Authors: Mia Hoddell
Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back. The warm rays were never going to get old, I could already tell.
I heaved a contented sigh and my lips tilted up at the corners.
I had done it.
I really left it all behind.
The happiness pouring over me proved short-lived. As soon as my phone began to vibrate in my bag once more, my heart missed a beat. I’d switched it back on when I changed trains in Calais and I couldn’t help but regret my decision.
With a grumble, I reached into my bag and pulled out the device. I gazed down at it like the devil himself sat in my hand. Deciding it was better to get the conversation over with before I reached my new home, reluctantly, I slid my thumb over the answer button.
“Hello.”
“Alaya Bethany Matthews, you will come back home and discuss this fantasy this instant.”
Did she really just full name me?
I moved out of my parents’ house three years ago.
“Listen to your mother, Alaya. This is barbaric and you need to come home.”
Great, they were on speakerphone … both parents. Oh well, two birds, one stone and all that.
“I’m not coming back, Mum. I’ve explained it to you numerous times. This is something I have to do.” I tried to sound reasonable, I really did. Nonetheless, it was impossible to keep every ounce of frustration from my voice when it happened to be the hundredth time I explained the situation to them.
“How are you going to live? You have no money, no job, and you don’t speak anything except English and a small amount of broken German.”
In hindsight I should have taken the time to write a better note.
Mum, Dad, I’m catching a train to France and I’m going to be travelling around Europe. I’ve sold everything here, and apart from the one box in your attic everything else is with me.
I know you don’t understand, but I need more from my life. I’m going to have as many adventures as possible.
I love you both,
Alaya
I would hold my hands up and admit it wasn’t my best piece of work. Though, in my defence I’d been in a rush to get to the station.
“I have my savings and Dalton is allowing me to stay in his hotels for free if I help out around the places.” I knew what they were going to say as soon as I mentioned Dalton. They’d always disliked him because he made everything possible. He gave me a job when I finished college, he enabled me to rent my flat, and now he allowed me to make my dreams a reality.
“You will do no such thing. Get in a taxi this second and come home.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to stifle a laugh at the thought of all the reasons I couldn’t listen to him. Luckily, he couldn’t see the enormous grin lighting up my face.
If they wanted to talk to me, I wanted to at least make it fun on my end.
“That’s not really possible right now, Dad.”
“Why not?” he barked into the phone and I rolled my eyes.
“Well, I guess I could jump off a moving train and hail one down somewhere … that’s if I survived the fall because we’re on a bridge right now.”
“Don’t be smart with me, Alaya. Get off at the next stop and catch one from the station.”
I pulled the mobile away from my ear as a bubble of laughter escaped my lips. Biting down hard on my finger, I returned the device to my ear when I had myself back under control. “That’s not possible either, I’m afraid.”
“Why the hell not?”
“I’m already in France, Dad. Unless you want to pay the fare … wait, do taxis even go across countries?” I wasn’t quick enough to remove the phone. My laughter rang out and once it started I couldn’t stop it.
“This is not funny, Alaya.”
“No, I’m sorry. It isn’t,” I deadpanned. “Let me press the emergency stop button. I’ve always wanted to go all James Bond and dive from a train. It won’t be the real thing because the train isn’t moving, but it’s good enough.”
The train started to slow when we pulled into a station. A shadow washed over me as an old, cream-coloured building—I assumed used to belong to the station master—blocked the sun from the carriage. Swept head windows lined the side, and wooden frames with white paint flaking from them held the glass in place. Slate tiles covered the roof, and in front of the building, a platform separated it from the tracks. A fine layer of grit coated the white-washed stone to finish off the pre-war look.
I slid round on my seat to stare out of the opposite window, wondering where all of the passengers were. Instead of finding a window, though, my eyes met with a warm set of hazel irises. There were so many varying shades in them; flecks of deep brown, golden brown, and even a hint of pale green swirled as they sparkled with humour. They rendered me unable to tear my gaze away from the dark-haired man in front of me. A fine layer of stubble coated his jaw like a shadow, and his hair was swept back off his forehead. He watched me with intrigue, his head tilted slightly to the side as if listening to my conversation.
