Chapter 1
DARWYNN
six months later
Canada was beautiful.
There hadn’t been one place I visited that I didn’t want to move to immediately, but I moved along after a few days of stay and went to visit the next town on my list.
That list consisted of small towns across Canada, and while all the driving was exhausting, I was glad I kept going. I saw so many new things and met new people along the way, and I was starting to love that country so much that I was already thinking about moving here.
On this trip, I also got to know myself better, but the only thing I had yet to figure out was what I wanted to do with my life.
I was currently in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and this was again one of those cities and towns I could imagine moving to once my traveling was over.
It was my last evening here, and I decided to have dinner at the restaurant next to the hotel. The one I also had my lunch at earlier.
I got seated at a small table by the window, giving me a nice view of the busy street with little shops lit up with fairy lights and beautiful big windows. This area of the city was more touristy, and I enjoyed people-watching wherever I went. This place was perfect for it.
After ordering my food, I pulled out my phone to check the map and the road I would have to take tomorrow morning to return to Burlington. I had made it my mission to drive all eleven hours in one day, and while that would exhaust me, I just didn’t want to stop at a random motel or gas station somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
I had already bought snacks and enough caffeinated drinks to survive an eleven-hour drive, and the only pit stop I intended to make was to go to the toilet.
I got my food and ate the perfectly cooked steak and beans. The mashed potatoes almost burned my mouth, but I loved how warm they made me feel. They made me feel at home, and they made me want to redirect my plans and visit my parents in Nashua, New Hampshire.
I missed my hometown. Missed Mom and Dad, and all the friends I left behind when I moved to Burlington.
But I wanted to keep going for a while longer.
Julian kept on texting me. He wanted me back, and continued to ask if we could talk.
But I rarely texted back.
When I did text back, I came up with excuses, telling him that my phone’s battery often died, or that my internet connection was bad.
He believed it all, but he kept texting. Kept spamming me with apologies—when there was really nothing to apologize for.
It was our decision to break up but, apparently, I was still on his mind.
I pushed all thoughts of Julian aside to enjoy the rest of my dinner. Letting my eyes wander off to the wall ahead of me, I noticed the signed Polaroid pictures all over it.
I took a closer look and recognized two indie musicians, one rock band, and three actors I’d once seen on TV.
“Crazy, huh? When I started working here, I didn’t even know famous people knew of this place.” The waitress smiled down at me, refilling my sweet tea. “My favorite was Keanu Reeves. Such a humble man.”
I looked up at her and smiled back. “I heard he’s a good man. He’s a really good actor, too.” I looked at the wall again. “But there’s no picture.”
“Oh, we had to give that one a special place.” She pointed toward the bar area, where I saw a large, framed picture of Keanu Reeves with the whole staff. “He deserves the spotlight.”
I laughed softly and nodded to agree with her. “Fair enough.”
“Right? One more actor comes here often, but he asked us not to hang up his picture.”
I was immediately intrigued. “Who is it? Someone as famous as Keanu?”
“Probably even more famous.” She looked around, then leaned in and lowered her voice. “I’m really not supposed to tell you this, but you don’t seem like a stalker or anything.”
Oh, good.
“It’s Caspian King. He lives about fifty minutes away from here. He’s kind of a regular, actually. He comes here a couple of times a month.” She stood back up and grinned down at me.
No. Shit.
I pursed my lips. I had wondered what happened to him, especially after that famous interview. I was even worried because he had disappeared from the face of the earth after all of Hollywood had turned against him.
“Do you not know who Caspian King is?” she asked, looking shocked.
I had two choices here.
Tell her the truth or lie.
I liked telling the truth. Always and at all times.
But there was suddenly a subtle change of plans, and I figured going back to my hometown could wait another week or two.
“No, never heard that name.” I tilted my head to the side. “What movies was he in?”
The woman’s jaw dropped. “ Steel Pulse ? Viper’s Wrath ? The Art of Us ?” She blinked, listing some of the most famous movies ever produced in Hollywood—starring my ex’s dad. “You have never heard of The Art of Us ?”
