Beyond the Sea: A Modern Gothic Romance Read online

  I couldn’t picture Veronica having lots of friends, since she barely left the house these days, but I could picture her as the queen bee at school. A bitchy, popular girl like Sally O’Hare, with a gaggle of acolytes to do her bidding.

  “What do you mean how things ended up?”

  “Well,” Siobhan said, a look on her face like she was considering whether it was right to tell me. “The Dylans were always among the high society of the town. But the rumour is Mr. Dylan lost all their money during the recession. He was one of those investor types. They managed to keep that old house, but that was about it. He died soon after. I imagine the stress of it all did him in. His heart gave out in the end. Poor thing.”

  I blinked in surprise. I knew the Dylans came from money originally and that it had dried up in recent years, but I hadn’t known about this. My dad hadn’t been a hugely wealthy man, but he’d worked hard over the years and amassed some savings. Now those savings belonged to Vee. Well, whatever was left of them after my inheritance was subtracted.

  “That’s terrible. I never met Mr. Dylan, but everyone says he was a nice man.”

  “Oh, he brightened any room he walked into,” Siobhan replied. “Had a great sense of humour, too. Everyone in town was fond of him. It’s a shame he’s gone.”

  “Yes, it is,” I said, wondering if he hadn’t passed away, would life have turned out differently for Vee? Would she still be as cruel and closed off as she is, or would she be a better, kinder person?

  Eventually, I summoned the courage to go home. Vee’s car was missing from the driveaway and so too was Noah’s motorbike. The house appeared to be empty which was an extremely rare thing. Irene must’ve taken Sylvia for a walk. It felt good to have the place to myself, and for the first time in a long time I took a deep, calming breath.

  I made myself a sandwich and sat at the table, reading Vee’s discarded morning newspaper while I ate to distract myself from thoughts of Noah. After talking to Siobhan, he’d become more of a mystery. Why had he left home at such a young age? And why had he decided to return now?

  I was still ruminating when an idea struck. The house was empty. I could go snoop in his room, and nobody would know. Maybe it would help me find some answers. I knew it was risky since he could arrive back at any moment. However, if he did, I’d hear the front door opening and would be able to run down the narrow staircase at the back of the house that led to the laundry room. Or, if I didn’t have enough time to make it to the staircase, I could hide inside the dumbwaiter until the coast was clear.

  I finished the last bite of my sandwich, dusted the crumbs from my lap, and nervously headed upstairs. I knew it was wrong to snoop, but I simply couldn’t resist the chance to find some answers.

  I placed my hand on the cold brass doorknob and turned, the floorboards under my foot creaking as I entered the room. I winced at the sound, even though there was nobody home to hear it. There wasn’t much in the room aside from a pair of boots in the corner and one of those large hiking backpacks. I took a peek in the old wardrobe, but it was empty. Noah hadn’t unpacked his clothes. Did that mean he didn’t plan to stay for long?

  Next, I checked all the drawers. The first was empty, but the second contained a large A4 sized folder and a small brown envelope. I immediately recognised the envelope from the other day at the school. Noah had emerged from the caretaker’s shed with it. I looked inside, but all it contained was a single key. I frowned and wondered what it was for. I picked up the folder and found a bunch of papers inside but didn’t initially know what I was looking at. There was a long list of times and dates, accompanied by short descriptions like dropped wife off at work or went to the office or made a deposit at the bank.

  What the hell? Was Noah spying on someone? Maybe he was a private detective? It’d certainly explain why he avoided answering the question of what he did for a living.

  He was keeping tabs on someone, that much was clear, but it didn’t exactly sit comfortably with me. I carefully placed the papers back in the folder and returned it to the drawer.

  I took a second to quietly listen, but it sounded like the house was still empty. Thinking I’d quickly rifle through his backpack, I picked it up and placed it on the bed. All I found was a bunch of clothes, jeans and T-shirts mostly. There were some books, too, but I didn’t have time to flick through them. I was about to place the bag back where I found it when I felt something hard in the front pocket. I unzipped it and discovered a Swiss Army knife. It wasn’t the most unusual thing to find in a twenty-something-year-old guy’s belongings. People kept knives like these for practical purposes, especially if they were into camping and outdoors activities. It didn’t necessarily mean anything sinister.

