Waters Edge

Chapter 6

Edgeli Addison

"So you're clearly hiding out here," Owen said as I cracked open another one, "permission to board, Captain?" He asked me and I gestured for him to board the Addy. I'd been drinking on deck for several hours now, ever since I got that text from him.

"What gave it away that I was hiding?" I asked him and offered him the final beer.

"I'm working, Edge, and the fact you've been out here all alone and falling off the chair when you see people coming," he pointed out but sat down in the other folding chair I had set up on the little deck. "So what are you hiding from?" He asked me, "can't be your brother because word around town is you're getting on great and agreeing on everything at the hotel," he said before I could lie and offer that as an excuse.

"My boyfriend is a jerk sometimes," I told him.

"You're going to have to elaborate Edge, I met the guy for about fifteen minutes," he said and I sighed loudly.

"I was going to fly down for a few days, I told him I was sorting out coming home for a few days and he's apparently signed on another short term contract but I'm not convinced, I think he's pissed off with me for staying here," I told him and he gestured for the beer now.

"I can't deal with your relationship problems without a beer," he decided and I handed him the can. "Have you thought about not giving him warning and just showing up?" He suggested to me.

"No, I had not," I admitted and I would have gotten my phone out to book a flight if I wasn't a little too drunk but I was so I didn't, "you ever think you've made a mistake but it's too late to go back?" I asked Owen.

"You talking about leaving Teodoro?" He asked me.

"Maybe," I offered, when he knew that was exactly what I was on about. "I wonder what would have happened if I had told him when I was leaving, if he would have come with me or if he would have still stayed here," I told him and it was starting to really bother me.

"Teo loves you, he will always love you, and I don't think you really moved on with his guy," he told me, "you know it in your heart too, Edgeli, you just wanted to hear a third party say it," he said and I shook my head.

"I'm happy with Skye, and I will be booking a secret flight back to Florida when I sober up," I told him, cracking open another can. I was happy with Skye, I had made a new life with him when I put the distance between myself and Neptune Waters.

"You want to go sleep it off in the marina office?" He asked, "I don't think you want to be waking up your nephew in the middle of the night stumbling in drunk out your ass," he told me and he was correct, I did not want that.

"After this last one," I said and slouched in the chair to look up at the sky, "I love looking at the stars," I said, watching the twinkling lights in the sky, "on some nights when we didn't have a charter, I'd lie on the sun deck and watch the stars," I told him, "wondering if Red was looking down on me and judging my life choices," I said and I knew my brother was judging my life choices from beyond the grave.

"Come on, let's put you to bed," Owen said and helped me up. "If EJ asks where you've been all night, you were working a shift with me because I needed a hand," he told me and I appreciated that.

I passed out almost instantly when Owen tucked me in on the little camp bed in the office. I had drunk quite a lot before he came to check on me and I'd lost my tolerance from being sober for a month and a half now. It was fun being a lightweight again, meant I wasn't spending much money so I could put it all into the hotel renovations.

I woke up in the morning and felt like utter crap. "Coffee and an egg bagel," Owen said, handing me a paper bag and a disposable coffee cup. "Need an aspirin?" He asked me as I sat up with a pounding headache.