Isaac

We take the ferry and arrive in Nantucket Island just as the sun is setting. The ride is about two hours. I find the trip invigorating. I breathe in the salty scent deeply and feel the breeze tickle my face. Seagulls squawk overhead as they circle close by. I am looking forward to enjoying the peace and solitude of the island.

Solaire has booked rooms in the White Elephant Inn for the contestants, but Beth has been granted permission to spend the nights with her family at the beach house. Sophie has never been to the house and is dying to see it, so she convinces me to drive us over. She doesn't have to twist my arm. I've been curious about the Malcolm's beach house ever since I was a teenager. Almost every summer, I would wave goodbye as Beth and her family loaded up the car with swimsuits, towels, and copious bottles of sunscreen. They'd be gone for a month, sometimes longer. The time always dragged in interminable boredom, until Beth returned, tanner and happier.

I used to wish they would invite me. I think Beth tried once, but her father refused. Big shock there. It didn't escape my notice that Mariah almost always brought a friend with her. It was just one more reminder that I wasn't deemed worthy, though now that I'm older, I realize it might also be because Beth's best friend happened to be a boy.

We drive the winding roads to the beach and pull up in front of the Malcolm's beach house. All Sophie can talk about is the beach, and all Beth can talk about is seeing her niece and nephew again.

The house is actually much smaller than I had imagined (at least compared to Malcolm Estate). Still, with the stunning views and prime location, it must be worth a small fortune. The beach house is build in a Cape Cod style, with gray wooden siding and white trim. It sits right on the beach, and is surrounded by several large pine trees that loom overhead.

Beth opens the door for us, and we are greeted with a chorus of "Beth!" followed closely by another for "Sophie!" as the children jump into their arms. I hover by the door holding Beth's luggage. I haven't been denied entrance into this house yet. I can't shake the feeling that they would do it in a heartbeat if given the slightest provocation.

Beth's sister, Mariah, brushes past me.

"Beth's room is upstairs, two doors to the left," she says as she walks toward her sister, giving her one of those fake air kiss greetings.

Who does she think I am? The valet? Still, she has given me permission to go to Beth's room, and I'm definitely taking advantage of that.

Finding the room with no difficulty, I set the luggage on the floor. I see a picture of a gorgeous woman in a seashell frame. I've seen similar pictures around their house in Lexington. Beth inherited her mother's dark hair, and she looks so much like her it's uncanny.

"I wish I had known her," a voice says at the door. I look up to see Beth. She steps softly next to me and touches her mother's face.

"Me too," I say. "I think she would be proud of you."

"Why?" she asks, cocking her head to the side.

I shrug.

"For entering the competition. For putting yourself out there. It's not easy, reaching for a dream like that."

"I suppose you would know a lot about reaching for impossible dreams," Beth says. "I just wanted to let you know you're invited to dinner. We are doing a clam bake tonight. Have you ever tried it?"

I shake my head.

"It's really something you need to experience," she says.

This is the most she's said to me since the night of my surprise birthday party. I can tell she is trying to be civil. I know she wants to go back to being friends, and I guess that's better than nothing. I'm hoping I can convince her otherwise.

"I was planning to head straight back to the hotel, but if Sophie wants to stay for dinner, I'm game," I say.

"Good," Beth says with a faint smile. She leaves.

I stare at the view from behind the sliding glass doors for a few minutes. The house sits directly on the beach. I'm within a hundred feet of the ocean. I'm tempted to walk through the doors and dive into the water. Too bad I know the water will be frigid.

Opening Beth's door, I nearly run into a man wearing nothing but a towel tied around his waist and another towel twisted on his head like a turban. His face is smeared with blue gunk. He presses his hands together and bows slightly.

"Embrace your unconscious creation, and life will embrace you," he says solemnly.

"Uh, sure," I say, walking backward a few steps, then turning to jog down the stairs and join the others.

"Don't look now. I just ran into Papa Smurf," I tell Beth.

She looks at me quizzically and I point. She covers her mouth with a hand, clearly trying to hold back the giggles.

