Chapter 31 Poppy
T he morning sunlight bouncing off the waves seems to be intensifying my already flushed skin. Pulling off my light jacket as I run, I quickly tie it around my waist before glancing over at Owen next to me.
“Getting warm?” he asks. God, am I. Why does my body respond like this around him?
“Yeah, the sun is bright today.” The sun is bright today? God. “I love the way it makes everything sparkle by the boardwalk. Even the shops look glittery. It’s one of my favorite things about living here.”
Owen nods at me. He’s a bit quiet after our call to Noah. He seemed to laugh off him standing us up, but maybe he was more uncomfortable than he let on. He glances towards me and I see beads of sweat slowly dripping down his forehead.
“It is beautiful.” My eyes lock with his for a few seconds too long and I trip, catching myself just as I’m about to hit the boardwalk. He reaches down to help me up and my heart starts racing as the golden flecks in his eyes shimmer along with the waves, giving him an otherworldly feel. Stay open, Poppy. You said you’d think about it. This is not Steven.
I pull my hand away abruptly after standing and we continue down the beach. “Have you been able to see Brandon since he got back?” I break the quiet with a benign question, hoping this can somehow calm my nerves.
“Not quite yet, tonight I think. Getting a beer.”
“Oh, nice.” And it’s silent again. What the hell am I doing? Thankfully we’re only a block from the lighthouse at this point. This loop is pretty short and I usually do it three times when I run alone, but Owen already seems to be panting pretty hard, so we’ll go for a light day today. “The lighthouse is just around this bend.”
A few minutes later as we turn the corner I see that there are quite a few people on the pier and my eyes catch on one in particular. I’d know that baseball cap and shaggy blond hair anywhere. Steven. Shit.
I stop abruptly and Owen looks over at me understandably confused, “Can we actually head—” but before I can get the words out of my mouth, he’s already walking towards us and has spotted me. Scanning the shops, I look for an easy way out, but find none. I guess this is happening.
“Poppy, is that you? I hadn’t heard you were back.” Turning towards his voice, I take in the beautiful woman on his arm, the ring on her finger, and his parents in tow behind them.
“Hi, Steven.”
His mom comes straight over and hugs me, kissing my check. “My dear, I am so glad to see you out and about. We were so worried after you ran away when Steven broke up with you.” She laughs like I overreacted over a missed date. After giving me an appraising once over, she adds, “But, you look like you’re doing okay, I suppose.”
My mouth is suddenly dry and I can’t seem to get my brain to respond. But before I can actually form words, I hear a deep voice behind me say, “Babe, will you introduce me?”
Turning my body towards Owen, I can’t mask the look of shock on my face. He looks at me sweetly, taking me in his strong arms and pulling me close to him. Feeling stronger and emboldened with him next to me, I say, “Sorry, this is Steven and his family. Steven, this is Owen.” I open my mouth to elaborate on our relationship, but think better of it after remembering what a gossip Steven’s mom is. If I actually say he’s my boyfriend it will be around Honey Cove faster than a bee from a hive, but if she simply assumes incorrectly, well, then that will be something different entirely.
“How did you two meet?” Steven tentatively asks. I settle in closer into the crook of Owen’s arm, lay a hand on his chest to really drive the ploy home. This feels great. I usually have a hard time feeling this comfortable with guys I’ve dated, but with him, it feels natural, easy.
“I teach at the high school,” Owen responds quickly, sounding so self-assured and in that same deep timbre he used earlier. He glances at me again, sending me encouragement through the warmth of his gaze.
“Well, isn’t that nice. Can we go back to the house, Steven? I’m chilled.” The raven-haired beauty on Steven’s arm finds her voice and she turns to make her way down the pier without a word to me.
“Bye, Poppy,” Steven says quietly. His parents give curt nods.
“See you around, Penny,” the woman says as she wraps her red manicured nails around Steven’s neck, tugging him down into a kiss.
Once they’re farther down the pier, I turn towards Owen, releasing a deeply held breath. “You didn’t have to do that. They’ll figure out we’re not dating eventually.” Running my hands over my face, I focus on slowing my heart. You did it. You saw him and didn’t die.
“Oh, that’s okay. At least I hope it was okay, it felt like the right thing at the moment.”
“Yes, thank you.” Looking out towards the waves, we stop and move to the fencing at the edge. Standing like that for a minute, my thoughts are racing, but there’s one thing I know for certain: that did not happen the way I thought it would.
“I’ve rehearsed in my mind so many times what I would, or wouldn’t, say to him when I saw him again.” I don’t know if my heart will ever fully heal from what he did to me, but it feels lighter now. We’ve officially seen each other again and I will never have to do that again for the first time.
“And I probably threw a wrench into that plan, huh?” Owen’s melodic voice pulls me back to the pier and I involuntarily shiver.
“It never went like that in my head, but I think it was perfect. Thank you.” Reaching out, I place my hand over his. He reaches as well, cupping mine in between his and I feel warm and tingly all over again. Between the glitter of the sun and the comforting feel of his hand in mine, I feel like a new chapter of my life is starting. The book is closing on Steven and opening on something new. I just haven’t decided what that is yet.
“I just have one question, what in the world was that voice you were using?”
He holds up his hands. “I had to get into character, you know, a persona.”
“Is that what you English teachers call it?”
“Something like that.” He turns and we start walking back towards the main strip. I don’t feel much like running anymore and enjoy the slower pace. Our hands brush against one another a few times as we walk and my heart resumes its quick pace at the closeness of him.
“Well, I liked it.”
“What, the voice?” He looks at me, surprised.
“Yeah, it was sexy.” I walk ahead of him a little this time, but can feel his shock just the same.