37. Margot
THIRTY-SEVEN
Margot
“ E than,” I whispered.
I drew my hand away from Caleb’s thigh. The heat faded quickly beneath my palm. Only a few seconds ago I had been lost in the beautiful evening with him. Our date. The ferry ride. What we were about to do upstairs in my bed.
What the hell was Ethan doing at the marina?
He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glare of the headlights. Ethan was here sitting on my porch steps. He was wearing a charcoal suit, but the jacket was draped over his arm, and he rolled his sleeves to his elbows. He had sweated through the white shirt.
“Who is he?” Caleb’s voice was rough.
I thought about making up a story, but how could I lie to Caleb? What was the point? Just to keep him from getting jealous or suspicious? I hadn’t summoned Ethan here. We hadn’t spoken since the breakup.
“My ex,” I admitted.
“The guy from New York? The one who kicked you out of the apartment?”
I nodded, waiting for Caleb to cut the headlights, but he made Ethan suffer through the blinding lights.
“Did you know he was going to be here?” he asked.
“I had no idea.” My hand was on the door handle. “I should talk to him and find out. I didn’t even realize he knew where I was.”
Before I opened the door, Caleb’s fingers curled around my wrist. “It’s okay, you know?”
“Hmm?”
The warmth spread along my arm, forging its way along my body.
“Whatever it is he wants. I’m here too. I won’t go anywhere.”
I wanted to lunge at him and curl my body against his. No one made me feel safe and secure the way Caleb did. He was the opposite of the man sitting on the steps.
“Thank you,” was all I managed to say before stepping on the gravel.
Ethan rose to his feet. “Margot.”
“I don’t know what to say about you being here.” I thought I had a few ideas on where to start with him, but they left as soon as we were face-to-face.
“How about you’re happy to see me?” There was expectation in his eyes as he moved toward me with open arms.
I tried to avoid the hug, but he pulled me to him. I stiffened against his chest and backed out of the hug.
“I’m not sure how you found me.”
He exhaled. “It wasn’t that hard. I asked the landlord where you had your mail forwarded.”
“And he gave you the address?”
Ethan smirked. “Well, I did tip him handsomely for it.”
Just then the truck door slammed, and Caleb walked around the hood of the truck, his athletic frame cutting through the headlights with an imposing shadow.
“Who’s this?” Ethan’s expression changed when he sized up Caleb.
“Caleb O’Connor.” He held out his hand.
“My boyfriend,” I explained.
Ethan shook hands, but I saw the bitterness in his eyes already forming. He glanced at me. “Is there somewhere we could talk alone? Just us?”
“What is there to talk about?”
“I flew and then drove all the way out here, just to see you. You know that’s a long trip. It’s been a long day.”
“Without telling me. Where are you staying?”
Ethan shrugged. “I thought maybe…”
I shook my head. “No. Oh, no. You’re not staying here with me.” My palm slid into Caleb’s hand. He squeezed it gently.
“Then where?” Ethan sighed.
“There’s a motel on the island,” Caleb added. “It’s summer and peak season, but you might be able to get a room. I don’t know for sure.”
“Motel?”
I almost laughed. I was certain Ethan had never stayed in a motel.
“Come on, Margot. Talk to me. Without him.” He nodded toward Caleb. “I came all the way down here for you.”
My stomach twisted in knots. I wasn’t curious. No part of me wanted to know why Ethan was here. I had known for a long time I was over him, but there was something freeing and exhilarating about triumphantly knowing it in my bones.
“I didn’t invite you, Ethan. I haven’t called you. I haven’t sent a single text. I didn’t ask you to come. And I’m definitely not letting you stay with me at the marina. So go. See if they have a room at the Island Oasis.”
“Island Oasis?” His voice cracked.
“Yeah, that’s the motel I was telling you about.” Caleb shrugged. “It’s about a mile from here on the beach side. There’s a flashing neon wave on the roof. You can’t miss it.”
Ethan reached for his suit jacket. “You aren’t going to talk to me?”
I shook my head. “No.”
He kicked a few rocks along the parking lot as he shuffled to his car. His shoulders were hunched. He hung his head. He paused before ducking in the driver’s seat. I’d seen this mopey routine before. It had worked in the past. It always tugged at my heart. I’d felt guilty for upsetting him or hurting his feelings. Sometimes it was because I wanted to skip one of his events or work on my book instead of going out with him. It wasn’t going to work anymore.
Finally, he climbed inside the car and drove off.
Caleb pulled me into his arms. “That must have been tough.”
I nodded, wrapping my hands around his back. “I’m still in shock I think that he showed up like that. It’s as if he wasn’t really here.”
“What do you think you wanted?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea.” Unless I talked to him, I wasn’t going to know. A shiver of icy panic ran through me. Had I made a mistake? Should I have heard him out?
Caleb pulled away. “Let’s go inside. I’ll turn off the truck and meet you in there.”
