2
A cloudy coastal community known for its fishing and logging, I supposed an occasional sunny day was the most excitement I could hope for from the bay. Added to that, my rental sat atop an unpaved, treacherous mountain, and I was in for some good times.
The house wasn't hard to find on that short stretch of road. Surrounded by thick, green foliage, its whitewash finish stuck out like a sore thumb. The blue shutters quaintly matched the window boxes full of white daisies.
I climbed out of the car to take a nice, deep breath and help calm my nerves a little. The air was so much cleaner compared to the city. The perfect mixture of salty and sweet. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" The feminine voice pulled my attention from the cliffs.
"Yes, very."
The screen door creaked open to reveal a young woman I guessed to be in her late twenties. Her long, brown hair whipped listlessly in the wind, mirroring mine. While I wasn't especially pale, her olive tone skin was at least a shade darker and made her white sweater pop.
"You actually lucked out." Stepping out onto the porch, she shoved her hands into the front pockets of her jeans. "Not only does your rental have the best view, it's got a new paint job, too."
I glanced to my left at the only other house on the lot and internally cringed at the decaying boards. All rotted and graying, they were burdened with years of elemental wear. The steps were bowed, as if at any moment they would give underfoot.
Waving me up, she introduced herself as Leah the landlord and at my service twenty-four seven since I happened to be her saving grace. Apparently, no one but my neighbor and I were willing to live a mile past nothing, atop a monstrous mountain in the middle of nowhere.
"I owe you big time, Bella. Anything you need, anything at all, you let me know. As long as you make rent on time, we'll get along just fine. Feel free to have a look around."
Thanking her, I stepped farther inside, doing a full sweep of the living room. Three walls the color of almond creme encased a teal-blue couch and a wicker chaise lounge. The throw rug was woven with curved lines of fading blue hues, resembling the waves of the nearby ocean. All tying in loose pieces of knobby, natural wood.
It was perfect.
"The coffee table, two side tables, and bookcase were all handmade by my brother Seth. All the deadwood was picked from the beach. Beautiful, aren't they?"
After giving her a smile, I turned back to peruse the mismatched books lazily leaning on the shelves. The spines were bent, but I wondered if she'd really read them or just grabbed an armful out of a thrift store bargain bin to use as props.
Just as I was about to ask if she was an avid reader like myself a loud crash came from outside. We looked at each other before filing out the front door to see what the commotion was all about.
"You're a real asshole, Paul! You know that?" A busty redhead came barreling through the neighbor's front door, shoes in hand, her slinky pink dress looking nice and rumpled. "Don't call me anymore! You hear me? I never want to see you again!" The rest of the words she spewed were incomprehensible given the pitch of her screams.
The shirtless man who followed her out and onto the porch didn't seem to pay her any mind, toasting us as he took a seat on the rocking chair and casually sipped from his coffee mug.
"Such an ass." Leah sighed then turned to usher me back into the house and away from the free show. One of which I hopefully wouldn't get a repeat production. But I had a feeling I'd be seeing it again soon. Probably waking to it as well.
"He a friend of yours?" I peeked around her and out the side window to catch another eyeful of exposed tan skin and muscle.
Sighing, she motioned for me to follow her to the kitchen where I cozied into the corner cubby.
"I wouldn't necessarily call us friends." Folding onto the bench opposite me, she slid over a cup of tea. She took a small sip and cleared her throat before continuing. "We went to the same school, but he was a couple years ahead of me. The same grade as my fiancé Sam. They're friends. Have been since grade school. Just your typical townies who couldn't get out and ended up following in their fathers' footsteps. Not that I have any place to talk since my dad was the same way. These two properties are the only good thing he left our family. I could sell them and skip town anytime, but I have Sam." Shrugging, she rested her elbows on the table, palming the mug with both hands. "Anyway, back to your neighbor. Paulo Lahote, that's his name. Paul to his friends. Asshole is what the local bait call him."
