Page 12 of Hearts Adrift
“I have to go.”
“Look, I’m sorry I assumed you were a crazy stalker when you first came in. And I’m sorry I broke the lock and a pane of glass. Is that what you wanted? An apology? I’ve learned apologies don’t mean much to anyone except the person giving them. So let me prove I’m a decent guy by spending some time with me.”
He takes hold of the doorknob. “Someone will be back to fix this window and bring you a new key.”
“I thought it was you coming back, not someone else.”
That stops him. He still doesn’t look at me.
I come up to him. “River. My real name. It’s River.”
For a second, I think I’ve got him.
Then he slips out the door without another word, just like that.
Chapter 4 - Finn
I can see the Breezy Bungalow from our house.
Through the kitchen window that faces off to the west, to be precise. A perfect view of the whole north shore in its rocky glory, including that lonesome-looking bungalow at the end of the street. It’s far away, sure, but I can see it clearly nonetheless. Our house is like a bloated piece of art on stilts, elevated such that the first story feels like the third, so I’m easily able to watch the distant bungalow as I stand at the kitchen window mixing myself up a peanut butter and chocolate protein shake after my workout.
I can’t stop staring through the window, wondering if I might see him pop out through the back door after the sun has set and it gets especially scenic. Again, not that I would see much from this far away, and especially when it’s dark, but for whatever borderline-weirdo reason, I’m watching.
Maybe it was that last thing he said about my eyes. He didn’t remark about my body. Or wanting to fuck me.
Despite my sensing immediately that he played for my team, and my humiliating shirt-falling-off-my-body fiasco clearly turned him on more than it freaked him out.
But instead of coming on to me, he just called my eyes beautiful and made me feel for the first time since Theo like someone bothered to value me for more than just the meat on my bones.
And maybe that was too much. Why I ran. Guess I just can’ttrust compliments like that anymore.
But why should I trust his compliments? Especially coming from some hotshot celeb who thinks he can throw money at me to make up for how he treated my bungalow.
Besides that, he’s an actor. He pretends for a living. Heliesfor a living. I could’ve just been an acting exercise of his. Seducing me. Leading me on. Seeing how much he can get out of the clueless island guy paid to check on him.
Then at the end of his stay, flinging money at me and calling it a tip, making me feel like cheap room service.
Yeah. It’s official. I’m done with that guy.
“How’d it go?”
I turn to find Brooke coming into the kitchen, yanking open the pantry for a snack. “Good evening,” I greet her as I screw the lid back on my protein tub.
“That’s not an answer,” she sings before settling on a granola bar, then bumping the pantry door shut with her butt before coming up to the counter. “So who is it? Ourmysteryrenter? Was I right?”
“Nope,” I mumble between sips of my shake.
“‘Nope’? Just ‘nope’?”
“It ain’t DiCaprio.”
“But whoisit? You saw him, didn’t you? Don’t tell me you chickened out.”
“I never chicken out of anything.” I lean back against the counter, catching sight of the old bungalow through the window again. “I met him.”
“So who was he?”
“Don’t know. Don’t care.”
