03

“Yep,” Olivia laughed. “He’s the best functioning drunk I’ve ever met. Liver of steel, I recon. He can be a bit blunt but learn to look past it and you’ll be fine.”

They turned at the roundabout and the street gradually declined and levelled out, the centre of the town looming ahead. “I wonder what happened to make him drink like that.” Norah wondered out loud.

Olivia hesitated. “Did the owner’s tell you about the affair ?”

“Yes, Alice mentioned it.”

“Well, the woman that guy was screwing around with was Jack’s now ex-wife.”

Norah’s eyes widened, slowing down to the new speed limit. “How does that work, him keeping the keys for their family ?”

“I don’t know, Jack doesn’t speak about it and his ex-wife left town not long after it ended. I know Jack gets along with the guy’s son, Ray. Maybe they bonded over their mutual disgust or something. Who knows ? If you’re that keen to know you’ll have to ask Jack.”

Norah snorted at the thought. “I think some things are better left a mystery.”

“Exactly,” Olivia grinned. “The café is a few blocks ahead. This is the main street too. Most shops are located here which is convenient. It’s only a small town but we have everything we need.”

At night, Bellvale didn’t seem like much to her. The street lights were dim, casting a soft orange glow across the road. Olivia pointed out a few shops but Norah couldn’t tell them apart in the orange light. Looking into the distance, she could see the waves of the ocean and thought that it must look pretty during the day.

A group of cars lined the next block and Olivia sat taller. “Pull over here, this is my stop.”

Putting her blinker on, she pulled up behind a motor cycle. The silver metal and maroon body shone in her car lights and Norah had to admit it was a good looking ride. She’d never been one of those girls who melted for a biker boy but then again, she’d never seen a bike like the one in front of her.

“Thanks, Norah. You really saved my butt tonight.” Rubbing her hair a final time, she passed the towel back to Norah. She motioned to the café as she opened the car door. “This is the Twilight café. I work here most mornings, stop by sometime if you want to catch up.”

Norah smiled. “If you’re selling caffeine you can definitely count me as a regular.”

“Sweet ! Good luck unpacking and welcome to Bellvale.”

Climbing out of the car, she raced around to the shop, pushing the front door open. Through the rain, she saw Olivia hit a tall brown haired man across the back of the head before the door shut.

Shifting back into gear, she pulled back onto the road, idling down the street as she tried to follow Olivia’s directions. Reaching the wharf, she followed the curve of the road and the town lights faded as she reached the outskirts of the town.

After driving through the dark for a few more minutes, she saw the old mailbox Olivia had described and slammed on the brakes as she was about to pass it. Everything in the back seat shifted and she winced as a loose book hit her shoulder.

Clenching the steering wheel, exhaustion seeped through her bones and she leaned back, staring at the car roof.

“Almost there,” she mumbled. “Keep it together for a few more minutes.”

Turning off the main road, the tires crunched on the gravel and she peered into the night. Tall grass grew everywhere and she tried to keep track of the small road. Turning up a small rise, a house came into view and she slowed down. Cream weather boards were the first thing she saw as she came to a stop. The sound of the ocean was close and she could see the waves a few yards away. Turning the car off, she stared at the house for a moment before opening her door.

Reaching under her seat, she grabbed the knife for protection. A part of her felt ridiculous carrying it around but there was also a scared, slightly crazy part of her that thought Daniel might have found her and was waiting in the long grass. It didn’t matter how rational her brain normally was, that small part overrode any attempts to believe otherwise.

The smell of the ocean was salty sweet and she inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves. The rain had slowed and she walked up the two steps onto the porch.

“This would be less scary if it wasn’t dark,” she grumbled to herself. Unlocking the door, she found a switch and flicking it down, the house was bathed in light. The empty room eased her fear just enough for rational thought to take back control and she lowered her knife, secretly glad no one had been around to watch her act like a fool.

It was a small house, the dining area, lounge room and kitchen all melded into one large room. A stale smell hung in the air and she covered her nose. A small table with four chairs were the only furniture visible and now she understood why Ray was sending money for more. Past the small kitchen, she could see another door in the shadows. There were no paintings or photographs on the walls, no colour other than the faded brown wood wall and dark brown counter tops.

This was it ; her new home. Olivia’s welcome echoed in her ears and a lump formed in her throat.

“Welcome home,” she whispered.

Sunlight pierced her eyelids and Norah rolled over, opening her eyes.

She’d forgotten to the close the curtains the night before and she squinted, seeing the cliffs in the distance. She’d been exhausted as she lay down last night, she’d drifted off before she could worry about unpacking the car. It was the best sleep she’d had since the Daniel incident. She couldn’t decide if it was due to exhaustion or the adulterer bed being so comfortable, but she wasn’t about to complain.

Rolling out of bed, she walked over to the window, stretching the kinks from her neck and looked outside. The large cliffs were the first thing she saw ; intimidating, they reached their peak at the ocean line and then slowly descended back down towards the road. The forest covered the top and it was at least a five storey drop to the beach. Long grass grew in the area between the house and the cliffs, the different shades of green creating a pretty collage.

Looking further left, the grass stopped and gave way to golden white sand. It was filled with contrasting black rocks which seemed to accumulate closer to the cliffs wall. The sound of gentle waves was calming and a small smile began to form as for a brief moment, her worries faded away.

Opening the window, the salty air wafted in and she walked into the kitchen, opening the window above the sink which had the same view as her bedroom. Upon further exploration last night, she had discovered that the bedroom sat opposite the bathroom which was tiled from the floor and halfway up the walls which were a faded white. A large old tub stood near the far wall, a shower head protruding from the wall. The wall opposite the tub was a large glass block window, the natural light ridding any need of overhead lighting during the day. Norah was desperate to have a shower but the tub needed a little maintenance before she dared step foot in it. Much of the house was in need of cleaning and so she decided to put the shower off until the house was more tolerable to live in.

The laundry was in a small room just outside the back door and she was grateful she wouldn’t have to buy a washer and dryer. A large cupboard lined the wall near the backdoor and it had a few changes of linen which smelt mouldy. Everything would be getting washed today. At least she’d brought some linen of her own so she would have a clean towel for her shower later.

Walking out to her car, she started the long process of dragging everything inside. It took an hour to pile her belongings on the small kitchen table and by the time she was finished, her body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Grabbing a suitcase, she took it to the bedroom and changed into some clean clothes. She felt better, after wearing the same clothes for three days. If she was going to mingle with the locals, she didn’t want their first impression to be that she smelt disgusting.