Elijah checked in and then they climbed some rickety steps to the second floor of the motel. Their feet slapped and echoed on the catwalk as they made their way to the room.
Inside, it smelled vaguely musty, but Elijah forced a window open and some nice, breezy ocean air helped to clean out the room.
It was small, with only one bed, a tiny TV, ancient wallpaper and even more ancient, stained carpeting. The bathroom had painful florescent lighting that turned Caelyn’s skin green when she looked in the mirror.
“Home sweet home,” she said to Elijah, as she came out.
He was sitting on the bed, looking glum.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah.” But he looked not okay. He glanced around the room. “Maybe we should get out of here, check out the beach. Want to?”
“Sure, why not?” she said. In actuality, she wanted a shower and a nap, but Caelyn could tell that Elijah needed to get out and move, and she didn’t want to say no to his idea.
They left the room and walked out of the parking lot, onto the main road. “I think the beach is only a half mile down,” Elijah said, pointing.
There were other people on the road, some walking, others with their dogs, or riding bicycles. “Everyone looks happy here,” Caelyn said, “don’t you think?”
“More so than Boston,” he agreed. “But other than New York, I don’t think any place on earth has moodier, crankier people.”
She laughed. “True. Everyone I see around here is smiling.” Then she looked at Elijah. He wasn’t smiling at all.
The two of them fell silent and walked for a while more. Soon, they reached the beach parking lot. It was less than half full. “It’s getting dark,” Elijah said, “so most people probably took off already. We’ll get the place to ourselves, right?”
They crossed the street and then found the pathway down to the beach. She could hear the ocean as they walked, and then she could see it—a powdered sugar beach with palm trees waving, and blue water crashing against the sand.
It took her breath away. The sun was setting over the water, casting brilliant flashes of color across the sky.
“It’s amazing,” she said, coming to a stop at the very edge of the beach.
Elijah stood with her and took in the scene. “Yeah, it really is. Makes the drive worth it.”
She took off her shoes and let the sand squelch in between her toes. “Oh, wow, this sand feels amazing. It’s soft and cool, like a velvet glove.”
“You sound poetic,” he said, throwing back her earlier remark to him. Then he took his shoes off, too.
They started walking towards the water.
There were other couples walking down by the water, Caelyn noticed. And then she checked herself. Other couples, Caelyn? You and Elijah are not a couple. You’ve never even kissed. Sure, he’s totally gorgeous, and he’s been sweet and caring, but he hasn’t shown an ounce of interest in taking this beyond a friendship.
Her thoughts were spinning as they walked together by the water. It was magical, romantic—it was everything she could have asked for.
But part of her couldn’t totally enjoy it. She kept glancing at Elijah and wondering what he was thinking. He seemed pensive and quiet, not as happy as she’d expected him to be.
Maybe it was because he understood that something had to change now that they’d finally arrived in Siesta Key, or maybe it was because he also felt something for her.
She almost made a joke about holding hands, since almost everyone else was doing it—but the moment passed. She lost her nerve.
After they’d walked for a long stretch, Elijah declared himself hungry. “Want to grab some food? I think there’s a bunch of places on the main drag,” he said.
“Sure.” And truth be told, she also wanted to check out the bars and restaurants because she was hoping to scrounge up some work. She needed to make money fast or she would be out of options.
They found the strip easily enough. It was just down the road from the beach, not even a mile from where their hotel was located. It was getting busy now that they were hitting dinnertime.
There were fewer restaurants and bars than she’d imagined, just a handful really.
It made her wonder if finding work out here would be as easy as she’d assumed.
And it wasn’t as if she had an incredible resume, either, just a couple years of waiting tables at Friendly’s in high school.
They walked past an ice cream shop with a line out the door, and a cute little breakfast place with a broken egg on the sign—an oyster bar, another bar with live music floating into the street.
“How about this place?” Elijah asked.
It was called Mean Margaritas, and it was big, with a lot of outdoor seating.
Plenty of people were eating and drinking, but there seemed to be room for more.
“Sounds good,” she said. “Let’s eat.”
They went inside and a girl who looked no older then eighteen sat them at a small table looking out onto the strip. A moment later, their waitress stopped by and asked if they wanted drinks.
Elijah ordered a Coke and she ordered a diet Coke. The waitress left, and then they were quiet again. Elijah was looking out on the street. Tourists strolled past—some with children in tow, others in rowdy groups, looking for action.
“So, what’s your plan now?” she said, finally. “I mean, you must have had a reason to come to Florida, right?”
Elijah nodded, but didn’t meet her gaze. “Of course.”
She wanted to ask him what exactly that reason was. After all, he knew a lot more about her than she knew about him at this point.
But he seemed to be putting a wall up—she sensed that he didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to talk about anything, apparently.
The waitress brought them their drinks, as Elijah and Caelyn studied the menus.
“I think I’m going to get the Mean Burger,” she said.
“Same,” Elijah replied.
“Great. And how would you like that burger cooked?” she asked.
“I’d like mine medium well,” he said.
“Same for me,” Caelyn added.
