Wolves of Whitby

The sun peeped through the curtains, bathing my calves in warmth. With a grumble, I pulled my leg back under the cover, the new fabric scratching against my skin. I rolled away from the glare. Why did it have to be bright and sunny today? My gloomy mood was not in agreement with the weather!

This was supposed to be my fresh start. I had moved from London up to Whitby to leave the past behind me. So why did today feel no different from all the other days?

I kicked off the covers, reaching for my phone just as it buzzed again. It had been buzzing all night, but I had been ignoring it. Lighting up the screen and seeing 15 missed calls and 19 texts I grumbled again. I really needed to change my phone number! My ex-boyfriend, one of the reasons I had travelled so far away, was struggling to let go, and honestly? I wasn’t able to find a single fuck to give for him. He had cheated. Strangely, I didn’t even blame him. Our relationship had been dead since the day it began. We had met at a New Year’s Eve party, drunkenly kissed at midnight, and then started dating after, thanks to his relentless pursuit. I should have been firm, told him to get lost, but I had decided to give him a chance even though I felt no spark with him. And then he cheated anyway! Dirt bag! I didn’t understand why we didn’t just break up, or why he still continued to chase me. When I found him with another woman, it hadn’t even hurt. I just shrugged, accepting it for what it was, the end. And so, I packed my things and left the next day without even giving him a second thought.

“Where are you?” The first text read.

Five minutes later: “Open the door, I’m outside. Just talk to me.”

Another five minutes: “Your flat is empty! Where the fuck are you?”

Ten more minutes: “Come on, this is ridiculous. I’m sorry, okay, it meant nothing! Liv, just talk to me! Please!”

A missed call, then another text: “Liv, pick up the damn phone!”

Another missed call. Two more texts: “Okay, you need space, I get it. But at least tell me where you went?” “Tell me you’re safe?”

He obviously didn’t “get it” about needing space, because the texts and calls had continued through the night, getting more and more aggressive. “Fuck. Off!” I said to my phone as if he could magically hear me. I turned off the phone, I didn’t need this today.

I sat up, looking around my small one room flat. My bed was tucked in the corner by the window, one wall was adorned with a flat screen TV, probably because a TV stand would never have fit in the space, and the “kitchen” was a line of cabinets that I could reach from my bed. There was a door leading to a small bathroom beside my bedroom corner, no bath, just a shower. That would be the hardest part about living here, I loved a bubble bath! The furniture was basic and filled the cramped room with the smell of Ikea, and one of the reasons I had chosen this place, it was all included in the accommodation. Well, that and the fact that I found this place on Facebook and could move in right away. I think the landlord was desperate to find a tenant to be honest. Okay, so, I had seen bigger hotel rooms than this place, but it was a good base to get on my feet. Good location, and cheap. That’s all I needed for now.

I grabbed the notepad and pen from my bedside table.

“TO DO LIST”

Find a job

Buy food

Contact Tessa”

It was a small list, but I was sure it would grow as I realised how little I had planned for this and how much I needed to do to get on my feet. I scribbled “Get a new phone number” on the end and placed it back down.

Tessa was my cousin, and the only person I knew in Whitby. She had no idea that I was here yet. Maybe I should have contacted her before coming here, but with this being such a rushed decision, I just hadn’t reached out yet. I just knew that if I was going to start a new life here, I was going to need to get out of the house, meet people, and socialize. The thought was daunting! I hadn’t seen Tess since we were kids, when our parents decided me and Tess should be pen pals and wanted us to get along, so they had planned a holiday together. I was a bit of a reclusive kid, so I think this was a grand scheme from my parents to force me to make friends. And we did get along! But the distance made maintaining a close friendship difficult. We stayed in touch through Facebook, but this would be the first time I’d see her in years.

I got up and got ready quickly, deciding it was now or never. Showering in my tiny bathroom bathed the whole flat in steam, there was an extractor fan, but it was working overtime to keep up. I put on some smart casual clothing, and finally, made some coffee in a takeout cup. Once I got outside, I was thankful for the good weather, even if it had insulted me when I had just woken up. First on my list, “Find a job”, easier said than done. I skipped down. Food, I could buy food first and look out for hiring signs in local shops as I made my way through town. I was only a short bus ride from the main shops.

Whitby was beautiful, especially with the sun glittering off the water in the bay. The air was filled with the scent of fish and chip shops making my stomach rumble. There were lots of trinket shops, cafés and interesting historical tourist spots. All the main streets were geared towards getting tourists to part with their cash, and the tourists didn’t seem to mind either. The town was alive with chatter and wonder as people explored the unique little seaside town.

I did see some signs for temporary work in cafés and shops, the holiday season was approaching, and that meant businesses needed a bit of extra help. Hopefully that would work in my favor. First I’d need to get my phone number sorted out though. I didn’t want to appear un-prepared if I went in asking people for work and they needed contact info. One sign in a café caught my eye, it was a part time cleaner and server at a cute little indie café called Insta-Cafe. I’d never done café work before, but cleaning is something I always found therapeutic, it settled my mind when life felt too chaotic.

I made a little mental note as I continued to a small supermarket, going straight to the kiosk first to grab a new sim card before taking a basket and wandering the aisles. I didn’t make a shopping list, I just knew that I needed enough to last me about a week, but not too much that I couldn’t carry the bags back on the bus. So, the basics would have to do, bread, pasta, pre-cooked meats, maybe some tinned food. Quick, simple things. I didn’t think my tiny kitchen could handle me making complex meals, there was a small oven and hob, but the prep area left much to be desired. Not that I was a master chef or anything, I cooked for necessity, not enjoyment.