  A chill crept along the back of my neck. I turned and noticed the window had been left slightly open. On instinct I went to close it, but as I glanced out the window I stopped dead in my tracks. The curtains were wide open, displaying a perfect view of the cliffs and the sea beyond.

  And there in the distance, standing right by the edge of the cliff, was Noah.

  My stomach twisted into knots as unease gripped me because he wasn’t staring out to sea. No, he was facing the house, and though he was far away in the distance, I eerily felt like he was looking right at me. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I tossed his bag back where I found it and fled his room like I was being chased by an axe murderer.

  4.

  I locked my bedroom door and sat down on my bed, hands shaking and heart racing. I couldn’t get Noah’s lone figure out of my head, standing in the distance staring at the house. He was too far away for me to see his facial expression. He could’ve been staring off into space or looking directly at me. There was no way to know for sure.

  And if he had seen me, would he tell Vee I’d been snooping? Or would he confront me personally? The thought made me anxious.

  I just knew my curious nature would get me into trouble one of these days!

  Why couldn’t I leave well alone? The reason for Noah’s visit was none of my business. I should just stay out of his way until he left and went back to wherever it was he came from.

  I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I heard a quiet knock on my bedroom door. I froze, practically holding my breath. Another knock and I swear my heart stopped beating. Was it Noah? Or Vee? Whoever it was, their silence freaked me out. Why didn’t they say anything? Ask if I was in here? Then they twisted the door handle, and I almost had a heart attack before remembering I’d locked the door.

  Good thinking, Estella!

  I heard footsteps walking away, allowing me to finally exhale in relief as I flopped back into my pillow. If that were Noah, I was able to escape him for now, but I was going to have to face him eventually. The very thought had me on the verge of a panic attack.

  I didn’t leave my room all evening, instead choosing to sit on my bed freaking out while trying to finish my homework. When I fell asleep, I dreamed of violent waves, and my body being swept away by an unrelenting sea. Oxygen drained from my lungs, but I didn’t fight it. I gave myself over to the pull. It was almost like I wanted to drown. Letting the sea take me made perfect, logical sense, and that was when I realised I wasn’t dreaming of myself. I was dreaming of Lady Maeve again. She wore a long, pale dress, the excess material rising up above her head as she sank. Her vision grew blurry, consciousness fading. Strands of seaweed twined around her arms and legs, pulling her down, down, down …

  I woke with a start. My room was encased in darkness. I tried to sit up, but I couldn’t move. My entire body was paralysed. I tried to scream but no sound came out of my mouth, and panic overtook me.

  Please, please, please let this be a nightmare.

  My eyes moved around my room, but it all felt too real. I wasn’t dreaming. I was wide awake. An invisible force seemed to be pushing down on my chest, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I thought I saw a shadow move at the foot of my bed and fear took hold. Whatever the shadow was made of, I couldn
’t move my body to fight it off.

  Encapsulated by terror, I could do nothing but lie in bed and wait for the shadow to come for me. Was it the ghost of Victor? Or was it some other spirit who’d passed away within these walls? Whatever or whoever it was, I felt its malevolence with every fibre of my being.

  Then, several seconds later, the pressure on my chest eased, and I inhaled a wheezing breath. A noise of pure distress escaped me, and I sprang up, my pulse pounding in my ears. I rushed to the light switch, flicking it on and illuminating my small room in brightness. No shadows remained. Everything seemed completely normal, but I couldn’t get the terror I’d felt out of my head. I hadn’t been able to move a single part of my body, hadn’t been able to speak, and I had no clue why.

  One thing was for certain, I’d be sleeping with the lights on for the foreseeable future.

  ***

  On Monday after school, I walked through the gates with Aoife as we chatted about her latest art project. I was aware of Sally, Claire and their group just a few yards behind us. I was always aware when they were close. The hairs at the back of my neck stood on end, like I’d developed some survival instinct to warn me of predators.

