Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
I watch as Kai hangs the enormous piece of driftwood from the ceiling, smiling when I see my vision come into focus.
I’ve spent all my waking hours here the last few days at the bakery, setting up. I needed to put my mind on something else instead of Bohdi and the night we spent together. And that has been hard. Especially when my body still tingles from the ghost of his tongue.
The thought of staying in the cottage, just thinking about Bohdi, I couldn’t do it. He left me a note saying he’d be back, but that was it. Naked in his room, alone, is where he left me.
My mind has been playing with me, so to keep it quiet, I throw myself into the bakery. All that’s left to do is the décor and furniture. The other day, my beautiful stoves were delivered, completing my kitchen.
The unveiling of the name won’t be until the grand opening.
Chiming sounds, letting me know someone just walked in. Turning around, Baylee holds up coffee. “This place already doesn’t look the same.” She smiles, walking over to me.
Morning sickness has taken a toll on her, so I’m glad to see her out and about.
“Thank you.” I reach for the coffee.
“So how was your bath in your own place?”
Leaning my head back, I say, “It was amazing. I opened the French doors, let the ocean sounds wash over me while lying in my antique claw-footed tub, and thought, ‘This is what dreams are made of.’”
Baylee sits down at one of the tables I have haphazardly placed. “Have you moved into the main bedroom?” Her eyes softened, knowing how I felt about being in their room.
I shake my head but say nothing.
“August, you have to make it yours. Right now, in your mind, it’s still theirs. I know they’d be so damn happy knowing it was you in that house, in their old room. That’s how they wanted it.”
Pursing my lips, I say, “I know.” And I do, but telling my heart all that, it doesn’t care.
The sun has gone down for the day; night now triggers the light poles to turn on, illuminating the uneven sidewalks.
Looking outside the store window, I watch people in their own worlds walking and talking. Bags in hand, enjoying their time in Driftwood Bay.
I had to put a sign on the door stating that it’s closed, so many people tried to come in. Which is good for me, but not for when I open. Not now.
Heading into the kitchen, I pull out the sheet of cookies, golden and perfectly cooked. The chocolate chips and marshmallows melted just right.
Placing them on a cooling rack, I crush up graham crackers and pull out my marshmallow fluff.
Baylee has been craving s’mores, so I thought to make it in cookie form and drop some off to her before I head to the cottage.
I know her, and late-night pregnancy cravings are the thing right now.
She had Kai drive to the cottage at one in the morning to get cookies.
Half-asleep and dead to the world, I packed her some cookies and sent them with Kai, who looked like a zombie.
Dropping a dollop of fluff on a cookie, I use my torch to melt it down, giving it a toasted look before dropping the crushed graham crackers on it and placing a piece of chocolate right on top, again using my torch to melt the chocolate just a bit.
Stepping back, I smile. It’s beautiful.
Finishing the other ones, I move around my kitchen, music blaring, enjoying the way I feel complete at this very moment. True happiness for the first time in eight years.
My eyes tear up when I think about it: the torture I put myself through because I couldn’t see through the grief.
The growing I had to do and finding out who August is.
And I know who she is now. She’s the woman who loves a small coastal town, having sand stuck to her feet, feeling at home and letting her heart heal finally, all while enjoying the sea breeze and salt air.
Placing the last cookie in my brown box, Goose and Anchor stamped on the top, with a little blue wave.
Dainty and minimal. I make sure the ovens are off and grab my phone.
Shocked to see it’s after ten at night. I lose myself when I’m baking, and I think that’s when you truly know you love something. It doesn’t feel like work.
Starting up my car, I message Baylee.
Coming with something sweet. I can leave it on your porch.
Turning onto her road, I pull up in front of their picket fence, walking up with the box in hand.
The front door flies open. Looking up, I see the porch light cast on Baylee’s face before she comes running down the steps.
Worry and fright mar her face. Immediately my heart picks up.
