Sindy Kate

CLYVE

All I COULD think at this moment was how good it felt to hit my bed and snore under my sheet.

Alone.

Not with the blonde who talked a lot- Emily.

She kept batting her eyelashes as she told me about her first photoshoot experience. She was a boudoir model according to her profile on HeartRated owned by my brother Skipper. She was a bit of a dish, I must say, but too dishy to be my type.

Skipper and his girlfriend, Arella created an account on my behalf. What so funny there was the not-so-original username they could ever come up with.

BritBond69. Seriously, who does that? The number 69 made it sound dirtier and naughtier to my fine personality.

Back to the fake blonde. I could see the evidence right before my very eyes-D cup to be precise. They jiggled when she giggled. It rhymed, huh?

I didn't know if she did it on purpose to get attention from her date, or they just jiggled.

I wasn't a boobman, but I knew women's breasts if they were real or enhanced. I wondered if it felt uncomfortable when she ran on a treadmill. I thought they were pretty heavy, eh.

"Hey, you've been staring at my cleavage," she flirted, and oh, they jiggled again.

I cleared my throat and smiled politely. "My apology." They're kinda distracting. "So how long have you been modeling?"

Bloody hell! Just bent up, Clyve.

Truth to be told, I didn't date much back in college, and I barely able to graduate to even have time to fool around like my brother. I had one serious relationship since I was sober. Sadly, it didn't work out. Then I got into trouble over fraternizing my co-worker, and things got nasty between us until I got fired.

This was how my brother came up with this idea-in getting me into this thing. Now I chatted up with my first date.

She sighed. I suddenly remembered her mentioning it earlier. She'd been modeling for two years. "So, you love photography?"

What? Oh yeah, the profile.

"Yeah, I love photography, and I paint as well. Been doing it for years as part of my therapy. I'm planning on building my own studio-"

Her eyes slightly widened. "What kind of therapy? Wait, do you have PTSD sort of thing?" I didn't miss the shake in her voice.

"Um, nuh." Shouldn't I mention that on a first date?

She checked her watch, and I knew what would happen next. I wouldn't be disappointed if she jilted, besides I didn't want to go out on a blind date if this wasn't for Arella and Skipper who didn't give me much of a choice.

I shouldn't be too ahead of myself, but dating apps like HeartRated were a site for people who were into one-night stands. I wasn't like those-I didn't want to end up in a hotel room or a woman's loft that I barely knew. And God knows what will happen next.

"Thanks for tonight, Clyve. I had fun." Did she really? She took her clutch and slid off the barstool. Her exposed knee brushed up against mine. Then she finally stood up.

"Me too, Emily." I nodded and smiled. "At least let me send you to the parking lot."

"No, no. That won't be necessary." She forcefully smiled. "Bye!"

That was it. She was gone in a flash.

The music suddenly became too loud for my taste. The air thickened with a mix of perfumes and alcohol that could tempt me to order a drink. I gulped my lemon-lime drink, faced the bartender, and tossed him some bills.

Time to go to bed, Clyve. I sighed in dismay.

My brother forced me to come to New York with him. That arsehole believed my destiny was here. I knew he loved me and might have promised Dad to take care of me. No doubt, he would do anything in a heartbeat if I'd ask anything.

Since our dad passed away, he'd been an argy-bargy and asked me to go on a vacation and have fun. By the meaning of having fun, to gallivant and shag around like he used to do.

I couldn't let him run the businesses alone, so I had to take some lessons and attend some training. I wanted to help him, and that was brother should do.

And that arse was with the love of his life that he'd been in love with for ages. Funny was, they had a kid. The cute little thing, Rynna just looked exactly like them.

I walked out of the bar, ignoring the tiny throb inside my chest.

***

I GROANED when my phone rang because I knew already who was it.

"Botha?"

"How's your date?" Brill! It was Arella, the love of my brother's life I mentioned earlier.

"She ran away before I could explain. Why do American are so frightened of someone who suffered from PTSD?"

