Page 26 of Tide Over

“No,” he laughs. “It doesn’t.”

I lean back on my hands, watching as Liam continues to drag the ribbon around, and the kitten chases it. “I’m not the best at naming anything, let alone an adorable kitten. Leave it up to me and she’ll end up being Miss Bobber, or something.”

Liam’s eyes meet mine, bright with amusement and joy as his smile lights up his entire face. “I think Miss Bobber suits her quite well.”

I smile back at him, taking this moment to study his face and the happiness written all over him, hoping I’ll get to see even more of it. “Miss Bobber it is then.”

Liam lowers his gaze from mine as the kitten heads over to the water and food dishes he’s set up for her, and I look aroundto take in everything he bought for her today. Dishes, food, toys, litter box… She’s all set.

But then I feel his eyes on me once again, and I shift my attention back to him.

His gaze roams over my wet hair and down to my damp shirt, where the rain leaked through my jacket. “How was it today?”

A small sigh escapes me as I look out the window behind him, where it’s still pouring. “Honestly… it fucking sucked.”

I bring my gaze back to Liam, his forehead creased with concern. But a smile tugs at my lips as I look into his icy blue eyes, alive with emotion, and so much behind them that I wish I could understand. Yet on some level, I feel like I already do. There’s no denying it now that I have a thing for him. And as much as I know I need to fight it, I can’t fight this moment of weakness as we sit here with a rescued kitten that now belongs to us… and with him looking at me like that.

“But… it’s better now,” I say quietly.

The concern in his face fades, replaced by a soft smile as he keeps his eyes on mine. “Same.”

TWELVE

My leg bouncesrestlessly as I stare out the airport window, watching as the plane pulls up to the gate. The ground crew is busy loading luggage and preparing for passengers, but my mind is miles away.

I want this job. Ineedit. But the guilt that is gnawing at me is impossible to ignore. I’m about to board a plane headed to a dangerous offshore rig, and my parents have no clue. They don’t even know I’m in Nova Scotia right now, let alone that I’m about to leave. As far as they’re concerned, I’m still in Calgary, working my old job in the oil sands. And they don’t know the truth because they’ve been giving me the space I didn’t even have to ask for — because I shut them out. Which I know is wrong, but it’s just easier this way. For now, they can go on believing their only child is still good, safe, and whole.

Until I tell them the truth, and they see me for what I really am. Selfish, reckless, and broken.

My family has already lost one person they love. And they’ll be losing another once they learn what part I played in that. So as cowardly as I am, hiding and keeping the truth from them… it’s also so they can heal a bit before I break their hearts all over again.

With a shaking hand, I pull my phone out and turn it on. As the screen lights up, I rub a hand over my face and blow out a breath, trying to slow my racing heart.

My eyes take in every letter of every word of my mom’s last text to me, especially those last five words… I love you, mo mhac.

I swallow thickly as I tap out a text to her. But my thumb hovers over send, unable to bring myself to tap it. The words are true, and I want her to know… but I can’t. Because it was always my response to her, whenever she told me she loves me.

Gu bràth

Forever.

My thumb continues to hover over the screen for a moment longer until I exit out of her texts, the message still unsent. But before I shut my phone off, my eyes land on Theo’s name in my messages from when he texted me his address over a week ago, when we first met.

My gaze lingers on his name, slowly tracing each letter as calm begins to override the anxiety and sadness. The same calm I felt when I was at his house, going out fishing together, sitting by the fire with him and Miss Bobber… just being with him in that big, quiet house.

A voice sounds over the speaker, jolting me back to reality as the flight attendant announces boarding for my flight. I sigh, shutting my phone off and sliding it back into my bag. And as I make my way to the gate, I hold onto the peace and comfort I found in Torrin Cove.

I’m going to need it.

Waves crash against the rig below as I lean against the railing, staring down at the deep, dark water. The water I was just in earlier today. It’s only my first full day here, and already I’ve had to dive for underwater maintenance on a pipe. It was hard work with the water being as wild as it is, but… it was the danger I’ve been looking for.

I watch as the waves continue to pound against the legs of the rig, and the water swirls and churns as the light fades from the sky. The darkening ocean is mesmerizing as I keep my eyes on it, thinking how easy this water could swallow me whole.

My heart picks up its pace as the wind whips my hair around and I lean a little further over the railing.

How easy it could be…

But I push myself back with a sigh. As tempting as it is, I can’t. Not here.

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