Falling In Page 4

  “Ah hell,” she said yanked it up by one of the white handles. “Why not?”

  Though she had no idea where she was going, Audrey pedaled the bike down the solitary road that led to and from the property. She bounced and hobbled down it, feeling like the pock-marked, dirt path would shake her brains loose. Even the basket in front rattled and banged against the frame in protest. Lucky for her--and the bike--a paved road waited just beyond a small outcrop of tall trees that were heavily burdened by tons of hanging moss.

  Where the dirt ended, she eased to a stop and dug the heels of her sneakers into the soft shoulder. To the left and right, both stretches of road looked equally desolate. There were no cars; no signs of life other than the wailing creatures that called the area home.

  Audrey shielded her face with her hands and squinted her eyes as she scanned the distant horizon. Near the end of her sweep--over a small hill that crested about a mile away--the very tip of a building’s pointed roof caught her eye.

  “Must be downtown,” she said to nobody in particular and pointed the large wheel in its direction.

  With the road wide open, Audrey kicked off and pedaled like a maniac. When she was going fast enough, she dipped the handlebars to the left and right, making what looked like a drunken weave across both lanes. The spotty yellow paint below sped past, eventually leading her to a hill that she coasted to the top of.

  Spreading out below, Cedar Key proper looked like a town mostly unchanged by time. Audrey could see dozens of antique buildings scattered about, though even the newer ones were built to match the area’s quaint charm. Past the mix of buildings old and new, small fishing boats swayed gently in the glimmering bay.

  Seeing it was like a breath of fresh air. Then again, the literal fresh air didn’t hurt, either.

  Audrey kicked off again and raced down into town, slowing down only when she felt a sticky layer of sweat and humidity that started to make her tank top suck up against her body. By that point, all that she really wanted was a cool drink.

  The bike rounded a few corners, meandering aimlessly until coming to a stop in front of a flag-adorned building near the eastern end of the town.

  Standing two stories tall, the Island Hotel sat elegantly on a corner with a washed-out yellow facade and white railings that wrapped all the way around the upper level. The lower half was surrounded by over a dozen windows that looked like they never closed. Layers of paint and salty ocean residue crusted the hinges, adding to the effect.

  Audrey leaned the bike up against the wall and hurried inside. Near the back of the building, a tiny bar called her name.

  “Why hello,” the old man behind the counter hollered to her.

  “Hey,” she said through heavy breaths as she walked up to the counter. “What’s the coldest thing you’ve got?”

  The bartender--the tag on his shirt suggested that his name was Arthur--nodded knowingly and dipped down. When he came back up, he had a frosty beer, which he popped open and set down in front of her. Almost immediately, beads of moisture started to gather and roll down the sides, where they pooled like a little lake.

  Audrey knocked back half of the bottle in one go, chugging it greedily as the bartender watched.

  “Oh yeah,” she sighed and set the bottle back down. “That’s the ticket.”

  Her animal thirst finally tamed, she stopped and looked up to where over fifty liquor bottles lined the wall. Behind the tallest necks, a battered and worn painting of King Neptune graced the walls.

  Audrey looked back down to find Arthur wiping off a glass with a small, white towel. He was a small, chubby man with crystal blue eyes and a u-shape spattering of silver hair that barely clung to the sides of his head. When he spoke, every word sounded deliberate and assured.

  “You like the painting?”

  “Actually, I do. I’ve always loved the sea but I’m from Chicago, so I don’t get to be around it that often.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  Audrey chuckled and took another swig of the icy beer. A few days before, she would have felt sorry for him, being stuck in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Now she found herself feeling a little jealous.

  She looked around. There were other paintings, but none of them had the same allure of the first.

  “This is a nice little city you have here,” she said after spying a mural of the town as it was over a hundred years before.

  “Thank you,” he responded. “Cedar Key is actually the second oldest city in Florida.”

  Audrey was a little surprised.

