Page 54 of Until We Break

I walked and knelt next to her in the wet grass. I picked up a book that was waterlogged. I flipped it over in my hand. Water ran along my palm. The pages had acted as a sponge in the rain. I saw the cover.

“These are yours?” I was astounded. It was her name on the front of the book. “You wrote this book?”

She nodded. “I did.” There were pieces of the pages dotting her fingertips. The books must have dissolved when she picked them up.

“What happened? Why are these in the yard?” I asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She stood to leave, wiping the bits of paper on her shorts.

“Don’t go.” I pressed her shoulder, urging her to stay. “There’s obviously something about this you don’t like. You don’t want to tell me. You didn’t want me to see them in your room. They’re in your yard? What’s the deal with destroying your book?”

“You remember seeing them before?”

I nodded. “I remember even though I was distracted. I remember you didn’t want to talk about them then either.” I didn’t want to push her too hard. “You can tell me, whatever it is about the book.”

“I forgot they were out here, you know? I was walking around the cottage to see if I had any storm damage. And…well…I found them like this. Ruined. They aren’t even legible. The ink ran through all the pages.” She sniffed. “All of them.”

I squeezed her shoulder and let my hand run along her neck. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m the one who did it. There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. It was the day of the accident.” Her eyes rose to meet mine. “I was throwing them out when I saw his boat overturn. I was freaking out? Panicking? Raging against all this stupid shit? Then I stopped when I saw that sailboat.”

“Seems like they saved Lucas’s life.”

“I guess so.”

“Want me to help you clean this up? I can carry them over to the dumpster.” I began to collect the soggy pile into one heap to make them easier to maneuver.

“I’ll do it, Caleb.” There was more force behind her words than I expected.

I lowered the books back to the mangled boxes in the grass. “Only an offer.” I stepped away so she could throw them out herself. I watched as she struggled to wrestle them in a stack. They were squishy and slippery.

“Margot?”

“I’ve got it.” She tossed the first batch into the marina dumpster. She marched back and forth until all the books were gone along with the cardboard.

Damn, she was stubborn.

She began to walk toward the screen porch. I followed her. “You aren’t going to tell me why you threw the books in the yard?”

She spun on her heels. There was fire in her eyes mixed with undeniable sadness and pain. “Because that book was a complete failure. It was supposed to launch my career and instead it tanked it. Okay? I lost my agent. My contract. I lostmy royalties. I rolled into this fucking marina with nothing but this.” Her hands motioned around the marina. “This is all I have. And it’s a money pit. But I’m sure you know and everyone on the island knows it. I can’t pay the taxes. I can’t afford to keep it.”

“Whoa. Whoa.” I took a deep breath for her. “Can we go inside? Can you talk me through this with you? Maybe I can help you figure it out.”

She closed her eyes. Her hands were trembling. “I don’t know.”

“You’re shaking. Let’s go inside. I brought breakfast. Come on.” I rested my hand against her hip and guided her through the porch, lifting the bag of biscuits, and leading her in the house.

My eyes landed on the same exact biscuit bag on the counter.

“Oh. You already stopped at Reel Time on the way home?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. Dean dropped them off.”

“Waters, again?” I mumbled.

“Please don’t say anything about him. I already had to cut him off about you. I don’t know why the bad blood between you is still a thing. I don’t think I have the energy for it.”

I clamped my lips together. I warmed the biscuits in the oven and started a fresh pot of coffee. I wasn’t going to be jealous of Dean Waters. He was her attorney, nothing more. He could want her. Ask her out. Call her. None of that mattered.

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