Author’s Note: This is the final part (Part 5) of the Veil of Secrets Truths and Lies mini-series and I am really liking how it wrapped up. Thank you to everyone who has stayed with me for this, I appreciate your support more than you know!
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The boat ride back to town from the lighthouse had been relatively uneventful after the chaos on the peninsula. After Naomi had helped Marin rinse the blood off her hands, arms and clothing as best as possible, she re-wrapped her in the trauma blanket and escorted her towards the coast guard boat to take her back to safety. Naomi had decided to stay behind to help with the rest of the cleanup and investigation, but Flynn had graciously swooped in to volunteer to ensure Marin made it back home safely. Marin was too tired to argue at this point and allowed Flynn to usher her to an empty seat on the boat and sit beside her, placing an arm protectively around her shoulders as she settled in. As the boat pulled away Marin looked up to find Naomi still standing on the dock, a wistful smile touching her lips as she watched the boat depart.
Flynn drove Marin back to the B&B on the back of his motorcycle, making any conversation impossible over the roar of the engine. But as they walked up to the door of her temporary residence, he was the first to speak. “You did good tonight, Marin … you didn’t even hesitate in saving Nikolai’s life.” Flynn paused in contemplation, then shook his head before continuing. ”I still don’t know if he had anything to do with Kate’s kidnapping or Tanner and Bryce’s murders … but something isn’t adding up. I get the feeling this isn’t over yet …”
Marin stared at the ground between them drowsily, still playing the events of the evening over in her mind. “I don’t either … I feel like we’re missing something big in all this.” She shrugged and sighed deeply, a hint of fear in her voice. “And to think that the real culprit could still be out there …” Her voice trailed off as her eyes filled with tears again, all the fear and guilt and emotions from the past few days coming back to her at once.
Flynn rushed forward and pulled her into an embrace, cradling her head against his shoulder. “Shh, shhh … it’s okay.” He stroked her hair softly, whispering against her ear. He pulled away after a moment, peering down intently at Marin. “I can stay if you want … if you don’t want to be alone.” There was a heartfelt, concerned smile on his lips … and it broke Marin’s heart. It was time to come clean and set the record straight.
“Flynn …” she started, her voice filled with remorse as she shifted out of his reach. “Flynn, I need to be honest with you. That night on the boat … it was was wonderful. But it was a mistake.” Pain flashed across Flynn’s eyes as he stood in front of Marin, listening intently as his hopeful expression crumbled away. But she was too exhausted and emotionally spent to hold back any longer. “What I mean is I was confused … I have feelings for someone else and I wasn’t sure how to handle them. And I care about you, you are a very attractive man and … it just happened.” Marin paused, studying Flynn’s downcast stare for a sign of anger but didn’t find any, so she continued. “I care about you, so much … just, not like that. I’m so sorry.”
Flynn nodded, still not meeting her gaze. He didn’t appear mad, Marin pondered … maybe just a hint of disappointment and confusion. He finally looked up at her, recognition resonating behind his stare. “It’s Naomi, isn’t it? The someone else you have feelings for?”
Marin’s breath hitched, slightly taken aback at Flynn’s astute assessment and confrontation. Maybe she was more transparent than she thought she was. “Yes.” She replied simply.
He didn’t say anything, just nodded his head again as he processed the confession. When he finally spoke, there was a slight smirk on his lips. “I’m not going to lie, I didn’t think you would swing that way, but I guess I see the appeal.” He chuckled, causing Marin to blush. “Does she feel the same way?”
Marin beamed blissfully before she realized that she wasn’t sure how Naomi felt anymore. While Naomi had been supportive and caring tonight back at the lighthouse, they really hadn’t had a chance to talk about where all of this left them. “She …” Marin started, fumbling over her words as she sorted through them. “She did, but then she heard about us at the trial and … let’s just say she had a hard time trusting me after that.” Marin looked down at her hands as she wrung them back and forth at her waist.
Flynn reached up to put one comforting hand on her shoulder, keeping a safe distance from his newly-platonic friend. “Well, based on what I saw tonight, I’d say it’s pretty obvious she’s crazy about you.” Marin’s eyes shot up at his statement, full of renewed hope. Flynn shook his head again, chuckling softly as the reality of the situation settled into his mind. ”I just can’t believe I didn’t see it before. Huh. But Marin -” he shook her shoulder gently and looked her straight in the eyes- “you need to be honest and tell her then. Apologize, and make this right.”
Marin shook her head in acknowledgement, a gentle smile reaching the corners of her mouth as she pulled him into a hug. “Thanks Flynn. And I’m sorry. Thank you for being so understanding.”
Flynn’s cheeks flushed as she pulled away and he started walking backwards towards his motorcycle. He gave her a brief salute before throwing his leg over to mount his bike. “Good night Marin. Good luck.”
