Madeline

My pen scratched across the notebook paper as I struck through another place on my list.

"Well, thank you anyway," I said into my phone. "Oh, do you keep applications on file for future job openings or-"

Click.

I blinked, then looked down at my screen where the phone call had ended.

"Fuck you too, buddy!" I snapped, tossing the phone down onto the couch next to me.

Grunting, I flopped back into the cushions and grabbed a pillow to put over my face before letting out an aggravated scream. Tossing the pillow aside when I was done, I lifted my notepad above me to see how many places I had left to call.

Not many. Not enough.

"Damnit." I got up, dropping my notepad back down on the couch.

Taking a few steps around my small living room, my eyes darted between the boxes I had started packing. The first of the month came and went, and so did the first warning from my landlord. By the time I went in to get my last paycheck, I was told it was in the mail. Four days with no luck finding work, and all I could do was pack my things and hope if I got evicted they all fit in my car. Apart from the thrift store bed and the free sidewalk couch, I think it all would. I didn't bring much with me from Michigan and I didn't buy much when I got here.

"What a mess," I sighed, and then I heard the footsteps on the stairs outside my door and I cringed. Three hard knocks on the metal door knocker and I rubbed my temples.

"Miss Lowe!" The shrill voice of my landlady pierced through the thin walls. "Miss Lowe, I know you're in there!"

Plastering a fake smile across my face, I walked over and opened the door. "Hello Mrs. Callahan."

She looked at me over her cat eye glasses, her bright fuchsia lips pursed in perpetual judgement as she looked me up and down in my pajama shorts and tank top. She wore one of her usual tropical barf jumpsuits with the matching scarf and bright shiny white heels. A pair of bedazzled sunglasses perched in the crisp yellow nest of curls on her head and the bug-eyed chihuahua in her pink purse was looking at me with one eye and the street with the other.

"Miss Lowe, I'm here to give you a last reminder that your rent was due three days ago."

"I know Mrs. Callahan," I said. "I'm still waiting on my paycheck. I'm so sorry."

She hummed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Miss Lowe, you have a history of late payments. I'm afraid we cannot continue to tolerate them. I shouldn't have to remind you of our rental policy that only allows three strikes of late payments."

I winced. "I know, Mrs. Callahan."

"Your lease renewal would have been signed for another six months on the fifteenth, but considering your history I'm afraid we will not be continuing to rent to you after this month."

Oh no.

I swallowed, praying I could make my voice do that thing where I sounded just pathetic enough to get my way.

"But, Mrs. Callahan-"

"And if you cannot produce your rent by Friday, we will be evicting you sooner."

My heart nearly stopped.

"Have a good day, Miss Lowe," she said, and turned on her heel to go right back down the stairs to her bubblegum pink convertible that cost more than the apartment building.

I stood there, stunned as I watched her go. Slowly, I shut the door and locked it.

"Fuck," I said. I knew it was coming, but it still hit me like a truck.

I don't think it's technically legal to evict me like that, but to fight it I'd still need a new place to stay in the meantime and I'd need money for legal fees. I put my hands over my face and groaned. Then I moved them up and over my hair.

"What else can I try?" I wondered out loud. Working at a gym was the only job I've ever held. Back in Michigan and again here in Florida. But nothing near me was hiring right now and I was beginning to look for retail work. Not my first choice but certainly better than starving and homeless.

Outside my window a pair of seagulls called. Probably looking for food to steal, the little bastards. But it made me think of the ocean and in that split second I was okay. I took a deep, calming breath. The ocean. It always evened out my mood. My own little magic spell of peace.

Rummaging in the box I had already put most of my clothes in, I grabbed the first swimsuit and shorts I found and slipped them on. Taking my lanyard off the hook by the door and slipping on a pair of sandals, I left the apartment to clear my head at the place that drew me all the way down here to begin with. The beach.

Out the door and on the sidewalk, with every step closer to the sand, my heart lifted. The salt in the air as I breathed it in, the boats on the water far ahead, and the glistening waves beckoning me toward them. I couldn't afford to live right on the sand like I'd want to, but I lived about a mile off of it and after a short walk I soon found myself taking off my sandals and slipping my toes in the sand. A little ways away, the water under the marina pier bobbed several white boats up and down. I envied them. If only I could just sail away from the shore and leave my problems behind.

