The Heartbreak Hotel (Sandy Springs #1)

Chapter Four

Ella

Ella’s morning routine of bustling city life, strong coffee, and frantically ironing a pencil skirt seemed a distant memory. She used to practically punch her phone to stop her alarm in the morning, but for the second day in a row, she’d been startled to life by Bernardo the cockerel, and she couldn’t exactly punch him.

Or could she?

Considering how her first days had gone, Bernardo would no doubt have the upper hand, leaving Ella to be rescued by a rather tall, handsome, bronzed woman with muscular arms.

Which might not be such a bad thing.

Since walking her back to her cabin yesterday, Riley had continued to pop into Ella’s mind uninvited. Not only had she saved her life, but she’d also been kind to her, without the expectation of something in return.

It is her job, though, her inner pessimist chided.

Okay, maybe the devil on her shoulder had a point, but still, Riley had chosen to spend the rest of the afternoon with Ella instead of shipping her off to the medical hut. Was that usual?

God, I sound desperate.

Ella grunted, phone in hand, as she stretched her arm higher, parading around the stone floor on her tippy-toes. There had to be signal somewhere in this place. The man at reception had already cheerily informed her there was no Wi-Fi at the resort, his enthusiasm matching that of a children’s TV presenter. Senhor Arenoso believed that the discovery of your ‘soul key’ couldn’t be found in the pixels of your phone screen.

Well, Ella believed that Senhor Arenoso was a fun sponge.

There was no harm in seeing what her friends had been up to. Winnie loved a funny meme or a cat video. It wasn’t like she was going to stalk Maeve’s girlfriend and mock her yoga posts while drinking wine straight from the bottle… Ella never did that—hardly—but it wasn’t fair that Annabelle received free makeup and clothes and ti ckets to local events just for bending over. What gives? If she’d known filming herself twisting her body into a pretty pretzel came with such good benefits, she’d have done it too.

A thought struck Ella like a stone. What if she became better at yoga than Annabelle? Three weeks should be more than enough time to get a head start. Combine that with a hot tan, some new clothes, and some flashy social media posts, and Maeve would soon remember what she was missing. Maybe she already had, and Ella hadn’t received the message yet.

She needed some signal on this damn island. Stat.

Getting no luck with her arm waving, she climbed onto the window ledge, resting against the wardrobe to get more height. Her phone’s signal bar flickered to one, and she let out a little squeal. When nothing came through immediately, she frowned. I need more height.

As she swivelled, the tree with the creepy fingers caught her eye, its branches pointing and mocking her. That certainly would be high enough. She dashed outside, still wearing her pink strappy pyjama vest and shorts, the early morning air already warm against her skin. Tucking her phone into her waistband, she gripped the branch and lifted herself up. Oof. Her arms trembled, and she pushed her toes into the rough bark, climbing higher, until she found a good spot to sit. With a grunt, she retrieved her phone from her shorts to check the signal. Three bars. Hallelujah. She smirked, and her phone vibrated.

Three texts from her mobile phone provider. The smile dropped from her face. The phone vibrated again. A twenty percent discount from her local pizza place.

Well, damn.

Embarrassment chased the disappointment blooming in her stomach. Of course Maeve hadn’t texted her. But she could change that. Maybe this course was the perfect opportunity to win her back and prove everyone wrong.

Her phone buzzed to life, leaping from her hand. Adrenaline spiked up her spine as she scrambled to catch it, managing to grip it between her thumb and forefinger before it tumbled from her place in the canopy. She pushed up from the branch, frowning at her mother’s white face peering back at her. The picture flashed as it continued to ring, then she sighed and answered, making sure to switch off her camera.

“Hello, darling!” Her mother’s face greeted her, more tanned and weathered by wrinkles since the picture on Ella’s phone was taken.

“Hi, Mum.” Ella squinted as the pixelated image of her mother jumped across the screen. The blue background was unfamiliar. “What’re you doing calling me so early?”

“It’s evening in Hawaii. Your father and I are on a cruise.”

Of course. Why wouldn’t they be? “Are you having fun?”

“Why can’t I see you? Give me an update. How’s things with you?”

