it’s all good,” I chuckled. “I had a good time. I learned a lot from you. I’m sorry for being sneaky with you and not telling you who I was in the first place. I probably should have, but I wanted to get to know how you did business without a veneer over it, you know?”
“Oh, I agree, and I’m grateful.” He shook my hand a little too hard. “Thank you so much.”
“I’ll be in touch soon, all right?”
As I hopped back into the car and drove back to the cabin, I felt a warm glow of positivity. I’d done a good thing today, and I felt amazing because of it.
If the whole health scare thing had taught me one thing, it was that life was far too short to worry about the details. This felt good, my gut instinct told me that it was right, and that was enough for me. Landon was a great guy, and he deserved a chance. I could be the one who helped his dreams come true.
Now all I wanted to do was share the good news with Eliza. I wouldn’t tell her in a way that suggested I’d be back a lot or anything. I just wanted her to know. Maybe I’d be able to gauge her feelings by her reaction. She was a rollercoaster at the moment, and I couldn’t wait to learn more.
But as I crept through the front door, I could already tell from the hush that had fallen over the place that I was too late and Eliza was asleep. Time had raced away from me today, I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten, and I was disappointed. I’d wanted to talk to her about things. I didn’t think that I’d been out there that long, but time had obviously passed me quicker than I realized.
In fact, she was the one I wanted to share everything with; we’d become that close. It was crazy to think that I’d actually let her in more than most of the people I’d known for years.
I peeked into her room, just wanting to see her, and I instantly spotted Veil on the floor next to her, with her hand resting on his head. He never came into the bedroom at home – all my training was flying out of the window, but I honestly didn’t mind. Eliza made all that seem pointless. She’d changed my opinion about everything. He’d been sleeping in my room since I was here anyway, so there was no way I could be mad regardless.
I rested against the doorway, smiling to myself while I admired her beauty as she slept. She was so sweet, so perfect. All I wanted to do was climb in bed next to her and wrap her up in my arms, but I couldn’t. We weren’t in that place; we were still “friends.”
It might have been very up and down in my mind, but the last sober conversation we’d had on the topic was that we were going to remain purely platonic. I needed to respect that, however much I didn’t like it.
No, instead I’d have to sleep frustrated and alone in my room, knowing that she was only a few feet away. And I wouldn’t even have my own pet for company. What the hell had happened to me?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Eliza – Tuesday
I still felt like shit when I woke up the next morning. I’d waited around all last night to speak to Milo, to tell him that I’d be going back to my house soon, but he never arrived. He must have been enjoying his fishing trip, which was good, but bad for me...
As I staggered out of bed, rubbing my bleary eyes, I wondered if he’d be around today to talk to. I wasn’t sure if I was up to the conversation, but it needed to be had. I wanted to know how he was going to feel about it all. I wanted to know if he was as disappointed as me.
“Come on, Veil,” I murmured quietly, actually feeling a little bad about stealing him all night long. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
My heart thundered as I tiptoed into the front room, but fortunately – or unfortunately, I wasn’t totally sure – Milo wasn’t there. His bedroom door was shut, which meant he’d come home last night, but he was still asleep. I sighed deeply, nodding to myself with determination before heading into the kitchen.
“Okay.” I pulled some stuff out of the cupboard and set about cooking, wondering if the smell of bacon might wake Milo up... but no such luck. He must have been exhausted and out of it. This clash in our schedules sucked, especially if I would be leaving soon.
Still, there wasn’t anything I could do – I had to
work. Even without all the bills piling up on my shoulders like lead weights, I needed to work. I had to make the business succeed. I still wanted to make things better. I desperately needed to expand, and that wasn’t going to work if I kept taking time off.
After eating about as slowly as I could, I dove into the shower. With the hot water running all over my body, loosening my muscles and my inhibitions, my mind wandered without me having any control over it.
I thought about Milo in the way I was doing my best not to, especially around him so my face didn’t flush red, totally giving me away. I thought about his hands all over my body, my lips brushing my neck, his tongue flickering over my breasts, and it wasn’t long before my eyes had slid shut and I was in a full-blown fantasy, imagining him in the shower with me.
It was killer, knowing that he was just out there, that he wanted me, too, and that I could grab him at any given moment. It was getting harder and harder to continue doing the right thing, to keep being smart.
Maybe it didn’t matter that I’d end up with a broken heart. Maybe I needed to enjoy him while he was here. I realized that I’d been short-sighted. What I’d actually regret was not having an incredible time while he was here. He was the absolute best I’d ever had, and it seemed a shame to push that aside.
Okay, so seeing him with Phoebe the other night had made me fiercely jealous and that sensation would likely continue when he went home, but maybe it wouldn’t be so hard when I didn’t have to see it, when it wasn’t thrust in front of my face. Now that there was a time limit on us, I felt like I needed to take drastic action. I just wasn’t sure what.
As I jumped out of the shower, I pulled my clothing on quickly, now needing to get out of this cabin before bumping into Milo. I wasn’t sure that I could handle seeing him with everything running through my mind. I needed to talk to Laynee, even if I knew what her advice would be. I hoped she’d take my feelings into consideration and give me some smart advice, but I never could be sure.