Chapter 10
Chapter ten
My nose is pressed up against the glass as close as I can get without leaving unsightly impressions of my nostrils on the plane window while I gaze out at the beautiful greenery that Scotland has to offer.
I can’t believe we are really here. We are in Scotland.
And only hours away from meeting our favorite author in the world.
My stomach feels like a volcano that isn’t quite dormant anymore, bubbling with nerves just waiting to explode.
Gosh, that sounds disgusting when I think of it like that.
But I haven’t been able to eat properly for the last few days because I’ve been so excited and nervous for this trip.
I still can’t believe that we are being treated to an all-inclusive stay—including travel arrangements that got us into first class!
This type of stuff doesn’t happen to little nobodies like me.
Sure, I work as an assistant to our local library in Wilmington while also making pretty decent royalties from the podcast. I make pennies compared to most people, and I sure as hell am not the type of girl who would splurge for a first-class ticket like this.
I don’t think any of us are used to this type of treatment.
I shift my gaze from the window and stare across the row at my friends.
Lexi is asleep next to me with her Kindle on her lap.
Her chair is reclined, and the fluffy cow-print blanket she brought is draped over her.
She took a sleeping pill and knocked out shortly after the flight attendant served us dinner that consisted of a caprese pasta salad and a red velvet cake muffin for dessert.
I would give my life to have another one of those muffins.
Capri and Lee are in the row just across from us and are cuddled up together. Yes, over the vast and spacious armrest. They are watching a movie and keep giving each other looks that only people who know each other inside out could decipher.
Seeing them so happy in love makes me want to scream.
Don’t get me wrong, I love how much love they have for each other. I just can’t help that my traitorous heart misses Josh. He’s texted me several times since he called it quits on us. I was finally forced to mute his notifications because he kept calling me every ten minutes yesterday.
Part of me wants to reach out and try again, because I do care about him.
On one hand, I wish that my heart hadn’t been ripped out and stomped all over by him.
I might still even love him. On the other hand, I’m also excited to be single and free here in Scotland without worrying about being judged by a man for putting myself first.
There’s another part of me that is angry that he expects me to push my friends and myself aside for him and his needs. I can’t get on board with that.
My heart is in tatters over the entire thing. I can’t talk to Josh until I figure out what I really want in life. If I don’t, then I’ll just end up having the same argument with him.
We both deserve better than that.
Lexi yawns loudly next to me and stretches her arms out, accidentally punching me in the face.
“Oh, T,” she says through another loud yawn. “I’m so sorry!”
I rub at my jaw and flash her a fake look of betrayal before leaning on her shoulder.
“I missed you while you were sleeping, you know,” I tell her.
“Maybe that’s weird, but I would have rather hung out with you than be stuck looking at the adorably disgusting little love birds over there,” I say just loud enough for Capri and Lee to hear me.
They look over and grin as if they have zero cares in the world that the rest of us are still hunting for our happily ever after.
“How much longer until we land?” Lexi asks me through another lengthy and impressive yawn.
“You’d better stop yawning like that, or you’re going to make me finally fall asleep,” I tease, stifling my own yawn from escaping. “But we should be landing in about forty-five minutes.”
Lexi gives me a thumbs up, then puts her eye mask back on. “Good, wake me when we land. I need all the beauty sleep if I’m competing with your gorgeous ass for hot single guys on this trip.”
“Riiiight,” I respond under my breath. Lexi has nothing to worry about. Definitely not about little ol’ me stealing any men from her.
Lexi has always been the prettiest of us.
Her long blonde hair, natural tan, and legs for days beat out my pale complexion and dark hair any day of the week.
She’s a freaking supermodel compared to me.
There is zero competition. Besides, I would never choose a man over our friendship.
If she finds someone here in Scotland, it’s all hands off for me.
Girl code and all that.
The rest of the plane ride is uneventful. Beautiful, but uneventful, and before I know it, we have landed and are all exiting the aircraft.
The airport in Scotland surprises me because it looks just like every airport in America.
The only difference is that it’s not bustling with angry business people trying to fight the crowds to make their last-minute flights.
That, and the fact that the overhead speaker speaks several different languages, including English, French, and what I think is German, based on my two years of German in high school a billion years ago.
I wish I had paid more attention in that class instead of gossiping with my friend Beate about hot boys, who sat next to me for both years.
Lee, Capri, Lexi, and I make our way down to baggage claim and quickly find our luggage.
“What did the email say about traveling to the estate?” I ask Capri once we get outside. She and Lee coordinated with Pierce’s assistant and handled all the travel arrangements for our group.
Capri takes out her phone and scrolls for a minute before telling us there should be a car waiting for us outside the airport.
“Oh, I bet that’s him!” Lexi exclaims as she points to an older man with graying hair in a dark navy suit standing in front of a stretch limo. He’s holding a large white sign with our names in fancy cursive.
Lee walks up to the man and introduces himself and the rest of us.
“You may call me Henry,” the older man tells us with a thick and animated Scottish accent. “It’s nice to meet such a fine-looking group! You four are the last of the guests to arrive, so we must hurry along now. We don’t want to keep the rest of them waiting.”
We all shuffle into the limo as Henry insists on loading our bags without help.
