Page 48 of The Oscar Escape
“That was a specialOscar huff. The huff that says that you wished I was wrong, but you know that I’m right. And that brings us to the clothes,” she added, not missing a beat. Even with the howl of the wind, he could hear the thread of smug certainty in her voice.
“What about the clothes?” he asked, willing himself not to huff.
“The closet was stocked with women’s clothing and shoes in my size. Oh, and let’s not forget the socks and lobster underwear.”
She had him up against the ropes.
“Okay, I know the Aldens,” he conceded.
“How long have you known them?”
He brushed a lone raindrop from his cheek.
The storm was getting closer.
“I met them when I was five years old.”
“Five?” she exclaimed. “You’ve known them longer than you’ve known me, and you never thought to mention them?”
He stared at the gravel trail. “It wasn’t like they were a big part of my life—or any part of my life. This is the third time I’ve seen them.”
That wasn’t a lie.
“When was the last time you were here?” she pressed like a seasoned prosecutor.
He wasn’t about to go there. But he had to give her something.
“What’s important is that I’ve built friendships with them, and they’re good people. We first met when my mom and I visited Havenmatch Island on vacation. She bought the ring down by the waterfront. There used to be more going on here. A lobster market, classical music concerts, and many artisans selling paintings, pottery, and jewelry. I was young. I remember that trip in flashes. But it stuck with me because it was the last vacation we took before . . .”
“Before your mom died,” Aria supplied. She’d lost the smirk. She wasn’t happy with him. But if anyone understood what it was like to lose a parent, it was her.
He nodded.
They continued up the trail. A ribbon of silence stretched between them. It gave him a second to regain his bearings. He took in the scene. The harbor sported white-capped waves as a sprinkling of raindrops left dark splotches on the gray gravel trail—a small taste of what was sure to come. He checked the sky. They had minutes before the dense swath of clouds made way for a downpour.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this place on your sixteenth birthday when we drove to Telluride?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion. “I could tell something was going on with you. You’d barely said a word on the drive. It was like you were on a mission.” She peered at her left hand. “Why did you want to get this ring on that day?”
“I don’t know.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the truth.
He remembered every detail of the day he’d turned sixteen. The day he’d escaped with Aria for a handful of hours. The day it was just the two of them and the open road. She wasn’t wrong. He had been on a mission, but not of his making.
With his shiny new driver’s license in his wallet, he’d looked over to find Aria in the passenger seat. She’d smiled that smile that made him feel invincible. Then she reached over, and with her left hand, she’d squeezed his arm. It was a sweet gesture—one she’d done a million times. But that day, it was different. He was different. Her touch ignited a drive deep inside him.
He’d noticed she wasn’t wearing any rings. It was a bizarre thought. He’d never concerned himself with her jewelry choices. Then, before he could talk himself out of it, he’d shifted the car into drive and hit the gas.
From there, it was as if a force wanted them to visit his childhood home. He’d thought of his mom the moment he’d walked inside the cabin. That wasn’t odd. It was his usual reaction to the place. But on that visit, with only Aria by his side, he’d pictured his mother wearing the Havenmatch Island ring. It was as if his mom had wanted him to recall that day and have Aria by his side when the memory resurfaced.
Like his mother had known he’d need this island—and perhaps, that Aria would, too.
“Oscar, do the Aldens know we’re not married?” She’d dropped the line of questioning regarding their trek to Telluride on his sixteenth birthday. Still, she wouldn’t be happy with his answer to this question either.
“They believe we’re married. That’s what I told them.”
“You lied to them, too? What the hell is going on with you?”
“What’s going on is that I’m trying to keep you safe.”
Now she was the one huffing. “After four years, you decide now is the time to bust into my life and keep me safe. What exactly are you saving me from?”
