[COMPLETE]
When Hanna Haddad embarks on what's supposed to be another uneventful summer as a lifeguard on Cape Cod, a trip to the past comes as an unnerving surprise. The discovery of her estranged mother's journal opens up the world of tragedy and...
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I regretted the moment I had stepped foot on that beach.
What had started out as a relaxing evening by the water, a break from the monotony of my PhD dissertation and the glare of my laptop screen, had turned into a bloody disaster—literally. At one point, blood had dripped all the way down my bare arm, coming from the gaping wound on the edge of my palm. I never imagined a rock could do this much damage, but I couldn't say I hadn't been warned.
"You're not even adventurous, Hanna; why would you ever think of climbing on a bunch of rocks?" Colin had to remind me of my poor decision making for the fifth time since we'd driven to the ER, making use of the long wait. "You're lucky I love you enough to put up with your perpetual bad ideas."
I narrowed my eyes into slits, shifting in the stiff bed. "Oh, come on, name one other bad idea I've had in the past year, Colin."
He crossed his broad arms over his gray T-shirt, staring straight ahead. "How about blowing over a thousand dollars on championship tickets, only for the Patriots to lose 38-7 at home? In the snow."
I whacked his forearm with my good hand. "Because I totally knew they were going to blow the game before I bought those tickets as your early birthday present. Try again."
He held up a finger. "No, I have something. Remember when you gave us food poisoning from those gyros you picked up from God-knows-where in New York? I couldn't get out of bed for three days—well, apart from when I had run to the bathroom to vomit."
"That doesn't count. You were the one craving Greek food, remember? I should be blaming you if we're being fair."
He huffed and eventually agreed. "Then, how about—"
A man donning navy-blue scrubs entered the room and halted my petty conservation with my fiancé. The red print reading PHYSICIAN stood out to me on his badge, but I couldn't make out the name above it. It didn't matter anyway; it was only seconds before we'd come face to face, and introductions would be a mere formality.
"Hi, Hanna, I'm Dr. Carlowe, and I'll be taking care of you today. How are you doing?" Jesse's tone hinted at no emotion as he slid on a pair of latex gloves and evaded direct eye contact, busying himself with my file.
