Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 92743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
chapter 7
GERTIE
I spot Elaina on the trail below me, huffing and puffing in red overalls with her dark brown hair pulled up in pigtails, but don’t head down to give her a pep talk the way I usually would.
The stress of the day has left me feeling oddly depleted.
I can usually go and go, but today my get-up-and-go already got up and went.
So, I sit perched on the rock wall surrounding the lookout, staring out at the blue ocean under a cloudless autumn sky, while I wait for her to make it up the last fifty steps. Days like this are numbered. Soon, the skies will be gunmetal gray and the ocean faded to match.
Winters are always rough around here, but for some reason I’m dreading this one more than usual.
“Asthma,” Elaina wheezes as she mounts the final step. She braces her hands on her knees, bending double as she sucks wind. “I have asthma. You can get that in your twenties, right?”
“Or maybe you just need to do some cardiovascular exercise on a regular basis,” I say for possibly the hundredth time.
Elaina and I both played rugby in high school, but since graduation, Elaina has focused mostly on petting cats and baking cakes. Meanwhile, I spend my days hauling lobster traps onto our boat and my evenings jogging or lifting weights at the rec center. Being strong isn’t just important for longevity in my job, it’s a bit of an obsession.
I’ve watched my father go downhill physically with disturbing speed, the strong dad from my childhood transforming into a stooped man with a paunch who winces as he hobbles down the street. His body is a prison, trapping him in a life he hates but can’t escape.
I don’t ever want to live like that. I’d throw myself off the boat first.
“No. Asthma,” Elaina continues to pant. “I clearly have asthma. And when I get a diagnosis, you’re going to feel so bad for bullying me and making me hike instead of meeting me in my nice warm café.”
“You look warm enough to me,” I tease, laughing when she sticks her tongue out at me from the middle of her flushed face.
“The cats are mad, too,” she says, hands on her hips as she sways toward me, gradually pulling in deeper breaths. “They were looking forward to a visit from Aunt Gert-Gert.”
“I couldn’t risk another run-in with the Tripps,” I say. “Not until I figure out what I’m going to do.”
She blinks, her expression sobering as she sits beside me on the rock wall, swinging her legs over to dangle beside mine. “I’m so sorry, Gertie. I shouldn’t have told Mark you were leaving out the back. I thought he was looking for you to apologize for whatever happened between you two. I had no idea he’d do…whatever he did.” She leans in, her brow furrowed. “What did he do, by the way? When he came in for coffee, all he said was ‘your friend is crazy and kicked me in the nuts.’ And that he wanted three scones to go.”
I huff beneath my breath, annoyed, but not surprised. “He’s such an asshole. I can’t believe I made out with him for months. He’s so gross.”
“He’s not gross,” Elaina says. “Not physically anyway. He’s cute. But if he did something bad enough to get kicked in the nuts, I’ll never sell him a scone again.” She bites her lip. “I did give him three today because I baked way too many and needed to unload some, but never again. Just say the word and he’s banned for life.”
It’s tempting, but after a beat, I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. He wasn’t himself this morning. His dad just died. I’ll give him a pass this time.”
“A pass for what?” she presses again.
I briefly explain, leaving out the part about Weaver swooping in to glare daggers in Mark’s face.
When I’m finished, Elaina’s dark eyes are narrowed in anger. “Fuck that guy,” she spits, like one of the cats after they get hit with the spray bottle for fighting. “No more scones for him. No coffee, either. Not even a mug of herbal tea without an ounce of caffeine in it. No one lays hands on my bestie and gets away with it.”
“He didn’t get away with it,” I remind her. “I kicked him in the balls and he said he wouldn’t mess with me again. It’s fine.”
He didn’t exactly say that, but I feel confident that Mark got the message, and I don’t want to start a town feud between his people and mine. Or more of a feud, anyway. My people are of higher quality, but Mark has numbers on his side. The other Tripps and Tripp minions might like me better, but he’s the one with power and influence in Sea Breeze.