I came to the island in quest of tranquilly and a new beginning to get past my past. Rather, I discovered HIM—affable, considerate, and everything I didn’t realise I needed. However, a single moment destroyed everything just when I began to trust in fresh starts.
My living room felt alien, despite the fact that I had lived there for decades. I looked at the open suitcase at the age of fifty-five, wondering how my life had devolved like this.
“What brought us here?” Before throwing away the broken “Forever & Always” cup I was holding, I requested.
I touched the couch with my hand. “Goodbye to fights over pizza and coffee on Sundays.”
I couldn’t get rid of the unwanted guests that were buzzing in my head. The emptiness was more acute in the bedroom. The bed’s other side gazed back at me accusingly.
I said, “Don’t look at me like that.” “I wasn’t entirely to blame.”
Searching for items that were still important turned packing into a scavenger hunt. The laptop was like a lighthouse on my desk.
I patted it and said, “At least you stayed.”
It contained my novel, which I had worked on for two years. Even though it wasn’t complete, it was mine, proving that I wasn’t completely lost.
Next came Lana’s email:
“Retreatment for creativity. island that is warm. A new beginning. Wine.
“Wine, of course,” I chuckled.
Lana had always been skilled at making catastrophes seem like fun. Although it seemed irresponsible, wasn’t it the point of the idea?
I gazed at the confirmation of my flight. My inner critic was unrelenting.
What if I don’t like it? Or if they despise me? What if I fall into the sea and sharks eat me?
Then, however, another idea entered.
What if I like it?
I let out a breath and shut the suitcase. “Cheers to escaping.”
I was not fleeing. I was sprinting in the direction of something.
A pleasant wind and the steady sound of waves lapping against the coast welcomed me to the island. I briefly closed my eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the briny air to fill my lungs.
It was just what I needed.
However, the calm was short-lived. The calm of the island gave way to loud music and laughter as I got closer to the retreat. Mostly in their twenties and thirties, they lounged on vibrant beanbags with drinks that seemed more like umbrellas than liquids.
“Well,” I mumbled to myself, “this isn’t exactly a monastery.”
A group of people at the pool started laughing so loudly that a neighbouring bird was terrified. I let out a sigh.
Well, Lana, creative breakthroughs?
Before I could hide in the darkness, Lana emerged with a margarita in her hand and her sunhat cocked at a jaunty angle.
She yelled, “Thea!” as if our email hadn’t been sent yesterday. “You succeeded!”
I mumbled, “I already regret it,” but forced a grin.
She waved a hand and muttered, “Oh, stop.” Here’s where the magic takes place! I promise you’ll adore it.
I raised an eyebrow and remarked, “I was hoping for something… quieter.”
“That’s absurd! You must socialise and take up the vibes! Speaking of which, she took hold of my arm and said, “You have to meet someone.”
She pulled me through the crowd before I could object. Trying not to fall over discarded flip-flops at a high school party made me feel like a shabby mother.
We came to a halt in front of a man who, believe it or not, appeared to belong on the cover of GQ. Sun-kissed complexion, a laid-back smile, and a white linen shirt that’s slightly unbuttoned without seeming sleazy.
With delight, Lana exclaimed, “Thea, meet Eric.”
His voice was as soft as the sea breeze when he replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Thea.”
“Likewise,” I responded, trying not to reveal my apprehension.
As though she had just arranged a royal engagement, Lana smiled. “Eric is also a writer. Ever since I informed him about your novel, he has been eager to see you.
My cheeks became red. “Oh, it’s not done yet.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Eric. “It’s amazing that you’ve dedicated yourself to it for two years! It would be wonderful to hear about it.
Lana grinned and took a step back. “You two converse. I’ll locate additional margaritas!
I gave her a glare. But after a short while, I found myself agreeing to a walk, whether it was because of Eric’s unmistakable charm or the alluring coastal breeze.
To my own surprise, I said, “Give me a moment.”
I found my most attractive sundress in my bag and dug through it when I got back to my room.
Why not? I might as well look good if I’m going to get pulled around.
Eric was waiting for me when I went outside. “All set?”
Despite my stomach’s unusual flutter, I tried to be nonchalant and nodded. “Take the lead.”
Eric took me to areas of the island that didn’t appear to have been affected by the mayhem of the “retreat.” There were locations that weren’t listed in any guidebook, including a remote beach with a swing suspended from a palm tree and a secret path that led to a cliff with an amazing view.
I laughed and remarked, “You’re good at this.”
Seated on the neighbouring beach, he questioned, “Good at what?”
“Making someone forget how completely out of place they are.”
His grin got bigger. “Perhaps you’re not as uncomfortable as you believe.”
I laughed harder than I have in months while we conversed. He told me about his trips and his passion for reading, which was similar to mine. I felt a warmth I hadn’t experienced in a long time when he joked about framing my autograph one day and expressed genuine love for my book.
