Page 50 of The Restaurant on Plum Island
“No, please let me finish.” Ethan knew if he didn’t get everything he needed to say off his chest at that moment. He wanted to reach out and take her hand, but she’d folded them around her, wearing her arms like a shield to protect herself from him. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you the first day we bumped into each other.”
“You weren’t looking,” Carly told him. “I found the best way to hide from show biz is in plain sight. I let my hair grow back to its natural color and bounce around in its natural state.” She gave him a tight smile. “I don’t wear make-up and switched out my contacts forthe ugliest glasses I could find.” She indicated toward her glasses. “I traded my designer labels for high-street labels and even vintage thrift stores.” She shook her head. “Sadly, the human condition of being quick to judge is true, and I made it work to my advantage.”
“Still, I should’ve recognized you,” Ethan declared.
Carly shrugged. “You were looking for the glamorous Stella Hart, not the girl next door, Carly Donovan.”
“Carly Donovan is far from the average girl next door,” Ethan assured her. He felt silent for a few heartbeats, his eyes searching hers for a hint of Stella Hart. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into this again.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” Carly unwrapped her arms and touched his arm, making his skin tingle. “It was bound to happen sooner or later. I knew that, and the moment I learned that Caroline’s books had been turned into a television series that would be filmed on Plum Island, it was only a matter of time.” She signed resignedly. “I’m just surprised I managed to dodge the attention for nearly a year.”
“That’s my fault,” Ethan told her. “I was so drawn to your restaurant that I couldn’t understand why, but now I do. I think my heart knew before my head did, that’s where it would find the answer to its calls.”
Carly’s sharp intake of breath and softening of her eyes gave Ethan hope that they could salvage what they’d started three years ago. Theysat quietly, the vast ocean before them, its endless churning mirroring the tumultuous emotions swirling inside him. In this liminal space, with truth laid bare and vulnerability shared, Carly and Ethan found themselves as allies in a complex mystery and as two souls seeking solace in the sincerity of a second chance.
Carly eventually broke the silence. “Someone wanted us apart,” she murmured, bringing her eyes to his. “And to ensure that we were too emotionally battered and bruised to question what was really happening.”
Ethan nodded, meeting her gaze. In her eyes, he found a glimmer of the same resilience that had drawn him to her all those years ago. They were united by more than just a mystery; they were bound by a need for closure, for the truth, and perhaps, in some quiet corner of their hearts, for each other.
“They’re not finished with us, are they?” Carly’s voice was soft.
“No.” Ethan shook his head. “I don’t believe they are.”
She shuddered. “They’ve been lurking in the shadows all this time, waiting to make their next move.”
“And I, unfortunately, may have created the perfect opportunity for them.” Ethan swallowed.
“No. This isn’t on you,” Carly told him. “We didn’t start this.” She raised her chin and reached for his hand, entwining her fingersthrough his. “But we’re going to end it—together.” Her eyes sparkled with determination. “No matter what we find out or who may be behind this.” He saw the warning glint and knew she was referring to Alex.
“Agreed.” Ethan nodded.
Their eyes locked, and their lips moved towards each other. “Carly…” her name was pulled from the depth of his soul.
His hands reached out to cup her face as his lips captured hers. Their breath mingled. The sound of the ocean and sitting around them spun away as the kiss deepened. It was a confession, a plea, and a reunion. It spoke of lost years, the ache of what could have been, and a promise of what could be.
As they parted, the vulnerability lingered, and Ethan felt the weight of what he’d held back. “I wanted to do that since the moment you walked into the conference room today,” he admitted, his voice hoarse as they rested their foreheads together.
Carly looked up at him, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I felt the same way,” she admitted.
When they finally drew apart, they sat close, and the sound of waves slowly became clear again as it swished in the background, a witness to the raw honesty between them. Carly reached out, her hand finding him, their fingers intertwining and curling around the other.
“I can’t tell you how much it means to me... having you here, on my side.” The breeze carried her words to him, laden with sincerity.
Ethan squeezed her hand, the gesture conveying a promise. “We’ll figure this out together, Carly. Whatever it takes, we’ll put this mystery to rest and find out who’s behind it.”
“I have no doubt we will,” she said, eyes locking onto his.
Ethan’s thumb brushed over Carly’s knuckles just as the crunching of sand underfoot announced an unexpected arrival. He turned sharply towards the sound, Carly following his gaze, their intertwined hands parting like the abrupt end to a dance.
“Mom? Mr. Blackwell?” Reef called out to them. “Uncle Harley told Shay and I that we’d find you here…” Ethan saw his head turn toward the food. “Ooh. Food.”
“Hi, Dad.” Shay turned and smiled at Carly, giving her a small wave.
“Reef! Shay!” Carly’s face flushed a warm pink, her eyes darting between Ethan and the teenagers.
“Hi,” Ethan greeted the teens, attempting to infuse some normalcy into the sudden shift in the atmosphere. “What brings you two here?”
“Looking for you,” Shay replied simply, her curious gaze taking in the scene—the picnic basket, the blanket spread out invitingly, theremnants of a private moment. “Reef and I wanted to take the two of you to lunch.”