“What’s wrong?” I look down at her shorts, thinking I’m fixing to see red, but I breathe a sigh of relief when I don’t.
Stopping in front of me, she opens her mouth, but shuts it, like she can’t get the words out. Finally, she speaks, “It’s Bohdi. He’s been in a wreck.”
Those words rock my world. I feel like I’m tipping off my axis. I scan her face waiting for her to say she’s screwing with me, but she doesn’t. My body begins to shake. “Is he okay?” I whisper out, scared she won’t hear me and scared that she will.
“We don’t know. We have to get to the marina and take the boat to the city. He’s at MCA General.
I stand there, my mind not comprehending what she’s telling me. “How bad?” I croak out, scared for the answer.
“They didn’t tell us. They called the Westmores and informed them to get to the hospital immediately.”
Fixing to say something, I’m cut off by Kai running out of the house, slamming the door, surprised to see me, but immediately asking, “August, can we use your car?”
“Yeah. It’s still running,” I call out from behind him, following. I jump into the back seat before Baylee can make it to the car, letting her have the front.
My mind is racing. The pit in my stomach feels like it weighs thousands of pounds. I can’t lose him. It was different when I left; I knew Bohdi was still here, still breathing. But losing him for good, I can’t. I can’t meet that August.
Everything is one big blur. From getting to the marina, hopping onto the boat with Bohdi’s family, to Kai driving us to the city.
Baylee holds and rubs my hand. “I just got him back,” I whisper to Baylee. She looks at me. I see that she’s trying to figure out what I mean, but I don’t speak any more about it, just watch the dark ocean in front of us, the boat lights lighting the way.
Baylee doesn’t know anything about what’s gone on between Bohdi and me, because even I don’t know what it is. And I think for a bit, I wanted to keep it just between Bohdi and me. Not give anyone a reason to get their hopes up… Mainly myself.
I look across to Julie sitting in silence, wringing her hands, her lips slightly moving, as if she’s speaking, but I hear nothing. I give her privacy. Looking at Kai driving the boat, the lights above him show his worried face. Eyebrows creased, eyes scanning the ocean.
The ride is quiet as we idle to the docks and wait for Kai to tie off. One by one, we get off the boat; Baylee already has an Uber waiting for us.
I know the hospital isn’t far, but the Uber driver is being too cautious, and it feels like it takes forever until we pull up to the emergency room entrance.
I follow behind all of them, giving them their space. No one invited me; I invited myself.
Mrs. Westmore is already at the desk asking to see her son as I walk through the automatic doors.
The smell of the hospital hit me. It’s a smell that stays with you, no matter how long you’ve been to one. The mixture of cafeteria food and people, and it’s like the white linoleum floors themselves throw off an odor. Accumulating in what everyone knows as the hospital smell.
Before I can sit down, the door swings open, an older man walking out. “Westmore’s?”
They all scurry to him, introducing themselves.
I stand back, remaining close enough to give them room while also being able to hear.
“An ambulance brought Bohdi in over an hour ago. He’s in stable condition, but tore up pretty badly.
He has road rash on the right side of his arm and leg, and his head hit hard, but thankfully he had his helmet on.
We’re cleaning him up now and will monitor him overnight.
I want to keep watch on his head, but the CT came back good.
” He gives them a tight smile. “I’ll tell him you all are here.
But it’ll be a bit until he can have visitors. ”
My heart feels like it slows down for the first time since I heard he was in an accident. Breathing in, actually filling my lungs up. I go and occupy the most uncomfortable chair.
Mrs. Westmore comes and sits right next to me, taking my hand in hers. It shocks me, but I let her. “I’m glad you’re here, August.” Her words hold more meaning than what she said.
“I am too.” I give her a weak smile. “And I’m glad he’s okay.”
She looks at me, then at Kai and Baylee. “Where did he go?” She waits for one of us to answer.
