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“Thanks.” Hunter’s voice was rough around the edges, betraying the tension he’d held at bay.
I watched the moment unfold, feeling oddly detached, as if observing strangers through a fogged glass. My own folly loomed larger, the shadow it cast darkening my thoughts. How had I missed the truth?
“Stella?” Evan’s voice cut into my thoughts.
“Sorry, I… I need some air.” With legs that seemed to move of their own accord, I walked to the short bluff in front of the restaurant. The breeze off the sea was a cool caress against my flushed skin. Gulls wheeled overhead, their cries echoing the confusion that swirled within me.
Alone, I stared out at the horizon where sky met water in an endless embrace. My fingers dug into my elbows as my mind raced. If I could misjudge Ben and Matt so completely, what did that say about how I’d treated Aiden? His face materialized in my mind, his blue eyes that had only tried to reassure me. Until I’d finally pushed him too far. Catching Matt brought it all home—the rush to judge Ben paralleled my reluctance to trust Aiden.
A sharp laugh escaped my lips, tinged with irony and self-reproach. How had I allowed my fears to color my judgment? I saw Ben’s culpability where there was none, yet veiled Aiden’s strengths in fear. My intuition, once a trusted ally, was now completely unreliable. I closed my eyes and let out a long breath. I needed to bridge the chasm my doubts had created and work to repair the damage.
“Hey, sis.” Evan’s large hand settled on my shoulder, gentle yet firm.
“Hey.” I turned to look at him, trying to focus the whirlwind in my mind.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m not sure.” I shot him a small smile. “Turns out I’m not the great judge of character I thought I was.”
“Join the club.” His tone was light, but I heard the truth underneath.
“Thanks for being here.”
Evan’s presence was always a comfort, even when I was grappling with internal chaos. He was solid and dependable, the one we all counted on.
“Always.” He squeezed my shoulder before stepping back. “Hunter’s got everything under control, so why don’t you take tonight off? Luis can run the kitchen, and Rea can help. You’ve made sure they’re ready.”
“Thanks. I think that’s a good idea.”
After watching him walk back to the small crowd, I turned back to the sea, letting the endless rhythm of the waves soothe my unease. It was time to confront my own shortcomings, to acknowledge the fear that had held me captive. Aiden deserved that much—a chance to be seen without the veil of our past clouding the view.
I stood at the edge of the bluff, arms folded over my stomach as Nona’s words came back to me. What she’d warned me about had just become very clear. I needed to prove myself to Aiden. Ideas swirled inside me, darting in and out of the shadows of my mind.
I had an idea of what I wanted to do. But I needed help.
Determination filled me as I spun around. “Sorry, guys, but I have to go.” I lifted my arm in a wave as I strode past where Hunter, Evan, and Gabe were still clustered around.
“Go?” Hunter looked up, his dark brows creasing. “What’s got into you?”
“Shopping,” I said, my voice breaking into a laugh. “For supplies to mend some fences. See you guys later. And good job, Hunter!” I called over my shoulder, my laughter trailing behind me like a kite tail in the breeze. I left them with questions dancing in their expressions, but I didn’t give them a chance to ask. No time for that now.
The scent of motor oil and salt air mingled in the garage as I slipped behind the wheel of my car, the one that had seen all corners of the Lower Keys. The key turned, the engine rumbled to life, and I felt everything else fall away. As I drove north up the paved road, the Big House shrank in the rearview mirror. Mangroves blurred past, their green branches whispering secrets only the wind could understand. My hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel, not from fear, but from an eagerness that vibrated through every fiber of my being.
I need him to know. The thought was a mantra, and his name pulsed with each heartbeat. Aiden.
I had been blind. So achingly blind, but no more.
My mind still spun, so I dialed Grace on my car Bluetooth. “Are you doing anything right now? It’s kind of a nine-one-one situation.”
“That doesn’t sound good. I was planning on a day of grading papers and watching sappy movies, but if you’ve got a better idea, I’m all ears.”
“I need some help with a project, and I’m on my way to Key West. I could use a sympathetic ear too.”
“I can definitely provide that. And a day in Key West beats any sappy movie. I’m in.”
“Thanks, Grace. I’ll pick you up in ten.”
As I headed toward her apartment on Dove Key, my mind raced ahead to Key West. One of the funky shops there would undoubtedly hold what I was looking for. What I hoped would be the symbol I needed to convince Aiden I’d been terribly wrong about so many things. I would find a way to mend what was broken, to bridge the gulf between us.