"What? Why did you say that? You don't have PTSD, CC." CC, she calls me that.

"Well, I mentioned I've been painting as part of my therapy. Then that's it, she just thanked me and left like her arse was on fire."

Her voice echoed through my ear as she laughed out loud. "Really? She thought you're violent? God, you could barely harm a fly. And so what if you're suffering from PTSD? People get through it without harming someone. I guess she watched too many psycho-thriller movies that affect her tiny brain. You deserve someone better."

"I won't go on a blind date again. That's terrible. It said on the app that we're 75% compatible, and guess what? She doesn't like me, and I can't tell that she's unattractive because she is, but she's too attractive to be my date, you know. This whole thing is rubbish."

"CC, that's not exactly a blind date. Don't give up too easily. You'll find a woman who can blow your mind." She laughed again.

"That's the thing. I don't want someone to blow my mind."

"You know what I meant, CC."

I scratched my head as I tried to make her understand my point. "I know, but dating doesn't have to work like that."

"Gah, you're such a man! Going out on a date can start as friends, you know. It doesn't have to be love at first sight. Love can start with friendship. Just be yourself and treat your date as if she's one of your friends. It makes it an easier way of getting to know each other. Unless you want to shag her."

The word shag made me grimace. I should be feeling comfortable talking about sex with Arella, but it felt awkward since I hadn't had fun in a long time.

"I'm really not comfortable doing this thing. I don't know. I'm not aloof, and I've been on a share of relationships without using a dating app to go out on a date with someone."

"A share of relationships? Do you mean only two girlfriends in your lifetime? One was cheating on you and the other was, what happened? When was that?" I heard Skip yelling from the other line, then he barked into laughter. "You need to get laid, brother. I'm a little bit worried about your biological clock!"

I rolled my eyes. Of course, he was listening throughout my conversation with his girlfriend.

"Go to hell, brother. Men don't have a biological clock, you daft!"

"I will go to hell as long as Arella will come with me!"

"I will deactivate my account. Your app is rubbish!"

"Try going out one more time. If it still doesn't work, then you can uninstall it for good," Arella agreed. I couldn't say no to her. She was too good for my brother that he almost didn't deserve someone like Arella. She was the reason why he stopped gallivanting around.

"Fine. Just one time."

"Clyve, put that charm to good use, mate. Trust me, it always works and-"

"Just bent up, Skip!" Arella must have hit him or something because he groaned loudly, then a faint sound of them snogging followed. Jesus! Couldn't they stop just for a sec while I was listening?

"Okay, guys. Cheers!"

***

I scratched my scalp in irritation. I was not desperate to be in a relationship. Am I? I'm not a sex-starved bloke as well. Well, I missed it if I was honest.

Since when the last time I had mind-blowing sex? Six months ago? And my hand was not really that useful. I grabbed my laptop on the nightstand that I used earlier to send some emails.

When the windows opened, I quickly searched for the history on the browser and clicked the link of the HeartRated.

I yawned.

I hated this site as it had plenty of ads. Skipper and his best friend were getting richer because of those though. I leaned myself comfortably on the pillow as I focused on the screen. I clicked on the log-in button.

Pop-up ads flashed on the screen with different videos of women, wearing insufficient dresses. Some were just talking, but there were no sounds. Some were-

Holy! The message popped out Wanna talk to these girls and have your dreams come true? Funny!

I snorted. "Nah! Thank you, mate."

I found myself swallowing hard though. I would not get tricked by this shit again. I shifted on my seat as something reacted to what was on the video.

Poor bloke, it had been languished in limbo for months now. And the very first time I put an effort on dating again was a spectacular failure.

I was about to click the close button when another ad appeared.

What was with this preview? It was narking.

Another group of women, this one was more daring than the previous one. One was pinching her nipple through the thin camisole she was wearing.

Cam girls. Huh!

One preview that caught my attention though. A cam girl was licking a chocolate spread from the cucumber. Seriously, a cucumber?