However, something pulled at the periphery of my mind beneath the laughter. A slight uneasiness I couldn’t describe. He appeared to be too ideal.
The following morning got off to a great start. My mind was racing with thoughts for my novel’s next chapter as I stretched.
“Today is the day,” I whispered as I grabbed my laptop.
I woke up the keyboard and ran my fingertips over it. But my heart stopped when I saw the desktop. My manuscript had survived two years of blood, perspiration, and restless nights in that folder, but it was gone. I looked all throughout the hard disc in the hopes that I had lost it. Nothing.
“That’s strange,” I thought.
Although my laptop was present, the most significant portion of my life’s work had vanished into thin air.
I gripped the desk’s edge and muttered, “Okay, don’t freak out.” “I think you simply misplaced it.”
I knew I hadn’t, though. I quickly left the room and went directly to Lana. I noticed muffled conversations as I passed the hallway. With my heart racing, I froze. I approached the sound slowly. The next room’s door was ajar just a little.
“All we have to do is submit it to the appropriate publisher,” he said.
My blood froze. There was no mistaking Eric’s voice. Lana was leaning in, her voice a faint hum of conspiracy, as I peered through the opening.
“Her manuscript is brilliant,” Lana remarked in a sweet voice. “We’ll work out how to claim it as ours. What hit her will never be known to her.
In addition to betrayal and rage, my stomach churned with disappointment. That included Eric, who had listened to me, made me laugh, and gained my trust.
Before they could see me, I turned away and went to my room. I crammed items into my bag and banged it shut.
I muttered resentfully, “This was supposed to be my fresh start.”
I didn’t want to cry even though my vision became blurry. I was done crying for people who still thought that second chances were possible.
The brilliant sunshine felt like a cruel joke by the time I left the island. I refused to turn around and continued to look forward. I didn’t have to.
The bookshop was a hive of activity months later. There were rows of seats and a buzz of discussion in the air. I tried to concentrate on the faces that were grinning back at me when I stood at the platform with a copy of my book.
Despite the whirlpool of emotions beneath the surface, I murmured, “Thank you all for being here tonight,” in a firm voice. “Years of work and a journey I never expected to take have culminated in this book.”
The applause was warm, but as I gazed out over the crowd, I felt a pain in the middle of my chest. Yes, the novel was my pride, but it had not been an easy journey to success. I was still haunted by the treachery.
I collapsed into a chair in the store’s corner, tired, after the last customer had left and the signing queue had thinned out. I noticed a tiny folded note on the table at that moment.
“I need an autograph from you. When you have time, visit the café around the corner.
There was no mistaking the handwriting. A beat skipped in my chest. Eric.
My feelings were a jumbled mixture of curiosity, annoyance, and something else I wasn’t yet ready to label as I gazed at the note.
I thought about crumpling it up and leaving for a second. Instead, I let out a sigh, picked up my coat, and made my way to the café. I saw him right away.
I sat into the seat across from him and remarked, “You’re brave to leave me a note like that.”
“Desperate or bold?” he asked, grinning wryly. “I didn’t think you would show up.”
“I wasn’t either,” I acknowledged.
“I have to explain, Thea. What took place on the island… I was first unaware of Lana’s genuine intentions. She persuaded me that it was all for your benefit. But I took the flash drive and forwarded it to you as soon as I realised what she was actually planning.
I said nothing.
Eric went on, “Lana said you were too modest to publish your novel yourself when she involved me.” She asserted that you needed someone to surprise you and advance your career because you didn’t think you had what it took. I believed I was being helpful.
“A surprise?” I fired back. Is it your intention to steal my work?
That’s what I initially believed. I took the flash drive and went to look for you as soon as she told me the truth, but you had already left.
“So, it wasn’t what I heard after all?”
“It wasn’t. I picked you, Thea, as soon as I realised the reality.
I waited for the recognisable rage to come out, letting the quiet descend. However, it had vanished. The manuscript had been published on my terms, and Lana’s machinations were over.
“You know, she always envied you,” Eric remarked softly, shattering the quiet. She still felt overshadowed at university. This time, she spotted an opening and attempted to grab what wasn’t hers by using both of our trust.
“And now?”
She is no longer there. disappeared from all of my social circles. When I refused to support her lies, she was unable to handle the consequences.
“You made the correct decision. That is significant.
“Will you give me another chance, then?”
With a finger up, I said, “One date.” “Avoid making a mistake.”
His smile got bigger. “Agree.”
I couldn’t help but smile as we walked out of the café. One date led to another and then to still another. I fell in love before I realised it. And it wasn’t one-sided at the time. What had begun as betrayal had developed into a partnership based on forgiveness, understanding, and yes, love.
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