by Sophie Blue
“That is awful.” We’re both laughing now, and I wish I could capture her now on camera. Her cheeks are flushed from laughing, her hair is loose and pushed over one shoulder. And she looks happy.
“How about Ocean Dreams?” she offers and I pause to think.
“I like that. Let’s roll with it.” Her smile lights up the room as she writes in down and we go back to brainstorming ways to get the word out about the place.
“Maybe you should sign up to be on one of those B&B reality shows. You know the one where owners take it in turns to stay at each other’s places?” she jokes, trying to lighten the mood.
“Now there’s an idea. I can charm everyone with my amazing personality and quick wit.” I waggle my eyebrows at her and she snorts.
“They don’t always come out looking great.” She rolls her eyes and goes back to writing notes.
I shrug with a smile. “No such thing as bad publicity, right? Anything that gets our name out there is worth doing.”
“I guess so,” she agrees before picking up her coffee and looking out to the water. After a short period of comfortable silence, she turns back to me. “I feel lighter, you know? Like I’m finally moving on and letting go of my fears.”
“See, and you thought Gram was crazy claiming the ocean could heal you.” I laugh, but she shakes her head with a smile.
“I don’t think it’s the ocean. It’s you,” she whispers, the emotion in her eyes taking my breath away. Reaching across, I pull her to me, sealing my lips over hers and showing her how much she has come to mean to me.
Chapter 20
Charlotte
When Melody called and asked if I wanted to meet for coffee, I can’t say I wasn’t surprised. But I agreed, looking forward to getting to know Ollie’s friends a little better.
She stands and waves as I walk in, gesturing to the coffee on the table she’s already ordered for me.
“Charlotte, I’m so glad you came,” she says, pulling me in for a friendly hug.
“Thanks for asking me. Other than Ollie, I don’t know anyone here.”
“That’s because he’s been keeping you all to himself,” she jokes and I laugh, taking a seat across from her and thanking her for my drink.
“What brings you to this neck of the woods? Don’t you guys live quite a way away?” I take a sip of my coffee and sigh at the rich taste hitting my tongue.
“Yeah, Scott was passing through for work anyway, so I asked if he minded dropping me off on his way. Figured we could use some girl talk, then I can get some shopping done before he picks me up on his way back through.”
“Is it tough? Having his job taking him away so much?” I ask, genuinely curious. I don’t know if I could cope with my other half being away at night or for days at a time. But maybe that’s because of how things with Carl turned out.
“It can be. But Scott is careful never to take anything too far that will keep him away for too long. And on trips like this, if I’m not working, I tag along.” Her smile is infectious and I know that I could be great friends with her. She’s the kind of girl you want on your team. Confident, loyal, and fun to be around.
“How is the house coming along?” she asks, before she takes another mouthful of her tea.
“Good. We’re looking into marketing now, how to get the word out that people can book rooms in the next couple of months.” I’m ridiculously proud of what we’ve achieved. Granted we only made superficial changes, but we gave the house a new lease of life.
“We’ll have to come by and see it soon. Maybe we can test it out for the first time.” Her sweet laugh has me smiling, nodding in agreement.
“You totally should. That would be fun. I know Ollie misses you guys.” He talks about them with such a fondness, it’s impossible not to see how much they mean to him.
“Yeah, he had it rough for a while, but he seems to be picking himself back up. I think we have you to thank for that,” Melody teases, clearly looking for gossip and to my surprise, that doesn’t fill me with dread. There’s no invisible force tightening in my chest, not sweaty palms or nausea swirling in my stomach.
“I don’t think it’s down to me. I think renovating his grandparents’ house has been cathartic for him. Helped him to move on and see the bigger picture, you know?”
“Yeah. He seems more like himself. What about you? Are you planning on hanging around once the house is done, or do you have plans back in the UK?”
The question is innocent enough but makes me pause. Truth be told, I haven’t thought much about what happens once the house is finished. I’ve been too busy living in the moment to worry about the future. And I like it. I like taking each day as it comes, not worrying about where I’m going or what the future holds. It’s refreshing and freeing.
“I don’t really know, to be honest. I came here to get away from all the crap I was going through back home. I feel like I’ve done that. But I don’t know if I’m ready to go back.” Will this new version of me disappear as soon as I set foot back in England?
“I’m aware that I am an incredible nosey nelly, but can I ask what happened?” Her expression is almost apologetic, and it makes me smile.
A laugh leaves my lips at her admission. “Bad break up. Really bad. And my anxiety kind of got the better of me, going out in public, social media, it all became a bit too much, you know? I just wanted to hide away from everything and everyone. But I think I’m done hiding now.”
“Good for you, sweetie.”
Her hand reaches across the table and squeezes mine, and just like that, I know I’ve made a true friend.
Chapter 21
Ollie
Picnics have never really been my thing, but sitting on the beach on a blanket with Charlotte, watching the sunset, I sure as hell can’t complain.
Granted, ordering takeaway pizza might be cheating, but the sentiment is the same. Taking a slug of my cold beer, I smile down at where Charlotte’s head is resting on my lap. She’s watching the waves crashing on the shore with a smile, both of us enjoying the peace of the night.