  “Really?”

  “Yep,” he said and shuffled to put a few things back in their place. “Though it almost didn’t survive. There was a massive hurricane in 1896 that wiped the whole town off the map. The only reason people stayed was because the cedar trees around here were important to the pencil manufacturing industry. Some of the old mills are still around if you ever want to see them.”

  Though his little speech sounded a tad rehearsed, the story was still fascinating. Even better, it was obvious that he enjoyed telling it.

  “You sure do know a lot about this place.”

  Arthur leaned forward and rested his arms on the cool mahogany between them.

  “My family’s been here for, hell, over a hundred years now.”

  The thought of being confined to a tiny town for an entire lifetime was almost unfathomable to the born-and-raised city girl.

  “And you’ve never wanted to move somewhere closer to civilization?”

  “Why would I want to leave?” He asked. “This is paradise.”

  Audrey drank the rest of her beer and let the thick, cold foam slip down the back of her throat.

  “I guess you have a point there.”

  Though it was only a start, Audrey started to feel a little more like herself. With that came a powerful, sudden hunger that made her stomach growl. She looked up from the empty bottle and pushed it back toward him.

  “What do I owe you?”

  The smiling old man whisked the cup away and shook his head.

  “It’s on the house.”

  “Oh I couldn’t.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he interrupted and tossed the bar towel over his shoulder. “This is a small town. I’m sure you’ll be back in at some point.”

  Audrey smiled and pushed her chair back.

  “Is there a store around here?”

  “Like a grocery store? There’s one just down the road to the west,” he said and pointed in the general direction.

  “Thanks,” she responded. “I guess I’ll be seeing you.”

  “Sure will. Bye now.”

  Audrey left the hotel and hopped back onto the shining bike. From where she was, the small general store was already visible. Its sign, which jutted out from the building, waved back and forth on the soft breeze. She could hear its ancient hinges creak and groan as it moved.

  In a matter of a minute or two, she was able to pedal over, park, and find her way inside. Waiting for her were only four rows of goods, though they extended back for a good distance. It was far enough for the back counter (and the man standing behind it) to appear invisible as Audrey’s eyes adjusted.

  “Welcome,” he hollered. “Let me know if you need anything, ma’am.”

  She nodded and turned her attention to the long rows of chest-height, wooden shelves. All kinds of products lined them, though some of the boxes looked like they hadn’t been touched in ages. Audrey slowly moved through them, scanning for anything that she forgot in Chicago. Pushed along by a roaring fan that was bolted to the ceiling above her head, the musky scent of the building wafted by and filled her lungs.

  Just beyond a row of dusty cereal boxes, something out of place caught her eye: a long, weaving snake tattoo that ran up the arm of a chiseled, handsome man. The bright ink ducked down below the sleeve of his pure, white tee shirt, forcing her gaze to continue on an upward path.

  The first thing that Audrey noticed about him was
his eyes. They were an emerald shade of green, though his pupils were surrounded by a ring of amber that made them twinkle and shine, even in the low light that filtered through the general store’s time-weathered windows. Dripping down in front of the spectacular color, the man’s shaggy, wavy locks shone with a light brown that was kissed by small threads of blond. Just from the hair alone, Audrey could tell that he lived nearby. He looked like he belonged on a beach. His worn-down tee shirt and stubbly chin supported her assumption. Before he even spoke, the laid-back feeling that Cedar Key embodied seemed to radiate off of him.

  “Hey.”

  Audrey gathered her frizzy hair behind her head, suddenly realizing that she hadn’t brushed it in way too long. Between that and the Florida humidity, she didn’t even want to know what it looked like.

  “Hi,” she answered.

  The man adjusted a paper bag between his two massive hands, but even that couldn’t distract Audrey from his gorgeous, chiseled jaw line and muscular shoulders.

  “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”

  She paused and suddenly felt all too aware of her bandaged wrist. It wasn’t until she tucked it back behind her body that she was able to speak comfortably again.