Ella suppressed a snort, brushing moss off her hands, as the last few days flashed behind her eyelids. Better not mention the near-death experience. Or her newly hatched plan to win back her ex-girlfriend. “The signal isn’t great, and it’s only my first proper day today. Not much to report.”

“Have you met anyone nice?”

Riley’s dimpled grin jumped into her mind, and she hesitated. “A couple of people.”

Her mother latched onto the delay, her voice bearing an accusatory tone. “Remember this holiday is for you, darling. Not for romance—”

“Mum. Come on. I’ve been single for ages.”

“All the more reason for you to try and climb the first woman you see.”

Ella was thankful her camera was off so her mother wouldn’t see her scowl. She spoke about her like she’d the sexual aggression of a puma and not as though she’d spent the last year pining over her long-legged ex-girlfriend.

“I’m not going to… climb …the first woman I see.” She huffed, inhaling the deep, leathery scent of the bark and branches. At least her mum couldn’t accuse her of not being in touch with nature too.

“Winnie warned me about this.”

“My god.” Ella rolled her eyes so hard, she thrust her head back into the tree trunk with a thump. “Can you please stop having this weird relationship with my friend?”

“Nonsense. You could always join us. You still haven’t replied to our murder mystery dinner party.” A clatter in the background made her mother swivel her head. Ella’s eye caught on her expensive necklace and a suspicious-looking purple mark, before she focused back on her. Jesus. Is that a hickey? Even her parents had a better sex life than she did. That was soul-crushingly depressing. “And I do miss you, you know,” her mother continued. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you missed the last two family barbecues.”

Ella sighed. “Sorry… I’ve just been working a lot.”

Guilt sunk like a stone into her stomach, along with an itchy feeling creeping up her neck that she couldn’t escape. Had she been inadvertently shooting warning flares? Were her whole family in on the creepy tag-team of mother and best friend enrolling her in the fix-your-shitty-life course? The Maeve complications aside, Ella used to love her job. She brought her knees to her chest, feeling her mother’s words weave around her. What could everyone see that she couldn’t?

“I worry about you, darling. I just want the best for you.” Her mum peered into the camera, almost like she could sense Ella’s thoughts derailing. Then she perked up, her back straightening into perfect posture. “Did you hear about Clarice?”

Flawless timing for the mention of her brother Devin’s pearly-toothed doctor fiancée. Ella hadn’t spent much time with her—but Clarice hadn’t found her Hannibal Lector impression funny, and that told her all she needed to know .

Distant voices and the crunch of footsteps caused Ella to raise her head. The ugly green uniform the staff wore caught her eye. She leaned forward to get a better look at the faces and spotted a woman with long, wavy hair. Shit. It’s Riley.

And Ella was sitting in a tree in her skimpy pajamas like she’d escaped from a zoo.

Her mother continued talking. “Clarice has been offered a promotion. And your brother is in line for one too. We should have a get-together once you’re back and celebrate. What do you say?”

What do I say to my perfect brother and his perfect fiancée, parading their perfect lives down my throat? Yippee do.

Ever since she’d had to sit through her younger brother’s endless violin concerts and endure the mention of his musical marvel or unique genius , she’d always taken a backseat. Nothing she did ever came close. Even if Devin abandoned his career and family to live in the woods and become a professional yo-yo master, she could never imagine her mother sending him to Sandy Springs. They’d probably pay for a front-page write-up in the local paper.

Riley’s voice carried on the wind, getting closer. The woman walking beside her laughed. Who was she?

“Sorry, Mum,” Ella hissed. “I have to go. Yoga starts soon. I’ll speak to you later.”

“Why are you whispering—?”

But Ella ended the call, pivoted her body horizontally, and got a face full of tree bark. God. I hope she doesn’t see me. She’d already made a royal arse of herself in front of Riley. She didn’t want to do that again quite so soon. She should be focusing on Maeve anyway, not other distractions.

‘ This holiday is for you. Not for romance.’ Her mother’s voice echoed in her head.

She rolled her eyes again. Ella hated how she knew. She didn’t like being predictable.

