TWELVE YEARS LATER
Bella
With the life I know behind me, I look over my shoulder, and my heart splinters in two. A large sign stares back at me, Thank you for riding with Falcon Ferry. It slowly disappears into the abyss as the ferry leaves the dock.
Destination: Elizabeth Islands.
My hand rests on my luggage bag. One bag with everything I should need for the next six months. A single tear drops down my cheek when I pull the image from memory of Mom and Dad waving goodbye from the driveway hours ago. I brush the dampness away with the back of my hand and swallow hard, anxiety overwhelming me.
I’ve never even left the state without them. When it came time to choose a school, my heart longed to accept the offer in the Piano Department at Juilliard, but the miles between here and there seemed too long. Not to mention, I couldn’t afford it. There was a scholarship, if I really wanted to go, but how could I when I had so much lost time with my family to make up for? So, I decided on an interior design degree at a local university. Yet, here I am—leaving. Six months secluded from civilization.
My parents are empty nesters now. Mark is away at law school in New York, and I doubt he’ll ever move back to our hometown in Rhode Island.
This temporary move is a good thing, I keep reminding myself. I never would have imagined that I would be leaving our small town and moving eight hours away. But, this is an offer that anyone in their right mind would take. I don’t claim to always be in the right mindset, but that’s exactly what I did. I jumped on it.
With little time to prepare, I didn’t even make a list of everything I needed to bring. Just threw some clothes into a suitcase and left the next morning. Normally I would have sat on it for days, weeks maybe. I have no idea why the president of Ellis Empire would want little old me working on the design of one of his exclusive hotels, but he does. So here I am, starting a new chapter in my life, one I never even knew I wanted, but one I can’t wait to begin.
A phone call interrupts Selena Gomez’s voice through the speakers of my earbuds. I take the call with a chuckle, “I haven’t even hit the interstate.”
“Just turn around, babe. It’s not too late to change your mind.”
Taking a deep breath, I say what needs to be said, “This is going to be good—for both of us. I promise.”
I’ve been with the same guy, on and off, for the last three years. We’ve hit so many bumps in the road that I barely even notice them anymore. We’ve come to the point in our lives where I think we are headed in separate directions, and I’m not sure that what we have is strong enough to survive the pull. He proposed last week, and I still haven’t given him an answer, even if deep down, I know what it will be.
“When you get tired of this job, come home. I’ve told you, you don’t need to work. Let me take care of you.”
Holding my breath, I count to five in my head. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. “We’ve been over this, Trent. I need my independence. I have to go, we’re hitting rough waters. Talk soon.” I end the call and blow out an exasperated breath.
I’m leaving a lot behind, but if things go as planned, I’ll be finding something even better—myself. My own identity. With zero connections on the island, my past doesn’t have to follow me.
“Excuse me, miss?”
My eyes flutter open as someone shakes my shoulder. Smacking my lips together, I hope I wasn’t drooling. I pull out my earbuds and set them in my lap, then look up at the big burly guy in front of me. “I’m sorry, what?”
He doesn’t even smile, just stands there with a scorned look on his face. “We’ve docked. You may exit the boat now.”
“Wow. That was fast.” I drop my earbuds into my purse, along with my phone, and grab the handle of my suitcase. “Thank you very much.” I smile politely at the asshole.
Dragging my suitcase behind me while Mr. Grumpy watches, I make my way down the ramp.
Surprisingly, there aren’t many people. I’ve got no idea where I’m going from here, but I was told there’d be a gentleman waiting to transport me to the hotel where I’ll be staying.
My eyes sweep the small crowd and I spot him. A tall, lanky man holding a white piece of paper that reads Isabella Jenkins. Seeing it makes this feel all the more official.
Here we go. I’m off to an island in the middle of nowhere with choppy cell service, no car, and strangers as co-workers. It’s intimidating as hell, being the new girl at any job, but this isn’t just any job. It’s the job.
I approach the man with heightened nerves. There’s still time to back out, but if I take this boat ride, it’s pretty much written in stone. Sure, I can leave if I want. But, that would make me a quitter and I’m not known to quit.
He lifts his chin from me, then looks down at the sign with questioning eyes. I give him a nod and he smiles. Breathing out a sigh of relief that he’s not as much of a browbeat as the guy on the boat, I greet him. “You must be my ride out of here.”
“And you must be Isabella?”
“That would be me.”
“I’m Jeffery, and I’ll be your escort. Here,” he takes the handle of my suitcase, “allow me.”
“Thank you,” I tell him as I walk next to him, down the waterfront sidewalk.
Jeffery looks at me and quirks a brow. “Are you excited about your stay at Cori Cove?”
“Nervous is a better word. It’s a big change.”
“I can imagine. Working for Mr. Ellis does sound quite nerve-wracking.”
Gee. Thanks for the encouragement. “You don’t work for him, then?”
“Not quite. Mr. Ellis doesn’t get many guests on his island, but when he does, I escort them from the docks. I’m not on his payroll, though.”
“Interesting.” Now I’m curious how many people will be working at the hotel. Jeffery refers to them as guests, but the hotel isn’t set to open until next year. From my understanding, there’s a lot to be done. Positioned all over the world, Ellis Empire is known for their gorgeous castle-like hotel chain.
Mr. Ellis, who is a billionaire, purchases these very old castles—most of which are on private islands—completely guts them and turns them into these magical kingdoms. A one-night stay at one of his hotels is said to cost around two-thousand dollars, depending on the location.
Jeffrey waves his hand, gesturing me toward a tiny little boat that actually resembles more of a raft with a motor. “After you, Ms. Isabella.”
I hesitate, unsure if I’m ready to risk my life. “Is this…safe?”
Jeffrey laughs at my hesitancy. “Of course it is. I’ve been doing this for twenty years. You’re in good hands, dear.”
His warm smile calms my nerves slightly as I take his hand and allow him to help me step into the boat. With only three seats, it’s quite small. I suppose something larger isn’t needed, since it’s just me taking this trip.
“How long is the ride?” I ask him, hoping that it’s not too far.
“A short ten minutes.”
Okay. I can do ten minutes.
I’ve never been a fan of water. Don’t care much for swimming. Went on a boat once with my parents and Mark and threw up all over the side of it. I prefer that my feet stay on solid ground, especially since I’m somewhat of a ditz and tend to do myself more harm than good.
Jeffrey looks over his shoulder. “Ready?”
Biting hard on my bottom lip, I nod as the motor purrs to life.
What starts off as a slow tug, quickly turns into us skating over the water at full speed. It looks as if we’re driving straight into the fire glow of the sunset. My hair catches in the wind as I hold tightly to my suitcase. My heart is settling in my stomach, but the breathtaking view calms me slightly.
A few minutes pass and we start to slow down. I look past Jeffery at the immaculate structure in front of us. “Is this where we’re going?”
Jeffery looks over his shoulder with a crooked smile. “Welcome to Cori Cove, Ms. Jenkins. One hundred private acres surrounded by water with a castle sitting as the heart of the island. Also known as your home for the next six months, or longer, if you decide to never leave.”
“Oh, I doubt I’ll stay forever. Though, I might not mind this short escape from civilization.”