  “No, probably not. I just got into town this morning.”

  “Got into town?” The man smiled and flashed his pearly teeth as he chuckled, “For what? And don’t tell me that you’re just passing through.”

  “Why not?”

  “We’re sixty miles from much of anything. If you said that, I would know that you’re lying.”

  “You got me,” she said and allowed herself to relax slightly. His calm, laid-back attitude was almost infectious. “I’m here for a couple of weeks to watch a friend’s house.”

  “Oh yeah,” He grabbed a pair of all-black sunglasses from the collar of his shirt and used them like a headband, pushing the hair out of his stunning eyes before he continued, “Kim, right?”

  Audrey couldn’t help but look surprised, which elicited a smirk from her new friend.

  “How’d you know?”

  “It’s a small town,” he said with a shrug and extended his arm over the shelf. “The name’s Liam Stone, by the way.”

  Audrey reached out and watched as the faded tattoos on his hand wrapped around her pale, virgin skin and gripped firmly. His palm--unlike his cool disposition--was hot like fire and made her want to melt into the floor.

  “Audrey,” she said. “Audrey Davis.”

  They shook hands for a moment. When he let go, a faint hint of disappointment teased the back of her mind.

  “So, Audrey,” he said, mulling over each and every letter in her name. The way that he said it sounded like music. “Are you going to be in town tonight?”

  Her stomach fluttered.

  “Unless something horrible happens.”

  Liam laughed, “Nice. Well if you’re still alive around seven, me and a bunch of the locals are going to have a little get-together down by the Seaside Docks. Maybe you’d like to join us?”

  Audrey was stunned. Though the prospect was tempting, there was so much going on that she didn’t know whether or not she could even make it through a party. Perhaps sensing her hesitation, Liam said, “Why don’t you give me your number? I can text you directions and you can stop by if you want to.”

  His offer was a relief and Audrey was immediately grateful. She watched as he pulled out his phone and waited, his tattooed thumb hovering over the screen.

  “630-555-8321.”

  He tapped around a few times, then locked the phone back up and shoved it into his pocket, adjusting the bag once more. When he did, the glass liquor bottles inside clattered together.

  “I have to run,” he said. “But you should stop by. We always have a good time.”

  “Thanks,” she said to him as he walked away. Soon he was gone, leaving Audrey to process what just happened.

  In a daze, she rounded up only a couple of things--extra bandages being the most important--and quickly paid with one of the many 20 dollar bills that Kim left for her. Shortly after plopping the bag into the bike’s noisy basket, her phone beeped and vibrated. On the screen, Liam’s phone number appeared above concise directions to the party.

  Audrey smiled and tucked the phone away. After she pulled the bike back up and pointed it toward home, she muttered to herself, “Maybe it would do you some good.”

  Chapter 4

  Audrey escaped back to the blissful stillness of her temporary home and quickly changed into a new set of clothes: a pair of clingy, olive green shorts and a plain, black, strapless top. Seated at the very top of the home’s front staircase on a pair of knotted, warped wood planks, she stared off into the marshy world that stretched to where it met the blue, cloud-dotted sky.

  Off to her right, a group of pelicans 8 or 9 strong waddled around, nipping at each other and sounding their obnoxious calls. Audrey watched them stumble around for a while and did her best to get her mind off of everything. But even when she managed to feel a little bit of calm, the nervous twitching in her legs was a clear indication that the battle in her head still raged.

  Breaking through the din, Audrey’s cell phone rang loudly. When she finally pried it from her tight pockets, the disgust of seeing Max’s name pop up on the screen was immense.

  “Fuck that,” she mumbled and forwarded him to her voicemail. Much to her relief, he chose not to leave one.

  She flipped over to the text message screen and eyed Liam’s directions. The dock was just down the street from where they met--though it started to seem like everything in Cedar Key was “just down the street” from everything else.