As soon as we get on the road, Henry lowers the privacy screen and tells us that a popped champagne bottle is waiting in the icebox for us, along with glasses.
I’m still feeling the effects of the hangover I gave myself the night before last as I cried over Josh yet again.
But before I can decline his offer, he tells us that it’s bad luck to deny the host’s kind gesture and that we must toast to our safe travels.
“I guess we are day drinking, my friends,” Lexi says as she lifts the bottle and pours us each a small glass. “Can’t risk Madame Pierce hating us before we even leave the airport!”
I’m glad to see that Lexi got all the sleep she needed because I feel like I’m moments away from passing out. I refused to let the world pass me by without watching from my window seat, and I’m definitely paying for that now.
The four of us hold our glasses up as Lee gets the honors. “Cheers to a happy wife, happy life!” he says, placing a soft kiss on Capri’s cheek. “And of course, to the rest of you, who make my dear wife happy daily!”
“Yeah, I’ll drink to that.” I grin.
Lexi rolls her eyes at me before saying, “Screw that happy married life nonsense. Not that you two aren’t adorable.
” She motions to Lee and Capri, the liquid in her glass swirling.
“We are always cheering for your happiness and marriage. But T and I want to enjoy that happy, single, and very ready-to-mingle life while we are here. Am I right?”
I tap my glass to hers before raising it to my lips. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
We clink our glasses with the group.
I was surprised to learn that Pierce owns a private island off the coast of Scotland.
After driving up the coast and taking the ferry to the secluded island, Henry ushered us into another limousine to get to Pierce’s home on the island.
We pull into the gates of the estate about fifteen minutes later, although estate is most definitely the wrong word for the massive brick towers looming above me.
There’s a sign hung above the wrought-iron gate that says Windermere Castle.
Are we going to sleep in a freaking castle?
I sit up straighter in my seat as we drive closer and take in the scene before me.
Deep green Ivy clings to nearly every outer wall and archway.
The castle reminds me of something on the cover of a horror novel, but without all the dark gargoyles waiting to snatch you up for their tormented masters.
There are probably more than fifty windows in this place. They are intricately designed, each with the same pattern: a black cross surrounded by hues of amber and yellow stained glass.
I wonder which window belongs to Pierce’s room.
The arched doorway at its entrance hosts two suits of armor. I shiver at the thought of one of them housing a living, breathing person, hiding and watching from behind the mask, ready to hunt us down for trespassing onto their land. Clearly, I’ve watched a few too many horror movies.
The rest of the outside is bright and exceptionally maintained, other than the ivy that climbs the walls with no abandon. The towering brick walls are all shades of tan and taupe.
When I finally exit the limo, I swear I can taste the salt from the sea nearby on my tongue.
When my eyes land on the garden, my feet move like they have a mind of their own.
I can’t stop myself from walking over and taking a closer peek.
The apartment I live in has a small balcony, but the only plants I tend to keep alive are cacti.
If the suits of armor are from a horror movie, then this garden must be one from a fairytale.
It’s full of lush green bushes and flowers of all colors.
It looks like it wraps around the entire estate.
I’m in awe of the breathtaking landscape. It looks even more vibrant with the overcast sky above us.
Some things tend to shine with natural beauty when a little darkness touches them.
“Care to take a stroll later?” A deep, husky, male voice greets me from behind, making me jump. I turn and nearly gasp when my eyes land on his face.
Now, I’m not one of those women who believe in that whole love at first sight thing. But I could be convinced to believe in lust at first sight because this man might just be the most attractive man I’ve ever laid eyes on.
A blush creeps over my cheeks when I realize I’m just staring at him as he waits for me to say something.
“Is that a yes?”
“I—um. What?” I run a hand over my messy, traveling bun and wish that I had thought to put just a touch of makeup on before I got here. I planned on getting ready before the big dinner party. I most definitely didn’t expect to meet the modern age Adonis before I unloaded my suitcase.
He grins and runs his fingers across his lips as he stares down at me.
I didn’t realize that he stepped closer.
My heart may or may not skip a beat in my chest while I grapple for coherent words.
He’s looking down at me with the most intense blue eyes I’ve ever gazed into.
Something about them feels familiar, but I know I would have remembered if I had seen this guy before.
His hair is a dark mess of waves atop his head.
I wonder what it would feel like beneath my own fingers.
“Hey, Teagan! Are you coming or what?” Lexi shouts from the entrance to the castle, making me jump like a fool. “We’ve got to get ready for the dinner party, so hurry it up!”
I curse her silently under my breath. “Yeah, I’ll be right there,” I yell back.
The modern-day Adonis turns and walks deeper into the garden.
“Wait.” I step towards him.
He turns on his heel before those blue eyes meet mine again. “Yes?”
“What’s your name?” I ask.
A sly smirk paints his lips. “Well, Teagan.” He steps closer to me and shoves his hands into the pockets of his dark slacks.
The white button-up shirt pulls taut against the obvious muscles painting his arms and chest as he stares down at me.
“I guess you’ll just have to find out at dinner tonight. ”
He winks at me, then turns on his heel and strolls back into the garden, leaving me wondering if I conjured him up entirely with my sleep-deprived mind.