The sounds, the flashing lights, the heartache—it all fades away until there’s nothing but me and my little muse. And I know, no matter what, I’ll be okay as long as she’s by my side.
“Can you move?” she asks.
I nod, not trusting my voice to speak. She rubs her thumb over the back of my hand—much like I’ve done to her multiple times.
“Good. On the count of three, we run to your motorcycle and dip. Got it? One… two…”
Before she gets to three, Eloise takes off in the direction of my motorcycle, pulling me along behind her. The paparazzi are stunned for a few moments, but eventually give chase—unfortunately for them, Eloise and I are on the bike by the time they get it together.
“Go, Riot! Go, go, go!” Eloise squeals, her laughter peeling into the air as the crowd grows nearer. “Go!”
I rev the engine, and we speed off into the night.
For a long while, I drive aimlessly down side roads and back alleyways, allowing the night air to clear my head, reveling in the feel of Eloise pressed to my back. I dropped the backpack at the hotel, so there’s no real reason to head to the beach anymore.Plus, I’m not sure Eloise even wants to be somewhere outdoors, where the paparazzi could track us down again.
There is one place I could take her—one spot where we can be well and truly alone. The only problem is that it’s the place I’ve been avoiding since I arrived in Saltbloom.
With no other options, I decide it’s the best bet. Like Enzo said, I can’t keep running from the past forever. I have to face it at some point.
About fifteen minutes later, I pull into the driveway of a two-story Spanish-style home. Though nowhere near as large as Eloise’s mansion on the southern portion of the island, the house is one of the bigger ones on Saltbloom, and one of the oldest.
My mother inherited the property from her parents, and she and my dad decided to move here once their careers had settled down to raise a family. Rush and I grew up here and made countless memories. We loved the house, the ocean, the sunshine, and the freedom. But when our parents died, Aunt Vi couldn’t live in the house that held so many memories of them. So we moved.
“What is this?” Eloise asks, turning to me with wide eyes.
“This is… my house.”
“You have a house? In Saltbloom?” Her mouth falls open. “Why the hell are you staying at a hotel, then?”
I place a hand on her lower back, leading her up the stairwell to the front door. “It was my parents' house, and then Rush’s. I haven’t been here since he… well, since he died.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry, Riot,” she whispers, taking my hand. “Are you sure you want to be here tonight? After everything that happened?”
I nod. “It’s the safest place for us tonight. No one really knows that I still own the house, so they won’t be able to findus. Plus, I have to face it sometime.” I squeeze her hand. “What better time than with a wonderful, beautiful woman at my side?”
We walk up to the front door, and I pull out my keys, rifling through the pile until I get to the one I try to forget is there. I feed it into the lock, and it opens with barely any effort.
Instead of the stale, mildewed air I expect, the smell from within the house is clean, tinged with notes of lemon and bleach. It’s been so long that I had forgotten I had Enzo hire cleaners to come to the house every couple of months to check on the property and keep things in order. It wasn’t because I had any intention to visit—more so that I could protect the memory of my parents and Rush.
“Wow. This is… not what I expected.” Eloise's head turns on a swivel, taking in the grand space. “It’s kind of like you guys never left.”
She’s not wrong. Except for the family photos that have been removed, everything is exactly as we left it twenty-some years ago. “I guess it is…” I squeeze her hand, leading her toward the porch at the back of the house. “Come on. I want to show you my favorite spot.”
As soon as we step outside, the wind picks up, whipping my hair around my head and bringing tears to my eyes. We have a clear view of the ocean from this spot, secluded by vegetation on either side, making it seem like our own little private beach.
“This is beautiful,” she whispers, stepping to the railing and gazing out at the ocean. The moonlight hits her features just right, bringing out the blue in her eyes—so beautiful, it makes my chest ache.
“Rush and I used to come out here every night and play.” I step up to the railing, stretching my pinky to brush against hers. “I forgot how nice it really was…”
Eloise is silent for a long while, just thinking. “Riot,” she whispers. “That woman at the hotel… who was she?”
“Rebekah?” I rub a hand over my face. “My brother’s ex-girlfriend.”
“You seemed pretty upset to see her.”
“I was. I am.” I shake my head, unable to look at her for some reason. “She was with Rush the night he died.”
Eloise reaches out, placing her hand gently over mine. “Do you want to talk about him? About Rush?”