  I heard Sally’s cackle of laughter and turned my head ever so slightly to see the cruel gleam in her eyes. She’d clearly just made some joke at my expense. I frowned and gritted my teeth, anger bubbling up inside me. Then the loud roar of an engine cut through my thoughts. A motorbike pulled up outside the school, and it took a second for my brain to compute that it was Noah. He pulled off his helmet and ran a hand through his thick, dark hair.

  “Oh my God,” I whispered under my breath, and Aoife shot me a funny look.

  “What’s wrong?” She followed my gaze then blinked several times when she saw who had drawn my attention.

  “Is that—”

  “Yes.”

  “What’s he doing here?”

  “I have no idea,” I answered. I also had no intention of finding out. I hadn’t laid eyes on Noah since he may or may not have caught me snooping in his bedroom on Saturday. In fact, I’d gone out of my way to avoid him at all costs.

  I ducked my head and attempted to hide behind Aoife as we passed him, but then he called my name. “Estella!”

  I winced, and Aoife gaped at me, wide-eyed. I gave a little wave in Noah’s direction and replied with a courteous, “Hello,” before quickening my step. He climbed off his bike and caught up with me. I stopped in my tracks and folded my arms when he blocked my way.

  “What do you want?”

  He lifted an eyebrow at my petulant tone, eyes moving over my face and lingering on my mouth a moment. Instinctively, I bit my lip, feeling unnervingly exposed under his cool gaze. All of a sudden, I was hyperaware of him. I did my best to keep my composure when he stepped closer, his voice low when he asked, “That bully of yours around?”

  My eyes widened as I chewed my lip. “Um …”

  “You told him about Sally?” Aoife whispered, and I nodded. She raised an eyebrow. I didn’t blame her for being surprised. The way I’d spoken about Noah wouldn’t have led her to believe we’d been close enough to talk about such things. And we weren’t. I still wasn’t sure what possessed me to tell him. All I knew was he had a way of drawing personal details out of me.

  Noah turned his attention to Aoife, a congenial smile in place. “Hello, Estella’s friend. I’m Noah.” He held his hand out to her, and she glanced at it briefly before shaking with him.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Noah. I’m Aoife.”

  “Aoife,” he repeated, sounding out the syllables “eef-ah” in a low, sexy voice. “What a pretty name. Say, you wouldn’t be interested in pointing out the bully, would you?”

  Aoife shot me a questioning look, and I vehemently shook my head. She looked back to Noah. “Afraid I can’t. Sorry.”

  “Who is that?” Claire asked from close by, and I saw Noah’s ears prick up at the question.

  “I don’t know, but he’s fucking hot,” one of her friends answered. Now he smirked. Ugh.

  “What’s he doing talking to her?” This voice I recognised instantly. It was Sally. Noah must’ve seen something in my expression because his face hardened as he looked over my head. I knew it the second his gaze zeroed in on her. “Ah, I see the little bitch now. Spitting image of her father. Come on. Take my hand. Let’s make her jealous.”

  Wait? Noah knew Sally’s dad? I stared at him, dumbfounded, while Aoife gave a hoot of approval. “I think I like him.”

  Noah shot her a grin. My heart raced, and I just knew Sally was behind me, standing by the school gates and watching this scene play out very, very closely.

  “Go with him,” Aoife urged. “I want to see Sally and Claire’s faces when you two drive off on that motorbike. It’s going to be epic.”

  Noah held my gaze, and there was something about his challenging stare and Aoife’s encouragement that made me bold. In that moment, all I wanted was to give Sally something to feel jealous about. For once, I wanted to feel like I’d won. And being picked up from school by a hot twenty-something-year-old guy on a motorbike would definitely do the trick.

  Without thinking, I placed my hand in Noah’s. His palm was unexpectedly warm, his grin enigmatic.

  “See you tomorrow!” Aoife called as he led me over to his bike.

  Noah handed me the helmet, his green eyes piercing. “Is she watching?” he asked. I nodded, nervously taking the helmet from him. “Good. Now put this on and climb on behind me.”

