Page 7 of Summer Escape
I raised a brow. "The property manager was adamant that she didn't."
Saylor sighed. "I suppose you have the right to the place, then."
"You're not going to try and convince me to leave?"
Saylor didn't meet my eyes. "I'll figure something out."
I'd been prepared for her to fight me, to insist that we could live together, that there wouldn't be any problems. I wasn't sure how to deal with this Saylor. The one that was defeated, as if life had taken from her too much lately.
I raised a brow. "You're going to find something on this tiny island in the height of tourist season?"
Saylor blew out a breath. "Well, when you put it like that?—"
"Why don't you stay for the night, and we'll figure something out?" I wasn't sure why I was offering for her to stay when I'd been prepared to tell her she had to leave. The space was too small to share. And how would I bridge the gap with Hayden if my one-time fling lived in the spare bedroom?
Her eyes brightened. "Are you sure?"
"Positive. Just remember to lock the bathroom door when you're in there."
Saylor smiled, and it did something to my insides, reminding me how she was at eighteen, carefree and positive about the future. This Saylor was more tentative, as if she'd been hurt. I shouldn't care about her life when we were apart, but I was curious. I wanted to know who'd dimmed her spirit.
I closed the grill and sat next to her. "I have to tell you that my daughter, Hayden, is thirteen, and she's very much a teenager. I apologize in advance if she's rude. I'm trying to navigate this change with her, and it hasn't been easy."
Saylor's shoulders lowered now that the attention was off her. "I remember what that was like. I argued with everyone, rushing off to my room to slam the door, and played my music so loud my dad walked around with headphones."
I chuckled at the picture she'd drawn. "You weren't like that when I met you."
Saylor frowned. "I think girls drop the attitude before eighteen. But I can't remember when."
"One of my friends said it lasts for two years."
"I'm sure it seems like a long time when you're in the middle of it, but she'll come around. I bet there will be moments where she's the loving girl you remember. She's still in there; she's just dealing with a lot of change."
"She's pulling away at a time when I want to lean in." It felt good to talk to someone about this.
"It's unfortunate timing, but I'm sure you'll figure it out."
"I hope you're right." I stood. "I have to tell her that dinner's almost ready. Wish me luck."
Saylor laughed. "It can't be that bad."
"You'll see," I mumbled as I walked inside.
Saylor's laughter followed me all the way to Hayden's bedroom where I knocked on the door. When she didn't answer, I knocked harder, wondering if she had her earbuds in.
Finally, I heard an exasperated, "What?"
"It's dinner time," I said and waited for her to answer.
"Yeah, so?"
"I don't mind if you spend time in your room." I'd read that it was important for girls to feel independent. "But I'd like you to come to the table for meals."
"Ugh. Fine!" I heard some rustling before the door finally opened.
Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, her earbuds were still in her ears, her phone in her hand.
"We have a guest." I hadn't explained the situation with Saylor to her yet because she hadn't come out of her room. Maybe the en suite bathroom wasn't such a good idea.
