Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
But Tom merely chuckles, like he’s used to women fawning over him.
“The island is as she is,” he says mysteriously. “Come on, this way.”
We continue our walk along the beach and it isn’t long before I feel totally comfortable around him once more. He’s so natural and relaxed when he speaks, but there’s a tension in his shoulders, and a couple times when he looks over, I see his eyes fall to my lips or breasts. Does he think I’m attractive? Evidently so because as we stand staring out to sea, Tom asks the question.
“So, is there a boyfriend who’s going to be calling out a search party for you?” he says in a casual tone.
I shake my head and smile.
“No, no boyfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” he asks, grinning.
“You wish,” I respond, making him laugh. “No girlfriend.” But Tom looks genuinely puzzled.
“So you’re single? But how is someone like you single?”
Now I’m the one who’s confused. “Someone like me?”
He nods.
“Yeah, you know, beautiful, smart and sexy. Am I going too far? Girls like you usually have some dumb guy tagging along after them.”
I look down at my feet, the waves rolling over them as we walk. My heart thumps because people hardly ever compliment me, and it’s a nice change. I take a deep breath.
“Can I be honest with you?”
Tom looks over at me, his gaze curious.
“Of course.”
“I can’t believe I’m telling you this but I was in a pretty serious relationship two years ago. We were together through most of college.”
He nods but stays silent, letting me continue.
“I wasn’t happy but I wasn’t brave enough to do anything about it. So I cheated on him. He found out about it eventually, as they always do, and the break up was really disastrous. So since then, I’ve kind of kept away from relationships.”
I don’t want to look at him and see judgment. But it never comes.
“So, you’ve been punishing yourself for two years?” Tom asks in a careful voice.
“No,” I explain. “It’s not punishment. I’ve been with men. But I don’t want to hurt someone again by being in a relationship because I fucked up so bad last time.”
“Sounds like punishment to me, Brynn,” he says. I heave a big breath, but he cuts me off. “Look I get it, but everyone makes mistakes. Don’t let one time dictate the rest of your life.”
I cock my head.
“Well, it was a terrible time. After everything exploded, I decided to travel to New Zealand for a while, to get away, and that’s when I got started in photography. My career took off, so I suppose I have the break up to thank for that,” is my rueful answer.
The handsome caretaker takes my hand and it feels like the most natural thing in the world.
“There’s a silver lining to everything,” he intones. His palm is warm and strong, and it feels right, actually. I’m not usually a hand holder but for some reason, with Tom, I’m turning into everything I thought I wasn’t. I’m never the girl who falls in love at first sight, or even lust. That’s only in the movies, my realistic self says. But talking with Tom, I find myself trusting, desiring and just plain liking a complete stranger. It’s strange. It must be St. Brigid casting its magical spell again.
We stroll along in silence for a bit, my brain still whirling.
“What about you?” I ask, after a minute. “Tit for tat. Any major relationships in your past or present?”
He takes a deep breath.
“None, right now.”
“But before?”
He grimaces a bit before nodding. “Yeah. Unfortunately, I was the dumb guy that trailed after beautiful girls, even when the situation was hopeless. It didn’t work out.”
My heart swoops as I watch his face. Did he get his heart broken by some flighty blonde chick who threw it under a bus? His expression is completely closed off and I know there’s more to the story, but something tells me this is not the time to ask.
“I’m sorry,” I say instead.
He shrugs.
“I don’t blame her. Life with me is a lot to ask of anyone.”
My brow squinches.
“But what happened?” I say, unable to contain my curiosity. Tom merely walks silently beside me for a moment and I don’t think he’s going to answer. But then he heaves a sigh and says, “We were engaged for about a year. It was the night before the wedding and I wanted to surprise her, so I stopped by her apartment. I caught her walking out with suitcases. She said she’s leaving, hands me back my ring, and drives away. I felt like I was hit by a truck.”
“You didn’t go after her?” I ask, totally confused. Who would leave this handsome man? Does he have some dark secret that caused his fiancée to take off?
He shakes his head.
“No, after thinking about it for a while I knew she was right. We hadn’t been in a good place for a long time and the wedding would have been a mistake. It would have made everything a billion times more complicated. I guess I should thank her for that.”