I trudged up the stairs, hit with exhaustion. The screen door slammed behind me. I sat on the couch, wondering if I should go after Ethan.
“You okay?” Caleb strolled in and closed the door behind him.
“I’m not sure.” I bit my lip. I turned to look at him. “It doesn’t make any sense why he’s here.”
“Did you leave a voicemail? Something about the apartment?”
“No. I left New York and we haven’t had any communication. It’s been over. I promise.”
Caleb smiled, sliding next to me on the couch. He put his arm around me. “I’m not worried. I believe you. I’m only trying to help you figure out what the guy is doing on Marshoak. He’s right. It’s not easy to get here. He went through a lot of trouble.”
I took in his words. “I should talk to him, shouldn’t I?”
“I don’t love the idea, but you’re going to wonder until you do. And you barely get any sleep as it is. You won’t sleep tonight worrying about it.”
My brows furrowed. “Hey, I’ve been sleeping much better, lately. I haven’t awakened you in weeks.” It was true. I didn’t wander the house at night anymore. The insomnia had slowly vanished. So had the nightmares. Every night I spent with Caleb was like medicine without the nasty side effects. It healed me. He healed me.
“You’re right. But tell me you’re going to sleep knowing your ex-boyfriend is a mile down the road and you have no idea why. There was no warning. No text. Nothing. He appeared out of thin air. You aren’t going to sleep.”
I exhaled. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I might not sleep that great either.”
I played the scene over in my mind. “It’s pointless. There’s nothing I can do for him.” I pushed off the couch and headed toward the kitchen. I rinsed out the coffee pot for the morning. “Besides, there’s nothing I want to do for him. I didn’t ask him to come here. You heard everything I said to him.”
“I know you didn’t ask him to come for a visit. But the guy’s here.”
“He shouldn’t be here. He should go back home.” I filled the coffee tank full of water and dug into the canister for coffee grounds.
“Whatever you want to do.” Caleb watched as I stabbed the scoop back into the canister.
“But what you mean is that I should find out why he’s here.”
“I didn’t say that.”
I closed the lid on the carafe. “I know that’s what you mean. But you don’t know Ethan like I do. He always has an angle. He always wants something from someone.”
“Sounds like a great guy.”
I frowned. “I didn’t know that about him when we started dating.”
“He could take the ferry in the morning and be gone and you won’t have to deal with him or see him again. It could be that easy.”
It was as if snapping my fingers would make the problem disappear. Nothing was that easy.
“Or?” I glanced at Caleb, anxious to hear his thoughts on Ethan.
“Or, there’s something really important he needs to tell you. If he’s as selfish as you say, then why would he come this far? It’s a long trip for an asshole to make.”
I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to think about what Caleb was implying. Was it possible that Ethan was in some kind of trouble? He came to me for help?
Shit.
I’d had a lot of wine at the restaurant. I shouldn’t drive. I also didn’t want to ask Caleb to take me to the motel.
“Hold on. Give me just a minute.” I raced past Caleb. My phone was still in the clutch I had carried to dinner and it was on the floorboard of his truck. I yanked on the door and fished inside for it. I did a quick search for the number of the Island Oasis and called.
The front desk answered on the first ring. “Island Oasis.”
“Hi. Yes. Did you have a guest check in a few minutes ago from New York? Ethan Alexander. This is his friend, Margot Delaney at the Blue Heron.”
I held my breath.
She smacked her lips. “Yeah, he’s here.”
I let out a big breath. “Great. Could you connect me to his room?”
“Yeah.” There was a click, click, click, and then the line began to ring.
“Hello?”
“Ethan. Hi. I found you.” I stumbled over my words.
“Margot?”
“Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you just call my cell?” he asked.
I stared at the stars overhead. I could hear the water lap against the bulkhead. “I didn’t know if you’d answer after I made you leave like that,” I lied. I had deleted his number from my phone the day he kicked me out.
“You know this place has outside doors? There are no hallways or elevators.”
I almost laughed. “It’s quaint. It’s a beach motel, Ethan.” The Island Oasis was the epitome of Marshoak Island. I doubted Ethan would appreciate the charm of the motel.
“Why’d you call?”
I traced a circle in the gravel beneath my foot. “Look, would you want to meet for breakfast or coffee before you leave tomorrow?”
I heard his breath catch. “Yeah. I can meet you. Yes, I’d like that.”
“Okay. There’s a place called Reel Time. Meet me there at ten.”
“All right. I’ll find it.”
I smiled. “It won’t be hard. There aren’t a lot of places to eat. You’ll get there eventually. Look for fishing rods.”
“I thought you said breakfast.”
“I did.” I chuckled. “Goodnight, Ethan.”
“Goodnight and thanks.”
There was a distinctive click from the motel phone. I saw Caleb’s form move across the bedroom window. I needed to get back inside. I wasn’t sure if I would sleep or not.