Page 53 of Chasing Clouds

“How do you feel about the beach?”

His eyebrows rise. “I like the beach.”

I FEEL LIKE I’ve fallen into someone else’s life, like the things that are happening can’t really be happening to me. One moment I’m sitting in my condo, perfectly content with my team, my new contract, and my life. In the next moment I’m married to a gorgeous Southern girl and now we’re headed to Anna Maria Island.

Once we decided we’d hide out at the beach for a while, we both set off to pack our things. It didn’t take us long, but I’m not going to lie—I needed a few minutes to collect my thoughts and calm myself down. I can’t believe that asshole came here, demanded time with her, and thought that was going to work. If she hadn’t been so worked up, it’s quite possible I would have grabbed Jack, gone down to the street, chased him down, and beat the shit out of him. I’ve had it.

On our way out, we stopped and spoke with Blake, the security guard who helped her out. He assured me Patrick was on a watch list and I would be informed immediately if he ever came back. Although that doesn’t guarantee he won’t bother her, at least I know there are people here in the building looking out for her.

“How do you think he found me?” she asks as we’re pulling out of my building in my car.

“That’s a really good question.” I had been wondering that myself, and I look in my rearview and side mirrors to see if anyone is following us. Nope. Other than the day we went out to the festival and then Billy’s party last night, she hasn’t gone anywhere to be noticed. A walk here and there, yes, but with her hat and sunglasses, she’s kinda hard to recognize and blends in with the other twenty-something girls walking around.

At that exact moment, her phone chimes with an incoming text, and my hands give my poor steering wheel a death grip. Leaning over, I read the message without asking.

Patrick: When are you going to talk to me?

This dude is relentless. I get that rejection sucks, but he had her and it’s his own fault he lost her. Enough is enough.

“I think you need to block him. Better yet, let’s get you a new phone.” I peek a glance at her to see if I can gauge her reaction. She sucks her bottom lip in and looks down at her phone, considering the idea.

“A new phone,” she mumbles. “Do you think he tracked me from my phone?”

“I don’t know, maybe. Pictures of us being out last weekend have surfaced here and there, plus all the ones from last night. He was motivated to find you, so it was only a matter of time, but switch to airplane mode to be on the safe side, and let’s go get you a new phone.”

“Okay, I think that sounds like a good idea.”

An hour later, we’re pulling away from her mobile carrier’s storefront with her new phone on and set up with a new number, her old phone powered off, and we’re on our way. The drive down takes us less than an hour and a half. It’s far enough away that I don’t think we’ll be found, but close enough that I can run back to a meeting if I need to.

Pulling up to her friend Ali’s house, it feels kind of strange to be staying here, but at the same time kind of awesome. Nate’s mentioned to me a little bit about Beau’s and his brother’s past, so I get that this town doesn’t evoke the greatest memories for them, but the house is charming, and looking over at Camille with her big excited eyes, I can tell she loves it.

Climbing out of the car, I’m hit with the salty smell of the air and the sound of the water crashing on the shore. The sun has dropped in the sky, we’re just in time to see it set, and my feet start moving before my brain even has a chance to catch up.

“Come on, let’s go!” I call over to Camille as she climbs out of the car and looks around.

“Go where?”

“To watch the sunset.” I shrug my shoulders and grin.

Grabbing her hand, I pull her toward the wooden footpath that leads down to the beach.

“The last time I went to the beach was when I was eighteen,” I tell her as we step down into the sand and walk closer to the water’s edge.

“Really?” She looks up at me in surprise and I smile down at her.

“Yep. It was right before I left for college, and I wanted to do something fun with Nate. So, we got on the train and went to Coney Island. He was thirteen, and it is one of the best days I remember with him.”

Nate laughed so much that day. Mom had given me twenty dollars so we could grab some food and ride a few rides, and then randomly we found twenty-six dollars rolled up on the ground. It had to have fallen out of someone’s pocket, and we were over the moon—you would have thought we won the lottery.

“Clare and I always went to Tybee Island. It’s just outside of Savannah. There’s a pier and a lighthouse, but not much to do there other than play on the beach. It can get a little touristy, but we didn’t mind.”

As I wrap my arm around her, a quietness descends as we look out over the water. There are a few tiny clouds off in the distance, but it’s essentially a clear night as the orange ball of light makes its way toward the horizon.

“Are you hungry?” I ask, tearing my eyes away to look down at Camille. The breeze coming off the gulf is blowing her hair around; it brushes my arm and feels like she’s stroking me with a feather.

A giggle escapes her as she looks up at me, those blue eyes owning me, and it makes me happy to hear her laughing considering the terrible morning she had.

“I haven’t thought about it much, but I’m not surprised you have—you eat all the time.”