I burst into laughter. Doesn't she own a spoon? But I was not so daft not to know what cucumber represented.

Jesus!

Were there really men got horny out of these? Or some lonely bloke who couldn't find dates? Like me.

I could feel my pulse increasing as I was about to click the close button. Instead, I clicked enter. Shit!

I swallowed again. What am I doing? I scanned quickly for some options, then I hit the register button.

My brother would laugh his arse out when he found out about what I just did. He thought I was out of my goddamn mind. But he would not know, would he? I was just curious. Who am I fooling?

Okay, I was more than curious, and I thought this was way better than going out on a date that only gave me false hope.

I quickly signed up with a new username. Then I hit the preview of the Nutella girl. Nutella girl? That's cute.

Sindy Kate.

I read it aloud, making me laugh like a twit. It sounded like the word syndicate.

Then there she was, live in the flesh. She had a slim figure, almost skinny, but her arms were toned though. Her round face had a little hint of makeup, not too much-that was what I liked in a woman. Her full lips painted with glossy pink.

She's just a cam girl, Clyve, and you're not going to hook up with her, are you?

As if she's willing to meet you, mate. Since when did I think of hooking up? I pushed the thought out of my head.

Her creamy skin looked flawless, and there was no way it was from the lighting effect. My skin tingled to feel if it was soft and smooth against my fingertips.

She was fully dressed though. Her unruly blonde cascaded down her shoulders to her chest, but one thing I was sure of was, her voluptuous breasts were real, unlike my date earlier because they bounced naturally. Her nipples were poking against her white tiny dress when she changed her seat into Indian style-probably a request by one of her viewers.

I had to clench my jaw to stop from getting a hard-on, the longer I looked at her, but this was the main purpose, yeah?-to entertain.

She looked no older than twenty-five-younger than me.

Why did she choose this kind of job? That question somehow bugged me.

But those eyes-were big and hypnotizing. I didn't know if she was using contacts because it was a shade of forest green.

Beautiful.

Then she stopped talking and stared at the camera. My heart pounded in my chest when it felt like she was staring right back at me.

I felt my jaw was slowly falling.

Fuck!

***

Hey guys, I suggest you read first Sin De Rella - Sin Series 1 before reading Sindy Kate, but you can read this alone as well. Enjoy!

WESTLEY

THE OAK trees rising out on both sides of the driveway were like a gateway to paradise. Those were one of many things around here that I learned to appreciate and love. There was also something in this place that I didn't find in the city, perhaps its the serenity that the city couldn't offer.

This little paradise welcomed me with open arms.

When Keene brought me here, I thought I would regret that decision, but everything around here had grown quickly on me, and the only place I considered home.

I sauntered to the front porch, taking the swing from the right that I already claimed it mine. It gave me the perfect view of the sun-streaked leaves that created glittering shadows on the entrance.

I closed my eyes to the whining of bees on the flower pot in front of me. The earthy fresh smell and the blooming of the scents of the wild roses I planted on the flower bed had relaxed my mind.

Keene once said that I had a green thumb. I laughed at that idea, but when I saw them first thing in the morning, they just melted my heart and blew me away to see the fruit of the hours I spent cultivating those flowers. They worth my sweat.

"Harry!" I jolted awake, sitting straight to the sharp male voice-it was Keene's-my best friend, the strongest guy I knew.

We'd been friends since college, and he'd been my rock since then.

"Harry," he repeated, "guess what?" He was grinning with brown eyes glittering with excitement.

He was handsome in a classic actor kind of way. Finally, he let his light blond hair grow longer than he used to keep it skinhead, but he was still a little bit pale. I always loved to pinch his small straight nose that was now wrinkling on me as if he read my mind.

"Hey, I said I got something." His expression suddenly turned sour when I didn't pay attention to what he was about to say because lately, I wasn't lucky enough to receive any more good news.

"Jeez, Keene. Just say it already." I scowled at him. I hated the feeling when people interrupted my rest.

