Page 2 of Hide Away By the Sea

She shook her head and closed her eyes. “I don’t want you to have regrets, Everleigh.” When she focused back on me and opened her eyes, not only could I see the emotional pain she tried to hide, I could feel it, too. Before I could speak, she held up a hand, halting me. “If you leave without working things out with Jensen, youwillregret it, child. Last night was the beginning of something amazing for you two. I don’t want to see you give up that kind of happiness. Not everyone gets the chance to be with the one they love.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I laughed but there was no humor to it. “Love wasn’t a part of last night, Grammy. It was too much alcohol and no self-control.”

All she did was stare at me with her lips pursed as if I was a child who had no understanding of how the world worked. People made stupid decisions all the time and last night was one of them for me. Finally, my grandmother reached behind me to slide the glass patio door open.

“If that’s what you believe, then go. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. Running away from what you truly want will only lead to more pain and heartache.Youhave to be the one to decide what’s most important right now.”

I couldn’t let a one-night stand stop me from returning to Boston. Yes, I could transfer to a school closer to home to finish my medical degree, but I wanted to be more than just a general doctor and take over my father’s practice; I wanted to be a surgeon. I couldn’t achieve that by staying in Oak Island.

I turned toward the door and stepped inside, before glancing back at my grandmother. “I do love Jensen, Grammy, but there’s still so much I have to do in life. I can’t give that up.”

My heart hurt just thinking of leaving without saying goodbye to Jensen. But unfortunately, there was no other choice. I was afraid of what would happen if I saw him. The wall I had built between my heart and him was thinner than an eggshell. Just one tap would make it crack. I couldn’t afford to have those feelings ooze out.

Swallowing hard, I took one last look around my grandmother’s living room. It was my second home growing up, and I sure as hell was going to miss it. After what happened last night, I didn’t see myself coming back anytime soon.

My grandmother had followed me inside and I hugged her hard, squeezing my eyes against the burn. “I love you,” I whispered.

She embraced me back. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

Tears fell down my cheeks. “I think it’s for the best. I’m going to pack up and run to Mom and Dad’s to say goodbye.” And then, I was going to drive my rental car back to Wilmington and get on the first plane back to school. I let her go and quickly wiped the tears away. “I promise to video chat with you every day. Then, maybe you can come to visit me this spring in Boston?”

She smiled and nodded. “I would be happy to.”

There was no time to waste. I had to get out of there before Jensen stopped me.

* * *

Before goingto my parent’s house, I changed clothes and threw my suitcase in the back seat. I intentionally left my cell in the car while I said my goodbyes to them. The calls began when I got back in my vehicle and was on my way to Wilmington airport.

Every time it rang, it felt like someone was jabbing a pin in my heart. What was I supposed to say to him? I rubbed a hand over my chest, afraid that my grandmother was right. I already regretted leaving, but there was no turning back. The decision was made.

My phone beeped with a text, and I drew in a shaky breath, knowing I needed to read it. A gas station was up ahead, so I pulled in and parked. If I was going to call Jensen back, I didn’t need to be driving.

When I looked at my phone, there were three messages.

Jensen: Where are you?

Jensen: Please call me back. Your grandmother said you left.

Jensen: What’s going on?

There was never a time when I couldn’t confide in Jensen or just be brutally honest with him. Why was it so different now? How did one night change everything between us? I stared at my phone, my finger hovering above the call button. Before I could press it, Jensen called again.

It was now or never.

I took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “Hey,” I answered, biting my lip so hard it hurt. The second I heard the worry in Jensen’s voice, I wanted to cry.

“Everleigh, where are you? Are you seriously leaving town without saying goodbye to me?”

Closing my eyes, I leaned my head against the steering wheel, my throat thick and tight. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

“What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” I replied quickly, lifting my head. I wiped my tears away and sighed. “You were perfect. I can’t begin to describe how amazing it was to see you for the holidays.”

He huffed. “Then why did you sneak out on me? I thought you weren’t going back to Boston for another few days.”

I wanted to tell him the truth, that I was scared of what last night meant to me, of what it would mean for our future. Could I see us being together? Yes, but not right now. Unfortunately, things were never going to be the same between us. It already hurt to leave him.

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