Page 16 of Unmoored

I scratch the back of my neck, trying to think what I can even tell him. “Well, um… I grew up inland, but you know that now. A few years ago, I moved to Vancouver to make my big break as an artist. And then… uh…” I trail off, looking away with a frown.

Shit. And then George enters the picture.

I don’t want to bring him up—not yet. It’s so light and fun with Murph. It was never like that with George, not even at the beginning. And I don’t want it to sound like I just want a rebound.

I chew my lip in thought, glancing up at Murph. And now that I see the way he’s looking at me… everything grinds to a halt.

His blue eyes pierce straight to my heart—steady, calm, and certain as the tide. Like he doesn’t want to intrude upon my sadness, but he’ll never abandon me in it, either.

Holy shit. I want to cling to him like a rock in the middle of a stormy sea.

I take a deep breath and look away, my heart fluttering against my ribs.

Eventually the words come. “Things got bad for a while,” I admit softly, clearing my throat. “Not, like,dire. A lot of people go through worse…” my voice trails off as Murph puts a hand on my shoulder.

The solid weight is warm and surprisingly gentle. Heat rushes through me like a bolt of lightning, melting the stress from my shoulders just like that.

We don’t even need words. I look into the depths of his eyes, and I know what he’s trying to tell me.

It’s okay. Take your time.

And you know what? The real crazy part is that I believe him. I nod slowly, offer him a shaky little smile, and he even smiles back at me.

“I lost my… my inspiration. I stopped creating as much.” I clear my throat. “Until—one day last week—I opened my eyes.”

And now I’m here, and it feels more and more like the universe knew what it was doing.

Murph’s eyebrows slowly creep up. “So you immediately went out and bought the first rust bucket you saw?” he teases me gently, like he wants to make me smile.

“I drunk-bid on a houseboat, thank you very much.”

Murph comes to a dead halt in the middle of the road, his jaw hanging open. I just keep on walking, spinning around to walk backwards while grinning at him.

“And that brings me here. Now, who’s leading the tour today? You or me?”

Murph finally shakes his head, lengthening his stride to catch up as he stares at me in perplexed fascination.

When he catches up, he puts his arm around my shoulders, slowing me down to his pace. And it feels nice to be tucked against him—really,reallynice.

“I’ve never met anyone like you before, Eden.”

“You don’t even know the half of it,” I tease, tossing my head.

“I’d like to.”

I beam right up at him. “Then you’d better be able to keep up with me, Mr. Pirate.”

Everything feels perfect.

From the strong, protective arm around my shoulders to the warm coffee in my hand, the butterflies in my stomach… and even the exasperated frown on Murph’s lips.

I’ve never dared to wantperfect. I’ve always settled for almost enough. But every wrong turn has led me to my chance at a fresh start.

Maybe it’ll even be the life I’ve always wanted… as long as Murph feels the same way.

ChapterFive

MURPH

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