The fact that he surprised me, it made my heart rate accelerate, and it felt uncomfortable. He knew it because I'd been suffering from Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation when I was in college, and it came back when I was under stress.

"We got a guest. I received an email earlier, and I already replied that the cabin is ready for visitors. I thought you'd be thrilled to hear the good news. He'll be here as early as tomorrow morning. So, we still have a day to prepare the cabin. Isn't it great?" He grinned again.

Indeed it was good news. Keene was left with an almost empty bank account after his father's chemotherapy wasn't successful. He never gave up on his dad and sold everything until there was nothing left. Before they got the deal for their small house and two cabins, his father passed away.

"Okay."

"Just okay? Harry, it had been like a year since we had a guest. Not to mention, it was only half-paid. You have to admit that nothing works on our strategies. Plus, a small business like this needs a good advertisement, but we already knew that it was impossible for us right now."

"Do we really have strategies, Keene?" I chuckled bitterly. I understood his underlying frustrations in this situation because he couldn't work anymore. For many days, I wished my lifestyle was like before that I could easily help him, but things had changed since I chose to be on my own. "But you're right. This is good news. I'll go then, to clean the cabin." I hustled to stand when he grabbed my arm.

"Coming with you."

I widened my eyes to shut him up. "I need exercise, and you won't dare help me, Keene. Did you hear me?"

He shut his mouth tight. He may be my best friend, but I bothered him too much already that I could barely sleep at night. The least that I could do was to do the chores since he could barely stand on his own feet.

"Harry-"

"Just bring some clean towels and sheets, okay? And some toiletries, too." I stepped down the porch, then I paused to look at him. "Who's our guest?"

"It's Arella Rogue who booked the cabin. Our guest is a guy named Clyve-"

"Okay. I should start cleaning because we still have to go to town for groceries."

The cabin was made of finest woods from the foundation, walls, and floorboards. It was a little bit old that we had to make sure it was not infested by termites.

This one had only a small room, kitchenette with small cupboards, and a single Viking stove. A living room with enough space for a wooden rocking chair and an old black leather couch, which was Keene's father's favorite. There was a small fireplace with readied piles of wood.

I started clearing cobwebs on the windowsills, pulled the white sheets off that covered the furniture, then I started dusting them off, and then vacuumed the floor.

I was in the bedroom, pulling the sheet off from the bed when Keene came over, probably with the things I asked from him to bring.

"Just leave them on the couch. I'm done cleaning that area."

"You don't have to clean alone, you know."

"Just go and make a list of what we need from the grocery."

I ignored his heavy sighing. Not a few seconds later, he was sneezing and running out of the cabin that made me chuckle.

What I learned about this life was nothing came for free. You had to work hard to earn something. I guess the decision of my independence had taught me the hard way, and so far, I liked it.

I was beyond exhausted when I was done in the bathroom. I was sweating like a pig and sticky with dust. I could smell myself like an old house and soot. I laid back on the couch, trying to catch some rest for a few minutes before we headed to the town.

"Harry!"

"Dang it, Keene. Are you trying to give me an early heart attack?" I rubbed my eyes, lifting my gaze to him.

"Sorry." He gave me an apologetic look.

"How long did I pass out?"

He shrugged. "Three hours?"

"Three hours?" I asked incredulously. "And you did not wake me up?" I stood up quickly, grabbing his hand. "Let's go then. Did you have the list?"

"Yeah, and went there while you passed out. I know how grumpy you are when someone disturbs your sleep."

I paused, narrowing my eyes at him. "What the hell? Why did you go alone?"

"Because I can, and you're tired. I did come back safe and sound, so stop worrying about me like I'm gonna melt in front of you."

"Don't do that again, Keene." I walked past him, still scowling. "Close the door behind you."

"Wait! You've been tired lately, Harry. Do you have trouble sleeping?"

My throat suddenly thickened. "No."

"Then what have you been up to?"

"Nothing."

"If you're worried about-"

I turned to face him. "I'm fine, okay? I promise."

