Overture (Rain Dance, Book 1) (Rain Dance Series) (34 page)

     
"The bus,
of course."

     
He exhaled
loudly. When he began mumbling again, I could tell that he was definitely
talking to someone, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. "I'm
coming to get you."

     
It's a bit
too long a drive for this time of night, isn't it?
"It's alright, I
can get back on my own. You don't have to trou-"

     
"Are you
that fucking clueless?" he interrupted. My body automatically cringed at
his tone. I know he didn't actually mean anything by it, but it brought back
memories. "It's already too late to come back by bus," he continued.
"I'm sure you must be freezing. You
are
alone, right? Call a taxi.
We can meet halfway."

     
Ugh.
"That's a waste of money. I'd rather just wait it out until tomorrow.
Besides, I'm not ready to leave. I only just got here a little while ago."
I didn't think there was anything wrong with my idea, but the longer the
silence from Ethan, the more anxious I began to feel. "...Are you still
there?"

     
"Daphne," he said, obviously trying to keep the strain out of
his voice. It wasn't working. "Call a cab. Please. It's dangerous for you
to be out there at this time."

     
"Not
really. I'm the only one here." I looked around again, pleased to find no
other signs of life.

     
A few more
seconds of silence passed before he spoke seriously, "How is it you don't
understand?"

     
I sighed.
"Look, Ethan. I just needed to disappear for a while. If I felt like I was
in some sort of danger, believe me, I'd be on my merry way out of here. But I
feel perfectly safe right now."

     
His voice
became soft. "What's wrong?"

    
 
"…Nothing. Really. Anyway, I'm
gonna let you go."

     
"I'm
already on my way over."

     
"Stop,
please." What could I do? What could I say that would make him listen?
"…What if I don't want to see you?" The words hurt even as I said
them.

     
"You're
well within your rights. But Kitten…I want to see you."

     
"Oh."

     
"
Oh
,"
he repeated. "So you have two options. You can either come and meet me -
don't worry about the cab fare. Or you can sit there and wait for me. Neither
will save you from eventual punishment once I'm allowed full access."

     
Holy shit.
My face flushed and my pulse quickened at his words.
Hey, wait just a
minute…
"
Punishment
? What exactly did I do that was so
wrong?"

     
"Would you
like a list?" he asked, sounding as though he were getting worked up
again. "For one, you had your phone off. I couldn't reach you all
day."

     
"I was
saving the battery."

     
"And then
you left the city before contacting me," he continued. "Not even a
fucking text. You didn't even bother to leave a note for Dale."

     
"I'm an
adult," I snapped. "I didn't think I'd need permission to visit the
damn beach."

     
"A little
trip to the beach is one thing. Traveling across the state is another."

     
I rolled my
eyes. "Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration."

     
But he ignored
me. "Beach. Ocean. They both might as well be that same, so why does it
even matter? Not to mention the risk you put yourself in. Was it really so
important that you couldn't wait for me to take you myself? That you had to
resort to taking the fucking bus? Exactly how many did you take? What if you
had gotten lost?"

     
Now
I
was starting to get annoyed. "People use buses all the time, Ethan! That's
why they exist. Not everyone can afford hour’s worth of cab rides and drivers
and fancy cars. Anyway, blame Seattle and its lame ass lack of a proper train
system."

     
"That
doesn't explain why you couldn't wait. Please tell me you took a jacket. Did
you even eat dinner? For fucks sake, Daphne, what are you going to do if some
jackass pervert comes up to you?" Yeah, he was panicking like a worried
parent. I couldn't help but smile a little.

     
"I'm cozy
as can be and the pepper spray is in my bag. I gotta go now, okay? Saving
battery, remember?" I paused. "Are you still coming?"

     
"I said I
was."

     
"Fine," I grumbled. "I'll talk to you later."

     
I hung up and
lied back down with a loud huff. To help calm myself, I remembered that pretty
soon I would be gone from here, back in the city and away from the safe haven
that was my ocean. I closed my eyes and absorbed the sounds of the waves. I
breathed in the cold air, welcoming the slight sting in my lungs brought on by
the chill. I would enjoy this place for as long as I could.

     
About
half-an-hour passed before I realized I was uncomfortable.
Shit.
I had
to pee. During my little zone-out, it had gone from really cold to super
fucking cold. I checked the time on my iPod.
Double shit.

