Sweet Saltwater

Chapter 10

The next couple of days passed in a hazy blur of work and sleep. The temperatures were rising, making the day shifts that much more exhausting and the night shifts that much more crowded. In a way, the constant buzz of people helped Iris fall into a humming rhythm, not having time to think about anything but the tasks before her. It was easy for her to go on this way, to tune out her troubles and worries and live in a world where only that current moment mattered. Only that present existed.

She called her mother every other day, mostly during her work breaks. They would chat for a little while, pretending that everything was normal, that they were just catching up. Iris thought that the utterly mundane conversation helped Ava to take a breath of fresh air and to even just for a moment, escape her reality.
There would never be an escape though.
Leo was in much of the same state as when Iris last saw him. Tethered to an endless oblivion, neither here nor there. His presence kept alive by Ava's and Iris' memories and shared love for him and one another.

She promised her mother that she would visit more, much like she did every time the request came. She wouldn't really though. The selfishness of the realization ate at her but she knew that if she pushed herself past her breaking point she would do nothing more than drag her mother down with her.
Ava was pure, hopeful. She didn't deserve that.
So Iris went on with her perfected routine, with only a few alterations.

Tilda's music festival was fast approaching. Her days were spent on the phone with various musicians, booking transportation, accommodation. Making their life as simple as possible whilst hers turned upside down. The event had grown larger than expected, now planned to last a whole week rather than a mere weekend.
Seeing the normally sweet and gentle woman so frazzled and distressed, her hands glued to the phone, troubled Iris. So on a breezy Thursday evening, she decided to take some action.

She began by calling Erica and Pierce, needing the latter to make his father more agreeable to her proposition: A locals only dinner, tomorrow evening, to get everyone involved and helping.
To take a load off of Tilda's shoulders. It was an island event after all, it was only right that everyone took part.
Pierce got to work right away, while Erica agreed to make a few calls of her own, gathering the troops for the nearing event.

***

Iris looked at the phone in her hand, her thumb hovering above Nolan's old number. What if this was the olive branch their relationship needed?
No.
It was a silly thought. He was here on holiday, he didn't want to get sucked back up in his past life. Especially not because of her. The thought made her stomach swirl with an emotion she couldn't quite place. She looked up at Tilda then, pacing back and forth on the pier. Her hair was a mess on top of her head, her features painted with such exhaustion. She was arguing with someone.

Iris' thumb pressed the screen. Realizing what she had done she panicked and put the phone up to her ear, her breath and hands shaking. The ringing tone droned on for what seemed like forever. Her thoughts were swirling with every ring, the panic in her throat balling up and rising. Nothing.

She was just about to put the phone away, regretting her stupidity, when she heard a husky voice whisper on the other side of the line. "Iris?" Nolan sounded like he had just woken up from a bad dream. Probably accurate.

She contemplated ending the call right there. She could pretend she did it by accident or that she didn't even notice it happened. She bit her tongue, steadying her breath and closing her eyes. Her words came out in a blunder.

"Hey uh- yeah, um-" she took a sharp breath in "it's me." What. The. Fuck. Was. That.

"Are you alright? It's late." his voice was still a soft whisper but there was tinge of worry in it. It reassured her, her words coming out more steady this time.

"Yeah I know, I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you, I just wanted to ask if you're free for dinner tomorrow?" She paused exhaling shakily.

"Um-" he began.

Realizing it sounded like she was asking him out she panicked and without a warning, words started spilling out of her mouth. She tried explaining why she was calling but she was so disheveled and manic that her sentences didn't seem to want to string together in a way that made sense. After a long cascade she finally stopped speaking, biting her tongue to physically prevent herself from any further embarrassment.

There was a long pause. The kind of pause where it feels like you can hear the ticking of seconds, as if there is a looming clock overhead, where your gut start to twist with discomfort and the taste in your mouth begins to sour.

"I'll be there." Nolan said finally. Iris swore she could hear the smile on his lips. She pictured his face, amusement spreading all over it because of her inability to form coherent sentences in his presence. Dick.

"Okay...see you at 8" she said quickly and hung up the phone. Her stomach erupted with butterflies, tickling her insides and forcing a chill to crawl up and down her spine. Iris wasn't sure what it was she was feeling. She shook her head trying to dispel the frantic movement in her gut. She couldn't look into this. Into him.
As she walked back to the promenade where she was supposed to meet Erica she couldn't help but feel a warmth encompass her, there was a shift in her heart which she hadn't felt in a long time.

The rest of their evening was spent in front of Thea's, now also Iris', house. The girls were sat on the little stone wall, separating the cobblestone street from the sand and sea below, a glass of wine in hand. They both had notepads before them, writing down tasks that had to be completed before the musicians arrived on Lagona in a weeks time.

It was a beautiful evening, the stars spread in the sky like a tapestry of light, while the sea sang a calming song on the rocks. Iris breathed in the seasalt air and looked at her friend, her onyx hair draping her pale shoulders, a frown dancing on her brow as she hurriedly scribbled something down.

"So...anything you want to tell me?" Iris smirked. They hadn't had time for their debrief of the other night and she thought now would be the perfect time.

It took one look at Iris' cheeky face for Erica to realize what she was talking about. Her cheeks turned crimson, which she quickly tried to hide looking down, her inky black hair covering her changing features. "No, you know I'd tell you if there was" she said shyly. Iris knew her friend didn't like talking about her and Pierce, mostly because she knew that it was a childhood crush that took hold of her and never let her go - a picture perfect idea that would most likely never come true. For many reasons.

"Besides I'm not the one that has to spill, you had a boy over" Erica looked up through the black curtain of her hair, her green eyes dancing with mischief.

"What?" The comment took Iris by surprise. She had no recollection of anyone being with her at the house, let alone in her bed. She woke up completely alone.
The thought of the black button up still on her chair sliced through her thoughts.
Fuck.
Someone got her to bed.
The same someone that let her borrow his shirt.

Erica could see the pieces coming together behind Iris' eyes. She looked at her amused, waiting patiently for it all to fall into place.
When it finally did, she spoke "He carried you home. I offered to do it but he said he didn't mind." she smiled "you looked so peaceful."

Iris head was swirling. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know the guy, yet here he was taking care of her the same way a true friend would. This man was supposed to be a mystery to her, having known him for such a short time, yet something deep inside her felt differently.