He had a lot on his plate right now, and I couldn't add another. I knew he tried his best to be strong when I was around, but deep inside, he was struggling. I guessed we deal with our pain in different ways.

I strode toward the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. And he was right-he did the grocery on his own. The fridge was full.

A small smile curved up my lips when I saw some cups of peach yogurt-my favorite. "Thank you."

"That's the least I can do after I left you alone cleaning the entire cabin." I didn't miss the guilt in his voice.

"And I can't let you die from sneezing." I rolled my eyes.

"Go ahead and hit the shower. I'll make us some sandwich." He grabbed the fresh lettuce and tomato from the fridge, then he stopped. "I can feel when you're watching me, Harry. I'm not that weak and won't collapse on your watch. Just take the freaking shower."

"Who said you're weak? Besides, you went to buy stuff on your own."

"You're not gonna drop it, are you?" He took a sandwich loaf, slicing it in half. "Which do you prefer halloumi or cheddar?"

"Upgraded, huh?" I chuckled.

"We've got a guest tomorrow, darling, and you can't just feed him with couscous salad every day."

"What's wrong with couscous? I can make something more than a salad out of it."

"I know, chef Westley." He rolled his eyes. "This will be done in a few minutes. Now get your ass ready because I'm starving. You'll sleep early tonight, Harry. No more stalking your dysfunctional family on the Internet."

My chest ached every time he mentioned my perfect family. "That was only one time. I just wanna see my sister, and I'm just curious if how they had been without the black sheep of the family."

He searched something on my face, then nodded slowly.

I walked away, releasing the breath I held for a while.

Thank, God! He didn't pry.

***

AFTER OUR lunch, I rechecked the email. Our guest hadn't yet arrived when he supposed to be here before twelve. And there was no way the flight had been canceled because of the weather. Unless he changed his mind.

Well, if he did, we wasted our time for that jerk.

"I'll bring some supply, Keene. Just lead him to his cabin if he arrives before I'm done, okay?" I could feel my increasing heartbeat. I had to take a few deep breaths to calm it down.

Yesterday I was completely drained to even put some bottled water in the cabin. I hoped this man would arrive today because I was going to curse him for the whole month if he would not show his ass up here.

I looked around when I was done. It looked spotless, and things seemed to be in the right places. I was ready to bail out when I caught a very distinctly male voice, and it was not Keene's.

Our guest had finally arrived.

Great!

There was something in his accent that seemed different. An Irish? Australian?

Thanks, mate. Oh, British! Our guest is a freaking Brit?

How in the hell did he find this place?

I scurried toward the living room when the sunlight entered the cabin, indicating that Keene or our guest just entered.

A tall shadow hovered.

His voice was deep, yet so calm as he got closer to me. He was still talking with Keene when he stopped in the middle of the living room, dropping his suitcase and cargo bag beside the couch. He then snapped his gaze at my direction when he perhaps, sensed they were not alone.

Then our gazes locked. Suddenly, his gunmetal blue eyes widened as if showing some recognition, and his jaw literally dropped.

Crap!

My lips instantly dried with dread. Just the pain forming in my chest due to the hammering of my heart almost made me feel dizzy.

Oh my, God! What if?

"Sindy?"

CLYVE

"YOU CAN'T and won't ever control my life anymore, Skip because Dad told you so. It's plaguy! Can't I at least make a choice on my own?" Rage rode me as I threw my hand in the air while yelling over the phone. I was so bloody sick of having someone dictating my life even if it was my own brother-as if I was a good for nothing bastard. This had to stop one way or another. I was so sick of this!

He just told me that he was going to send me somewhere I had not even heard of as if he owned me. Just like that, without asking what I wanted, or if I had a plan or something this weekend.

I promised him to get a vacation after my training, but I was still in the middle of it when he wanted me to continue in New York. Like a good brother, I did it. Then here we go again, I was almost twenty-seven, yet if he treated me as if I was like a bloody toddler.