“Oh, you two are cute. I love when couples get the same meal—me and my boyfriend have totally different tastes,” the waitress laughed, before taking their menus and walking off.
Elijah grinned at her. “Here we go again,” he said. The moment seemed to have loosened him up. He took a big swig of his soda and leaned back in his chair. “I could get used to this,” he said.
Caelyn nodded agreement.
The food was really good, but by the end of dinner she was ready to call it a night.
Everything was catching up to her now, and she felt heavy with food—and most of all, tired.
The waitress brought the check and Caelyn went to pick it up.
“No way,” Elijah said.
“Let me pay just this once,” Caelyn cried, trying to take the check.
The waitress laughed, watching them argue over it.
Elijah grabbed it out of her hands. “Listen, I got this. You can pay me back when you get a job.”
“Oh, come on—you don’t have a job either,” she said.
“Well, I don’t need one right now.”
The waitress looked at Caelyn. “You’re looking for work?” she said.
Caelyn waved her hand at Elijah, shaking her head. “Yes, I’m currently looking,”
she said.
“What kind of work?”
“Anything. I thought maybe waitressing,” she said, grimacing as she said it. She was half-expecting the waitress to laugh and tell her how impossible it was to find waitressing jobs around the area.
“Well, you might just be in luck then,” the woman told her. “We’re actually hiring right now. We lost a couple of girls last week and Kenzie is looking to replace them right away.”
Caelyn straightened up, feeling suddenly more awake. “Really?”
“Yeah
. If you want, I’ll introduce you to her before you go.”
“Oh, wow, that would be awesome.”
The waitress grinned. “Well, I am pretty awesome.” She nodded to the check.
“I’ll come back for that in a minute,” she said, and then turned and left.
Caelyn turned to Elijah. “Wow, wasn’t that so cool?” she said.
He nodded. “Yeah,” he said, but not very enthusiastically. “Very cool.”
“Is something wrong?”
He took a final sip of his soda. “Nope.” And then he took out his billfold, counted out the money, and put it with the tab. “We’re good.” He stood up. “I’m gonna hit the bathroom,” he said.
She watched him go, puzzled by his behavior. Maybe he’s just tired, she thought.
But she knew that couldn’t explain all of it. He’d been acting strangely ever since they’d gotten to town.
While he was away, the waitress came back to pick up the bill, and she brought Kenzie with her. Kenzie was short, with dirty blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was pretty, but her face was sort of weathered, and she had a look in her eye that said she didn’t want to be messed with. “I hear you’re looking for a waitressing gig,” Kenzie said, sticking out her hand.
Caelyn took it and the woman’s grip was like a vice. “Yeah,” she squeaked, as Kenzie squeezed and then released.
“Well, I’m the owner of this little establishment, so you’re talking to the right person.”
“Oh,” Caelyn said, gulping nervously.
“Any experience? It’s okay if you don’t have any.”
Caelyn explained how she’d waitressed at Friendly’s in high school.
Kenzie asked her why she didn’t have a job at the moment, and Caelyn hesitated to answer.
“Listen,” Kenzie said, her blue eyes penetrating. “The only thing I expect is the truth. Don’t lie to me.”
Caelyn decided to be honest. “I left college,” she said. “I drove here and just arrived today. So that’s why I’m not currently employed.”
“You left college? Where did you go to school?”
“Cambridge, in Boston.”
Kenzie laughed. “Come on, you’re serious?”
Caelyn nodded. “You wanted the truth.”
“And where are you planning to live?”
“I don’t know. We’re in a hotel right now.”
“You and your boyfriend?”
“We’re just friends,” she said. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do next.”
Kenzie looked pained. She sighed, kneeling down. “Look, Caelyn. I’m not sure what your story is. But you seem nice and you must be a hard worker if you got into Cambridge. So I’ll tell you what. You can work here for as long as you want—“
“Really?” she said, her eyes widening.
“I’m not done yet,” Kenzie said. “I even have a room you can stay in, it’s got its own door, like a little unit off the side of my house that nobody’s using right now.”
“I can’t ask you to do that for me,” Caelyn said, blown away by the offer.
Kenzie stood up. “You’ll find I’m fair but I expect my girls to work hard,” she said. “If you work hard, you’ve got a job here for life. Okay? And if you decide to go back to school, I won’t be mad.” She grinned.
Elijah was returning to the table as the conversation ended. He eyed Kenzie warily, and she him. “This must be your friend?” Kenzie said, and her voice carried an odd tone, as if she immediately found him wanting in some way.
“I’m just a guy,” he replied. “No big deal.”
Kenzie nodded. “Sure. Just a guy. Well, okay, guy. Can’t say I have a job for you—“
“I wasn’t asking for one.”
“But you,” she said, turning to Caelyn, “are good to start tomorrow. Eleven a.m.
sharp for orientation and training.”
“Absolutely,” Caelyn said. “Thanks again. Thanks so much.”
“After work tomorrow, I’ll show you that room I was telling you about.”
“Okay,” Caelyn smiled.
Kenzie waved, walked off to another part of the restaurant.
