“So, why is he back, then? You gave him what he wanted — the money he needed to pay off his debts. Isn’t that what you told me?”
She took another sip. “I paid him a lot of money. It was his part of the house that we inherited from Mum. I want to keep it as an investment since I don’t own any other real estate, so I took extra money out of the equity to pay him off. He’s also getting a monthly portion of the rent I make, out of my own pocket, in exchange for him staying away from Coral Island.”
“I guess you can stop making those payments to him now.” Bradford’s face was thunderous. “It still doesn’t explain why he’s here. Does he feel the need to destroy more of our lives before he leaves again?”
She hated the pain Sean had caused Bradford’s family — his sister Bea had put her heart and soul into the café that Sean had most likely burned to the ground. The entire community had suffered the loss of delicious coffee and baked goods. Not to mention Evie’s bookshop, which had been a staple business on the island for years.
“I’m sorry—this is all my fault. I should’ve known he would never stick to our agreement. I can’t stay here. This will never end. He will keep coming back because he believes I have what he wants.”
Bradford’s eyes narrowed. “And what is that?”
She cleared her throat. “I wasn’t going to tell you because I’m scared that whoever knows this secret might be in danger. As soon as word gets out about who I am, my real identity, I’ll have to leave anyway since there’s someone out there who has it in for me. I know who it is, but I’m not sure I should tell any of this to you. Your sister knows, though…” Confusion lingered as she went back and forth in her mind.
Should she tell him? But who would it benefit? She’d feel better having let go of her burden, but he could be endangered. Although Betsy was missing, possibly gone forever, they didn’t know where she was—she might be looking for Charmaine at that very moment. And Buck was still on the island. Not to mention Frank. There was no telling who in Betsy’s circle was in on her schemes.
She decided to tell him everything. She told Bradford about the jewellery, what Finn had said, and how she’d stumbled across it after her mother died. How she’d stowed it at the bank when she discovered Sean was looking for it, and how he wasn’t going to stop coming after her until she gave it to him. But now that the police knew about it, they’d most likely ask her to hand it over. And then there was the small issue of Betsy or Buck breaking into her grandparents’ house repeatedly over the years in an attempt to get the pieces back.
“Does Betsy know you’re Charmaine Hilton?”
“Not that I’m aware of. She’s always been lovely to me, treated me like a family member more than an employee. I know she’s a murderer and that she is probably the one who chased my mother off the island when I was small, but I still can’t believe she’s such a monster. Maybe Bea was wrong.” Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. She had to pull herself together. She couldn’t miss someone who had probably only pulled her close because she knew Charmaine had the jewellery and wanted to get her hands on it.
“I’m sorry, baby,” Bradford said.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
She sighed into his shirt. “The thing is, if she knew I had the jewellery, she could’ve taken it at any time. I had it hidden in my flat above her florist shop for months, and she had the key. But I never saw any sign that someone had searched the place. No, I don’t think she knows who I am.” Charmaine yawned again, this time the yawn seemed interminable.
“You go back to bed,” Bradford said. “I’ll sleep in the spare room. If you need me, tap on the wall or call out. I’m a light sleeper.”
“Okay,” she said. “Thanks for staying.”
“Anytime,” he replied.
She turned to walk back to her bedroom when he stopped her with a single word.
“Wait…”
Slowly, she turned to face him.
“I wanted to say this earlier at the office, but we were interrupted.” He stepped towards her, closing the distance between them so that she could feel the warmth of his body. He laced his fingers through hers and kissed the back of her hand. “I’m glad we found each other.”
“Me too.”
“I had my heart broken a few years ago. My girlfriend, who I thought I’d spend my life with, told me she didn’t love me and walked away. It was devastating. That on top of the way I lost Mum, and the destructive lifestyle I’d been leading for a long time. I didn’t take it very well, and I hit rock bottom soon after.”
She inhaled a quick breath. “I can understand that.”
“I know you can. And the thing is, I went to counselling and I got healthy long before I met you. I wanted to find a way to live a fulfilling life even if I never met anyone else to share it with. I had to let go of the idea that another person was the key to my happiness. But then you came along.”
She grinned, her vision blurred with tears.
“You’re so gentle and kind. You never force me to be someone I’m not or want to change me. You take everyone exactly as they are, accept them, and love them. I know we haven’t been dating long, but I wanted to tell you how happy you make me. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so good.”
She swallowed and wiped the tears from her eyes with her fingertips. “You make me happy too.”
Seventeen
Ever since herconversation with Mum in the backyard by the pool, Taya had felt like a different person. The guilt that had eaten her up over not spending enough time with her parents, her years of rebelliousness towards them, had been forgiven and forgotten. She could finally move forward. She hadn’t cried once since that afternoon, and she didn’t feel the need. When she thought about her father, there was a deep sadness that still lingered in her heart, but it wasn’t the gut-wrenching pain it’d been during the first weeks after losing him.