I knew I cocked up once but didn't we all were? I'd been doing my best, hell, I'd been on the wagon for a long time, and I never planned on taking off again. So, what was wrong with him? Did he even have a tiny trust and patience in me?

"I just want-"

"I fully understand what you're trying to do to me. You want to control my life. What else is there? You are a control bloody freak! You want me to take your shoes when Dad was still alive, am I right? Just bugger off, brother!" I gritted my teeth. What he did was overstepping the boundary, and I wasn't chuffed a bit.

He didn't reply, but he was breathing heavily from the other line. I knew I made him mad. Who the fuck cares? He made me madder.

"Just hear me out."

"I'm done listening! For bloody sake, this is the last time you will tell me what to do. Just leave me the fuck alone!" I threw the phone into the wall. The debris scattered around the flat. At that moment, I didn't care if he couldn't contact me anymore. I'm done.

He loved me, I got it. He wanted me to have a great life just like he had right now. But what he didn't understand was-that I couldn't force things to happen when it was not the right time.

The next morning I woke up early as I had a flight to catch. My brother came last night, but I refused to see him. He let his driver give me an envelope, and I didn't give a shit what was that for.

Before I went to the airport, I rechecked the email Eli, Skip's assistant had sent to me last night. It was the details of my flight and the place where I would be staying. Unfortunately, he was not able to arrange a driver to pick me up from the airport, so I had to hail a cab once I landed.

And there was a slight problem, I didn't get a chance to replace my phone to even hire an Uber. If there was even an Uber in this small town.

***

"THIS IS the place, man," the cab driver announced, turning left to the driveway of the small house.

I scratched my scalp in irritation to the thought that this was where I was going to stay for the whole fortnight. Bleeding great!

I might have brought some of my art tools and the new camera I bought last week, but I was going to be dead with boredom before the end of the day.

But the tall old oaks had made me stand still, and my jaw just dropped.

"Stop right here, matey," I told the cab driver, causing him to stop to a halt. I gave some bills to him.

"Are you sure, sir? You still have to walk from here with your things."

"I'm sure, mate. Thanks!" I climbed out of the cab. The driver already opened the trunk of his cab and pulled out my things.

"Enjoy your stay!" He then drove away.

I whirled around, leisurely admiring the tall trees above me. There was Spanish moss hanging loosely on each branch. The leaves were dancing along with the blow of wind. The smell of fresh air was far different from the city of New York and London. It was quite refreshing.

Holy! How did my brother find this place? A knot in my stomach suddenly twisted on how our call had ended last night. Any road, I took his bait.

This place was heaven. Aside from painting, I could probably spend a lot here longer. It was quite peaceful, and right now, my brain was already filled with so many concepts.

I grabbed my stroller and my cargo bag and walked through the pathways with a huge smile plastered on my face like a twit. Fuck me.

To my right were the two wood cabins with stone chimneys and small windows. The design and color blended perfectly to the environment and the serene atmosphere. The tall trees at the back added a perfect forest setting. Well, I was in the middle of nowhere in the first place, dumbarse.

The sense of being away from city life was already invigorating my mind, and I couldn't wait to capture this view as soon as I settled in.

"You must be Clyve Clifford." A male voice stopped me from admiring the place.

He descended from the stairs of the house, tossing me a friendly smile. He must be the owner of this place. There was something about him that was odd. He was taller but skinny and had an off-color as a white cloth. His short blond hair looked thin like it had been falling off. The shirt he was wearing was even baggy on him. He seemed to be a nice person though.

He held out a hand. "Keene Storm, nice to meet you. I thought you changed your mind."

I took it for a handshake. "Just Clyve. I'm sorry for not informing you that my flight schedule was changed. Thanks, and it's a pleasure to be here. This is truly a beautiful place."

"Glad you like it. You still about to see the rest."

"Can't wait for it, mate."

He was about to grab my things when I stopped him before he collapsed on my account. "It's alright. Just show me the place where I'll be staying."

"Har- Westley is inside your cabin, filling the fridge."

"I could really use some. I don't drink much when I travel. I don't want to use airline loo."