  After locking the phone’s screen, she set it down onto the wood next to her and looked back out at the boisterous flock. Resting her chin into her hand, she sighed and wondered whether or not she should go to the party. As tired and worn-down as she was, Audrey knew that nothing good ever came from stewing alone in the dark.

  As if giving her an answer, one of the pelicans honked loudly in her direction.

  “Okay, okay,” she responded and threw both hands up like she was at gun-point. “I’m going.”

  She gathered herself and left an hour later. The clattering basket attached to her ride signaled her departure. None pleased with the racket, the pelicans decided to leave, too.

  By the time that Audrey rolled up to the dock, it was just past 7 and the sun was already on its way down, throwing out a spectacular fire-hued tone that made the underside of the clouds glow with brilliant pinks and reds. Down on the dock, an undulating mass of bodies moved about. Even from far away, she could hear their garbled conversations and hearty laughs, which seemed to blend seamlessly with the millions of crickets that chirped in the background.

  All along the dock, tall poles suspended lines of clear balls of light that dipped and zig-zagged in seemingly random directions. Under the darkening skies they looked like tiny moons, casting soft discs of white onto the buzzing party.

  Liam cut through the crowd, waving both hands over his head to signal her over. He changed his clothes at some point, switching to some black shorts and a light green tee shirt from the local hardware store. Just like before, his shaggy mop hung around his face, framing his statuesque facial features and fiery eyes.

  “Hey!”

  “Hey to you, too,” she said with a smile.

  Upon reaching her, Liam’s hand slipped gently onto the small of her back. With no warning, Audrey felt his hot skin meet where her shirt hiked up during the ride over. Between her already dazed state and his surprising show of affection, she stumbled over the toe of one of her flip flops.

  Liam grabbed her waist just in time to keep her from falling.

  “You know,” he said with a laugh. “I think riding a bike drunk can still catch you a DUI.”

  “No, I’m not drunk. I, uh,” she stammered as she looked for an excuse. “I haven’t worn sandals in a while.”

  He rolled his shining
eyes, which sparkled almost as bright as the lights over their heads. On Audrey’s right hip, his calloused fingers curled tighter into her skin.

  “Yeah, okay. So you don’t want a beer?”

  “Hold on,” she responded with a playful chuckle. “Let’s not get carried away here.”

  “I like your style. Come on.”

  Liam started them toward the party and glanced down, stealing a quick look at her golden hair, which was pulled back into a loose, messy braid.

  He moved his hand back to the small of her back as they stepped onto the hollow-sounding wood planks with everyone else. Near the entrance, a big, red bucket with rope handles waited. It was filled to the brim with melting ice and brown bottles that bobbed gently. Liam dipped into the icy slush, pulled two out and popped them open.

  “Thanks,” Audrey said and accepted one of the freezing beverages, stopping just long enough to clink the mouths of their bottles together. “To new friends.”

  “Absolutely.”

  They paused for a moment to take a few hearty chugs.

  Audrey let the welcome blast of cold slip down her throat. She could feel it travel all the way down into her empty stomach, which immediately started to gurgle. Looking over the end of the raised bottle--past the new bandage that she put on before leaving--the diverse mix of residents shuffled by.

  Liam lowered his beer and started to guide her deeper into the mix, pointing people out as he went.

  “Over there’s Marv. He’s one of six police officers that live here. Behind him is his wife, Colleen.”

  Somehow hearing her name over the crowd, the hefty, round-faced woman turned around and waved to him.

  “Hello there!”

  Liam waved back and continued, “She’s won hundreds of baking competitions and makes one hell of a peach pie.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep,” he said and took another drink. “Like bites of fucking sunshine.”

  “I’m sorry I asked,” Audrey snickered.

  “Don’t be,” he responded and tapped her lower back with the tip of his finger three times. “Over there are my neighbors, who also happen to own a little dive bar on the other side of town.”