"It's my father," she whispers.

My head whips up for another look.

"No way."

"Mariah says he's obsessed with this New Age guru, Mahata Swami. He's quoting him constantly."

"Ah, that would explain the looney tunes stuff he was spouting upstairs. And the blue stuff on his face?"

"It's a pore minimizer that he swears gets rid of zits, rashes, wrinkles, cancer and walks on water," Beth says. "Apparently he never wears shirts anymore unless he absolutely has to. Mariah says he spends half the day meditating on the beach."

"That doesn't sound so bad," I say.

"I never pegged you for being into meditation," she says with furrowed brow.

"I meditate on all the scantily clad bodies," I wink.

"Right," Beth laughs.

We join the others outside. A tanned, muscular man pulls back a canvas cover to reveal steaming clams, crab, lobster, corn on the cob, onions, and carrots on layers of seaweed. I have to admit, it smells pretty amazing.

If he weren't also staring at Beth with open admiration, I might actually like the guy.

"Peter! I didn't know you would be here!" Beth says as she gives the guy a big hug.

"Your aunt told me you were coming and I offered to put the clambake together, just like the old days," he says. Beth introduces the guy to me as a family friend, though considering how friendly he's acting, I can tell there's more to it. Beth points to the hole in the ground and explains how the clam bake works.

"It's tradition to gather seaweed and stones before we do the bake," Beth says, explaining the process. "We put the stones on a metal grill at the bottom of the pit. Someone lights a fire and the stones burn until they are glowing hot. The fire burns out, then the ashes are swept off the stones. A layer of seaweed is placed over the stones, then the meat and vegetables are placed on the seaweed. Alternating layers are piled on top, then it is sealed with wet canvas and allowed to steam for several hours. It looks like we got here just in time. We don't have to wait!"

We dish up our plates and sit at a large outdoor table. Sophie sits next to me, and Beth directly across. If that weren't awkward enough, Peter seizes the opportunity to sit next to Beth. Aunt Alice sits next to Peter, and Mariah and Beth's father sit next to her. Glued to Beth's other side is Olivia and a friend she introduces as Tessa. Olivia still hasn't said a word to me, and I'm not expecting her to. Toby sits on my other side. It feels strange to be here. Any minute, I expect Beth's aunt or father to tell me I'm not welcome and kick me out. Everyone seems cordial enough, though.

We dig into the food eagerly. Good-natured conversation buzzes around the table. I watch the interactions closely, in particular that of Beth and Peter. I realize someone else is watching just as keenly—Beth's aunt. I think this is likely the mystery man Sophie was telling me about, the one she wants to set up with Beth.

I wonder how close Beth and Peter are. Was he her substitute best friend every time they visited the island? And what about the time Beth spent on Nantucket Island when her father was sick and when she was helping her sister with the kids? What role had he played in her life at that time.

As far as I can tell, Beth's aunt is pleased with his gentle flirting. I'm trying to figure out what makes this Peter guy so special, so deserving of Beth when clearly I'm not. Other than impeccable manners and a slight tendency toward brown nosing, I don't see it.

After dinner, Beth pulls Olivia aside. I overhear their conversation.

"So, Livie, how are your lessons going?"

"Fine."

"Have you almost finished the next level in the program, then?"

Olivia darts a glance at Aunt Alice, then back to Beth.

"Actually, I've only had one lesson."

"What?" Beth chokes.

"We tried one lesson, and it didn't go so well. Surely it won't be so bad if Olivia takes the summer off," Aunt Alice says, joining the conversation.

"That wasn't the agreement," Beth says, clearly distressed. "Livie can't afford to fall behind. We're still trying to catch up. You have no clue how far behind we are."

"Oh, let it go, Aunt Beth," Olivia says. "It doesn't matter."

Beth stares at her in shock.

"What did you just say, Livie?"

"Can't I just have a fun summer for once? You're always pushing me too hard! C'mon, Tess. Let's go to my room." The two girls bound up the stairs to her room and slam the door.