  I did as instructed, glancing in Sally’s direction one last time and seeing furious jealousy all over her face. Satisfaction filled my stomach. I didn’t like succumbing to revenge-like urges, but lately, more and more, I wanted my enemies to suffer.

  “Hold onto me,” Noah said as the engine roared to life. I thought for a moment about how close our bodies were, but then the bike started to move, and I panicked, wrapping my arms tight around his torso for fear I might fall off. I’d never been on a motorbike before, and I was just slightly terrified.

  We sailed away from the school and onto the main road leading out of town. I would’ve wondered where he was taking me, if I wasn’t so distracted by how close he was. His stomach felt hard, his back solid against my chest. Once we were on the open road, he increased his speed and my skirt flew up. I squealed in shock.

  “Relax,” Noah said over the noise of the engine. “We’re almost there.”

  Almost where? My socks went up to the knee, but the rest of my legs were completely exposed. Noah’s attention flicked down momentarily, and butterflies swarmed my stomach at the thought of his eyes on me. He focused back on the road, and I closed my eyes, feeling the breeze whipping past my face. For a brief, blissful second, adrenaline rushed through my system, and I was … strangely happy.

  I opened my eyes when Noah slowed to a stop. We were a few miles outside of town, at a secluded spot on the coast. The familiar sea air hit my lungs as I hastily climbed off the bike.

  “What is this place?” I asked, peering about. There wasn’t another person in sight, and I started to worry if being alone with Noah like this was a wise idea. I still knew next to nothing about him.

  His eyes wandered over me as he approached. “You should wear your hair like this more often.”

  He reached out to finger a strand, and I fought a flush, backing away a step. Noah frowned at my retreat, but he didn’t question it. I’d left my hair down today, and I suspected it was a mess after wearing the helmet. Why was he acting so nice? He’d gone out of his way to collect me from school just to make Sally jealous? It seemed like a lot of effort for a girl he barely knew.

  “Come on. I want to show you something,” he said, taking my hand and leading me down a narrow walkway. We reached a clearing close to the cliff’s edge. Wind made the long grass ripple like waves, and it tickled my legs.

  I felt guilty about how much I enjoyed holding Noah’s hand. I had no reason to feel that way, but guilt tended to cree
p into any emotional cracks it could find in me. I had to remind myself that being attracted to someone wasn’t a bad thing. Nobody was going to judge me for noticing the sexy, angular line of Noah’s jaw, or the way his T-shirt clung to his trim waist, how his leather jacket draped across his broad shoulders. Living a good life didn’t mean denying myself physical attraction.

  I loved my father, and he’d instilled many fine traits in me, but the Catholic guilt was one I could do without. Just because every time he fell in love it ended in tragedy didn’t mean I was destined for the same. It was a constant struggle to uphold my faith without allowing certain rules and beliefs within it to malform me, to make me think that a natural thought about the attractiveness of a man was sinful.

  Noah stopped walking, and we stood just a few feet away from a gaping chasm. The sudden appearance of it gave me a momentary fright.

  I hadn’t come here in years, but I suddenly remembered I’d visited with my dad a few times as a kid. It was called Geary’s Hole, named after the person who used to own the land, I suspected. The phrase Ask me Geary’s Hole was in common parlance among the locals in town. It was a typical response if you asked someone to do something they didn’t particularly want to do.

  If you looked down, you could see the water sploshing about fifty or more feet below. It was a windy day, so there were lots of waves. They moved up and down, crashing against the rock face. The spray would probably hit you if you got too close to the edge.

  “Seems like the perfect place to jump, doesn’t it?” Noah said as he stared down at the water.

  I eyeballed him, a chill coming over me as I tugged the collar of my jacket up around my ears to fend off the cold. “Is this something you’ve considered?” I whispered, unnerved. The way he stared down into the water, an almost haunted look in his eyes, made my throat constrict.

  “Once,” he said in a low voice before bringing his gaze to mine. “I had far more reasons to jump than I had not to.”