One minute you're at the top of your game, and the next, you receive a hit that knocks your skates out from underneath you.
Still reeling after an unexpected loss, Ryan Nyberg not only finds himself back in his beachside hometown of Neptune Bay, bu...
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I ended up staying at my dad's for a few hours, talking through my plans with him, and when I finally got around to heading out, it was approaching four in the afternoon. There was a soft breeze coming off the water, causing the wisps of hair around my face to dance as I biked, while at the same time giving a trace of relief from the sweltering heat of the August sun.
Having texted Ryan before leaving to see if him and Bowen were at the house, I'd received an affirmative response, but despite heading in that direction, I was also taking my time. Leisurely going the long way through the town to try to wrangle the waves of emotions that were crashing inside my head. There was relief that, now, most people in my life knew about my plans. Hope that I was choosing the proper path and doing the right thing. But there was also uncertainty for what was to come, a sliver of flustered energy, and a sense of overwhelming agitation and confusion.
The latter of which were mostly directed towards my boyfriend as I wondered what could have prompted him to lay out my plans to my dad so willingly when I'd specifically asked him to keep them to himself. And more importantly, why he hadn't told me that he'd done so, especially if it had been a mistake. Instead, he'd left me in the dark and let me be ambushed as I walked into the lion's den.
And it was that kind of spiraling I wanted to avoid. I wanted the conversation between us to be calm. To hear his side of the story. Because there must have been a reason why he hadn't mentioned his slip up to me... right?
Hence the reason I was biking the long way through town. To build up a mask around my muddled mind and calm myself. And it worked, for the most part. I passed the busy beach, which was full of families—both tourists and locals—enjoying the sand and sea, the ice cream stand with a line around the block, waved to those I knew out on afternoon walks as I rode by, and even passed the elementary school. The school where I'd once been both a student and a teacher and where I had so many cherished memories. The place that, maybe, if the cards fell where I hoped they would, I'd be able to return to in the not-so-distant future.
It was a long ride, but luckily with my slow pace, I managed to avoid pulling up to Ryan's without looking like a sweaty monster. Though my hair was definitely windswept, and I tried my best to tame it as I knocked on the door.
Scout's bark could be heard almost immediately, causing my lips to turn upward before the door even opened to show an overexcited Bowen. "Hi, Sloane!"
"Hey, buddy. How was your day?"
"Good," he responded as I stepped inside and slipped off my shoes. "Uncle Ryan took me to the beach this morning to swim. Then I practiced riding my bike, and now I'm building a Lego castle. Do you want to see?"
He was practically bursting from the seams with excitement, so I let out a chuckle and nodded before following him into the living room. And my eyes genuinely widened when I saw his in-progress creation, because when he said castle, he meant a legitimate castle. I thought he'd meant that he was simply building a tall building with a normal set of Legos, but there were instructions laid out next to him and he appeared to be using a specialized set to build a castle scene, complete with trees, a drawbridge, and a dragon stooped on top of the highest tower.
