Reclaimed Hearts: A second chance, forced proximity romance

Coastal Charades

The bell over the front door at Muggsy’s jingled as I walked in. I shook my shoulders in a little dance to the beat, eliciting a chuckle from Benji, the barista.

“There she is! One blueberry scone and a dry cappuccino coming right up!” he said with another laugh. “The capp on the house, of course, for the birthday girl.” We exchanged some small talk as he gathered my items. I handed him a ten and told him to keep the change.

Once back on my bike, I stored the scone in my basket, moved the water bottle to join the scone, and dropped the cappuccino into the cup holder.

Before leaving, I opened my notes app to start a quick list of all the things I would need to bring with me to the Bennett’s house for an extended stay. Everything from my toothbrush to my phone charger made the list.

I tried to ignore the glaring list of all things Reid right underneath it.

It looked like I wouldn’t need to worry about that one anymore.

Finally satisfied with my list, I kicked off the ground and rode off down the street. If I didn’t have to be there until this afternoon, I had the whole day ahead of me. I wasn’t working at the cafe or the mansion, and I had already checked in on Mrs. Ruth. It was a perfect time to just ride around the island.

My mind drifted to Declan as I rode toward Charlotte’s Haven Beach, and how he showed up at work yesterday. Though my birthday had gotten off to a horrendous start, he really put a bright spot in it. Part of me still didn’t understand why, but I wasn’t mad about it. For a moment yesterday, I thought I should have been. Baysiders didn’t usually hang out with Gennies, and I let the negative thoughts overwhelm my mind.

But then again, I had never known Declan Storms to be a part of the bullying crowd. The ones that had run Reid off a few years ago. The ones who pulled mean pranks on unsuspecting people, finding entertainment in their victim’s humiliation.

From everything I heard from Norah a few years ago when she had her crush on him, he seemed like a nice guy. If he wasn’t, why would he have shown up and with flowers?

My stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten lunch yet. With the sun directly overhead, it was time to head home.

Grandmum wasn’t there when I got back, so I shot her a text. If she was at work, she would check it on her break. She hated cell phones, and only really used it to communicate with me.

Me:Hi! Just got back and you’re not here. Mrs. Bennett asked me to house and dog sit for a few weeks. I told them yes. Is that okay?

To my surprise, my phone dinged only a minute later. Grandmum must have been on her break already.

Grandmum:It’s fine.

Me:Thanks! And thanks for the cupcake and candy. I loved them. 3

Grandmum:You’re welcome. The Mansion Masquerade is Friday. I’ll send you a message on what time to be there.

Me:It’s on my list!

She wasn’t a woman of many words, but approval was approval. With that, I went directly to my bedroom in the back of the house. Grandmum had lived in this house since the day she and Pops got married and moved to the island. They never really planned on having kids, so a modest two-bedroom house was all they needed.

Mom came two years later, and me eighteen years after that. Mom, Dad, and I all shared the second bedroom for five years.

Then one day, they left. It wasn’t unusual; they would disappear for a weekend here or there. They were young and full of spontaneity and adventure. But when I was five, they left and didn’t come back for a while. Eventually, Grandmum moved their stuff out of the room and told me it was all mine now. Which, back then, seemed amazing. It wasn’t until I realized it also meant Mom and Dad weren’t coming back that I started to despise it.

I stood in the middle of my room, looking around at how plain it was. A pale blue comforter laid on the twin bed, a dresser pushed against the far wall, and a small table to act as a desk against the other, next to the door. The walls were bare, the carpet worn in and original to the house itself.

With a sigh, I headed to the closet and pulled out my duffel bag. Thirty minutes later, I had everything packed and ready to go. I twisted the large strap so I could slip it over my shoulders like a makeshift backpack. It would be the only way I could carry it and ride my bike.

I sucked in a deep breath and took one last glance around the living room as I stood in the doorway. A nostalgic feeling washed over me, like I was leaving forever.

But I wasn’t. It was only for a month, tops. It would be the longest I had ever been away before, though, even if I was only going to the other side of the island.

The ride to the Bennett’s was uneventful, and I found the key easily. The only issue was the fact that my stomach was still rumbling. I had been so preoccupied packing and leaving home that I forgot to grab a snack before going.

I unlocked the door, waiting for the sound of scratching nails on the wood floors to greet me before I dared move further inside.

A second later, they appeared. Noodle, a large goldendoodle, came charging first, followed closely by Marshmallow, a Corgi. Noodle leaped into the air when he saw me, placing his front legs on my shoulders and pushing me back into the door behind me.

“Hi! Oh gosh, oh gosh, hi! Okay, okay, down! Down, Noodle!” I laughed as I pushed him away from my face that he was currently cleaning with his tongue.

Marshmallow, who was more affectionately called Fluff, jumped and spun in circles until I crouched down to pet her as well. Noodle didn’t like that, and barreled between us, knocking me to the ground.

My laughter only seemed to encourage them, and they both pounced on me, wrestling with me for a few minutes.

Once they settled down, I placed them in the backyard, stopping to smell the water wafting from the beach beyond the fence.

I had just gotten to the guest room Mrs. Bennett told me to use when my phone beeped. After sliding the toggle over, I checked the text message.

Unknown:Please see the attached video, a message from Eleanor Covington.