Page 76 of Pretty Wild

I take quick stock in my appearance. I’m wearing my panties and what I can assume is one of his T-shirts. It feels roomy, and it’s definitely not the outfit I was wearing earlier in the evening. While I can’t see what he’s wearing below the sheet, his chest is bare. Even in the darkness, he looks yummy. I long to curl into his chest, to run my fingers down the hard, muscular planes, but I don’t.

Instead, I watch.

I don’t know how long I lie here and stare at him, but the darkness slowly transforms. It’s not daybreak, but I can tell it won’t be long before the sun is peeking over the horizon.

Carefully, I climb from the bed. Marcus stirs, rolling over onto his stomach and curling his arms beneath his pillow. As much as I’d love to stand here and watch the man sleep, I have something else I need to do.

Slipping silently toward the stairs, Buddy sits up, his ears on alert. “Shhh, go back to sleep, Buddy,” I whisper, praying he doesn’t bark.

He doesn’t make a noise, but he doesn’t lie back down either. Buddy gets up and follows me, as if he knows I’m doing something he wants to be part of. Together, we make our way down to the main floor of Marcus’s cabin. My first stop is the coffeepot, which is ready to go to brew a pot. I press the start button and wait for the delicious scent to fill the air.

While the coffee brews, I check to see what he has in the fridge for creamer. I’m pleasantly surprised to find a bottle of the same creamer I enjoy. Pulling it from the fridge, I go in search of a mug. In the third cabinet I open, I find a few various coffee mugs, as well as a whole shelf of travel mugs, and even though the travel mug will keep the coffee hot longer, I opt for a regular mug.

When the coffee finishes, I pour the hot liquid into the mug. This one’s black with bold white letters that reads “This might be whiskey.” It’s exactly the sort of dry sense of humor I’ve come to know and expect from Marcus, and it makes me smile. I add a bit of coffee creamer to the black coffee and replace the bottle in the fridge. Only when I have my cup of Joe in hand do I make my way to the back door.

Buddy is right beside me, ready to go out. “Do you need to potty?” I ask, releasing the lock and pulling the door open. He takes off toward the grass, ready to do his business. Just as I start to step out, I spot my clutch purse and phone sitting on the counter. I grab the phone, just in case I have any issues, and slip out into the early morning June air.

It’s chilly, but only because I’m wearing a pair of panties and a thin T-shirt. However, I refuse to let the temperature stop me. With Buddy at my side—and let’s be honest, I’m glad he’s here—I walk toward the path that leads to the lake. I should one-hundred-percent turn back and get my sandals, but I don’t. I want to feel the sand between my toes as I watch the sun rise over the lake.

I step on a dozen sticks, probably poking all kinds of holes in the bottoms of my feet, but I keep moving. The ground is damp, thanks to the cooler morning air and the tree coverage, but it feels good. Buddy runs ahead, finds a stick, and carries it back to show me his treasure. A squirrel runs across the path, scampering up a tree and making as much noise as an animal ten times his size. My heart rate kicks up at the thought of what might be lurking out here in the shadows, yet I still push forward.

Finally, we break through the tree line and step out onto the beach. The water moves silently as the sun starts to rise. Carefully, so I don’t spill my coffee, I turn on the photo app and take a picture as the sun makes her presence known. I close my eyes and let it warm my face, but only for the briefest few seconds. I don’t want to miss the rest of the sunrise. Buddy lies at my feet as I take it all in. The serene beauty that surrounds me.

Holding up my coffee mug, making sure you can read the words, I angle it just right so you catch the beautiful lake and the rising sun behind it. I snap a few pictures before lowering the device and just watching the rest of the sunrise.

When I’ve finally had my fill of the beautiful morning show, I pull up the photos I took. The pictures don’t do it justice, that’s for sure. With a deep breath, I do something I haven’t done in more than two weeks. I pull up my app that posts on all my social media platforms. I load the photo into the post—the one with my coffee mug, the sunrise, and the lake—and type out my message.

“Nobody can bring you peace but yourself.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

And that’s what I feel when I’m here.

Peace.

I hit post, and even though I have hundreds—probably more likely thousands—of notifications, I ignore them all and shut down the app. That alone is liberating.

Tucking my phone under my arm, I enjoy my coffee and watch the sunrise. I don’t even care I’m standing out where anyone can see me in my underwear and a T-shirt. I mean, no one is around this section of the lake, and there are only a couple of cabins in this stretch—mine included.

I don’t know how long I stand here, but I can’t seem to take my eyes away from the view. I think back over the last few years, especially my relationship with Vaughn. Did I ever really love him? The answer is yes, but not the way I should have. It wasn’t a forever kind of love, and I know it. He was comfortable, plain and simple. And while I loved him, perhaps it was the type of love you have for a friend instead of your lover.

Sighing, I wonder what will happen when I go back to Los Angeles. I have absolutely no intention of returning to my relationship, especially in light of the fact he was using me. Honestly, I think it was a blessing in disguise. No, I didn’t want to find out on national television, but I’m glad I found out now. Who knows how far he would have taken it? Would he have married me? Cemented his alliance with my family name, all while being with me for all the wrong reasons. Would he have cheated?

Hashe cheated?

My stomach churns as I take another sip of coffee. My mind swirls with what could have been, but I quickly shut it down. The relationship is over, so there’s no reason to worry about whatmighthave happened if we remained together. And if hehascheated, I suppose there’s nothing I can do about it now. Except knee him square in the balls next time I see him, but whatever…

Buddy’s ears perk up from where he lies, the stick he was nibbling on forgotten. I step closer to the timber, prepared to use the trees as camouflage. Before I can move completely out of sight, Buddy barks happily and trots over to the place where the path clears way to the beach.

“I wasn’t expecting the woman who passed out in my bed last night to be gone this morning, along with my dog.”

I give him a small smile and remain where I stand. “The sunrise was too beautiful to pass up, and you were sleeping.”

He slowly approaches, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. I do the same, considering he’s wearing a pair of jeans, open at the fly. He’s without a shirt, exactly how I left him when I got out of bed, as well as nothing covering his feet. “You still should have woken me up. And put on more clothes.”

I shrug. “I didn’t have enough time. Coffee was more important.”

He grins, running his hand through his unruly hair. He looks out at the water, where the sun is already creeping up the morning sky. “I’ve come out and watched plenty of sunrises in my time.”

Ripping my gaze away from his hard body, I gaze out at the water. “It’s beautiful.”

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