Page 82 of Untethered Heart
As I push off the bench, searching for a mug, my phone vibrates in my back pocket.
CALEB:
Merry Christmas, Siren. Miss you already x
“Uh-oh. Who’s that?”
I press my phone to my chest so my brother can’t see the screen. He’s still hovering over the stove, cracking some eggs to go with the pancakes and bacon, but there’s a knowing smirk there.
“Is there something in the water in Heart City? You shacked up with someone, too?”
I try to play it down, not ready to confess who I’m spending time with or how deeply I’ve already fallen. “Just someone I’m talking to.”
“He got a job?”
“Ah, yeah.”
“A licence?”
“Yeah.”
“Criminal record?”
I chuckle. “I’m quite confident that’s a no.”
“Alright. I’m glad to see you smiling then.”
“What are you talking about? I smile!” I say, the evidence clear on my face as I banter back and forth with my brother.
“I haven’t seen you smile likethatbefore, though. That’s a new one.”
I roll my eyes and go back to preparing my iced coffee. “It is not. How does anyone get a new smile after twenty-three years?”
“Someone who’s feeling new things.”
I pin my brother with a look as if I can contradict his words, but it’s not possible. Iamfeeling new things. Dylan pulls the pancakes out of the oven where he was keeping them warm, then plates the bacon and eggs, walking each dish over to the table that’s already set up for us. I’m still frozen in my spot, thinking about Caleb. Thinking about my mother and how she left my dad and us behind. Thinking about Dylan’s words, that he’d settle for someone who he knew wanted the same life as him.
I always planned on moving back to Killara Bay at some point. A thought that was hard enough to consider as it separated me from Claire, but where does that leave Caleb and me?
His whole family is in Heart City, and he has more than just one person there, unlike me. He also has his friends, his business.
Being in Heart City was just a stepping stone, but things have been changing over the last few months. Ever since I met Caleb, my eyes have been opened to new things. New possibilities. New ways to find happiness. My plans always felt so resolute, so unwavering. Now they feel as though they’re unravelling. The rope that held me to the anchor of what I needed in life has become frayed. It’s becoming untethered.
Chapter forty
I held out for as long as sanity would allow me. Apparently, Dylan is a night owl, so Lex couldn’t call me on Christmas night. I had to settle for back-and-forth text messages until we said goodnight. I woke up just after five this morning to catch her on a video call when she made it to the beach for her morning yoga.
I spent Christmas Day with my family and went out on Mason’s boat for the morning, but now I’m taking the Corvette for a long-distance drive to Killara Bay.
I managed to book the last hotel room available in Lex’s hometown, a three-bedroom deluxe suite, but I refuse to spend another night away from my Siren. I just can’t do it. I’m going out of my mind.
I know we’ll have to sneak around while we’re there, since her brother doesn’t know about us yet. And that’s fine. I just need to see her. Have her in my arms. I figured I could come on the pretence that I wanted to see the tavern in person. And with both the Morgan siblings there together, it made sense that now was the perfect time.
Lex doesn’t know I’m coming, though. I don’t want her to worry about how Dylan might perceive us. But I also want to surprise her. She left my bed so early on Christmas morning that I forgot to give her my gift. I was too busy getting my fill of herlips, knowing I would have to go without for a few days. Turns out, I’m a needy man who can’t even last a full forty-eight hours.
It’s just hitting late afternoon by the time I’ve checked into the hotel and made my way over to Jedidiah’s Tavern. I know Lex is there now with her brother since they’re open. I’m looking forward to seeing what she’s like in her own space, not at Hallucinogens.
The pub is in a good location, close enough to the town centre that you could easily walk from your holiday accommodation. It’s also a stone’s throw away from the beach, making it the perfect spot to break for lunch or dinner after hours in the sun.
