Page 19 of The Heartbreak Hotel

Her skin pricked at the mention of her full name. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“Being at Sandy Springs, you’ll become more sensitive to the sensations happening in your body. The energies around you, and how everything on Earth is connected. We’re part of one whole—we’re the earth, and the earth is us.” The kettle hissed, and Senhor Arenoso filled the cups with boiling water, handing her a mug with a cockerel on it. “Our energies are the difference between living a stressed life and a contented one. And do you know who holds the key to unlocking these secrets?”

“Erm…you?”

He beamed, his teeth blindingly white against his sun-kissed skin. “You, Ella. You hold the keys to your own life.”

That explains all the fuck-ups, then.

He sipped at his tea, even though steam billowed from his mug. “I sense your resistance. You’re not the first person to step onto this island with scepticism, you know. But I assure you, if you surrender to the process, your life will never be the same again.”

Surrender to the process? What is this place, a cult?

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, looking out across the ocean. Ella followed his gaze, watching the waves lift up and kiss the rocks where she and Riley had been yesterday.

Heat prickled her neck remembering their encounter, and she sipped at her tea for distraction. The water scalded her tongue, and she hissed. Then the taste registered, and a mix of conflicting spices assaulted her senses. She scrunched her nose. What in Satan’s mistress is this poison?

Oh, god. Is it some sort of hallucinogenic to unlock my inner and deepest thoughts?

Ella didn’t want that. She’d spent the entirety of her adult life trying to do the opposite of unlocking her thoughts. Life got depressing far too fast when she realised how far away she was from achieving her dreams—or from admitting that her dreams up and left her the moment her ex-girlfriend did.

Senhor Arenoso handed her a glass of water, and she gulped it readily. “Thank you.”

His dark eyes studied her for a moment, and she shifted in her seat. “What your time here aims to do is give you the tools to help build your life the way you want. Everything is intertwined, Ella. Every creature and every element is a thread of pure connection, harnessing energy and contributing to the earth’s heartbeat. You are part of a complex energy system. Amid the grind of daily life, people forget that, and their chakras become blocked, disrupting their emotions and keeping them trapped.”

Nerves gathered in Ella’s belly, tightening at the thought of what unblocking her chakras might entail. She imagined it wouldn’t be a quick-fix over-the-counter laxative.

“Ultimately, what you get out of this is up to you,” he continued, caressing a plant leaf between his finger and thumb. “You have your own free will. The staff here, along with the spirits, cannot fix your problems for you, but they can help guide you as you form your path. The question is: are you ready to take the first step?” He turned to face her, his regal essence flowing off him in waves.

He’d make a killing as a door-to-door salesman.

“Yes,” Ella said, her response sounding more like a question than a definitive answer.

Senhor Arenoso smiled, though it didn’t quite touch his eyes. “Está bem. Let’s get to work.”

* * *

When Ella left Senhor Arenoso’s hut, her brain ached like it’d been drummed by a hormonal woodpecker. She couldn’t handle any more talk about energies or chakras. She was up to her eyeballs with hippie chitchat.

She’d be lying if she said that some of the things didn’t resonate. The principle that all things on Earth and beyond were connected did give her a swell of purpose, but he was right, she was resisting. Why, though, she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She just wished things were simpler.

“Surrender to the process.”

The only thing Ella wanted to surrender to was a soft, cool bed or alternatively, with the same compelling urge, a strong, beautiful woman. But to her surprise, it wasn’t Maeve’s long legs filling her fantasy. It was the smiley yoga instructor.

What is it about the Portuguese sun that makes me so damn horny all of a sudden?

She padded along the sand in her bare feet, taking note of the green lifeguard flags this time. Causing a scene wasn’t on her agenda today, even if it might mean Riley gave her some attention.

“Is that what your life has come to, Ella?” she chided herself, crunching a broken shell beneath her foot. “Throwing your body to the sea with hopes of getting fondled by the attractive yoga instructor?” She laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of it. She wished she could call Winnie and tell her.

The thought caused her lips to shrivel as she imagined also telling her about her plan to win back Maeve. She knew exactly what she’d say: what a terrible idea. Deep down, she knew she was right. Both ploys reeked of such desperation, Ella wondered if her best friend could sense it across the Atlantic. She groaned, wishing she could just call her. It was difficult to know what she should do. Loneliness enveloped her like a blanket.

Most of the group had gone on the hike to see the ruins on the island, which meant they’d be gone for hours, and she had most of the beach to herself. The last thing she needed was Pauline chirping in her ear while she tried to unwind, but as she padded through the sand alone, Ella realised that the woman’s company might not be such a bad thing. She was nice, and that was more than most people.

God. She rolled her eyes at herself. Now I’m missing England’s divorcee of the year, too?

She dipped her toes into the sea, letting out a sigh as the water lapped at her ankles. The large rocks came into view, secluding the beach from the main stretch, and she tilted her head back, catching the birds ferrying between the cliffs. Being in nature settled her, and she continued to paddle, breathing in the salty air.