Page 20 of Beginnings By the Sea

10

NYLA

The moment I saw Miles, it was as if the world finally made sense. Seeing him made me feel like I was back in Boston—when he and I were married and crazy in love. I couldn’t deny he still affected me, but he wasn’t the only one vying for my attention. I had Cohen now, a man who stole my breath with just a glance, and I cared about him. Our relationship was new and exciting, with the potential to be something more. But how could I explain this to him? How could I tell Cohen that my ex was in town and wanted to spend time with me?

The thought made me feel lightheaded, as if all the air had been sucked from the room. My shirt clung to my body, damp with sweat, and my hands shook uncontrollably as I unlocked the door and stepped into my home.

I dreaded the conversations ahead and the awkwardness of explaining everything to Miles and Cohen.

It was getting late, so I took a quick shower and put on my pajamas while waiting for Cohen to call. I grabbed a bottle of wine from the refrigerator and didn’t even bother pouring some into a glass; I drank straight from the bottle. With the conversation I was about to have, I needed all the help I could get.

After a few minutes, my brain began to feel fuzzy and I welcomed it. I wandered out to the back deck, where I sat in an Adirondack chair and watched as the twinkling lights from the houses across the sound shimmered like diamonds on the sea; it was magical. This place was so different from my apartment in Boston. Instead of hearing horns blaring and the hustle and bustle of people walking down the street, I traded it for the sound of seagulls cawing in the sky and the crashing of waves. I was never going to go back to city life again.

As I sat there and let my mind drift off, my phone suddenly rang, startling me. It was Cohen, and my heart raced as I answered.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Hey,” he replied. “I’m sorry I’m calling so late. I didn’t want a whole night to go by without really getting to talk to you.”

Grabbing the bottle of wine, I took a quick swig. “You’re a busy man, Cohen. I understand that. I don’t expect you to call me all the time.”

The line went silent, and I held my breath. Did I say something wrong? But then the sound of his deep voice came back over the line.

“Is it bad that I want you to expect that? I’m starting to fall for you, Nyla, and I always think about you. I’m not ashamed to admit that you’ve completely mesmerized me. I want you to know I’m fully invested in seeing where this goes.”

Of all the nights for him to declare that, why did it have to be now? I looked over at my bottle of wine, wishing I could down it all.

“That means a lot to me, Cohen,” I murmured. “It’s been a long time since I’ve found someone who wasn’t a complete arrogant douche who only cared about himself.”

His laugh echoed through the phone. “I’m pretty sure you thought I was going to be like that the first day we met.”

I couldn’t help but giggle. “You’re absolutely right. I admit I was wrong.”

We both laughed together, but then I knew I had to say something about Miles.

“How was dinner tonight with everyone?” he asked.

“Great,” I answered. “I was supposed to grab food with Autumn tomorrow after work, but her refrigerator is finally being delivered after waiting a month.”

Cohen scoffed. “It’s about damn time. I hate she had to wait that long.”

“True, but she was very specific about what she wanted,” I reminded him. “The store clerk warned her it was on back order.”

After waiting a week, Autumn regretted her decision but stuck through it. Silence filled the air, and I tried to think of a way to bring up Miles, but nothing came to mind.

“Are you okay, Nyla?” Cohen asked. “You’re usually more talkative than this.”

Honesty. It was the only solution.

“That’s because I have something to tell you,” I admitted nervously.

Cohen sighed. “Why do I not like the sound of that?”

“Probably because you’re not going to like it.” I took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I ran into my ex-husband today. It was very random, and I had no clue he was in Oak Island. The last time I saw him was over two years ago.”

The line went silent again. He was probably letting the information process.

“Is he there to see you?” he asked, his voice guarded.

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