Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Iwas up by sunrise the next morning and heading down the beach path to Hollingworth House, my keys gripped in my hand.
Where the hell was my car? I had to get out of here.
Hadn’t I parked it right here?
I needed to be gone by the time that fucking drifter Granger was up, and I was so focused on escaping that I jumped to hear Pippa come up behind me, still looking beautiful and put-together even though she was in her joggers and a sports bra.
“Sosie, what’s wrong?”
“I can’t find my car! And I know exactly where I parked it.”
“Calm down, it’s no big deal—”
“It is a big deal! The service is shit here, I can’t even get enough service to call Jax and there’s no Wifi in the guesthouse—“
“I mean don’t worry about your car.”
But I was so irritated I said,
“Granger—"
“And what would Granger have to do with your car?” Pippa asked sharply.
I bit back my retort that she didn’t know what he was capable of. But for that matter, neither did I. . .
“I—nothing, of course,” I backpedaled. “I just wondered if he had seen it or anything.”
“In fact, Hayden told me today that there was a nail stuck in your tire, so he and Granger took it to the shop for you.”
“Without my keys?” I asked, biting back my anger.
“Oh, Hayden just asked if Granger would haul it over on his truck and he did. That’s just a nice gesture from my brother, even though you have a boyfriend. Why are you so jumpy? What happened to you at grad school? Can’t you just appreciate nice guys exist?”
Can’t I? Is that my whole problem?
“I just wish someone had told me, is all.”
“Sosie, you just need to relax,” Pippa said. “Now, wish me luck. I’m going to go take another pregnancy test. I swear there was something on the first one I took this morning. But Granger said he couldn’t see anything.”
“Good luck,” I said in a choked tone.
The thought of him getting her pregnant while breaking into the guesthouse and forcing me to blow him made me sick.
The place on my ass where the Patch had been seemed to sting. That was another thing I needed my car for, to go get myself more birth control Patches.
Pippa linked arms with me and we began to stroll back toward the house. She bent and picked up a sand dollar.
“It’s so beautiful here. I don’t know how you could ever stand to leave this place.”
“My schooling—” I began.
“I don’t want any bullshit,” she suddenly demanded, dropping my arm to look me right in the eyes. “Why did you leave town right after my wedding?”
“I just wanted to try someplace new,” I said. “I’ve lived in Oystar Bay all my life, and I wanted to try something else.”
She narrowed her eyes. “That doesn’t explain why you didn’t respond to our calls. Why you never came home for holidays.”
“I have Jax,” I said. “He works at the coffee shop where I do a lot of studying.”
“How nice,” Pippa said, but she clearly didn’t give a shit. It was like she barely even listened most of the time. Except when I didn’t want her to. . .
There was silence for several minutes as I looked out over the Olympic-sized pool. Was it even possible to resuscitate our friendship? What exactly what I trying to go back to?
Did Granger ever regret the choice he had made? Or did he always just want to have his cake and eat it too. . .
“Every year there’s at least one Siren who tries to seduce my husband,” Pippa said at last.
My skin seemed to prickle with danger, and I felt droplets of sweat begin to form all along my hairline.
But I couldn’t look guilty.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked directly.
“Thought you might want to know.”
“What is it to me?” I bit out.
“Well, excuse me for thinking you cared about my life. It’s annoying having to fend them off all the time. Females always think they have a chance with him, you know how these low-class women are.”
“Has Granger given you cause to worry?” I asked, my voice cooler than it had any right to be.
“No—of course not,” and then the mask was down over her face again. “You know how women are with a gorgeous man. So many don’t care if he’s married or not. They’ll do everything but throw themselves tits-out at him.”
“Well, it won’t be me throwing myself tits-out at your husband,” I said coldly.
Was what Granger said true? If I confessed our sins would Pippa even believe me? Or would I get placed in the role of a low-class woman who had thrown herself at Granger, if she even believed me in the first place?
“Have you heard from your boyfriend yet?” she put in.
“No,” I said, realizing guiltily after what had happened last night I hadn’t even thought to call this morning and see why he hadn’t messaged me back.
The service here was just shit, that was all.
“Good,” Pippa said brightly. “I think you and Hayden would go so well together.”
But why would she want an almost penniless flute player as her sister-in-law? I wondered. Or was this just a way to get me out of the way because she really did feel threatened?
“Want to meet up for breakfast? I can have the housekeeper add another spot at the outdoor table?”
“N-not today, thank you. I just want to stock up on a few groceries for the guesthouse.”
“OK! Well, I’ll have the kitchen make you a charcuterie board or something for later. Remember, Sosie, please don’t be embarrassed about making generous use of the kitchens. I know you don’t get stuff like this often.”
“Thank you,” I said stiffly, trying to return her hug as much as I could.
I didn’t know if it was the distance between us, but now that I was back it was clear to me—I was still Pippa’s little charity project, someone to make her feel better about herself. For being so nice to the poor little orphan child.
Since I didn’t have my car, I walked all the way across Oystar Bay to go to the cheaper grocery store for staples like cereal, milk, bread and peanut butter, then began the process of hauling them back.
Hayden met me on the way, eagerly taking the bags from my hands.
“I’ll help you with those.”
He was dressed in a suit and tie, and he did look handsome. If it wasn’t for Jax, maybe it would be good for my career to give him a chance.
But then I’d be just as bad as Granger, marrying someone for money. I couldn’t do that. I wasn’t desperate enough for that. He was just an immoral con man.
“How did you notice the nail in my tire?” I put in.
“Oh—I think I was talking to Granger somewhere over there and noticed it. Why?”
Because anytime I hear his name now I’m suspicious.
“When do you think it’ll be done?” I asked instead.
“Not sure. I think Granger left his number.”
Of course he did. Arrogant, controlling, selfish bastard that he is.
I said nothing else, just thanked Hayden at the door and went inside.
After I had put away the groceries, I sat down at the table with a bowl of cereal and pulled back the curtains so I could watch the sun sparkle over the waves.
Why did the sight of Oystar Bay in the summer make me remember things I didn’t want to. . .
“I’m not like you, Sosie. I’m not an idealist.”
In those days, there seemed to be something softer about Granger, something almost even serious about him sometimes.
I was so madly in love with that man as we sat on the beach together, the fiddle held loosely in his strong fingers.
You wouldn’t think a man who looked like that, like someone out on parole, could coax such beautiful melodies from his instrument, but he could.
We had been talking about being musicians, and I’d argued passionately that no matter what it cost, I wanted to make music my whole life.
Granger had listened, that little smile playing across his lips, but shook his head.
“That wouldn’t be me. It’s not in me to be an honorable penniless musician. I’d rather be rich.”
I had laughed, thinking he was making a joke.
But it turned out it was the truth. He would never had chosen me, it wasn’t in his nature. . .
The sea breeze smelled amazing, filling my nostrils with fresh salt. I wished all my memories of this town hadn’t been tainted by my mistake with Granger.
If only I hadn’t followed him down that hallway.
Maybe I’d be able to move toward my dream of living on the waterfront permanently. I should try to sign on with one of those big cruise ships. After all, truly devoting my life to being a musician needed the connections I was struggling to appreciate.
But if I wasn’t willing to play nice and suck up to Chamberlain or Hayden? How was I expecting to parlay this job into a career?
A knock on the door startled me out of my reverie.