Page 67 of The Heartbreak Hotel

He seemed to study her, looking deeper beneath the layers. “With all your time here, I thought we could break the cycle. To help you move on from your fears. It hurts to still see you suffer.”

“I’m a lot better.” Which wasn’t a lie. She knew she still had a way to go, but compared to a few years ago, it was light and dark. She wondered if Ella had anything to do with it.

“You know the course is my soul child, but I care about you. All I want for you is happiness. I sense a change on your horizon.” His dark eyes found hers again, and he waited, as though he was going to say more. He frowned, tapping her hand twice before moving it away. Then he let out a sigh. “What I am saying is, I would understand if you decided that your happiness is no longer at Sandy Springs.”

Fear shot up Riley’s spine. “Danilo, that’s the last thing I’d want. This is my home, please, I—” A sob escaped her throat, and she put her hands to her eyes.

She couldn’t lose her home, her job, her life here. It was the only thing keeping her sane. Had he finally realised she was an imposter? A fake? Incapable of teaching the course because her own life was a mess?

“I’ll do better,” she said. “Please…don’t fire me.”

“Fire you? Riley, why would you think such things?” She slowly lowered her hands and found his eyebrows pulled together. “I’m just saying I would understand if you decide that Sandy Springs is no longer for you. I just want you to make the right choices. To be happy.”

Happy. Riley wanted to be happy, too.

Despite all the baggage and negativity that the anniversary brought to her every year, this time had been different. Ella’s face popped into her head, that slow half-smile spreading across her lips, and for a second, all the darkness shifted. Hope flickered.

But just as quick as it shifted, it reverted back. Ella was just a temporary fix. Ella leaving meant the new happiness would leave too. What was Danilo trying to tell her? Did he know? Was he trying to tell her to go?

The man had a heart of gold, but he was a stickler for the rules. He even said it himself, the course was like a child to him. He’d do anything to protect it, even if it meant letting Riley go. But she wasn’t ready for that. How could she be?

She sniffed, trying to find some composure. With a sigh, she began, “Sandy Springs is my home. I appreciate everything you’re saying, but I’m not going anywhere.”

He smiled, his moustache curling with the movement. “That’s nice to hear.” He tapped her hand again, then turned to look out at the ocean. “I hope you know how much I value you. Not just as an employee, but as a friend.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace with a black crystal. “Obsidian is believed to be a protective stone. Its energies can help get rid of emotional blockages and digest bad experiences, providing clarity. I hope it helps.”

He held the necklace out for Riley to take, and she felt herself getting choked up again. Her own dad didn’t even remember her birthday, but Danilo was such a sweetheart. How could she ever let him down?

“Please,” he said, giving the necklace a little shake. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Thank you.” She accepted it, rubbing her thumb over the cool stone.

“I won’t tell you what to do, but I hear Marco Marcos has some spare slots tomorrow if you’re interested. Maybe it would help to talk about it again.”

“I’ll consider it, thanks.”

He touched the owl pendant hanging around his neck thoughtfully. “I know you don’t always agree with your spirit guide. But the dolphin, like you, find ways to ride the waves of life. They might swim along unnoticed for a while, but they always rise above, bringing joy and strength to those who witness it. You bring great harmony to those around you, Riley. My hope for you is that you remember to save some for yourself.” He nodded, gave her a smile, then made his way to the open door. He spun before he reached the threshold. “Be kind to yourself today. What happened wasn’t your fault.” And then he left, leaving a swirl of energy thickening in the hut.

Riley exhaled, rubbing her hands over her face. There was so much to unpack in that conversation, she didn’t know where to start. She sighed, sucking in several deep breaths. Then, a new lick of life straightened her spine. Inspiration had struck her like a lightning bolt.

A short while later, she was standing at the top of the cliffs overlooking the beach. The sea breeze caressed her, twitching her hair about her face. Her hand moved with a mind of its own as it danced away, bringing the image to life.

The blues, purples, and whites created zigzag waves. Chaotic swirls and edges rose as the brush worked in fierce, precise movements. At the bottom of the canvas, the sea was as dark as charcoal, lightening in colour towards the surface. A lone form leaped out of the water, the golden sun casting long streams of light across its body.

A dolphin.

Everything swirled around Riley’s brain. In the tangle, a few thoughts separated themselves.

Is Senhor Arenoso trying to tell me something? To leave? To stay?

The man liked to be cryptic at the best of times, but their conversation earlier had left her uncertain. What she did know was that he wanted her to figure it out.

Is my spirit guide struggling to lead me? She knew that in order to receive guidance, she needed to be open. The truth was she’d struggled to see what harmony and strength Danilo saw in her for some time.

Her hand blurred as she swiped more white across the chaotic roll of the waves, and she smiled, letting out a shaky breath. She felt like she was starting to understand. Just like everything else in the universe, all these things were connected.

When Riley first met Ella—the shrieking woman who had just tumbled down a hill with a suitcase on top of her, sticks and twigs caught in her wild hair—she knew she would invite chaos into her life.

And that was exactly what happened.