Page 78 of Until We Break

Shit.

I’d had a lot of wine at the restaurant. I shouldn’t drive. I also didn’t want to ask Caleb to take me to the motel.

“Hold on. Give me just a minute.” I raced past Caleb. My phone was still in the clutch I had carried to dinner and it was on the floorboard of his truck. I yanked on the door and fished inside for it. I did a quick search for the number of the Island Oasis and called.

The front desk answered on the first ring. “Island Oasis.”

“Hi. Yes. Did you have a guest check in a few minutes ago from New York? Ethan Alexander. This is his friend, Margot Delaney at the Blue Heron.”

I held my breath.

She smacked her lips. “Yeah, he’s here.”

I let out a big breath. “Great. Could you connect me to his room?”

“Yeah.” There was a click, click, click, and then the line began to ring.

“Hello?”

“Ethan. Hi. I found you.” I stumbled over my words.

“Margot?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you just call my cell?” he asked.

I stared at the stars overhead. I could hear the water lap against the bulkhead. “I didn’t know if you’d answer after I made youleave like that,” I lied. I had deleted his number from my phone the day he kicked me out.

“You know this place has outside doors? There are no hallways or elevators.”

I almost laughed. “It’s quaint. It’s a beach motel, Ethan.” The Island Oasis was the epitome of Marshoak Island. I doubted Ethan would appreciate the charm of the motel.

“Why’d you call?”

I traced a circle in the gravel beneath my foot. “Look, would you want to meet for breakfast or coffee before you leave tomorrow?”

I heard his breath catch. “Yeah. I can meet you. Yes, I’d like that.”

“Okay. There’s a place called Reel Time. Meet me there at ten.”

“All right. I’ll find it.”

I smiled. “It won’t be hard. There aren’t a lot of places to eat. You’ll get there eventually. Look for fishing rods.”

“I thought you said breakfast.”

“I did.” I chuckled. “Goodnight, Ethan.”

“Goodnight and thanks.”

There was a distinctive click from the motel phone. I saw Caleb’s form move across the bedroom window. I needed to get back inside. I wasn’t sure if I would sleep or not.

THIRTY-EIGHT

Caleb

She surprised me. I had started to learn that’s what Margot did daily. Whether it was how the corners of her mouth turned when she was about to kiss me or the storminess that would fill her eyes when she needed to be alone—I had learned to read the signs. This morning’s surprise? She slept all night. When the alarm went off for me to go to work, I noticed how peacefully she slept.

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