13. Chapter 13
thirteen
C hloé had received the text from Monroe an hour ago.
She sat on the pier, watching as a seagull swooped down and snatched up a discarded chip someone must have dropped. The light breeze brought the salty air. Her phone rested in her lap, the screen still lit from reading the text.
It would be a lie to suggest she hadn’t felt it; the stirrings of something new, something with potential. Yet, a cautionary thought lingered at the back of her mind.
A woman like Monroe wasn’t new to Chloé.
Slightly vulnerable, a little delicate where love was concerned.
She’d met those women before, hadn’t she?
The ones she rode in like a knight on a white horse to save—only to find herself the one who needed saving when they healed and casually discarded her for someone just like the person who had hurt them.
Chloé picked up her phone, fingers hesitating for a moment before she began to type.
Chloé: Good morning, Monroe ?? Thank you, I slept well. 2pm sounds perfect. I’m looking forward to it, too. Let me know if you want me to bring anything.
She sent the message and waited, the screen lighting up shortly after.
Monroe: No need to bring anything, just yourself. See you soon.
Chloé smiled softly, her heart fluttering just a little as she put the phone down and slipped it into her bag. The cool breeze tugged gently at her jacket as she stood up from the pier and started walking back along the promenade.
Her steps were steady, but her mind wandered, replaying the night before, the easy laughter and the warmth of Monroe’s gaze. She was cautious, yes, but there was something different this time—something that felt relaxed.
It was uplifting. That mattered more than anything.
As she strolled past a couple walking hand in hand—two men deep in conversation, laughing easily—she felt a gentle ache. That tug at her heart again.
She wanted that. A closeness. A rhythm with someone that didn’t feel like effort.
And if she found it again, wouldn’t she try? Yes, she would. No hesitation.
But she was getting ahead of herself.It was just lunch. With a beautiful woman. That was all.