Chapter 31 #2
With a grin, I carefully rolled up the parchment and replaced it inside the neck of the bottle. I placed it and the note, along with the slate, in the fabric-covered box before setting off toward the next stage of Eli’s romantic treasure hunt, my heart lighter than it had been in weeks. Maybe ever.
The sand shifted beneath my feet as I hurried to the yellow shack, the box of treasures cradled against my chest. My heart raced, not just from the brisk pace, but from the anticipation of what I might find next.
I paused at the door, my fingers tracing the peeling paint. When I opened the door, the familiar scent of neoprene and salt washed over me, with the accompanying blast of heat. But my eyes were immediately drawn to the center of the room.
There, on the floor where we’d collapsed in a tangle of arms and legs, sat a beautiful antique silver platter. And on it…
“Oh, sweetie,” I breathed, sinking to my knees in front of it.
Eli’s battered copy of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea lay before me. I reached out, my fingers trembling slightly as I lifted it.
A folded note slipped from between the pages and fluttered to the worn wooden planks. I set the book aside and carefully unfolded the paper to reveal another written note.
I used to tease you about your nickname, but now I realize it perfectly reflects your adventurous spirit and your deep love for the ocean. I should have seen it sooner. Your final clue is in the place where I couldn’t resist you any longer and finally kissed you.
I pressed the note to my lips, closing my eyes as memories washed over me. Memories from this very building, memories of the heated arguments we used to get into, which seemed so silly now. Then the memory of where we’d kissed for the first time. My eyes flew open.
The dive classroom.
Eli’s intense gaze as we’d argued about replacing the scuba kit flashed before me. Along with the electric moment when he’d marched over to give me that devastating, irresistible kiss.
I gently placed the note inside the book, adding them to my growing collection of mementos. As I stood, I caught sight of my reflection in a dusty mirror. My cheeks were flushed, eyes bright with unshed tears, and a smile I couldn’t suppress raised my lips.
“Well,” I said to my reflection. “I guess I’m going back to school.”
I couldn’t maintain a professional pace, finally breaking into a run as I rushed toward the dive shop, the box of treasures held tightly. The pale wooden boards of the pier creaked beneath my feet, but I barely heard them.
Your final clue…
The sign on the glass door had been flipped to Closed, though it was several hours before the usual closing time.
I had a feeling that was intentional, and I couldn’t wait to see Eli.
I yanked open the door, anticipation thrumming through my veins.
My stupid, broad smile froze at the empty shop before me.
“Eli?” I called out, my voice echoing in the silence.
No response.
I made my way down the short hallway, pausing briefly to peek inside the employee break room. Empty. Finally, I reached the dive classroom.
The room, silent except for the hum of the air conditioner, was bathed in the soft light streaming through the large window. My eyes were immediately drawn to the white table at the front, where a blue rectangular placemat stood out starkly against the pale surface.
As I approached, my breath froze in my throat.
There, nestled on the placemat, was a stunning piece of multicolored coral, shaped by nature to suggest a heart.
The stone-like coral was a blend of colors, from pale blues and purples to vibrant pinks and oranges.
I’d never seen it before but could instantly see why Eli had been drawn to it.
“Oh my,” I whispered, gently setting down my box of clues on the table.
My fingers hovered over the coral heart, almost afraid to touch such a thing of beauty. Beneath it, I spotted another folded note. With trembling hands, I lifted the delicate heart and unfolded the paper. Eli’s words leapt off the page.
I found this years ago and thought it represented my one true love. The ocean. I was wrong. Diving is my passion, but you’re my heart. We were meant to be together.
I pressed the note to my chest, overwhelmed by the depth of emotion behind his words. My tears finally spilled over as I stood there, holding the coral heart and reading Eli’s words over and over. My heart felt like it was bursting, and it was the sweetest ache I’d ever experienced.
But as the wave of feeling subsided, a new confusion crept in as I scanned the room. What now?
I flipped the note over—blank. Lifted the placemat to find nothing underneath. My eyes darted around the classroom, searching for any hint, any clue about what came next.
“Come on, Coleridge,” I said, a nervous laugh escaping me. “Don’t leave me hanging here.”
The silence of the empty classroom felt deafening. I circled the table, scrutinizing every inch until I stood in front again. My analytical mind, usually so reliable, felt scrambled.
I wiped my face dry and picked up the coral heart again, marveling at its subtle patterns.
My gaze drifted to the box of collected treasures.
Each item represented a piece of our journey from antagonistic coworkers fighting at every opportunity to lovers who couldn’t be apart.
For weeks, maybe months, I’d known I was in love with Eli.
But this sweet, thoughtful hunt showed me exactly how deep that emotion ran. To my soul.
Because he’d asked me to have faith in him.
Setting the heart down, I scanned the note yet again. What was I missing? Where was I supposed to go from here? Just as I began to worry I’d gotten something wrong, that deep, teasing voice drifted through the air.
“Looking for something? Or maybe someone?”