Page 4 of Lost In Someone

My cheeks heat as I get lost in the memory of the best night of my life.

“You okay? You’ve gone red.” Drew brings me back to the here and now.

Oh crap. “I’m fine. Does she know anything?”

“As a matter of fact, she does. She goes to a gym that’s attached to a college, but it’s about half an hour away, so she loves the idea of something local. She does yoga and core strength, whatever that is, and something called hit. Is that like kickboxing? I can’t imagine her doing that. She likes her nails too much.”

I laugh. “No, it stands for high-intensity interval training. It’s really good. I love it. Did you ask about the school, or do I need to enquire through them?”

“They do hire it out. It’s used for some of the town committees and kids' birthday parties, that sort of thing. But you would need to contact them directly. Stacey’s going to send me the contact name and number.”

“That’s awesome. Thanks, Drew.”

“What’s awesome?” Merrick approaches our table. Drew stands up, gives my friend a quick kiss, and holds out his arms for a wiggly Willow. She launches herself at him and tells him everything she’s done in the few hours they’ve been apart.

“I just found out that the school hires out, is all.”

“And that’s awesome, why?” He looks over at the counter and catches Benny’s eye. He orders coffee for all of us and something indulgent for Willow.

“I’m thinking of starting some classes in the evenings. I miss working out, and it could be a good way to make some money. I’ve got all the qualifications and insurances, but I’ll need to advertise, and I doubt there’ll be many people to begin with. It’s worth a go, though, don’t you think?”

Instead of reacting with enthusiasm, Merrick stays silent, and my excitement vanishes. “You don’t think it’s a good idea?”

“It depends on what you plan to do. If you intend to stay and make your home here, I think it’s a fabulous idea. But if this is a stepping stone while you find out what you want to do with your life, then no. Don’t get people signed up if you leave after six, seven, or however many weeks it takes to get whatever drove you here out of your system.”

Wow. Where the hell did that come from? “Jesus, Merrick, that’s harsh.” Drew hisses.

“It’s true, though.” Merrick looks at me. “You’ve been here for, what, a month? Do you really think that’s enough time to decide to make your home here? And besides, you’ve said nothing about why you’ve come.”

What has got into him? Does he realise how hypocritical he’s being? He bought his house at an online auction. He’d never even heard of Calston Cove. He moved here and didn’t tell a soul why. “You need to think about what you’ve just said.” My voice is cold, something I never thought could happen with my best friend.

I go to the counter to pay for our lunch and walk out without glancing back. Within minutes, I’m back at the cottage, my head buzzing with mixed emotions. Merrick’s words have hurt me. I hadn’t realised he felt like that about me. That I’m here wasting my time until I get my shit together, but being here is me doing just that. It’s what he did. We both came here to get away from something. Granted, his reason was way more tragic than mine, but both are valid. While he ran away from his friends, I ran to mine. Apparently, it isn’t good enough. I have to tell him why.

My night with a man wasn’t the reason; it was the catalyst. An awakening. It opened my eyes to my life and how settled I’d become. I had become complacent, not interested in furthering my career or meeting someone I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. I can’t even remember the last time I’d been with someone other than the hot club guy.

Where am I going from now on? What’s next for me?

I’ll prove to Merrick that I’m here for the long haul. I’ll start my classes and become integrated with the community the way I want to. He doesn’t have to know the nitty-gritty. He should be supporting me, regardless.

My phone buzzes with a message from Drew with the contact details for the school. Stubbornness takes over, and I call the number.

It only takes a few minutes to explain who I am and what I want to do to have the full support of the head of the activities. She even expresses an interest in coming along to the yoga sessions. With an appointment to visit her tomorrow, I feel a little better.

I grab my laptop, excited to make an exercise programme that will suit and interest all fitness levels. Would people be looking for a personal trainer on a one-to-one basis? There’s no harm in adding that to my proposal. A running group would be fun too. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but around the town are some great running paths. I’ll ask Drew his thoughts.

What about weight training? I have a full set of weights at home I can bring, but not enough for a class. That would have to be another personal training option for now.

As I add more ideas to the growing list, I get more excited. This is exactly what I’m looking for. Is it really this easy? Is this what I’ve been missing? Could I have done this back home, or is it being here why I’m looking for a new future? Whatever the reason, I’m happy, even if Merrick has acted like a dick today. I’ve known him long enough to know how stubborn he can be, but he’ll apologise soon. Probably not today, but he’ll be over tomorrow.

My stomach rumbles loudly, breaking my concentration. I look up from the screen. Shit, I’m sitting in the dark. The night has closed in around me without me noticing. It’s already past five. I shut down the laptop, turn on some lights, and close the curtains. The view seems so different from when I came here in the summer, when the long, light evenings showed off the bay from this elevated position. Now in the winter, the view has gone, and the black night surrounds the little cottage like a shroud. I find it comforting. The London sky never gets this dark, thanks to all the streetlights and lit-up buildings.

My stomach growls again. I need food. I wander into the kitchen and open the fridge for ingredients for a quick dinner. I settle on chicken pasta, and in fifteen minutes, it’s ready. As soon as my arse hits the chair, a knock on the door makes me jump up again.

Bloody hell, this will be either Merrick or Drew. I’m not in the mood for either of them. I want to eat and then watch something crappy on Netflix until I can go to bed. But I’m a nice guy and don’t ignore the incessant knocking like I want to.

It’s Merrick, and he’s not smiling.

“I’m about to eat.” I turn away, leaving the door open for him to follow me.

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