“Alaya, I want you to get off the train and come home straight away,” my mum demanded, pulling me from my admirations.
“That was the point of the emergency stop.”
The guy grinned at me and the train juddered to a halt. The brakes released a hiss of air and then a rush of humid wind flooded the carriage as the doors opened.
I smiled back, only to find he no longer watched me. He twisted his head over his shoulder, looking to the entrance of our carriage where people started to file down the aisle. Instantaneously, he shifted to the outside seat, dumping a rucksack on to the chair he’d vacated.
“This is not a joking matter!” my mum shrieked. Had I still been in the UK her words would have affected me. However, knowing the English Channel and a few hundred miles separated us made me feel unstoppable. Their reaction brought nothing but pleasure because it meant I’d followed my heart. I wasn’t allowing myself to be controlled.
It amazed me how a bit of distance could make everything so much easier.
“All right, Mum. I’ll get off at this station and book the first train home.”
“Really?”
I threw my gaze to the ceiling at the surprise in her voice. “No, of course not. I’m staying in France and I’m seeing this through. I’m sorry you don’t like my decision, but I’ve been planning this for months … years even. I gave you plenty of time to come to terms with me leaving.”
“But—”
“No buts, Dad. If you hadn’t noticed there’s nothing you can do. I’ve explained how I never intended to stay in England plenty of times; it’s not my fault you didn’t take me seriously. This is a good thing. It’s right for me, and it’s going to make me happy.” I paused and pinched the bridge of my nose in anticipation of his reaction.
“Okay.” A defeated sigh came from the other end of the phone, making me snap my eyes open in shock.
“Wait
what
?”
“You’re right. This is your life and if this is what it takes to make you happy then okay.”
It wasn’t the response I expected, and neither did my mum by her sharp intake of breath.
“Thank you. I’ll keep in contact as much as possible, although I have to go now. This is probably costing you a fortune anyway. I love you both.” I had no idea whether I’d spoken the truth, yet it sounded like a plausible excuse. I hung up the phone and dropped it into my bag. At least they were starting to accept it all.
“Should I brace myself, or do you think we’ll get to the end of this journey in one piece?”
I squealed and twisted in my seat to confront the deep, rich voice coming from beside me. I hadn’t even felt anyone sit down.
CHAPTER THREE
Cole
I watched the panic in her eyes extinguish and her hand lower from her chest. The action caused a citrusy scent to hit me. She’d spun quicker than I thought possible, her hand flying over her heart as if it was the only thing keeping the organ in her chest. And I kept my attention on her hand, not her pert breasts only covered by the flimsy, dirty pink top she wore … okay, I may have caught a glimpse.
When I drew my gaze back to her face with a chuckle, she regarded me with suspicion. Her parted lips closed into a tight line and her wide eyes narrowed into slits.
“So, do you think I’m going to be safe?” I pressed, when it became clear she wasn’t going to say anything.
She closed her eyes and took a breath. I used it as an excuse to allow my focus to wander over her body again. She had deep red hair—dyed almost wine coloured—tied loosely into a messy bun. A few tendrils escaped the hair tie’s clutches and hung delicately around her olive-skinned, heart-shaped face to frame it. Her deep pink lips were full and matched the natural blush to her cheeks.
Travelling lower, I studied her petite frame. She was small, almost pocket-sized, yet every item of clothing fit her perfectly. The dark, navy jeans hugged her thighs and tiny waist, while the loose-fitting top did nothing to hide her dainty figure.
“If you stop gawping at my chest, I
may
let you survive.”
I snapped my gaze back to hers with a sheepish expression at being caught, and what I saw knocked the breath from my lungs. From across the carriage her eyes appeared grey, though up close and in the sunlight they appeared almost artic blue with flecks of silver.
I chuckled in relief at the teasing shining in them.
