Tides Of The Heart

Four

The next morning, I woke to the sound of seagulls squawking outside the open window of my lodge. The salty breeze blew in, carrying with it a blend of ocean spray and tropical flowers. For a moment, I felt peace—a fragile, delicate kind of peace that cracked as memories of the past week rushed back. The betrayal. The impulsive proposal. Jack.

I groaned and buried my face in the pillow. What had I done? Giving away an engagement ring to a stranger was one thing. Fake dating and agreeing to dinner with him was another. Yet, somehow, both felt less ridiculous than the idea of Patrick trying to crawl back into my life. I’d seen the desperation in his eyes at the beach, the kind of desperation that didn’t come from love but from losing control. The anger on his face when Jack introduced me as his ‘fiancée’. It was pathetic.

A sharp knock at the door jolted me out of my thoughts. I froze. Who would be knocking this early?

“Amelia? It’s Jack,” a voice called from the other side.

My stomach flipped. How did he find out about my hotel room? I hesitated, smoothing down my hair and glancing in the mirror. Why did I care how I looked? I opened the door a crack and peered out. There he was, holding two coffee cups. His white shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, revealing strong forearms, and his dark hair was tousled by the wind. For a man who had stumbled into my chaos, he looked annoyingly composed.

“Morning,” he said with a crooked grin, holding out one of the cups. “Thought you could use this.”

I opened the door wider and took the cup, mumbling, “Thanks.”

Jack leaned casually against the doorframe, his gaze roaming over me. “Rough night?”

“You could say that.” I took a cautious sip of the coffee, the bitterness grounding me. “Didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

“Well, we did agree to have dinner today. Figured I’d make sure you didn’t change your mind.” His voice was teasing, but his eyes were steady as if he was studying me.

I huffed a laugh. “I don't remember agreeing to go out with you. I will though, and trust me, I’m not the type to back out.”

“Good to know.” He paused, his expression softening. “For what it’s worth, Amelia, I’m sorry about what happened yesterday. Maybe I went too far with the fiancée thing. You're going through a difficult phase and I should've put your emotions into consideration.”

My chest tightened at his words. It was the first time someone had acknowledged my pain without making it about himself or asking why I hadn’t seen it coming. I wasn't even mad at him. “Thanks,” I said quietly, looking away.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” Jack asked, changing the subject with an easy smile. I loved his enthusiasm and interest towards me.

I shrugged. “Not sure yet. Trying not to think too hard about anything.”

“Then don’t.” He stepped back, gesturing to the beach behind him. “Come for a walk with me.”

I hesitated, the idea both appealing and terrifying. Spending more time with Jack felt like stepping further into uncharted territory, but maybe that was exactly what I needed.

“Alright,” I said, setting my coffee down and slipping on a pair of sandals.

We strolled along the shoreline, the sand warm beneath our feet. Jack kept the conversation light, asking about my favourite places to travel and what had drawn me to the Maldives. I found myself relaxing, even laughing at his dry humour. It was easy with him, the way he didn’t press for details or offer unsolicited advice. He simply listened.

After a while, we stopped near a cluster of palm trees where a small wooden swing hung from a low branch. I sat down, letting the gentle sway soothe me as Jack leaned against the trunk.

“You’re different than I expected,” I said, surprising myself.

He raised an eyebrow. “Different how?”

“I don’t know. You just... you don’t seem fazed by any of this. By me, or the mess I’m in.”

Jack’s expression turned thoughtful. “I’ve seen my share of messes, Amelia. Life has a way of throwing curveballs when you least expect it. But I’ve learned that the best way to handle them is to keep moving forward.”

His words settled over me like a warm blanket, and for the first time in days, I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe I could move forward too. Maybe this trip didn’t have to be a total loss. Still, I felt he knew more about me than I did him.

Just as I was about to respond, a familiar voice cut through the air, sharp and unwelcome.

“Amelia!”

I turned to see Patrick striding toward us, his face flushed with exertion. My heart sank. Of course, he would ruin this moment too.

“What are you doing?” he demanded, stopping a few feet away. His eyes flicked to Jack, narrowing in suspicion. “Why the hell is he still here?”

Jack straightened, his calm demeanour is unshaken. “Why shouldn't I be?”

Patrick ignored him, his focus solely on me. “Amelia, can we talk? Alone?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” I said, my voice colder than I felt. “You made your choices, Patrick. Now you have to live with them.”

“Amelia, please.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “I made a mistake, alright? But we can fix this. We’ve been through too much to throw it all away.”

Jack’s presence was like a shield, grounding me. I stood my ground. “You threw it away the second you betrayed me. We’re done.”

Patrick’s desperation morphed into anger. “You’re really going to walk away from everything we built? For what? Him?” He pointed a finger in Jack’s direction.

Jack’s eyes flashed, but he stayed silent, letting me handle it.

“It’s not about him,” I said firmly. “It’s about me. I deserve better.”

Patrick let out a bitter laugh. “Better? Amelia, you don’t even know him! Do you know who he is?”

“It's not your business who I move with. You and I are done,” I replied firmly. Maybe Jack was a stranger to me but he was better than someone like Patrick.

Patrick scoffed, his eyes pointing daggers at Jack. Jack was unaffected by his look.

“What do you want from her?” Patrick asked.

“Nothing you can give her,” Jack replied. Patrick was infuriated and he looked like he was about to blow up. Shifting his gaze towards me, he continued,

“You think he’s some knight in shining armour? He’s not. He’s just another guy playing a role. Don’t let him fool you.”

I was about to say something but Jack's hiss made me forget what I wanted to say. He leaned on me and whispered, “I'm about to do something crazy.”

Before I could fully understand what he meant, he grabbed my neck and drew me up for a kiss.