She was perplexed, and I wished I could’ve told her I knew about that movie and the world-famous actor who starred in it.
“No, sorry.” I gave her a crooked smile. “Why does he not want a picture of him in here?”
She sighed heavily and waved her hand. “Ah, because this whole interview thing happened a few months ago. On the set of his latest—and probably last—movie, there was an accident involving his co-star, Harris Grand. A car stunt ended badly. Harris died. They were good friends, and the producers made everyone stay quiet about how that accident happened. Caspian, the man he is, didn’t let anyone silence him, so he told the truth on live TV. But nobody believed him. He lost it, angry at everyone who saw and knew what happened, and so he swore off Hollywood and ended his career.”
I watched her closely as she told me everything I already knew. I didn’t know every detail, but I knew the truth, too. Unlike Julian and many people on the internet, I believed Caspian.
“That’s horrible. How is he doing? You said he comes here often.”
“He’s very grumpy but still very respectful and nice. He always leaves nice tips,” she said with a wink.
“And where did you say he lives now?”
“I’m really not supposed to say.”
But she would tell me anyway because she thought I didn’t care about the Hollywood actor, Caspian King.
“He lives in Hilton Beach. Very small village. Actually, I think half of that village is a campsite. Either way, he lives totally secluded. Someone once said he has a small house, nothing fancy at all. So he gave up on all the fame and became a normal guy.”
Sounded like a plot for the next blockbuster starring Caspian.
I pursed my lips and reached for my drink. “Fun story,” I said before drinking a few sips of my sweet tea.
“I know, right? Anyway, I’ll let you finish your food.” She left my table, and I continued to eat my now cold steak.
The more I thought about Caspian King, the stronger the urge inside of me became to try and get my ex to reunite with his father.
It’s not like I didn’t care about Julian anymore at all, and I wasn’t a heartless person. It wasn’t like Julian and I ever had some grand, earth-shattering love—what we had was more convenience than anything else. Two people who fit well enough to a while, until we didn’t. I had no reason to care about his relationship with his father. No reason to get involved.
And yet, the idea of reuniting them stuck in my head like a bad song. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was boredom. Or maybe, deep down, I just wanted to prove—to myself, more than anyone else—that I was the kind of person who did the right thing. That I could still be decent, even when it didn’t benefit me.
It wasn’t about Julian.
Not really.
It was about me.
With a sigh, I pushed my plate away and pulled out my phone. It I was going to do this, I needed a plan.
***
I allowed myself to sleep in until nine the next morning since the drive to Hilton Beach wouldn’t be too long, and I wasn’t in a rush now, anyway.
I booked a tiny house at Hilton Beach’s camping ground and planned to stay there for two weeks. It would give me enough time to meet Caspian and see if I could get closer to him. See if I could ask him about Julian.
But even if my plan failed, I would enjoy my two weeks in that tiny village.
Hilton Beach seemed nice to sit and look at the water.
The drive took me almost an hour, with a short break at a gas station to buy myself a snack. Once I reached my destination, I drove by all the small houses to investigate the village before checking into my stay for the next two weeks.
I saw a general store on my way to the camping ground and decided to return once I got the keys to the house. I would come back to grab some food.
Theresa, who showed me the tiny house, looked nice but annoyed. I watched her for a while as she explained the hot water situation to me, and when her eyes met mine, she raised a brow with a questioning look. “Why are you here?”
I pursed my lips and shrugged. “Vacation?”
“Is that a question?”
“No, I’m here on vacation.” Which was partially true.
“You’re a horrible liar.”
Rude.
I couldn’t tell her the truth though, could I?
She probably knew about Caspian. I mean, why wouldn’t she know about him when he literally lived here?
Unless he didn’t, and the woman at the restaurant lied to me.
“Why are you here?” Theresa asked again, her arms crossed over her chest.