Tourists were already here, despite the schools not being out for summer break yet. Their travel coolers and colorful towels littered across the clean sand, but not nearly as badly as they would be in a month. I was still able to find some empty space to stand in the ocean. Holding my sandals, I went straight to the waves that pushed and pulled against the beach. Once the cool saltwater hit my ankles, I sighed contentedly and closed my eyes.

Okay, this is as zen as I can get. So, what are my options?

If I had to live in my car I could do that, but it would suck. Badly. How would I shower? What about a kitchen? I could eat out for every meal but that would get expensive fast. I guess I could move to find work. Would Miami have more job prospects? Jacksonville? Tampa?

"Mads?"

My eyes flew open and I turned to see the last person I wanted to run into.

A little taller than me, his blond hair still combed back with gel, his eyes doing that puppy dog thing he was so good at. His swim trunks hung low on his hips, his surfboard under his arm, a cigarette in his other hand.

"Trent," I said, turning to face him as my stomach sank.

He took a drag, finishing off his cig and flicking it toward a trash can. Missing, and not giving a shit. "You're looking good."

I just kind of nodded, shrinking under his gaze. He took the opportunity of the quiet, tense moment to look me up and down.

"I see you still wear those shoes I bought you," he said, wearing that smirk like his battle flag. The beginning of his game. The look, the voice, he knew how to rile me up and shove me back down.

"I..." I looked down to the sandals in my hands. They were a birthday present from him a few months before the breakup. And here I was, too choked up to speak or else he'll claim I'm leading him on again.

"You don't have to pay me back for them or anything," Trent said. "I just meant it was good to see you using what I got you."

Frozen. I was absolutely frozen in his gaze. A deer in headlights. Right back to where I was before I grew the balls to get out the first time.

I stiffened when he reached out a hand and put it on my arm. "Listen, Mads-"

Closing my eyes, preparing myself to fight off whatever poison he was about to spew my way. To tell me what I should think. To touch my arm and possibly more if he felt like it because he was just being friendly, and there was nothing wrong with being friendly, right Mads?

Swallowing hard, the skin where he touched me instantly numb and foreign.

"Madeline?"

That voice. I'd only heard it once before, but I knew who it was right away. Caspian, the guy from the other day in the coffee shop. The one with the sexy accent. His voice pulled me from the frozen stupor that Trent had put me in, a life raft in an ocean of my past mistakes.

"Caspian." Turning to see him on the beach nearby, my shoulders sagged as the tension left me.

Gone were his business shirt and tie, and instead he wore some kind of loose white pants. His beige linen shirt was left open, as though he had just thrown it on for the pretense of wearing clothes. It gave me an eyeful of what he was hiding under that distinguished tie before, and honestly it was a damn crime against women that he hid that stomach under business attire. He was even barefoot, no shoes in sight. The cherry on top was that his neat hair was now disheveled, the wind toying with it and adding a boyish charm to a dangerously attractive man. And in his eyes was the one thing I never got from Trent. Genuine concern.

Because the universe feels the need to taunt me in my darkest hours.

"Is everything okay?" Caspian asked, his eyes were locked on Trent's hand on my arm.

My eyes watered and I shook my head slightly. Just enough for Caspian to see. Trent frowned, his hand taking a firmer hold on my arm and shaking me back to reality. "Babe, you know him?"

I yanked my arm from Trent's hand, the spell broken and my thoughts were my own again as I backed up.

"I'm wondering the same thing," Caspian said, drawing a scowl from Trent.

"I'm not your babe, Trent." My voice trembled as I took a step back, bringing Trent's attention back on me. "And you need to leave me alone. We're over, we've been over, and you need to leave now."

My heart pounded as Trent went to move toward me again, anger tinting his expression. But Caspian took a step forward, and Trent paused.

"Whatever, Mads. I'll see you around." Trent sneered at Caspian as he left, walking down the beach to put his board in the water.

I held my composure for a while, letting Trent get plenty far away before the shaky breath left me and my posture crumpled.

"What an unfortunate specimen," Caspian said, watching Trent leave a moment before turning to look me in the eyes. "Are you alright?"

I nodded vigorously, not having to answer him out loud was a relief while I recovered myself. He looked at me for a moment like he didn't believe me, but then he replied softly, "Good."

A breathy laugh escaped me while I held my shaking shoulders as I tore my eyes off of Trent's distant shape and looked to Caspian. There were those eyes again, searching my face for something. Was he concerned, or did he just pity me? If Caspian was going to be aggressive with me he would have done it when I spilled coffee on him and he wouldn't have stepped in with Trent.