Beth looks like she's been slapped. She turns toward her aunt.

"What's happening to Livie?"

"See? Improvements," Mariah says, walking by and popping carrot in her mouth. "She's talking now and asserting her independence."

"I would hardly call sassing an improvement," Beth says. "She never seemed to mind the lessons before. I should have known better than to pass my responsibilities off on someone else. Clearly Olivia needs me here."

"Now, Beth," Aunt Alice says.

"I couldn't be more serious about this," Beth says. "She's never given me a bit of trouble. Now all of a sudden she's acting rude and repeating lies someone's telling her. I've never pushed her too hard. If it weren't for me, no one would push her at all."

"Careful, Beth. She's not your child," Mariah warns. "I think you ought to show appreciation to Alice for being willing to try to work with Olivia. Besides, I don't see what the big deal is. Why can't the girl enjoy her summer?" It's clear whose words Olivia is parroting, and Beth's pained expression reveals she knows it, but there's nothing she can do about it.

"Do you want Olivia to graduate from high school, Mariah?" Beth says. "Feel confident enough to go to college? Those things won't magically happen. They will only happen if she gets the help she needs. Maybe I should just drop out of the competition. The first two rounds have been an absolute disaster. At least I know I can do some good here."

"It was right for you to enter the competition, Beth. We'll figure this out," Aunt Alice said.

"Your aunt's right," I say. I can't believe I just said those three words. I never thought I would agree with her aunt on anything. "You shouldn't have to choose between the two. There has to be another way."

"Maybe," Beth says, unconvinced.

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you should follow your heart," Peter says. "Whether it makes sense or not to others, you'll know you did what you feel's best. That's the important thing."

Beth looks at him with gratitude in her eyes and he smiles broadly. If I had realized Beth was looking for some idiotic fortune cookie answer, she might be looking at me like that right now.

The truth is, that answer isn't as simple as following her heart. If she returns home under these conditions, she'll be in the same position she was before. Slave to all the duties her father and sister refuse to do, and never having enough time to pursue what's best for her. As far as I can see, she needs to a. Either win this contest or b. Find an alternate way to launch her product. Neither option forces her to give up her power. Oh yeah, and she shouldn't live at home anymore. She doesn't have to live with her father and sister in order to help Olivia, and she absolutely needs her independence.

It's not like Beth is eager for my opinion on this, though. I'd be wasting my breath to even bring it up.

Sophie stirs restlessly next to me. She leans over and whispers.

"Race you to the water."

I look out at the ocean. There's a part of me that wants to run away and escape having to deal with difficult things. That part wants to join Sophie. There's another part of me that sees Beth's devastated face and can feel her pain and is urging me to become the kind of man she needs. The two sides are warring.

"Well?" asks Sophie.

The Isaac who stays wins. I know now that if I want Beth, I can't be the man I was, the one that pushed her too hard and let her go too easily. I have to learn to care about the things she cares about. If I'm not there when she needs someone the most, someone else will be, someone who might give her bad advice and keep her dependent because they don't know her like I do, or love her like I do.

"Go on without me. I need to take care of something here," I say.

_______________

Please hit that star and give this story some love!

So, Isaac turns Sophie down because he sees Beth in distress. Interesting. Very interesting ;) 

Guys! We are having a huge Book Birthday party tonight on Twitter. The Wattpadres are celebrating with several authors who have recently released books or will release books soon. It's during our regular Twitter chat tonight (Tuesday) at 8:00 EST. Even if you can't make it, swing by at a later time and congratulate all the awesome authors :)

For music on this chapter, we are kicking back and relaxing to Willie Wright's "Nantucket Island."

And, of course, I couldn't resist sharing some Nantucket pictures!

The beach house where the Malcolms stay during summer months

White Elephant Inn where the contestants are staying

Clam Bake! Yum!

Dedication goes out to a fabulous Wattpadder @ThoughtsOnPaper. I have just picked up her book "Losing Cinderella" and am thoroughly enjoying it! You can check it out by clicking on her dedi link.