I had been looking down at my phone as I shopped, entering all the numbers I needed to keep and typing out a message to let my family know my new number. As well as adding a note not to give my number to anyone. I was typing out a message to explain why I had suddenly disappeared. Typing, retyping, editing, deleting, I wasn’t sure how to word it, or how much information I wanted to share. Maybe it needed to be a phone call conversation? I was preoccupied, looking down at the screen overthinking every word, when, -THUD- I walked face first into a solid wall. My knees locked, my balance failed, I fell onto my bottom with a soft cushioned thump, thank god for my curvy ass, right, my legs were stretched out in front of me like a Barbie doll with no joints. Well, ouch!

I furrowed my brow and looked up from my phone, blinking back my confusion. Only, the “wall” was not a wall at all. It was a solid, broad chest belonging to a tall, bearded man who peered down at me over his armful of shopping.

“Shit. Sorry! I didn’t see you at all! I’ll just... one second.” His gruff voice was apologetic as he glanced around to find any surface on which to dump his shopping.

He hastily shoved everything onto a shelf, knocking over shampoo bottles in the process that clattered to the ground beside me, before he bent down and started scooping up tins of beans that had rolled out of my basket as I had hit the floor.

I just stared at him for a moment, my phone still in my hands. He was big, huge in fact, broad shoulders, dark hair and pale blue eyes that reminded me of the sea in the way that they held darker depths beneath the surface. His beard was short and groomed giving him a rough but clean look. When he had placed my shopping back into my basket, he stood, offering me a hand.

“Sorry again.” He said, his voice somehow both smooth and gravelly.

That snapped me out of my stunned pause, and my cheeks heated up with embarrassment as I shoved my phone into my pocket.

“No, it wasn’t you, I’m sorry. I hadn’t – I wasn’t looking where I was going, I just..” I began, rambling, but then I grabbed his hand and with a small tug I was back on my feet, my skin erupting with sparks where his hand held mine.

I looked down at our hands, my mouth hanging open with the words that had left my brain but never made it to my lips. I must have been staring, and it dawned on me that I still hadn’t let go, neither had he. Could he feel that too? It was like a tingle, or a buzz, I couldn’t explain it. I was speechless.

Snapping back to my senses, I apologised again and tried to pull my hand back, only for him to grip it tighter. I looked up at his eyes, his gaze was fixed on our connected hands too. Slowly he lifted my hand, bringing my wrist to his nose, closing his eyes and inhaling. I didn’t react for a second, I just stood there letting this stranger sniff my wrist. It felt almost intimate and I was sure I was gawking.

“It’s um, Marc Jacobs.” I mumbled, assuming he must be smelling my perfume. “Well, it’s a knock off, not the real thing. Cheaper. Smells the same.” I cleared my throat as I trailed off.

My eyes were locked onto his face, he didn’t react to my words, just held my wrist close to his nose, his warm breath on my skin. When he finally opened his eyes, they locked onto mine, intense, darker, he almost looked drunk or possessed. I tugged my hand out of his grip, and he seemed to snap out of it, his eyes returning to a paler blue again. I blinked, had I seen that right? Slowly I bent to pick up my basket, not breaking eye contact.

“Well, sorry again. I’ll just…” I shuffled to sidestep him and continue down the aisle.

“What is your name?” His smooth, gravelly voice came, stopping me in my tracks once again.

I know I should have alarm bells going off in my mind at this point, I should absolutely, under no circumstances, give this strange man my name!

“Livia” My voice came out before my logical brain could stop it. “Livia Morris.” A second name too? What was I thinking!? Idiot, idiot, idiot!

“Livia,” He repeated. My name on his lips was like a lightning bolt jump starting my heart. “A beautiful name, Livia. I’m..”

He was cut off by another huge man approaching him hastily. This man had the same broad shoulders and huge chest, but blonde and clean shaven.

“Al…” He began, then stopped dead as his eyes shot to me and he quickly changed his words. “Caleb, we found the girl.” He finished, looking back at “Caleb”.

Something about this man made me avert my gaze, looking down at my black pumps on the speckled concrete. He looked friendly enough, but I felt uncomfortable when he made eye contact with me.

“Shit.” Caleb grumbled.

If that wasn’t suspicious enough, Caleb quickly turned on his heel and started marching away with this new man. I was left stunned, watching them both walk away. I shook my head and looked down again pulling my phone back out of my pocket and trying to reorganise my scrambled mind, but just as I was about to continue my shopping, Caleb came sprinting back towards me.

“Sorry, Livia. This is important.” He said as if he owed me an explanation. “Could I give you my number?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, he took my phone right out of my hands, I was completely dumbstruck. My heart was hammering in my chest as I watched his fingers type some digits, saving his number in my phone and then calling his phone from mine so he had my number too. He handed the phone back, and his hand came up to my face, tracing one finger along my jaw and giving me a heart stopping smile. He smelled of woodsmoke, pine trees and something sweeter that I couldn’t place. Why did I notice that?

“I’ll contact you.” He whispered.

And then he was gone again, leaving my jaw tingling where his finger had made contact.

What the fuck? Was all I could think. I’m going to have to change my number, again! And I had only just put this sim into my phone!

He hadn’t even reclaimed any of the shopping he had dumped amongst the shampoo bottles. Looking at the messy pile of products he had left, I realised it consisted only of large packs of toilet rolls.