Reclaimed Hearts: A second chance, forced proximity romance

Beacon of Hope

He had lost his mind. Reid Bennett must have gone absolutely insane. He wanted to work on the clue now? After that?

All I wanted to do was jump back into his arms, wrap my legs around his waist, and have him hold me while I kissed him into oblivion. I wanted to kiss him long enough to make up for all the lost kisses in the past year. I wanted to kiss him as long and as hard as I could, never coming up for breath again.

But… that would also overly complicate things.

Reid used another towel to wipe himself off, then announced he was going to go grab some lemonade and a snack.

It was like he lived inside my mind sometimes.

As soon as he left, I collapsed into one of the pool lounge chairs a few feet away, grateful for the soft, plush cushions under me. I didn’t lay back, though. I stayed right on the edge, my elbows on my knees, my foot bouncing a mile a minute.

As much as I wanted to go straight back to kissing Reid, it would create problems.

Mainly because I didn’t know how he really felt. Was he just caught up in the moment like I was? The proximity getting the best of us, causing us to fall back into the routine we used to hold?

Or did he still feel the same way about me as I did about him? I started to spiral, trying to connect dots I didn’t know were comparable.

First, his jealousy over Declan. Was it jealousy, or did he say all those things because of his hatred toward Declan? He told me I could do better; I immediately thought of him when he said it, but was that what he meant?

Then there was the other night in the car… how we had come so close to doing what we just did on the patio. I genuinely believed he was going to kiss me, and when he pulled away… Why did he pull away? Why did he have to go to the gym to workout after? It was almost as if the thought of kissing me brought on so much frustration that he couldn’t even handle it without an escape.

But his words… I could never discount his words. Reid wasn’t someone who said things lightly. Everything he said, he meant. When he said he wanted to text me, but stopped himself. When he thought about me constantly, but didn’t go through with calling.

What he said about the island being nothing without me. Or something like that.

And my picture on his phone? A picture I didn’t even know he took. One he had to see multiple times a day. What did that mean?

I wanted to allow myself to believe it. I wanted to let myself have hope once again. But as much as I tried to convince myself I wasn’t still in love with him, it was just as easy to convince myself that he wasn’t in love with me.

That proximity played its part, and it was playing it well. As soon as I left the house, things would be different. As soon as he left the island…

I dropped my head into my hands, sand shaking out of my curls as I did. I needed to talk to my friends. Emma would know what to do about this. She would probably tell me to cool my jets and hightail it right out of this Bayside mansion, bringing me back to reality as a Gennie, at home with Grandmum.

“Found some of those crackers you like. The really salty ones. Figured they’d go good with the lemonade,” Reid said, a giant smile on his face. He put the tray on the table behind the lounge chairs, then parked himself in front of me, mimicking my posture, his knees brushing against mine.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, but didn’t reach for a cup or a cracker. My mind was so muddled, I didn’t know what to do with myself.

But I was acutely aware of every inch of skin currently touching Reid’s. Our knees rested against each other, and his hand brushed over my arm as he went to grab a cup.

He downed the lemonade in three gulps, acting like he hadn’t had a drink in a week.

“You have the envelope?” he asked, clasping his hands together in his lap and staring at me.

Whywas he acting like we hadn’t just shared one of the best kisses of our lives mere minutes ago? How was he able to turn off his emotions so quickly?

I took a deep breath and pushed all my questions and feelings down. We had a clue to solve, and I wanted to do it as fast as possible.

“Where shadows dance on moonlit waves, follow the beam to what you crave.”

Here we go again. More nonsense that hurt my brain. The situation with Reid and my emotions already occupied enough room; trying to unravel the mysteries in these clues took up space I didn’t have.

“Shadows on moonlit waves… so, boats?” Reid suggested. “What else could be tall enough for the moon to create a shadow?”

“The beam could be a boat’s spotlight? Or…” A thought occurred to me. “Like the Richards’ boat yard. You know, Richards’ Marine Tours and Repair? They have that giant spotlight to help bring in the boats for their night tours, remember?”

Reid nodded. “That makes sense. Great catch.”

I beamed, but instantly frowned. “Actually, it doesn’t. Considering how hidden it’s been the past two times, where would it be? They keep like dozens of boats there, between the tour boats, storage, and the ones being repaired.”

Reid pursed his lips, chewing on his cheek as he thought. His hands had dropped, one resting on top of my knee now. I stared at it, my heart fluttering in my chest.

“Hmm. That’s a good point, too. So far, the clue has been hidden within the hiding place, not out in the open. And the Richards’ boat yard is huge.”

“Follow the beam… what else has a light that casts a beam?” I tore my gaze away from his hand and looked up. “Oh!” I gasped, staring right at the Bennett’s decor. Outside the back door, there was a small alcove where they kept the wicker bins of towels, pool toys, and dog stuff. They also had some nautical decor, like most people on the island.

Which included a lighthouse.

“The lighthouse!” we both exclaimed once Reid followed my line of sight.

“Moonlit waves,” he said.

“Follow the beam of light!” I added.

He lifted a hand up to high five me, which I did. But instead of dropping his hand, he curled his fingers around mine and brought my knuckles to his lips.

“Still a genius, I see,” he whispered, holding onto my hand.

My heart swelled with pride. Even though I didn’t feel like I technically figured it out, and it was because of the decor, I accepted his compliment with ease.

“Should we go?” Reid asked a second later, letting my hand finally go.

I stood, finding sand dropping out of my shorts as I did. “Yes. But… I really need to shower first.” In all the rush pre-kiss and post-kiss, I almost forgot how gross I was. Sand coated my legs still, and it fell from my hair where it wasn’t sticking to my neck in a sweaty mess.

Though Reid had his shirt on now, I knew his torso would be the same. Sweat and sand, diving after the volleyball and all, could only truly be removed with a good scrub in the shower.

Reid nodded and gestured to the house. “Let’s clean up and then we’ll go.”

As soon as I got to the back door, Reid’s phone rang. I turned and looked over my shoulder as he slipped it out of his pocket, his face draining of all color when he read the screen.

“It’s my parents.”