“You also have some drool you may want to wipe away.” She pointed to the corner of my mouth, giving me a glimpse of her sky blue fingernails.
“I don’t.” Now I knew she was messing with me.
She shrugged and stared out of the window once more. “Suit yourself.”
Quickly raising my hand to my mouth, I swiped my thumb across both corners. As it came back dry both times I frowned at the offending digit.
“I thought you didn’t believe me.”
Fuck.
I didn’t think she was watching, but she challenged me with her eyebrow raised. The sunlight illuminated her hair in an auburn halo and her pouty lips curved up into a smirk.
“You’re pretty, so I figured I’d better check.”
She shook her head, peering up at me through her eyelashes. “Not going to work, Hazel.”
“First of all, Hazel? And secondly, you can’t take a compliment?”
“I can take a compliment, just not from random strangers on a train who decide to steal the seat next to me.”
“Better me than him, right?” I tilted my head back over my shoulder to where a man with a bulging stomach and slicked back hair picked at his nose as he read the paper. Unshaven and unwashed, he’d made a beeline for the girl as soon as he stepped into the carriage. I’d acted on impulse when I moved across the seats to put a stop to his advances.
“What’s it got to do with him?” Her nose bunched up as she took in the guy’s appearance. “And you could be a murderer for all I know, so who’s to say you’re an improvement? Maybe you’re using your good looks and ‘compliments’,” she air quoted, “to lull me into a false sense of security,
Hazel
.”
I laughed, despite her comment hitting a little too close to home. She didn’t know how close to the truth she was.
CHAPTER FOUR
Alaya
“Okay, what’s with the name?” It surprised me how well he took the joke. Not many people seemed to understand my sense of humour.
“Your eyes, they’re hazel,” I stated, as if it was obvious, and my lips quirked at my thoughts. “Why? Would you rather over-confident-creepy-guy-who-can’t-stop-his-eyes-from-wandering?”
Like I predicted, his attention dropped to my chest once more. I didn’t have the most impressive breasts at a C cup, but they fit my body size. At five foot one I’d have looked ridiculous with double Ds.
“I think that one suits you better,” I said to draw his gaze back to my face.
“How about Cole?”
“Why would I call you that?” I frowned and my mouth twisted in confusion.
“Maybe because it’s my name? Cole Ashford.”
“Again, why would that make me call you it?”
He shook his head in despair. “I’m beginning to think I made a mistake trying to save you. You’re not going to make my life easy, are you?”
I clutched my hands to my chest, giving him my best dreamy-eyed swoon. “Aww, you were trying to save me. You’re so sweet! And for the record, no, I’m not going to make your life easy. But hey,” I shrugged, “it was your choice. You could always save me by boxing him against the window and leaving me in peace.”
“Oh really? Maybe I’ll just go to the toilet instead and leave you to fend for yourself.” He kicked one leg out into the aisle, moving to stand. When his body shifted, it gave me another glimpse of the greasy-haired man who watched us from the corner of his eye and reached for his bag, as if ready to pounce as soon as Hazel … uh, Cole moved.
Throwing away all self-respect, I reached out and grabbed his wrist. “No!”
He sniggered and collapsed back against the seat with a smirk. “So you
do
need saving.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re cruel.”
“Sweetheart, you don’t know me, remember? Don’t sound so surprised.”
My jaw dropped at his words and my gaze shifted nervously around the carriage. Maybe I was better off taking my chances with the other guy. I swallowed hard.
“I’m not your sweetheart.”
“Would you prefer it if I called you Ice Queen or Gingernut instead? Because I didn’t think those would go over as well.”
Glowering at him for flipping my line back around on me, I folded my arms across my chest. I refused to rise to his teasing and ask why those names. Gingernut obviously came from the way my hair changed colour in the sun. However, Ice Queen could have been because of a number of things.
“This is the part where you’re supposed to give me your name,” he prompted when I didn’t respond.
“You could always not talk to me. Problem solved.”
“Sweetheart it is.”