Page 13 of The Heartbreak Hotel

Luckily, Ella blurted it out a second later. “I like your dolphin tattoo.”

“Ah, thank you,” she said, caught a little off-guard. She traced over the black marking that rested between her shoulder blades. Had Ella been checking her out too? The thought of that excited her much more than it should have, and she looked away.

“What does it mean?”

“It’s my spirit guide.”

“A dolphin?” Ella lifted her eyebrows, but they weren’t taunting. They were encouraging. She wanted to know more.

“Dolphins represent harmony and balance,” Riley continued. “They’re considered intelligent, a symbol of protection and resurrection in many cultures, but they keep their playful nature. They’re a good mix of strengths, I suppose.” She exhaled. In truth, she’d struggled to accept her spirit guide wholeheartedly. She wasn’t sure what strength and harmony Senhor Arenoso saw in her. She wanted to be like the dolphins but didn’t quite believe it; the idea of balance made her laugh. Plus, why did she long to be so like the birds?

“That makes sense. I can see that about you.”

Riley swallowed, taking in the softness on Ella’s face. Her brown eyes shone in the sunlight, radiating warmth that heated Riley’s cheeks and neck. It felt like all the air around them had squeezed and swirled, pulling them closer together.

Riley believed in energies. And right now, Ella’s were vibrant and pulsing out from all around her. Either that, or there was an earthquake about to happen.

“Do you?” she managed. “I’m not always so sure I see it.”

“I do. Plus, you literally just saved my life. That’s pretty dolphin protector-esque.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Riley smiled, the heat slipping lower down her sternum and into her belly. She forced herself back on the rocks to look up into the blue sky, needing distraction. They needed distance.

Riley wasn’t doing anything wrong. She was making sure Ella was alright after her earlier incident, and then she was going to escort her home. That was it. She focused on the swirls of white now floating across the vast blue sky. Would it feel freer to be a cloud or a bird?

“That one looks like an ocean wave,” Ella said as she sat on the hard surface next to Riley, following her gaze. “Fuck. That’s hot.” She jumped back up, brushing her hands over her bum, then dug a pretty kimono out of her bag, laying it down before rejoining her.

They both looked up at the sky, laying side by side, close enough that if Riley reached out her arm, she could brush against Ella’s. But Riley wasn’t thinking about that.

“That one looks a bit like Kylie Minogue.”

Riley laughed, low in her throat. “How?”

Ella leaned closer, directing Riley’s sight with the point of her finger. Her sweet scent mingled with something fruity, making her inhale sharply. “There are her eyes, and that’s her mouth. See?”

Riley had no idea how the wispy clouds could possibly resemble Kylie Minogue, but she nodded anyway. “Cirrus clouds are my favourite.”

“Of course you have a favourite type of cloud.”

Riley turned her head to look at her. “You don’t?”

“Can’t say that I’ve ever given it much thought.” Her eyes crinkled at the edges, her gaze moving over Riley’s face.

Riley’s heart quickened, thumping away in her chest. Surely, if Ella was straight, she wouldn’t look at her like that? She needed to put a stop to it—whatever it was—for the sake of her job.

She cleared her throat, casting her eyes away. “So, are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah. You know, I actually feel good. Got the sun on my skin and nothing to do. I just wish I had a margarita in my hand.”

Riley turned her head, allowing her gaze to fall over the woman next to her. Neat, arched eyebrows framed her eyes, with a straight nose that had an adorable little point at the tip. Her eyes were closed, and she beamed, oozing an infectious stream of happiness for the first time since Riley had met her.

Thank the guides I missed the morning introductions to come and paint. She didn’t want to even consider the other outcome if she hadn’t seen Ella tumbling around in the sea. She allowed herself to look for just a few seconds more, the warmth emanating from Ella coating her own skin, before forcing her gaze elsewhere.

Then, realising she hadn’t replied to Ella’s comment, she cleared her throat. “Well, Senhor Arenoso does say that contentment is having everything you need but not everything you want.”

Ella hummed, running a hand over her stained bikini top, discoloured from the bird. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. I have a feeling…like my luck might be about to change.”

A caw from up above caught Riley’s attention, and she turned just in time to watch the white poop fall from the sky like an atomic bomb, for the second time today, landing straight in Ella’s hair with a slop.