They both shrug. “I’m not sure, he didn’t say.” Kai responds.
“He’s been gone a few days,” I tell them, and all their heads swivel to me. I don’t move, but let my eyes scan each of their faces, and see Baylee narrowing her gaze at me but doesn’t ask how I know.
We all sit in silence; the waiting room is filled with other’s quiet murmurs.
“August.” I hear my name being called. I moan in discomfort, fixing myself in the waiting room chair.
“Oh, God.” I straighten my aching back, my neck not feeling any better.
“Bohdi asked for you.” Baylee smiles at me, curiosity all over her face.
Groaning out from the aches, I say, “Oh, okay.” I must look confused.
“Mrs. Westmore told him you were here with us. He immediately asked for you.” She tightly grins.
Standing, my back pops, easing some of the ache I have in it.
“Room forty-four,” Mr. Westmore tells me, nodding his head.
I let my feet lead me through the automatic doors, eyes looking at each room number, until I come to his.
I stand outside of it for a brief moment, and then force myself to go in.
The only light is the tv on the wall, and the blinking lights on his monitor.
Bohdi turns his head my way, and we both just watch the other.
“Come in,” he holds out his I.V. laden hand.
My eyes scan him, needing to make sure he’s okay. His face is in perfect condition. You couldn’t tell he wrecked his bike by looking at it, until I looked at his arm, raw and angry-looking.
“Bohdi,” I gasp out his name, closing the space.
“You should see the other guy.” He tries to joke.
I take his hand, curling my fingers around it, as my other hand wants to touch him, to make sure he’s real.
“Where did you go?” I question him.
“I had some loose ends to tie up, but it’s all taken care of now.” He raises his forehead. But doesn’t go into any more detail.
I stand there holding his hand for a good while, both of us just looking at the other, not knowing what to say, but our eyes conveying everything in their stares.
Finally, I speak, “That scared me.”
Pushing his head back into his pillow, “It scared me too.”
“When I was gone, I could be okay because I knew you were still on this earth, somewhere. But Bohdi, tonight frightened me. The thought of you not occupying this earth with me, somewhere on it, living. I can’t.” Tears well up in my eyes, falling down my cheeks.
Bohdi raises our joined hands, using his thumb to wipe away a tear. “And I can’t think of you being on this earth and hiding from me, August.” He mumbles.
As I look into his eyes, I see his pupils have dilated, and the medication they administered is taking effect. “I’m going to go so you can get some sleep and let someone else come in here to say hi.”
I loosen my fingers, but he doesn’t let go. “Stay. I don’t want anyone here but you. Stay, just for tonight.”
Breathing in, “Okay.” Because I won’t tell him that I need to be close to him to actually make sure he is okay.
He finally loosens his grip, allowing me to go get a chair, and I put it right next to his bed, and that’s how I sit for the remainder of the night.
My body has never been this sore, nor have I been this tired. So many times they came in and checked Bohdi; how can anyone rest in this place?
“I’m going to go find Baylee and some strong coffee.” I lean over the railing, giving him a kiss on his forehead.
“Go lower,” he grumbles at me, and I laugh before walking out of the room.
Bay meets me in the lobby, and I know I look just as bad as her. “Throwing up in a public toilet isn’t something I ever want to do again.” She pokes out her bottom lip and I grimace.
Reaching my hand out, I wrap it around her waist, pulling her to me. “That’s no fun.” I sniff loudly, “Also, you stink.”
Her mouth falls open. “August!”
Lifting my shoulders, “What kind of best friend would I be if I didn’t tell you.”
“Alive,” she growls and we both laugh.
Turning the corner, we run into Kai, whose hands are full with two coffees and a bag. “This is for you two. Bohdi messaged me and wants my parents and me in his room. He has to talk to us about something.” He swallows.
I stare, wondering what they need to talk about, but it’s none of my business.
Baylee takes the bag, and I take our coffees. “Sounds good.”