"Local bait?"
"Yeah, the salmon sluts, the halibut whores," she counted off. "You know, girls willing to lie on their backs and spread 'em for the seasonal scum."
I raised my brows, impressed with the imaginative alliteration but a little put off by the venom she bit into it. I was beginning to think she didn't care much for the hard-working folk who kept this town afloat.
The remainder of my morning was like a crash course in Clallam Bay 101. Leah knew a lot about the town. Even more of its scandals.
"I hear he's got a new girl for every night he's home. Sam says he's no better when they're out on the water. Disgusting, really." She shook her head. "Well, I should get going, let you hop to it. School starts soon, yeah?"
She slid from the bench, and I followed her to the front door.
"Yep, Monday's my first day." My stomach flipped with the realization I had less than two days to prepare for my first job ever. As long as you didn't count cataloging the library at my old high school or shadowing as an aid. Which I didn't.
"Well, good luck." After descending the stairs, she turned back to nod her head toward the neighboring porch. "If there's any trouble, let me know. You shouldn't see or hear much of him, though. He's gone more than he's not. Pretty sure they're heading back out tomorrow." With a wave, she plopped down into her car and drove off.
I sat on the porch swing, gazing from the cliffs to the source of my most recent entertainment. It was either the strong breeze or my inability to be discreet that caused him to retreat. Either way, he wasn't out there much longer before he stood and stretched, downing the last of his drink as he playfully saluted me then disappeared inside the pitiful shack.
I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening unpacking. Luckily, Leah had been kind enough to stock the kitchen, and I made a pot of vegetable soup before sitting down to eat and work on my lesson plans.
The rain was what woke me later that night. The tap, tap, tapping of tiny droplets splattering against my living room window. Peeling off the sheet of paper sticking to my cheek, I walked over to pry the painted seal of the window open, grimacing when it squeaked. After a couple tries at keeping the pane from falling back down, I picked up a small piece of wood and nuzzled it into the frame to prop it open. Bending, I rested my chin on top of my folded arms, closed my eyes, and breathed in the aroma of wet earth.
Through the rhythmic splashes, the slam of a screen door sounded and my eyes snapped open to find my neighbor's tall frame outlined in the blurry moonlight. Even at this ungodly hour his movements were lithe and concise, unhindered by the bulkiness of his hooded, gray sweatshirt and constricting, brown suspenders that hooked into a pair of baggy, orange overalls. The black beanie fit snugly on top of his head. My line of sight was cut off when he climbed into the cab of his rusted, red truck. I ducked out of the beam of his headlights to watch him retreat before heading to the bedroom.
I changed into some sweats and checked my phone, finding six missed calls: three from my mom and three from my friend Jess. I sent my mom a quick text to tell her I was alive and that I loved her before calling Jess back. It rang once and she answered.
"Oh my God, you're alive!" she screamed into the receiver. I cringed, pulling the phone from my ear, but I could still hear her. "Is it everything you dreamed of?"
I looked around the periwinkle room. While it wasn't home, it felt like a close second. It was comfortable, and pretty, and all mine for the time being.
"I guess you could say that." My gaze settled out the window facing my neighbor's. "It's right by the beach. I can see the water from my front porch. So, that's something."
She oohed and awed and then let me know she was grabbing her laptop to book flights for her visit.
We talked until our conversation turned into mostly yawns. After hanging up, I lay there for a little while just thinking about the friends I'd left behind, how much I missed them and my family. After some time my sleepy thoughts filled with visions of my new neighbor. His muscles. That wry smile. How much it had to suck working under those cold, uncomfortable and incredibly dangerous conditions. I felt bad for him. Sick even, having caught a few episodes of that deadly fishing show my dad liked to watch. And eventually, at some point, I fell asleep worrying about a stranger.
Noncanon rec Jasper/Bella Bound by apk1980. It's not complete but great. AH. Give it a try. Give me your noncanon recs!