I could go ahead with my plan and keep it a secret or tell her the truth and possibly get kicked out of the village.
Hard choices.
I looked around the kitchen and living area before my eyes met hers again. “Does Caspian King live here?” I asked in return.
“Who are you?”
Damn.
One dry question after the other.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you know Caz?”
Caz.
Interesting.
Wait, so he is here, and she does know him.
I smiled tightly and crossed my arms loosely over my chest. “I’m his son’s girlfriend.”
That was another lie, but it was probably helpful to use my relationship to Caspian’s son to earn Theresa’s trust.
She watched me closely, her opinion of me not changing. She didn’t like that I was here. Nor did she like me . But, hey, she couldn’t kick me out now. Besides, I already paid for this place for the next fourteen days.
“Does he know you’re here?”
“Uh, no. And I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t run to him and tell him.”
“Why not? I’m his friend. I should tell him.”
Damn you, Theresa, you old witch.
“Because he doesn’t know that I exist.”
“Are you fucking with me, child?”
I would never , I gasped in my mind.
“No, Ma’am.”
“Why would you come here then? He’s a busy man.”
Busy?
Here?
In the middle of nowhere?”
“How busy? I thought he retired.”
“He did, but that doesn’t mean he—” She stopped and held up a hand. “Why isn’t his son here? Why did you come alone?”
Fair question.
“Julian is a busy man,” I said, repeating the words she outed about Caspian. “He asked me to come check on Caspian, on his behalf. You know, after everything that happened, we wanted to ensure he’s okay.”
“Hm.” She didn’t look too convinced. “How old are you?”
Does it matter? “Twenty-one.”
She studied me again, her eyes wandering all over my face. She was trying to put the pieces together, and to evaluate if what I was saying was enough to let me stay.
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she leaned against the small kitchen counter, still inspecting me like I was some kind of alien.
“You said you have never met him, and Caspian never talked about his son. Or any of his family members, to be exact. Why now? Why bother looking for him after all this time?”
I suddenly felt uncomfortable. It was a good question, one I hadn’t fully reflected on myself. All I wanted was to get Julian and his father to talk. Whatever came out of it wasn’t for me to decide.
But at least I tried to do something kind. “Julian and Caspian have a difficult past. He’s been struggling without his father, and I’m pretty sure Caspian didn’t have it easy either. Their relationship is complicated, you know?”
Theresa’s expression softened ever so slightly, but her skepticism remained intact. “Complicated, huh?”
I nodded, unsure what else to say. She seemed to be weighing her next move, and I didn’t want to push her too hard in case she decided I wasn’t worth the trouble. Finally, she sighed and pushed herself off the counter.
“Look, kid, I don’t know what you’re expecting to find here, or why you think you can reunite a father and son, but Caz isn’t exactly a warm and fuzzy type. He’s…intense. And he’s got his reasons.”
“I’m not expecting much,” I said truthfully. “I just want to check on him. Talk to him. For Julian. And maybe I can help them get closer again.”
Theresa stared at me for another long moment, then shrugged. “Well, good luck with that.”
“Thanks,” I said, trying to sound sincere. “For not kicking me out.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she muttered. “This might not end the way you think it will. But I admire your determination.”
She turned and left, leaving me alone in the tiny house. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and glanced around the space. It was small but cozy, with just enough room for a bed, a kitchenette, and a little seating area by the window.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, my mind suddenly racing. Caspian was here, somewhere in this village. The man who’d been a constant topic on Julian’s tongue. But what would I say to him?
What if he didn’t believe me being Julian’s girlfriend? Well, ex .
And what if he slammed the door in my face and told me to fuck off because he didn’t want random people to appear out of the blue?
That would only be fair.
I rubbed my temples and sighed. Why did I think this was a good idea?
Well, I was being adventurous. And the worst case scenario would be not getting to reunite Julian with his father.
One thing was certain: I wasn’t leaving Hilton Beach without at least trying. Whether he liked it or not, I was here and wasn’t giving up that easily.