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Marin suddenly had a plethora of energy as she watched Flynn ride away and bounded up the stairs to her private room at the B&B. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she pulled her phone from her pocket and started clicking out a text.
I told Flynn everything. About you and me, about my mistake with him … everything. I’m back in my room now, I’ll be awake for a while if you can talk. She hit send, holding her breath for a moment as she contemplated her next action. Finally, she typed out one more message. No more lies. I’m all yours now. She pressed send before she could overthink her confession, tossing her phone on the bed to avoid staring at it any longer. She started stripping out of her grimy blood-stained clothes and threw them to the corner, then sauntered into the bathroom to turn on the shower. She was filthy and she needed a distraction.
Fifteen minutes later, she emerged from a blissfully steamy shower feeling much more relaxed and starting to feel the dregs of sleep weighing on her. She picked up the phone from her bed and studied the screen … no new texts, no missed calls. Fuck. Maybe she had misread the situation tonight. Maybe Naomi was just being nice by comforting her but she was still upset with her. She threw the phone back down and started getting ready for bed. Sporting clean pajamas and brushing her teeth, she ventured back by the bed and pressed the home button again. Still nothing. A few minutes later she was brushing out her wet hair and towel-drying it before she pressed the button yet again. Blank. Her heart sank as she put away her things, finally placing the phone on her nightstand defeatedly before sliding under the covers. Despite the ache in her chest, the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with her and pulled her into a slumber.
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Knock knock knock. Marin jolted upright in her bed from a deep sleep, temporarily disoriented as she tried to focus her eyes in the dark. Knock knock knock. She registered the second set of knocks on her door and scooted out from the bed, stepping up on her tip-toes to peek through the peephole. She felt both joy and relief to see Naomi standing patiently on the other side of the door, quickly moving back to open it for her.
Naomi didn’t say anything, just stood in the doorway waiting hesitantly.
“Hi.” Marin finally said. “I didn’t think you wanted to talk to me.”
Naomi’s lips tugged into a half-smile and she chuckled. “I didn’t. I really didn’t. But here I am.” She looked into Marin’s deep chocolate eyes, searching for the answer to her unspoken questions. “You really told Flynn? Everything?”
“Yes. I really did.”
Naomi didn’t speak, just nodded and looked down at the doorframe for a moment, unsure how to proceed.
Marin took the silence as a form of rejection and quickly jumped in to further explain her intentions. “Look, Naomi, I am so sorry. And I don’t blame you for being mad at-“
“I’m not mad.” Naomi cut in abruptly, her voice monotone as she finally met Marin’s stare. “And I’m not upset … at least, not anymore. But …” she paused, taking a deep breath as she tried to overcome the doubt that had flooded her mind. “I know that if I forgive you, this will be great … we will be great. But then you will have to leave and go back to New York, whether it’s in three days or thirty. And I don’t know if I can handle that-“
“Naomi …” Marin interrupted, her heart aching with both affection and sadness all wrapped into one.
“I wasn’t done.” Naomi interjected firmly, her deep brown eyes shooting a piercing stare into Marin’s. “I was saying that I don’t know if I can handle you leaving … but I also don’t think I can handle not spending time with you while I can. So I want to do this, Marin. Let’s enjoy whatever this is between us, at least for now.”
Marin bounded forward and cupped Naomi’s face in her hands, pressing her lips to hers in a passionate yet gentle kiss. Naomi responded willingly, pouring all of the fear and love and regret into that kiss as if it would be her last opportunity. When they finally separated, foreheads pressed against each other’s, they were gasping for air. They stood stil for a moment, Marin’s hands on Naomi’s shoulders and Naomi gripping Marin at the waist.
Eventually Naomi stepped away, reaching a hand up to stroke a damp lock of hair out of Marin’s eyes. “You must be exhausted.”
“I am.” Marin confessed, glancing over her shoulder at the comfy queen-sized bed before looking back to Naomi. “Can you stay with me? I think I’d sleep better knowing that you’re here.” She looked up into Naomi’s eyes, willing her with her own gaze to say yes.
“I think I can do that.” She replied playfully. “Besides, I want to spend as much time with you as possible while I can.”
“The get in here.” Marin quipped, pressing another kiss to Naomi’s full lips before pulling her in through the door.
As the two women settled into bed, Marin’s eyelids already fluttering as sleep threatened to take her again, an odd thought crossed her mind. “You know, the more time you spend with me the more likely you are to get tired of me.”
Naomi giggled. “Well, then that will make you leaving that much easier.” She reached over to run a finger along Marin’s cheek, noticing that she was already starting to drift off. “But somehow, I don’t think that’s going to be the case.”
END