My legs shook as I made my way out of the restaurant. I prayed I didn’t run into Douglas. I couldn’t take another scene like earlier. As I left the building, the refreshing evening air cooled my heated cheeks, and I sucked in a deep breath of sea air. The minute I was outside with the sound of seagulls overhead and the salty breeze against my skin, I felt a little better. I made my way to a small stone wall that encircled the parking lot. I leaned on the rough surface and stared out at the choppy sea. There were a few sailboats heading for the harbor, racing against time as the sunset bled from yellow to orange.
I breathed in deeply and exhaled, trying to let go of the stress. The day had been emotional but happy until Douglas had approached me. That little run-in had spoiled the contented euphoria I’d been in. Maybe that was for the best. The less I fantasized about a real relationship with Tanner the better. I’d probably been kidding myself anyway when I’d allowed myself to believe he had actual feelings for me. Tanner had needed someone to help him get his inheritance, and I’d been there. I needed to keep that in mind.
I leaned on the wall, resting on my elbows. I knew I should probably get back inside, or Tanner would come looking for me. My heart squeezed at how protective he was. Other than Gordon, I couldn’t think of anyone I’d wanted to let get close to me. But I’d wanted that with Tanner, almost from the first day we’d met. Before him, I’d had myself convinced I didn’t really need intimacy with another human, because it was more trouble than it was worth.
Maybe I was right.
I groaned and rubbed my face roughly. I couldn’t see a way out of this mess. If Douglas was serious about telling Tanner about me, unless I gave him money, then I was screwed. There was no way I was withdrawing an obscene amount of money from Tanner’s account and pretending it was for me. The very thought of that made me feel sick.
I straightened and something fluttered on the edge of my vision, catching my attention. I looked closer, trying to make out what I’d seen in the thick brush that covered the hillside. There was something silky and purple poking out from the bushes and flapping in the sea breeze. Whatever it was, it looked so out of place tucked in the weeds, it made me curious. I frowned and stood on my tiptoes, trying to see what it was. I couldn’t really see clearly though, so I glanced around and then hopped over the short wall.
I landed on the ground with a grunt, and I inched toward the silky fabric. I wondered if perhaps someone’s scarf had blown off when they came out of the restaurant. I knew I was basically using this distraction as an excuse so I could stall returning to the party. But that didn’t stop me from moving toward the glossy fabric. As I neared the purple object, something seemed familiar about the color. My pulse began to speed up, and I stopped in my tracks. Now that I was closer, I could see that it wasn’t a scarf at all—it was a tie.
I peered closer, my heart thumping against my ribs. I widened my eyes as I began to realize what I was looking at. The unmistakable shape of a human form was now visible to me, and I stumbled forward, panic gripping me. Had someone fallen over the wall? Were they hurt? I crashed through the sagebrush toward the still body, suddenly realizing why the color was familiar to me. It was the color of Douglas’s tie.
“Jesus,” I hissed as I stumbled toward the crumpled body. When I fell to my knees beside the body, there was no doubt now who it was. Douglas’s face was gray, and the side of his head was bloody, his hair matted. “Douglas? Shit, Douglas. Are you okay?” I felt his neck, searching for a pulse. I couldn’t feel anything, and his skin felt chilled.
I’d only seen a dead body once before when I was on the streets. A homeless man had died in an alley next to a dumpster near where I’d picked up guys. I still remembered the stillness and complete absence of life. I felt that now.
Douglas Trenton was dead.
I stood, feeling sick to my stomach and completely confused. I stumbled back from the body, wiping my hands on my jacket. The sound of a shoe scraping on gravel made me turn, and I found Tanner landing on my side of the wall. At first he was smiling at me, as if confused about what I was doing, but as he neared, his gaze dropped his dad’s body, and his eyes widened.
“What the hell happened?” His voice shook, and his eyes flicked to me.
I shook my head. “I… I don’t know. I just found him like this.”
Pushing past me he knelt beside his dad’s body. “Dad? Dad? Jesus!”
I watched him, not sure what to do. “Should I get your mom?”
“What?” He looked panicked. “God, no. I… I don’t want her to see him like this.”
I swallowed hard, leaning on the stone wall for support.
Tanner stood and he faced me. “Did you two argue again?”
I widened my eyes. “What?”
“Did you have a fight?”
His meaning slowly began to sink in. “Tanner, I told you I found him like this.”
His mouth was a grim line. “We need to call the police.”
“Of course.”
He strode toward me, his eyes red-rimmed. “He’s dead.”
“I… I know.” I held his blank gaze. “Tanner, I didn’t hurt him.”
Blinking, he looked confused. He didn’t answer me; he just jumped back over the wall and ran into the restaurant. I climbed back over the wall too and stared at Douglas’s lifeless body from a safe distance. After a few minutes, everybody began to come out of the restaurant. Martha was pale and stricken-looking as she rushed toward the cliff. I moved to grab her; I didn’t want her to see Douglas up close. His eyes were still open and his expression of shock, chilling. I felt nauseated as she screamed and struggled in my arms.
“Martha, wait. Please, you don’t want to go too close.”
“He’s my husband,” she shrieked, still struggling. “Let me go!”
I released her because I was confused about whether or not it was my place to stop her. Tanner came up and put his arms around her, and she started sobbing.