“Honestly, I’m doing good. I promise you,” Riley’s voice cut through the leaves. Ella held her breath, angling her body to match the tree branch. “Senhor Arenoso’s already been checking up on me.”

I’m one with the tree.

The bark scratched against her cheek as she inhaled, slow and steady, the air humid against her neck.

“We should hang out soon,” the woman said, her brown ponytail swaying with every step. “It’s been a while since we’ve been on a hike. Let’s do something.” Ella recognised her from the welcome meeting. Jane was another one of the yoga instructors on the course.

“I’m sorry I’ve been distant,” Riley said. Ella caught a whiff of coconut and sea salt as she passed. “I don’t want you to think…”

Her voice faded as she disappeared over the hill and down towards the courtyard. Ella waited a few moments before fully relaxing and pushing up into a sitting position. Her gaze followed them, wondering if she and Jane were just friends .

A twinge of jealousy pinged through her stomach, which was so absurd, she had to laugh. Yes, Riley had been giving off the queer vibes yesterday with those inquisitive eyes, adorable dimples and lovely, big hands, but Ella’s body had no right to behave in such a way. Aside from the fact she painted, liked clouds and swam like a sexy dolphin, Ella hardly knew her.

Panic bolted up her spine as another buzz startled her, and she almost dropped her phone. It was a picture message from Winnie. Ella opened it, shaking her head at the sight of her best friend sprawled in a bed, her blonde hair fanned around her head like a lion’s mane, her naked chest visible as she pointed to the sleeping woman next to her.

Miss you, bestie!! it read. Tell you about this one soon… Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

That didn’t leave much. Ella grinned, sent off a quick reply, then stuffed her phone back into her waistband. She needed to get ready for her first official day and her first class with Riley. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but putting on a bit of makeup and her favourite push-up bra couldn’t hurt. She had to be camera-ready for her Instagram. Even if climbing up this tree every time she needed to post wasn’t exactly ideal.

She glanced down, and her belly plummeted. The ground was further away than she expected. Her vision swayed, and she gripped the branch beneath her. Shit.

She thought about calling for help, then imagined the look on Riley’s face when she had to rescue her from the tree like a helpless cat. No. Ella had gotten herself into this mess and she could get herself out of it. She peered over the side, and her stomach lurched again.

Where’s my monkey-spirit guide thing when I need it?

With a deep breath, she shuffled backwards, keeping a firm grip on the tree. A step at a time, she lowered herself, until the branches stopped, and she needed to drop. Hanging by the tips of her fingers, legs swaying unceremoniously, she let go, landing on her bare feet. Yes! She beamed, feeling like she’d just landed a triple backflip at the Olympics.

Applause rang out from behind her, and her face fell. She slowly turned.

“Wow! That was incredible,” Pauline cooed. She was dressed in a purple chiffon dress that didn’t really go with her oversized pink hat with white feathers. She glanced up at the tree, eyes widening. “Did you sleep up there?”

Ella snorted. “Yeah. Oops. You caught me.”

Pauline shifted uncertainly, looking back at the branches. “Well…uh… Are you ready for our first yoga session?”

Ella glanced down at her pink pyjamas. “Not quite.”

“I’ll wait for you, and then we can walk down together.” Pauline flashed a thumbs-up, her cheeks lifting and bunching the bags under her eyes.

Guilt washed over Ella as she scrambled for an excuse, but she needed to be on her A-game. “It might take me a while to get ready.”

“I don’t mind.” Pauline adjusted her hat, tucking dark brown hair behind her ears. “I’ve always wanted to try yoga. My husband, Albert, never wanted me to—well, ex-husband.” Her lips wilted, and she sniffed.

“Okay!” Ella jumped in, eager to stop her train of thought pulling into doomed-divorcee station. She let out a sigh and forced a smile. “Erm…would you like to come in and wait?”

“Groovy.” Pauline linked her arm with Ella’s, and the woman’s flowery perfume assaulted her nostrils. “I just knew we were gonna become the best of friends. I had a feeling.”

Oh, no… What have I done?

Pauline tugged her towards her door, and Ella inwardly cursed, sending prayers to any potential spirit guides listening up in the clouds to come and save her.