“Leif,” Emily greets across the remaining space, her expression revealing nothing about her reaction to my sudden reappearance.
“Morning.” The word comes out raspier than intended as I stop a respectful distance away. “I, uh…”
The pastry box suddenly feels inadequate as I extend it. “I brought breakfast. For your crew. A peace offering.”
Jared snorts, crossing his arms over his chest, and his irritated pheromones intensify, mixing with the salt air.
Emily touches his arm, a silent communication passing between them. “Jared, can you tell Kyle I’ll just be a minute?”
She reaches for the pastry box, her fingers grazing mine as she accepts it.
Then she holds them out to Jared. “And take these down to the crew?”
For a moment, Jared remains still, his arms folded, until Emily’s huff forces him to relent.
“Fine.” He takes the box from her. “The taxi leaves in five minutes.”
“I’m aware,” Emily says dryly.
Jared turns toward the dock, his footsteps crunching on the gravel path.
We stand alone in the morning light as water laps at pilings, the low rumble of the taxi’s engine and the cry of seagulls filling the air.
Emily neither retreats nor advances while she waits for me to gather my courage.
“I came to apologize,” I say at last, the words tumbling out. “For canceling our lesson, and for going silent for so long. It wasn’t fair to you, especially after all the time you invested in teaching me.”
Emily tucks her hands into the pockets of her work jacket. “Okay.”
“I should have called or sent a proper text,” I continue, words rushing now as I try to come up with excuses. “I just…things got complicated. With school. With Quinn.”
My stomach coils at all the half-truths, but I can’t bring myself to speak Carson’s name aloud in this peaceful harbor.
A gull lands on a nearby piling, its white feathers brilliant against the dark wood.
Emily watches it for a moment before returning her attention to me. “Are you still interested in finishing your projects?”
The practical question takes me aback. “I…yes. If that’s still an option.”
She tilts her head back, considering. “I’m on site all week with the new foundations, but I can catch a later water taxi on Wednesday. Would that work?”
The generosity of the offer hits me with unexpected force. No interrogation about my absence. No demand for fuller explanations. It’s a door left open when she would have been justified in locking it.
“That would be great.” I swallow the nervous flutters. “Thank you. I didn’t expect…”
Emily shrugs. “People have reasons for what they do. Sometimes they share them, sometimes they don’t.”
Her kindness burns worse than anger would have.
“Eight thirty on Wednesday, then,” she confirms.
“I’ll be there.”
She looks toward the waiting water taxi. “I need to go. Have a good day.”
“You, too.”
Emily turns toward the dock where Jared waits near the water taxi.