“Do you know what blows my mind? Clouds.” She’s twirling a strand of her blonde hair around her finger and looking curiously up at the sky.
“Clouds?” I ask, both confused and amused by this.
“Yeah. They look like candy floss, right? Soft and airy. But did you know they’re really heavy? One can weigh like one million pounds. And they still float in the sky above us, acting harmless.” Her lips have formed a pout, and she looks perturbed by the thought.
I stifle a laugh, playing with her hair. “They are harmless. I’ve never heard of death by cloud, have you?”
“No but maybe it’s covered up, you know? So people don’t panic about the floating death pillows in the air.” She thrusts her arm in the air, motioning to the clouds in the sky.
Throwing my head back, I can no longer hold back my laughter. Where does she get this shit from?
“You’re insane, you know that, right?”
She sits up and looks at me with an adorable pout on her face that I’m sorely tempted to kiss off. I settle for sweeping her hair behind her ear, enjoying the way she leans into my touch.
“I’m not. It’s a valid concern. How are they still floating in the air if they weigh the same as one hundred elephants?”
“How can an aeroplane stay in the air with how much it weighs?” I counter, because that’s also incredible.
She scoffs. “Don’t get me started on those death traps, they…”
Cutting her off, I press my lips to hers, wrapping my fingers in her hair and pulling her closer. The sweet taste of the fruity wine on her tongue combined with her intoxicating flavour has me groaning. She shifts so she’s straddling me, her fingers in my hair, pulling me in, like she can’t get close enough, and I know the feeling.
Moving my hand up to underneath her shirt, I stroke the soft skin beneath it and feel her tremble in my arms. Her skin is smooth as silk, and one touch leaves me cravin
g more. I want to take her inside and worship every inch of her.
Charlotte pulls back, smiling up at me before snuggling into my chest. Dropping a kiss on her head, I look out to the ocean and watch the swells of water sweep towards us.
“I’m really glad you came here,” I whisper into her hair.
“Me too,” she whispers back, leaning closer and watching the water dance in the soft light of the evening.
We need to talk about the future. About how we’ll handle things with her brother, and what the plan is once the B&B opens. But for now, none of that matters. All that does is that we’re both here, in the moment, together.
Chapter 22
Charlotte
Loading the washing machine, I spin around to the cupboard under the sink and get the washing detergent. Before I can add it to the machine, my phone buzzes on the table. My brother’s face flashes up on the screen and I smile, accepting the video call.
“Hey, Lottie,” Alex says as his face fills my screen. His brown hair wet and stuck to his face.
“Hey! You just got out of the shower?” I ask, grabbing my coffee and heading to the porch.
“I wish. Just been for a run, and it absolutely pissed it down!” he admits, running his fingers through his wet hair.
“I definitely don’t miss the weather.” I laugh, flipping the camera to show him the beach with the sun boring down on it.
“Alright, show off. I get it.” He laughs and I flip the camera back to me, smiling at him. “Still enjoying yourself?”
The guilt gnawing at my gut has me squeezing my fist together as I answer. I hate keeping things from my brother, but I don’t want to ruin this.
“Yes. The house is almost ready. Ollie’s friends are coming over tomorrow to be the first guests. A little trial run kinda thing. The website is up, and we got him listed on a few holiday home search engines. So fingers crossed.”
“Woah. You guys have sure been busy.” You have no idea.
“Yeah. But it’s come out great, and I think it’s going to do well.”
“Good. And how are you? Ready to come home?”
I pause, looking down and must give myself away.
“Lot? What’s up?” he asks, his soothing tone my undoing.
“I’m thinking of staying,” I admit, for the first time aloud.
“What?”
“I really like it here. And I’m doing so much better. I was thinking of asking Ollie if I could stay and host the B&B for a while, just until it gets on its feet, you know?”
“Really? What did Ollie say?” he asks, remaining calmer than I expected.
“I haven’t actually discussed it with him yet. I’ve been thinking on it a lot. Still haven’t made a firm choice, but it’s an option I’m considering.” I feel lighter for voicing it. Truth be told, I’ve been thinking about staying a lot recently.
“You know I just want you to be happy, Lot. If staying over there makes you happy, then I’m all for it.” The sincerity in his eyes guts me. He’s always been my biggest supporter, protector, and champion. And I’m lying to him.
“Thank you. I love you,” I say, sticking my tongue out at him like I used to when we were kids.
His soft laugh flows through my phone speaker. “Love you too, sis.”
Chapter 23
Ollie
The doorbell rings and Charlotte ducks past me to get it. We haven’t officially opened yet, but tonight we are welcoming our first guests.
Scott and Melody.
“Hello, and welcome to Ocean Dreams,” Charlotte says, as she motions for the couple to enter. I try not to chuckle at her, but Scott and Melody indulge her little role play.
“Hey, man, place looks good,” Scott says as he approaches me and bumps my fist.