"You're not American."

"My mum is, but Dad was British."

"Um, I'm sorry." He offered me a sad smile.

"It's alright. So you own the place?"

"Yeah. Been passed from three generations now. We almost lost this though. It's been a rough year for me."

I looked at him, nodding in sympathy. "You'll do great, mate."

"I hope so."

My eyes landed on the rustically inspired deck with a fence connected to the cabin. It had four rickety wooden chairs, a small table, and a lantern that hung from the tree branch.

"This is brill!"

"My late father designed the cabins from the exterior, including the interior. You'll about to see what's inside," he replied proudly.

"I'm sorry about your dad."

He mattered thank you, then pushed the wooden door open. It squeaked a little bit, but that didn't kill my excitement.

The dark wood was dominating the interior from floorboards to the wall, and the furniture inside.

Then someone showed up from the kitchen. A woman. A gorgeous woman. And not just a gorgeous woman.

Is this some kind of a bloody joke?

My jaw literally dropped when I recognized her. There could be no way my eyes were fooling me. It's her. I was sure as hell I blinked twice or even more.

She was the Sindy Kate.

"Sindy?"

And I almost didn't catch her reaction when her posture turned rigid, and her glowing big eyes widened-even wider, then blinked away. Those big eyes-they were green when I felt like we stared at each other that night.

My heart leaped up to my throat.

But this woman had a pair of dark ocean blue. Nevertheless, I was relieved that she was beautiful in the flesh than on the screen.

"Clyve, this is Westley-" Wait a minute, she's Westley? I thought she was a guy. What the fuck?

She lifted her chin, smiling tightly, then forced her words out. "Hi, hope you like the cabin." Her voice was a little harder with a bitter in her tone.

"This seems fancy than from the outside," I praised as I looked around.

The simplicity and the gloss of the wood made it more grandiose in an old-fashioned way. It had a leather couch, a flat-screen TV, and a receiver below.

"Do you have Internet access here?" I asked specifically to Westley.

She swallowed. Her eyes slightly narrowed at me. "Yes."

I couldn't look away, and the longer I stared at her, the more she squinted right back at me as if asking me silently what the fuck was I doing.

"Clyve, let me show you the room and the kitchen. If it doesn't meet your taste, we can transfer you to the other cabin," Keene broke the silence and tension rising between us. He probably noticed something was off.

I didn't know how to react in front of the woman who cammed for a living and pretended as if she was not that girl. But I was sure they were the same person. I could feel it in my bone when our gazes locked. Something shifted between us that it was hard to shake away.

What a small bloody world?

I just watched her that night and barely fell asleep, thinking of how she mesmerized me with her eyes, and now she was right in front of me, she was shooting me a glare. What a twist of fate I had.

Does he know her night job? Were they together? I pushed those questions out of my head.

"Let me take your luggage." She grabbed the handle of my stroller before I could protest.

Keene opened a door from the right. "This is your room. Sometimes we lost electricity when there is a strong wind, but we have a generator as a reservoir at the back. Hopefully, we don't have to use it." He pointed to the other door. "That's your bathroom. There are some clean towels and toiletries Westley placed for you." Keene was talking fast, and I felt like I just hit my head and had a concussion.

I could not even appreciate the room, though it was simple with queen size bed and closet, I was more interested in getting to know Westley or Sindy Kate or whoever she was.

We moved to the kitchenette. A countertop and stools made from thick slab wood, but a kerosene lantern hung on a rusty hook had caught my attention.

I caught the kerosene lamp. "Thank you. I love this place already. I wasn't expecting something like-"

"What were you expecting then? An old cabin with rag dolls hidden underground."

My body suddenly froze to her cold and sarcastic comment.

Keene immediately cleared his throat. "Westley likes to throw unpleasant punchlines. Just don't take it seriously, Clyve."

I turned to face her. "Are you trying to scare me off?" I displayed a wide grin. "Try another more convincing because what you just did, didn't even rise a hair on my skin."