"Thank you," I whispered.

His blue eyes were sharp, seeing the situation for what it was. I knew he could tell that whatever was left between me and Trent was toxic. Caspian stuck his hands in his pockets, eyes still on the water and I watched his throat bob as he spoke. "I'm from a small island city."

I studied him curiously. Was this some kind of distraction for me? Something to take my mind off of what must have been an obvious distress?

"We live on the water, with the water," he continued. "The island has the most beautiful beaches you've ever seen. All white stone that built almost everything on the island, too."

Fair enough. He definitely looked like the island type standing there barefoot in the sand with his sun kissed complexion. He paused, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "And the sea, we crave it. We live it, we breathe it. We wouldn't leave it if we didn't have to."

My lips parted in surprise and I wet them before I spoke in return. "I can relate." And I could. Sometimes I felt awkward with how much I loved the water. But Caspian had a community who accepted that. I wondered what other things we had in common. If I liked living on the Florida coast, how much different would it be to experience island life?

"It's definitely a sight you'll never forget," Caspian murmured.

"It sounds beautiful," I said. Caspian's lips turned up slightly, a soft expression on his face. Cautious. Always cautious of my tone and my posture and my words. But I had already decided to extend the conversation, and I prodded further. "Why did you leave it?"

He shrugged. "My cousin Nikkos and I, you saw him with me the other night, we're here on business. It's been a hard couple weeks and we're both ready to sail home. After our job is done, of course."

"Business?" I asked, slipping back into one-word answers with him out of habbit.

"Mm." He tilts his head, watching me as he thinks out his response. "Just looking for some solutions to a problem back home, but I won't bore you with all that."

The lingering traces of distress were fading away, being replaced by Caspian's soothing voice. He glanced over the water, almost willing his island to come to him from wherever it sat across the waves.

"Are you afraid of your voice?" he asked.

My heart stopped.

"You don't talk much is all. You had a lot more to say to that Trent guy, but I get the short and sweet answers."

I nodded slowly. "I don't like my voice. How I sound."

He looked at me, studying my reaction and tilting his head to the side.

"That's a shame, no one should have to live with hating a part of themselves."

I agreed, but all I could do was shrug and look away.

"I'm familiar with it," he said. "That kind of voice. There are many women on my island that have the sway."

Words failed me and caution settled back over me, tinged with curiosity. Caspian put his hands in his pockets, silently watching. Waiting to see if I'd reply, but nothing about his posture pressed me to do anything I didn't want to do.

"Sway?" I asked softly.

He nodded, as if confirming something for himself before he looked out at the waves again. "We call it magic but you'd call it a trick of the voice. It elicits strong responses from people, doesn't it?"

Silence stretched between us, the space filled with the gentle crashing of waves on the beach.

"I won't bother you about it, but if you want to talk I will be happy to tell you more about the sway or my island." Caspian pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to me. "If you would like to talk over lunch sometime, give me a call. I've been grabbing coffee at the same café every night at the same time while I'm here. You can find me there again too."

Taking the card from his hand, feeling the unspoken words hanging between us that he went back to the coffee shop to see if I'd be there. I might ask Cassidy about it later.

"I hope you take me up on my offer, Madeline," Caspian said.

I nodded, not voicing my answers since he mentioned the sway. He gave me the smallest of smiles. "If the allure of me does not sway you, I think the call of the sea might. We leave in six days, think on it."

Cocky bastard. He knows I'm here drooling over him in silence.

He put his hands in his pockets and walked away. I watched him go, heading straight for the wooden stairs of the marina a ways down the sidewalk. Caspian walked out to where a pristine white sailing yacht was anchored. He boarded it effortlessly and disappeared inside.

I looked down at the card he had given me. A simple glossy black paper with his name and a number on it. I flipped it over a couple times, finding no other information. Taking a few steps deeper into the water, I plopped down and let the water run over my legs up to my hips, not giving a damn that my shorts were getting soaked. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to him, and maybe it was the way he spoke or the calm of his body language enticed me. Maybe it was the fact that my nervous voice didn't affect him like it did Trent. And Marshall, and Danny, and a slew of other impulse decisions that started out feeling like I had been swept off my feet and ended feeling like I had somehow brought cruelty and abuse onto myself.

I sighed, turning the card over in my fingers a few more times. Who exactly was Caspian, and why was I considering finding out?