Chapter Seventeen
MILES
PRESENT
“This will be your room, sweetheart,” Donna says. “I’m sorry if it’s a bit small, but this is all we have for now. I can upgrade you when someone takes off.”
I just drop my bags inside the door, the sound echoing across the hardwood floor. “Thank you, this is plenty big enough for me.”
The Lost and Found bed and breakfast is the only place with vacancies, except Hotel Dolce.
But I wanted to stay somewhere different, somewhere that wasn’t the place where my sister found herself here.
And this place has plenty of charm, making it hard to want to stay anywhere other than the wooden bed and breakfast tucked away in the corner of Ruby Cove.
Donna just smiles, nodding her head before she turns around, but just before she’s out the door, she swings around once more.
“Oh, and there’s Scrabble nights every Thursday, and movies and hot cocoa on Fridays, just in case you have nothing better to do than spend your evenings with some of us old folks. ”
My mind does me the favour of playing me the image of Scrabble nights with this woman and her friends, and all I can do is smile. “I might take you up on that.” I can’t say I’m very good at Scrabble, but maybe they could teach me a thing or two.
She shoots me a little smile back. “Well, be prepared, because Thursdays can get pretty competitive.”
“Oh, I’m prepared,” I say with a smile. “I love a good competition.”
She nods. “Good.” And then she turns to leave me to my room.
“Oh!” She stops, turning back around. “And is there somewhere I can park my truck? I’m going to pick it up tomorrow, but I was hoping to do some work on it while I am here.”
Donna just nods once more, a warm look in her eyes.
“There’s a spot on the far side of the building, just drive around the back and you’ll see it.
No one parks there, so it’s all yours.” And with a wink and a knock on the wooden door frame, she’s gone again, leaving me in the silence of my empty room.
I turn around and take in my temporary home.
It’s cozy, with the pastel blue quilt tucked into the corners of the queen-sized mattress, and the arched stained glass window sitting just above the metal bed frame.
It feels like something Isla and May would love.
The type of room where they would walk straight in and lie all over the bed, just like they did to my bed when we were teenagers.
Always finding themselves in my room and on my bed for their little gossip sessions.
I miss those days, I miss them.
I sigh as I pick up my bag and drop it at the end of the bed. I’m going to be here for just over two weeks, so I may as well unpack.
I decided to take some time away from work for a refresh, just like Isla and Wesley suggested. I don’t know if it will be much help, but I’m here. Chief Jones didn’t hesitate to grant my leave request, not when I hadn’t taken any in over a year—aside from Isla’s wedding last week.
Yes, Marina is here. And yes, I want to find her around every corner I turn, but she doesn’t want to see me; she made that clear last night. So I’ll try my best to keep out of her way .
I don’t know why I thought I’d have any luck in getting her to talk to me, she has no reason to. I’m the guy who broke her heart, and now I've shown up in her hometown with an agenda. No wonder she wants as much distance from me as possible.
I’ll do my best to stay on the outskirts of town; the area around the Lost and Found is beautiful, so I can occupy myself around here. Even if where I really want to be is in the center of this perfect little town.
Part of me came here for Marina—a big part—but the other part of me came here because Ruby Cove has a unique grip on me. Ever since I first came here for Isla’s birthday, it pulled me in, and I didn’t want to leave even then.
I lie back on the bed, giving up on unpacking as I hang my head off the edge and close my eyes.
Sometimes I wonder if I've done this all wrong. If I’ve done life all wrong.
I’ve dedicated my entire life to flying, to working.
It’s a job that I love, but I barely take a second to smell the roses in the countries that I visit, let alone finding hidden treasures like Ruby Cove.
What is the point of having a successful career if I never take the time to acknowledge the amazing things I get to see while I do it?
My life has been all about being the best, reaching the top, but what’s waiting for me when I get there? What’s the point in all of this, if all I get at the end are empty hotel rooms and complimentary sparkling water? Isn’t there more to this life than that?
I hear a burst of laughter from downstairs, and all it does is make me feel empty. Like I’m not even lying on this bed, but floating above it. Lost. I feel lost.
Everything in my life is temporary: the closets I put my clothes in, the beds I sleep in, even the ground I walk on.
How long can someone survive floating around like I do, with nothing to ground them?
I’ve been doing this for nine years, I think that’s as long as someone can survive.
How far above the bed will I float when it becomes ten, twenty? I’m not sure that I want to find out.
I puff out short breaths as my feet land heavy on the dirt path that leads through the forest behind the Lost and Found. Exercise is the one thing that grounds me where I am, and that’s all I ache to feel right now, grounded. Even if it’s only momentarily.
So I turn to running. I don’t know of any boxing gyms in town—not that I’ve really looked into it—so running is the next best thing, and when I saw the trail weaving between the big trees behind The Lost and Found, I couldn’t resist the temptation to explore.
I slow to a stop, puffing as I drop my hands to my knees and curl over, trying to suck air into my lungs and get my breath back. I breathe in the smell of the forest floor with every inhale. Feeling like I can taste the damp leaves trampled into the soil on my tongue.
I’ve probably been running for the better part of an hour with no break, I don’t think I’ve done that in a while, focusing more on boxing than running these days.
But there’s something about running that makes me feel free; my mind either slows to a stop, or it runs with me.
But either way, it calms me down. I feel centered.
I stand up straight and throw my head back, resting my hands on my hips.
If my eyes were open, I’d be staring up at the canopy, but they’re closed, blocking out the slivers of sun that are peeking through.
So I just listen instead. When I tune in, I realize just how many different birds are tweeting away up there.
How many of them are having their own conversations with one another?
