"Here, sit up in the back," Gray set his rollerblades aside and slipped on his sandals.Riley gave him a curious look but trusted him.As she climbed into the back of the Jeep, Gray joined her, gently taking her foot and massaging the grooves on her ankles.
"Ohhh," Riley moaned quickly, covering her mouth as she turned beet red."Sorry, that slipped out."
Gray chuckled."Don't apologize; it lets me know I'm hitting the right spot.When I was younger, I got minor frostbite on my toes while skiing.My family used to take a trip to Lake Tahoe every spring break, and one year I was trying to outlast my dad on the slopes.My socks got wet early in the day, but I said nothing because, you know, I didn't want to admit defeat.I paid for it later when I was moaning in pain.My dad was upset, not mad, like I expected, but worried.He's a plastic surgeon, so he knew how to treat frostbite, but I was terrified.That night, he didn't leave my side.It's probably the most caring moment I've ever had with him."
Riley stared at him, taken aback by his story."I'm sorry."She looked into his eyes.
"Sorry?Why are you sorry?"Gray teased."Oh right, you're Canadian; you lot love to apologize!Don't be.It's an excellent memory, even if it was a scary situation."He motioned for her to give him her other foot.
"Now, you said you had snacks, and I'm famished.Feed me, Seymour!"he quipped, easing the tension of the moment.
As they finished their snacks, Riley packed up the Jeep, making sure everything was in order.She loved to feed people, and Gray had happily devoured all the treats she'd brought.
"I noticed on the map there's a hotel out here somewhere.Have you been there?"Gray asked.
Riley gave him a mischievous look."Oh, I've been there, but it's not a hotel anymore.Just the cinder block frame of one.It must have been impressive when it was open."
"Wait, it's not a hotel anymore?What happened?"Gray realized he had seen no details beyond the location on the map.
"Come on, I'll show you.It's two minutes away, but you'd never know with all the trees."As they got into the Jeep, Gray glanced at Riley and thought, I'd go anywhere with you.He smiled, knowing it was one of the truest things he'd ever felt.
Pulling up outside the massive eight-story structure, Gray finally understood what Riley had meant.There had been a hotel, but now..."Did they blow out all the floors and leave the skeleton?"He stared at the massive concrete structure, empty inside.
"The place was beautiful when it opened in the 1970s."They got out of the vehicle and approached the building."It was originally called the Blair House Condos, then renamed the Arawak Hotel after the Indigenous tribe that lived in the Caribbean.It was open for about ten years but couldn't sustain itself."Riley motioned around them."There's not much out here, nothing for tourists to do.If you wanted to relax, sure, but there are no beaches, no restaurants, no nightlife.It was ahead of its time.Nowadays, more people would appreciate a secluded getaway."
"What happened to it?"All around was desolation.
"Once they announced the closure, chaos erupted.Everything was stolen—literally everything.Toilets, copper wiring, anything that wasn't nailed down.It never officially closed because they couldn't operate in the last few months with everything gone."
Gray shook his head, walking beside her into the shell of the hotel.Graffiti marred every inch of what remained.
"What a shame.I bet it would've thrived today.I mean, I'd prefer fewer people around when I'm on vacation, though I guess I'm already living on a paradise island permanently," Riley added with a laugh, absentmindedly grabbing Gray's hand.She paused, realizing what she'd done, but when he smiled back, she blushed and kept holding on, leading him deeper into the building.
"Wow, this place is immense.It must have had some grandeur when it was open.Is that water over there?"Gray pointed with his free hand, not wanting to let go of hers.
"Yeah, come on, it's spectacular," Riley guided him out the back of the hotel towards the canal.As they walked over the rubble, Gray pondered what the view would've been like back in the day.It wasn't exactly beautiful, but it was interesting.The canal stretched out in front of them, part of the Grand Waterway, and not much else.
"It's a modern-day ghost town.Why did they build all these canals to nowhere?And then just leave it?"
"That's the crazy part," Riley explained."They started building the waterway in 1967, cutting through the entire island from north to south.The plan was to develop this area with housing and this giant hotel.They finished the canal in 1978, and this hotel closed in 1980.Ever since, it's all been abandoned."They stood at the edge of the canal, looking down at the water.Gray had never seen water this colour before, a soft green that deepened to a mesmerizing blue as the canal grew deeper.He wanted to bottle it up and take it home, but as he thought that, he realized...this could be home.
"And here's another wild mystery: manatees have been spotted in this canal.It's rare, but I always check just in case."They both scanned the canal, waiting for a gentle giant to make an appearance.
They stood there, holding hands.Gray thought, this is the perfect place to kiss her.He turned to Riley, who was still searching the canal when she noticed he wasn't looking at the water anymore but at her, like she was the treasure he'd been seeking.She met his gaze, and he pulled her closer.
"I'm going to--" Gray began, but Riley didn't let him finish.She pushed up onto her tiptoes and kissed him.Gray almost lost his balance, but she pulled him in tighter, and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her back.He felt like she was melting into him.What was happening?He pulled back to look at her, and she smiled, tapping him on the temple.
"Dr.Gray, are you trying to analyze the data before you've completed all your research?"she teased.
He laughed."I would never!I need multiple data points.And I think I should start here," he pressed his lips to her neck.Riley gasped, her head tilting back as he kissed her softly."Gray?"
"Hmm?"
"I want to do this...and a lot more," she whispered as he nibbled on her ear and stroked her back."But I don't want this to be a onetime island romance."
He stopped, looking into her eyes, seeing the question there: did he mean he could stay?He pulled her close, not wanting her to think he was pushing her away.
"I don't want that either, Riley.I haven't--" He trailed off, searching for the right words.
