Page 130 of The Trophy

The truth is that I love Luca, Cash and Blaze with my whole heart, but if they could even fathom that I would sell them out and spill our secrets to anyone, they don’t really love me like I thought.

I came here on a whim, letting my feet carry me out of the Grand Hotel. This place is so full of memories of my date with Cash, the first day that started it all, that I’m not so sure being here is a good idea.

There’s the arcade, where we started getting to know each other; the restaurant where we had dinner and let the attraction between us grow with every bite, every laugh, every word.

The funnel cake stand is closed, but memories are a funny thing and I can almost smell the sugary fried dough in the night air.

A gust of wind reminds me that despite being in April in California, nights still get a little chilly, especially this close to the sea.

The tourists that keep this small town’s economy alive won’t really start arriving until Memorial Day and that’s when everything will reopen, including the Ferris wheel that sits unlit and a little sinister at the end of the pier.

Another flurry of cold breeze makes me shiver and I hug my middle with my arms; I wish I put on a jacket when I left the house this morning, but to be fair, I couldn’t have imagined I’d end my night here.

Alone.

Maybe I should turn around, call an Uber and go home. Wash away this God awful day with a shower and then check on Bay.

I fish my phone out from my purse, I turned it off when I left the hotel.

My finger hovers over the power button; should I turn that on? I don’t feel like talking to the guys. If they believe I’m a gold digger, what else is there to say?

But the real reason why I don’t turn it back on, is that if they didn’t try to call me, that’s even worse.

I reach the end of the pier, leaning against the wooden rail that offers a view of the dark, cold water.

Not that there’s much to see tonight, since the sky has turned into a dark mass of clouds and there’s no moon or stars to light the way.

Isn’t it ironic that there are no stars in Star Cove?

This is where Cash kissed me for the first time in a night that was the direct opposite of tonight.

The sky was full of stars, the weather still warm at the beginning of the fall semester.

A drop slides down my face but it isn’t a tear, I’ve cried so much that my eyes are burning, probably puffy and swollen but bone dry.

I lift my face to the dark sky and another drop falls on my cheekbone, followed by another one.

What starts like a few drops of rain, soon turns into a downpour and I know I should find shelter.

But where? I was here, staring at the water much longer than I realized and the pier is now completely dark, everything that was open before has now been closed. I’m not surprised since there wasn’t really anyone out, so I can’t even blame the few places that were keeping their doors open for calling it a night.

That means there’s nowhere to escape the lashings of violent, freezing rain, all the awnings by the restaurants and shops entrances have been put away.

Maybe I should pick up my pace, but what’s the point? I’m already drenched, my hair and my clothes are sticking to me and I’m chilled to the bone. I’m so cold that my teeth are chattering and the tips of my fingers feel like icicles.

I drag myself away from the end of the pier when I notice that the sea is getting choppier. Bigger and bigger swells are crashing against the tall pillars that support the entire structure, sending the salty sprays all the way up to where I was standing.

I walk closer to the wall, hoping for a doorway or some place where at least I can get partial reprieve from the pouring rain.

It’s gotten so dark, that maybe I should turn my phone back on at least to use the flashlight app and see where I’m going.

This place, so fun and welcoming when everything is open, is downright creepy in the dark. It’s not surprising that abandoned amusement parks are often used as the perfect setting for scary movies.

Fuck.

I wish I hadn’t thought about scary movies, because now I’m thinking about all the horrors that could hide in the dark, ready to jump on me as I walk on by.

Like the big, hollow eyes that are staring at me. What the fuck is that?

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