“Thanks, bud. And thanks for offering to try the place out. Charlotte’s been beyond excited to take the place for a test run,” I say as he chuckles and looks over to where the two women are catching up like old friends.
“Like I had a choice. Melody all but dragged me out of the house. She’s been dying to see the place.” Just as the woman in question walks toward us and gives me a quick hug.
“Well, duh. The photos looked amazing, and that view?” She whistles. “It’s going to be popular, that’s for sure. Had to book while we still had the chance.”
Charlotte is quick to offer a tour of the house and show them to their room. She seems to enjoy playing hostess, and I wonder whether it’s something she’d be interested in. We haven’t spoken about what she’s going to do when this place is done. I’m hoping she wants to stay, but if she wants to go home, I’d understand. Her whole life is back in the UK. I can’t just ask her to leave it all behind to stay with me. Especially as we’ve never discussed the future.
“I’ve gotta admit it, man, you’ve done an awesome job. Didn’t know you had it in you,” Scott says, lifting his beer to his lips as he looks over the porch railing at the beach. Charlotte and Melody are walking along the waterfront, talking about God knows what.
“Most of it was Charlotte. She’s got a great eye,” I admit, taking a swig of my own beer and watching the women enjoying the beach.
“How’re things going with the two of you?” he asks, looking at me over his beer bottle.
“Good. Great. She’s…” I trail off, watching her laughing at something Melody has told her, her bare feet wading in the water. Soft hair blowing in the breeze and not a care in the world. My chest swells at the sight. In such a short space of time, she’s become so important to me.
“Dude? Where’d you go?” Scott asks with a chuckle, following my gaze. “Really good then?”
“Yeah. But it’s complicated.” Rubbing a hand over my face, I sigh and lean against the railing on my forearms. I should have told Alex as soon as things began. The longer we’ve let it go on without telling him, the deeper my betrayal has become. Not only have I been seeing him baby sister, I’ve been lying to him. A lie by omission is still a lie.
“Because of her brother?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to screw up our friendship. But she means a lot to me. And then there’s the fact that she’s probably going back to England soon. And I live here.”
“Why?”
“Why what?” I ask, turning to look at him.
“Why do you have to live here? The B&B will be up and running, your place in Alabama is just a rental. You’re between jobs. Nothing stopping you from following her to the UK,” he points out and I look over at her again.
“Alex is going to kill me.” I groan, putting my head in my free hand. We need to tell him, I know we do. But I want to enjoy our little slice of heaven for as long as I can before reality screws it up.
“You’re not the first guy to fall for his best mate’s sister, and you sure as hell won’t be the last.”
Chapter 24
Charlotte
Emptying the dishwasher, I hum along to the country song playing on the radio. Putting the clean plates and cutlery in their rightful places, I dance around the kitchen like no one is watching.
Ollie set off early this morning to sort out his rental property he has in Alabama. His landlord lives a few hours from here, and they’re meeting up to discuss ending the lease early. He’s going to stay here while the place gets up and running, and figure out the rest later. So I busy myself with tidying the house up, texting Ollie a few items we need from the store on his way back.
The knock at the door pulls me from my dance and I turn the radio off, before making my way to the front door. Pulling it open, I smile at the stranger in front of me. Wearing some sort of black messenger bag and pushing his glasses up his nose, he looks out of place.
“Can I help you?” I politely ask, while trying to figure out who he is. We aren’t open for business yet, so we aren’t expecting visitors.
“Charlotte Maxwell?” he asks.
“Yes?” Uneasiness settles itself in the pit of my stomach, and I feel as if time is slowing down around me.
He pulls a voice recorder out of his back pocket and clicks it on. I feel the colour drain from my face at the realisation of what is happening.
“Michael Anderson, with the NC Times. Are you starting a new life here now that your ex-boyfriend is getting married? Do you have any words for the couple before their big day tomorrow?”
“What…?” I try to swallow down the nausea and stay standing, but it isn’t easy. Why is this happening? Why do they still care about my car crash of a love life?
“Are you still upset about how publicly you found out about your ex-boyfriend’s double life?” First I feel the same wave of panic wash over me. Taking my breath away and causing me to heat all over. But that quickly switches to anger. How dare this man come here, to my safe place, and bring up all those awful memories.
“How did you get this address?” I ask, trying to remain calm. He has no right to come here and burst my bubble.
He shrugs like it is no big deal, “Someone called my office and told me you were here. Said their name was Oliver, they didn’t mind me sharing it, said it wasn’t a secret.”
And just like that, the heat engulfs me. I slam the door in the reporter’s face and lean against it, breathing heavily. The dredged up memory of my public humiliation was upsetting. But Oliver was right, it’s in the past and I’ve moved past it. But knowing that the one man who brought me back to life has betrayed my trust? That is heart-wrenching. How dare he? Why would he do that to me after everything we shared?
Then it hits me. The conversation we had a couple of weeks back. He’s trying to get the B&B’s name out there, and he said himself, no publicity is bad publicity. He must have been rubbing his hands in glee when he realised he could get a story in the local paper with a mention of this place.