Oliver shot me another glance, and I could see he was relieved by my response.Carefully, we made our way back up to the rock wall and the thankfully dry and stable lawn.
By the time we made it there, the couple had left the cliff’s edge and headed back toward the inn.
Oliver made a disgruntled noise in his throat as we saw them in better light.“See, it’s just that jerk, Nick, and the brunette woman.Nothing exciting there.They’re obviously a couple out for a little romantic stroll.”
I nodded, watching them disappear back into the inn.“Is that who that is?”I sighed.“Okay.I guess this was a worthless search.”
“Not worthless.”He gave me a reassuring smile.“I have a renewed love of dry land and my own life.”
I laughed, appreciating him being good-natured and supportive of my crazy antics.
“And that’s why you are my best friend.”
He looped an arm over my shoulder.“Because I’m a land-lover without a death wish?”
“No, well, that’s good too.But you don’t judge me.”
He shot me a sidelong glance as we strolled across the lawn.“Oh, I judge you.”
I lightly elbowed him.
By the time we started up the stairs of the front porch of the inn, we were emboldened by the fact that we hadn’t fallen in the ocean.We were both a little giddy about our adventure.Or stupidity, if that’s how you wanted to look at it.
“Man against nature,” Oliver said grandly.“The classic conflict.”
I laughed at him.“Or at least our sad version of it.”
Oliver laughed too.“Yeah.You’re never going to find either of us skydiving or ricocheting down mountains.”
I laughed harder.“I think you mean rappelling.”
“Whatever.I’m never doing it, whatever it’s called.”
The front door whipped open right as we reached it.Appearing in the doorway were the worried faces of Cameron and my mother.
“Where have you been?”my mother demanded.
I immediately felt like a teenager being caught after curfew.
“You said you were going to the restroom and then just disappeared.We were getting really worried,” Cameron said, his face stern.
If this were a movie, I would expect that he was playing the role of my father.
“We just went for a walk,” I said, truly surprised at their reaction.
Though I suppose it was a little rude.
Cameron regarded me closer as if he didn’t quite believe me.Ah, so he was upset because he suspected I’d been doing a little investigating.Which to be fair, I was.But I didn’t understand why he should be so distressed about it.
“Why didn’t you text me?”I asked them.“If you were worried.”
“Why would I do that when you’re supposed to be in the house with us?”Cameron shook his head like he didn’t understand me.
“What is going on with you, Sophie?”my mother demanded.“You look like you’re out to lunch half the time and now you’re wandering around the coast at night?”
“I’m sorry,” I said.“I should have let you know where I was going.Oliver and I just ate so much that we decided it would be nice to get some fresh air and take a little walk.”
“It’s really my fault,” Oliver added, coming to my aid like the bestie he was.“I caught her when she was coming downstairs after using the bathroom and I dragged her along with me.”