I wonder what they’re saying? I wonder if they think about the meaning of life?
Probably not.
When they fly, it’s instinctual, they’re built with wings. They aren’t taught to fly, they’re not worried about being the best bird out there. They just jump off the edge and hope for the best.
There’s still pressure; if they don’t fly, they fall, but if they get it? They’re solid, set for life. They will fly until they die, it all seems a lot simpler.
This place is an ecosystem, where every element works together to create harmony and a piece of heaven right here on the outskirts of Ruby Cove.
I feel enveloped by the trees, but I can still hear the waves of the ocean. It’s so peaceful, I haven’t seen one person out on this trail, haven’t even heard a whisper of voices.
That is until I hear the faint sound of heavy, nervous breathing.
My eyes pop open, immediately searching my surroundings, but I can’t see anyone. I hear the crunching of branches beneath a set of shoes, and the sounds of greenery being pushed aside as someone scrambles through the forest.
Shit.
I slowly make my way in the direction I heard the sound come from, before I hear rustling like someone is running, and then someone runs straight into my chest.
I look down to see wild curls and terrified hazel eyes. Marina startles at the sight of me, but I see the recognition in her eyes, and a hint of relief that follows too. It surprises me, but I don't question it.
“We should really stop meeting like this,” I say.
“I think someone is following me,” she spits out. Her breaths are laboured, and sweat beads on her forehead as she puts a hand over her heart.
My eyes narrow as my brows pull together. “ What ?”
A branch snaps nearby. “Shit,” she curses, looking over her shoulder. I can feel genuine panic radiating off of her. Like a heat emanating off her skin that is reaching me from where I stand a few feet away from her.
Marina doesn’t run. I know that because she always told me she thought her friend and old roommate, Rosalie, was crazy for going on a run every day. She said the only time she would ever run would be for her life—and she’s been running .
“Okay, stop running,” I say, instinctively putting my hands on her shoulders.
She looks back at me like I’m crazy, and it makes me pull my hands away. “What do you mean, stop running? Do you want me to get kidnapped in broad daylight? I didn’t think you hated me that much.”
I shake my head. “You know I don’t hate you, now be quiet.”
Her eyebrows shoot to her forehead as she looks up at me, still puffing as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Excuse me?”
“Marina,” I feel my nostrils flare as I look down at her, willing her to just listen to me for a second. “Be quiet.”
When rustling sounds from the direction she came in, she goes silent.
She doesn’t turn around to look, she just keeps her wide eyes on mine as I look out into the forest around us.
Her fear sends a surge of protectiveness through me, to the point where I'm not sure what I'll do if I see someone out here.
My eyes track every movement of every leaf, every flit of a bird's wings, but I don't see anyone.
“Are you sure someone was following you?” I ask, not taking my eyes off of our surroundings. I hate to doubt her, but I don't see a trace of anyone out there.
“Yes, I’m sure, Miles.” Marina wraps her arms around herself, and my gaze drops to see the tiny goosebumps raising the soft hairs on her arms, and it’s not a cold day, even under the shade of the trees.
I hate standing here like an idiot, not comforting her like I ache to do as she stands scared in front of me.
“Okay,” I say. “Look, I'm here, okay? No one is going to kidnap both of us.”
“Great, they'll just wait until we part ways and get me when I'm alone,” she mutters. She’s really worried, and an instinctual part of me wants to wrap her up in my arms and tell her I've got her, but I can't.
“Let me walk you back to your car,” I say. At the pointed look on her face, I hold my hands up. “We don’t even have to talk, but I'd rather know you got back safely. Please. ”
Her resolve is no match for her concern, not as she glances back into the forest before nodding subtly in agreement. The fact that she agreed so easily tells me just how spooked she really is right now.
When she turns around, leading me through the trees, all I want to do is slip my hand into hers, to let her know that I’m here, that I won’t let anyone get to her.
But that would be a gigantic step over her boundaries, and I'm not going to do anything to make her feel more anxious right now.
So I just follow close behind her, making sure she can always see my shadow walking alongside her.
She’s quiet as she weaves through the trees, the sound of the ocean getting louder as we near the edge of the forest. I suddenly remember where we are, that this forest is right behind the Lost and Found. The exact place I told Marina to avoid unless she wanted to see me, and here she is.
I let myself think that maybe she came here with the intention of running into me, that maybe she’s not so firm on the boundaries she’s been so desperate to set in place. It can’t be a coincidence. Why would she be on this side of town? There’s nothing around here.
I want to ask, want to pry into her mind to discover exactly what she’s thinking, but then we step out into the bright day, and I see her dark motorcycle glinting against the sun.
A laugh escapes me on an exhale. “You still drive that death machine?”
She turns to face me, and I swear it’s a small smile she’s wearing, but it’s gone before I can truly admire it. “She hasn’t killed me yet.”
I just shake my head as I follow her over to it. I can’t believe I assumed she’d have a car by now. Of course she’s still riding this thing.
I take one last look back towards the forest, and the only thing I see is an eagle taking flight off a low-lying branch, disappearing into the trees as Marina’s bike rumbles to life behind me. I didn’t even know they had eagles here.
“Thanks,” Marina yells over the sound of her bike. “I, uh…” Her words slip away from her as she shakes her head, tucking her hair into her helmet. “I hope you don’t get kidnapped on the way back,” is what she lands on.
“Not even a little bit?” I ask, not shying away from the smile tugging at my lips.
She kicks up the stand with her heel, tipping her head in deliberation. “Maybe a little.”
And then she’s riding out of the small car park and disappearing around the corner back into the heart of Ruby Cove, leaving me in the dust.