Page 26 of Drowning in Sins
Part of me wanted to talk about Rosalyn. I wanted to tell someone that I found the woman I wanted to spend forever with. But there was a problem, and the problem was standing behind me, wanting the same girl. Maybe we were doomed to ever have a normal sibling relationship. Our fathers had a type in the mother we shared. Clearly, so did we.
Chapter Twenty-Five
ROSALYN
“Ithink you have me mistaken for someone else.” I swallowed.
I knew I should’ve requested to stay somewhere else. I should’ve left right then and found somewhere different to stay each time we were back on land. If I weren’t wanting a break from Kai, I’d just go back to the boat and ask to stay on it.
There was something about the Lovibond Inn that kept me on alert. This place had enough mystery without this stranger coming up to me and talking to me as if I were someone she knew.
“Oh no, you look just like her. They came to me in a dream. She told me to tell you not to repeat the past.” She sighed and smiled as if more at ease that she delivered the cryptic message.
“Um, okay. Thanks.” I put on a smile. “I have to be going now.” It wasn’t a lie; I was supposed to be meeting Beth and Tyler in the lobby to go exploring. I planned on spending as little time here as possible, and that now included trying not to think about what that message meant.
With my recent luck, it would actually mean something important, and I couldn’t allow that to be the case. Dreamscouldn’t be a thing right now. Each one lately had only blurred more and more with reality.
“Of course.” She nodded, and I quickly spun before she could say anything else.
I speed-walked down the stairs and to the lobby. My friends were already waiting for me and laughing.
“Rosalyn! Have you taken the elevator yet?” I shook my head. “Don’t,” said Tyler. “It took forever to open and then it stopped and opened the doors at every floor on the way down. It was like it was waiting for ghosts or something.”
Hell no. I was not sleeping here again. I would’ve rather sucked it up and forced myself to be around Kai or Frederick than to have slept here. Surely after the time I’d spent with the brothers, one of them would’ve been willing to put up with me for a little bit.
I grinned at the thought. “Okay, so about this party.” We walked out of the inn, and the moment we were outside, it felt like I could breathe normally again.
It wasn’t too long of a walk down the hill and toward the beach. The party was already roaring when we arrived, music playing nearby as a large group gathered near a fire.
I wanted to make sure Tyler and Beth had some alone time and approached the edge of the water. Not far enough to get in, but close enough that every so often the water would rush and cover my bare feet.
“You’re not from around here.”
I turned to face a stranger. “Nope.” I popped thepas I turned my attention back to the water.
“Can I get you a drink?”
“No thanks.”
“What’s your name?”
“I’d rather be alone right now.”
“Come on, don’t be like that.” He touched my arm.
“Don’t touch me.” My eyes shot back to him.
“I’m just trying to be nice.” He gripped my arm and jerked me to face him.
I shoved him back, and he let go. “Leave me the fuck alone.”
“Bitch.” He looked like he wanted to do something else but then glanced back at the crowd. He sneered. “Watch yourself.”
It wasn’t until he walked away that I looked down to see the mark on my arm. “Asshole,” I muttered, then quickly searched the crowd for my friends.
I walked closer to the edge of the group. I’d wanted to be alone but not vulnerable. Motherfucker. Now my night was ruined because of that asshole. I rubbed my arm and eyed the sore spot that was starting to widen with color.
“Rosalyn.” I nearly jumped at the sound of his voice. I hadn’t been expecting to see him. Not that I knew what he did when he wasn’t on the boat.