     
Turning my
phone back on, I looked up the nearest place to rest, hoping there would be a
McDonald's close by. Or maybe a Starbucks. I didn't drink coffee, but I always
assumed there would be one around every corner. Turns out there wasn't. Not
here, at least.
Of course. I wasn't in the city anymore.

     
"Fuck."

     
I stood up,
stretched, and started walking back down the shoreline, trying my best to enjoy
the peaceful surroundings. After what felt like forever, I decided to call
Ethan again as a distraction from the discomfort my body was in. And once
again, he answered on the first ring.

     
"It's
fucking freezing," I complained as soon as he picked up.

     
He laughed.
"No shit."

     
His laugh was
all the distraction I needed. "I'm going to find some place to warm up.
I'll let you know where when I find it. How far away are you?"

     
I heard him
speaking to the other person again before he answered. "No more than two
hours."

     
"Already?" I thought for a moment. "Is Douglas
driving?"

     
"Yes."

     
"I hope
he's not speeding."

     
"Traffic
happens to be light."

     
"If you
say so. Ah! I see buildings!" I noticed lights in the distance. Looks like
my bladder would be spared, after all. "I'll call you back in a little
bit."

     
"Be
safe."

     
"Sure
thing, daddy."

     
Within a few
short minutes of reaching actual land, I had located an inn that was just
opposite the road of the shoreline. I felt my anxiety start to peak up at the
thought of having to ask for a room. But the owner turned out to be pleasant
enough, and I got a room with no problem.

     
I walked to the
back area where my room was located. It was small, but it faced the ocean.
Because it was literally right across, I'm sure it would make for a fairly
decent view to wake up to. It didn't offer much privacy, though. I shut both
sets of curtains once inside and looked around. The first thing I noted was the
microwave on top of the mini fridge. I was too tired to get creative about a
meal now, but I knew I would be hungry in the morning and far too impatient to
go out and eat. After using the bathroom, I checked my phone for the nearest
place to grab some food. A grocery store was conveniently located on the next
block, only a minute away.

     
I was a bit
confused when I arrived in front of the old building. It didn't look anything
like the grocery stores I was used to, but the inside was at least familiar. I
quickly made my way around, grabbing food that would surely make my morning. I
also grabbed a box of noodles and a ripe mango for dinner. And a pack of mints
- one never knew when they would need some.

     
I returned to
my room only minutes later, and as soon as I was in the door, I was taking the
noodles out of the bag. I placed the box onto the counter and put the other
stuff in the mini fridge. Then I plugged my phone into the nearest outlet to
charge, quickly sending a text to Ethan.

     
I'm at the
Pacific Beach Inn.
Staying in room 16.
I am now
reasonably warm and preparing myself some magic munchies. - Me

     
What are
these munchies you speak of? And why are they magic? - Ethan

     
They come in
boxes. Within minutes they become meals. Like magic. - Me

     
In other
words, you're eating imitations. - Ethan

     
No, I'm
eating magic. - Me

     
Imitation
junk food. - Ethan

     
I have a
mango. No more distractions. I'll see you in a while. - Me

     
I ate dinner at
the tiny dining table while watching videos on my phone. When I checked the
clock again, it was already a couple minutes after ten. It would probably be
another hour at least before Ethan and Douglas arrived. It had gotten much
colder and I was now close to shivering. Feeling too tired to sit and wait, I
decided to call it a day. I cleaned up and got ready for bed. It was a little
dangerous, but I left the door unlocked. I also left the bathroom light on so
Ethan could see me if he came in on his own. I reopened the set of curtains on
the window opposite of the bed before grabbing my phone and curling up under
the covers to get warm. Lying there with only the sound of the ocean waves, I
felt peaceful.
I really do love that sound.

     
As the night
drifted to an end, my adventurous mood started to wear off and I began to miss
Ethan dearly. I wanted his arms around me. I needed to feel him wrapped around
me - to hear his soft breathing in my ear and feel his heartbeat at my back. I
sighed and, rather than text him again, chose to let music comfort me instead.
I turned the volume up on my phone and played some Lamb on repeat. It wasn't
long before I found myself close to falling asleep.

     
I woke to
fingers brushing along the side of my face, but despite their cold state, they
left a trail of warmth beneath my skin. He was here.