As they left Mean Margarita’s, Elijah was walking slightly ahead of her. He was heading toward the motel, but going at a quick pace. Caelyn struggled to stay with him.
“Hey, slow down,” she said.
“I’m tired, I want to get back to the room.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing. I just told you, I’m tired.”
Caelyn grabbed his forearm, and he finally slowed. His eyes met hers and now she could see the hurt in them. “Elijah, something’s wrong. Why won’t you just tell me?”
He stopped walking. “So you got a job, that’s cool.”
“I thought so,” she replied, wiping a strand of hair that had blown into her eyes.
“But what was that stuff about her showing you a room?”
“She mentioned that she has a spare room in her house—“
He interrupted with harsh laughter. “Of course she does.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He just shook his head and started walking again, albeit a little slower this time.
“Elijah, she said. “What’s wrong with her showing me a room?”
“For free?” he said.
“She didn’t say. But at least it’s something.”
“And what do you have now? Are you sleeping on the street?”
“No. You paid for a room, but—”
“Oh, I guess it’s nothing, though.” He waved her off.
“Elijah, I’m totally confused.”
“That lady is a creep,” he said. “The minute I saw her, I got a bad vibe. I don’t know what her deal is, but I don’t trust her.”
“I don’t see what’s so bad about her offering to let me stay somewhere for awhile.
Maybe she’s used that for other waitresses in the past.”
“I’m sure she has,” he laughed.
“I don’t get it.”
“Of course you don’t.” He didn’t elaborate.
They walked in silence until they got back to the room. Once inside, the room felt small and almost claustrophobic. Elijah spread out on the bed and turned the TV on, while Caelyn sat in a small, rickety chair nearby.
She looked at him, her leg bouncing up and down nervously. “I don’t understand what I did to get you so upset.”
He wouldn’t look at her. “I guess you’re happy with how everything played out.
You don’t have to try and smooth it over now, Caelyn.”
She took in his words and then a flood of anger jolted her to her feet. “Happy with how things played out? Do you think I chose any of this? I’m just trying to survive.”
His eyes met hers briefly, then went back to the TV. “That’s the thing. You don’t have to try and survive, because if things go bad here, you’ll always be able to call Mom and Dad to help you out of it.”
“I’m sorry I don’t have enough street cred for your liking, Elijah. And I’m really sorry that ever since we got here, you’ve been acting like a total baby. But please—
please don’t try and convince me that these are all my problems. Because I know that you’ve got plenty of your own.”
His eyes hardened and his jaw set in the way she’d become accustomed to seeing when he was angry. “You just keep telling yourself that, Caelyn.”
“No, Elijah.” She was going to continue, but she knew it was useless. He wasn’t listening anymore. He was lost in his own world, and she didn’t really understand how it had happened—but everything between them seemed to have come apart in an instant.
***
That night, Elijah slept on the floor.
She’d told him not to be silly, that she didn’t mind sharing the bed—but he’d refused, and then she’d given up.
In the end, Caelyn was too tired to keep fighting, especially when she had no idea what they wer
e even fighting about.
Before bed, she’d gotten another text from Alicia.
I’m still worried about u.
Sighing, she texted back hastily: Don’t worry I got a job waitressing on the island. It’s all good.
But was it all good? She didn’t know anymore.
She’d fallen asleep sometime later out of sheer exhaustion, sleeping through until the next morning, when she was woken up by Elijah talking on the phone.
He was standing just outside the motel room, but she could still hear him through the paper-thin walls.
“I’m coming back, that’s all you need to know,” he was saying, as Caelyn blearily opened her eyes.
She saw that she had to get ready for work anyway, so she sat up and tried to piece her thoughts together.
Elijah’s pillow and blanket were lying in a messy pile on the floor. She felt sadness well up inside her at the sight of it. She’d wanted him next to her last night. She wanted to be talking and cracking jokes with him right now, instead of this.
Hearing him say he was ‘coming back’ sent a chill down her spine. Did he mean back to Boston, back to those bad friends he’d been alluding to?
“Give me a couple of days,” Elijah said. “Don’t worry about it. Just tell them what I told you. No, this last part.” He laughed, but it wasn’t the same laugh she was used to—it was bitter. “Yeah. I just got caught up in some stupid shit, brother. I’ll hit you up later when I’m on the road.”
A moment later, the doorknob turned and he re-entered the room, slowing down when he saw she was awake.
“Hey,” she said, softly.
“Hey.” He looked at her. “You sleep well?”
“I guess. You?”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll be okay.”
What did that even mean? What did any of it mean? She was so frustrated, she wanted to scream at him. But somehow, she couldn’t find the words.
She was scared that he was leaving Florida and going back to Boston. She was scared that she’d never see him smile again, hear him laugh, feel his fingers stroking her hair.
But she was also scared to tell him any of those things, because ever since last night he’d been unreachable. He seemed angry and distant, like he was finished with her for some reason.
“I guess I’m going to shower and get ready for my first day at the restaurant,” she said, smiling. “What about you?”
Completely Consumed (Addicted To You, Book Eight) Page 12
