Page 43 of Stick Break
I grab a mug, pour some coffee, and open the door to let in the morning. Seagulls cry overhead. Kids laugh in the distance. And then I see her.
Charley.
She’s sitting in the pulled-out lawn chair, sunshine in her hair, a pan, two plates, utensils and food on the makeshift table beside her. She’s barefoot, humming, completely unaware that she’s making my chest feel like it’s too small for my damn heart.
“Good morning,” I say, voice low and still a little rough from sleep.
She turns, and the smile that blooms across her face nearly knocks me on my ass. My God, she’s beautiful. Not in a trying-too-hard kind of way, but in that effortless, just-woke-up, no-makeup, tank-top-hanging-off-one-shoulder kind of way. Her short hair is pinned back, her cheeks are a little flushed, and there’s something new about her, something glowing, soft, content.
And I can’t help but hope I had something to do with that.
“Good morning,” she echoes, taking a sip of coffee and motioning to the chair beside her. “I was waiting for you.”
“You could’ve woken me,” I say, moving to sit.
She shakes her head, smiling gently. “No way. You were out cold. You needed the sleep. Especially after a night on the sofa.” She tosses me an apologetic look.
“It wasn’t so bad,” I shoot back, even though we both know it’s a lie.
Her eyes skim over my face, slow and searching. When they meet mine again, something tender pulses in my chest. “Did you sleep better last night?” she asks.
I nod. “Can’t remember the last time I slept that good.”
She chuckles. “Same.”
“I lit a fire.” She gestures toward the pit. “I hope that’s okay. Found some eggs and bacon, figured I’d make us breakfast.”
“That’s great, but you didn’t have to do all this.”
Her eyes meet mine again, a flicker of something deeper behind them. “I wanted to.”
She turns back to the pan, putting it on the grate over the fire. The sizzle of bacon fills the air, mingling with the salty breeze and the crackle of wood. I sip my coffee and just… watch her. The way she moves without effort. Like she belongs here. Like we both do.
After a long moment of silence, both of us simply enjoying each other’s company as the early morning sun climbs higher in the sky, she cracks a couple of eggs. “Over easy?”
“Perfect,” I say, and mean it way more than I should.
That one word—perfect—feels like it belongs to this moment. To her.
“Char… about last night?—”
“Incredible,” she says before I can finish, using the one word I was able to must after pulling her in to my arms. She grins at me over her shoulder. “We’ve already established that,” she adds. “Oh, and we already establish that it’s going to happen again, right.”
I laugh, the sound catching on something warm and wild in my throat. “I don’t think that was a question, but just to confirm, yes. Absolutely. As soon as I’ve got food in my stomach…” I point to some spot down the road. “I’m off to the store.”
“Yes, to buy up all the condoms,” she says, a small grin on her face as she flips the bacon and looks out over the ocean like she’s too thinking about all the ways—positions—were going to get ourselves into. Positions, I wasn’t sure I’d ever find myself in again.
She cracks a few eggs and when she turns to me, sees how I’ve gone serious, she raises a brow.
“What?”
“I just wanted to thank you.” I swallow. “For the pillow. And the ice.”
She softens. “Right. I… uh… hope I didn’t overstep. My brother’s a physiotherapist, like I mentioned. I’ve seen injuries like yours before.” She gives me a wink, a little spark of humor lighting her eyes. “And, you know, I did put you through a workout last night.” A small shrug and then, “Thought I should make sure you didn’t sustain any more injuries. Because I definitely want more of that. So really, this was all very much about me.”
I lean in, inhaling her soft, beachy scent as I take a slow sip of coffee. “I figured as much. You ate my oatmeal. Stole my bed. Honestly, I should’ve known you’re only in this for yourself.”
“It’s good we’re on the same page.” She smirks as she grabs a plate. She slides a few pieces of bacon on it, then adds two perfectly cooked eggs.
