Heartbreak Hotel: This Place Hotel

Chapter 28: Decode

"So, how ya been?" Miguel was leaning against the kitchen island, staring at me as I tied my hair up into a pony tail.

"Fine," I said, in an unintentional strained voice. Fine was about the only answer I could give. I wasn't exact sure how I felt that day.

His gray eye met mine. "Just fine?" He asked with a chuckle.

I watched as he shook his head from side to side. It seemed like my answer was a bit humorous to him. "Yes, just fine. Is there a problem?"

"Oh!" He said with widening eyes. "No, no, no. There's no problem!" He laughed.

I looked at him sideways with narrowing eyes. "Then why are you laughing at my one-worded answer?"

"It's nothing, Baby Girl. It's just that..." he let his sentence trail as he stared down at the marble counter top. "You remind me a lot of my sister."

"Your sister?"

"And my mother, too! I might add."

"Well, I guess I'm truly a Phillips at heart then. Huh?" I smiled at him.

He nodded his head. "That you are," he said proudly.

Miguel had called me at the last minute saying that he wanted to talk to me in person about something. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, and I really didn't stress about it. Mainly, because I had other things that I had to stress about. So, I convinced myself that he probably just wanted to talk about something that couldn't even reach the levels of paranoia that I was known for having. I was about to head out for my daily run, and I figured that we could just walk along the beach while he told me what was on his mind.

"So, what's up?" I asked him. Pulling on an old wind breaker jacket that I think belonged to Michael. I wasn't exactly sure.

"Well, there are two things I actually wanted to talk to you about."

I grabbed my water bottle and my white towel from the table and started heading towards the living room. "Okay..."

"Sasha and I have been talking, and agreed that you are right." His voice was disembodied as he followed up the steps that led to the living room.

"Well, I am known to be right about a lot of things. So..." I turned to him with a wide smile on my face. "What exactly am I right about this time?"

A soft titter escaped from his lips. "We've agreed that you are right about us...moving too fast in our relationship."

I gasped. "Is there trouble in paradise?" I asked, sarcastically.

"No, we aren't having any trouble."

I stopped in front of the patio door and narrowed my eyes at him as I held on to the handle. "So..." My sentence trailed and I began to shake my head. "I'm confused."

He looked down at the hard wood floor, still smiling. "Why don't we...head outside and I'll explain."

Still, with narrowed eyes, I turned towards the glass door and pushed it open. Stepping into the soft, brisk air that tickled my bare stomach.

We walked down towards the beach in silence. Only letting the thudding of our shoes as they hit the stone stairway keep us company. The cloudy day made the beach look gloomy. It made the water seem to stand still. It had a lonely feel to it, which was odd because it didn't matter how gloomy the day may have been. The whole environment was always so alive to me. It always spoke to me in some kind of way. Whether it was the way the tall pine trees blew in the soft wind. Swaying back in floor in the sullen sky. Or if it was the way our expired rose bushes would bristle in reaction to the wind that blew through its dead branches. It always spoke to me. It always gave me life.