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Thirty minutes later, she was cozied up in Will's sweatshirt and an old pair of jeans, sipping a cup of coffee and eating a sweet roll she’d bought at the farmer's market. When she finally turned on her phone, there were no new texts, and he hadn't tried to call.
Has he walked away already?
All this time, she’d been fooling herself. She thought that without a physical relationship, she would be able to hold back a piece of herself, a piece of her heart. How wrong she’d been. The pain she felt was immeasurable and was a sure sign it was too late; her heart already belonged to him.
Her phone chimed, and she was both relieved and disappointed to see a text from Jane.
Didn't want to call in case you were at busy at work. You ok?
I'm fine. Playing hooky. Will call you in a little while
Okay. Leaving this afternoon, want me to stay?
No, go home to Charles
Okay. Love you
Love you too. Thx for last night
Anytime
Elizabeth glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost eleven. She should probably call Georgie, just to check in, but she didn't feel like talking. The fog was just starting to lift, so she decided to go for a walk instead. She traded her jeans for cut-off shorts, then grabbed her phone and her earbuds and off she went.
* * *
Will was exhausted,but he was almost to the Cape. He debated driving straight to Woods Hole, knowing Elizabeth would be at work, but decided to go to her house instead. Thirty minutes later he was in her driveway, and parked next to her Jeep. He wasn’t surprised to see it, and assumed she’d ridden her bike to work—until he noticed her bike chained to the stairs.
He took the steps two at a time and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He discovered it was unlocked and thought she might be in the darkroom; but when he walked into the house, it was eerily silent and the darkroom door was open.
“Elizabeth?” he called out quietly.
He sighed heavily when there was no response, and then it came to him—she must have gone for a run. He went back outside and stretched out on a lounge chair, taking in the scenery. The sun was finally burning through the fog, and there was a nice breeze coming in off the water.
He looked down the beach, and his breath caught when he spotted Elizabeth coming out of the mist. She skirted the water's edge, kicking up the spray with her feet and staring out at the waves. He took off his socks and shoes and went down the stairs and onto the beach, and it was all he could do to not break into a run.
He knew the exact moment she saw him; she stopped and stared, but he kept moving at a steady pace until he was standing in front of her.
“Hi,” he said softly.
She removed her earbuds. “What–what are you doing here?”
“I came to see you.”
“But…you're supposed to be in LA.”
He nodded. “I know. And I would be, if you’d called me back or texted me.”
Her gaze dropped to the sand. “I couldn't…I didn't know what—”
“Elizabeth, look at me,” he pleaded quietly. “You need to look at me.”
She lifted her eyes to his and for a moment they just stared at each other, until he spoke again.
“I didn't sleep with someone else.”
Her mouth dropped open slightly. “How–who–did you talk to Jane?”
His frowned and shook his head. “I talked to Richard. I'll explain everything, okay? But you have to know, right now… You have to believe me. I didn't sleep with her, I didn’t cheat on you. I wouldn't.”
