12. Ciaran

12

CIARAN

T here wasn't much to unpack. My life and possessions amounted to a few stacks of clothes, novels and books about writing, my personal hygiene stuff, and electronics, to include my e-reader and laptop, which I placed prominently on the desk.

When I inspected the walk-in closet, the clothes and two pair of shoes that I'd brought barely made a dent in the space. Jeans and T-shirts might get me through a few casual events, but once Mom and Stefon returned from their honeymoon, I'd need a new wardrobe.

I had no clue how I was going to bullshit my way through tonight's formal ordeal. Mom had new clothes, but I'd refused point-blank to let anyone buy anything for me. If I was going to buy a suit, I'd damn well go to the store myself and try on the clothing. Of course, in hindsight, I was regretting that decision now, because I didn't want to embarrass Mom tonight.

Maybe I could ask Davies to drive me somewhere. My personal checking account had the money from selling the deli. I could afford a new suit; I just didn't know where to find Davies and if I'd have time to do it before dinner tonight.

Then again, maybe I shouldn't go to the dinner. I mean, who'd miss me? No one knew me and Mom would be too busy to notice.

Checking the time on my phone, I had a few hours to kill, and I didn't want to spend it sulking in a room that felt more like a fancy hotel room than a haven.

Nervous energy thrummed through me. The best way to expend it was to swim. Mom had mentioned something about an Olympic-sized pool in one of the estate's many basements, but I didn't know where it was.

Out on the deck, I gazed out over the ocean…nature's pool.

I could swim out there and be back before anyone realized I'd gone out. The sky, while gray, didn't look too bad.

I took off my shirt and changed into my swim trunks and flip-flops. Not that I was sneaking out, but Matthias was nowhere to be seen when I crept downstairs. I wasn't in the mood for his shitty attitude. I threaded through the kitchen and spied inside the refrigerator. In it, I spotted fully cooked meals, like casseroles, fruit, bottled water, milk, and white wine. I grabbed a banana from the island counter on the way out onto the patio.

The patio was entertainment friendly. Matthias must get a lot of use in the hot tub and the grill, not to mention the bar, the open fire pit, and the large flat screen television. Did he host parties here? Did he bring his girlfriend here?

When my eyes landed on the surfboards, it stopped me short. I knew the basics but wasn't very skilled. That didn't stop me from grabbing one and going in search of the white gravel path at the edge of the property.

When I came to a tall gate overflowing with scratchy bushes, I realized I could go out of the property without issue but noticed that it required a pin code to reenter. After more inspection, I saw that it had a call button, so worst case, I'd press it to gain admittance.

At the end of the path, stone steps took me down the steep cliff, and the rocky beach below. The air smelled salty and fishy. Someone was smoking a joint and I heard laughter further up the beach. A woman wearing a bulky sweater and walking a dog gave me a quizzical once-over as we passed each other.

Waves washed against jagged stones in a constant whoosh I found soothing. I saw other surfers out in the water, but they were returning to the shore. I searched for Matthias's figure but didn't see him amongst the surfers. They were wearing full body black wetsuits, which now made sense once I stepped into the churning water.

It was definitely chilly but I didn't let that deter me as I waded out into the surf. The water at my high school pool was cold year-round.

The cliffs rose up tall and steep. I couldn't see the estates behind me, but further down the beach, mansions touched the sky. Low green vegetation sprang out of the cliffs and the rocky surface. I laid face down on the board once the surf got thigh level and paddled out toward the horizon.

The other surfers had left, so I had the area to myself, which was a good thing. I was freezing and felt like a fool. I didn't want witnesses to my idiocy.

Still, a glutton for punishment, I went out.