The white SUV came around the corner. The night before, in the dark, I hadn’t realized what an expensive car it was. A tinted window rolled down, and Payton gave me a little smile. He had dark rings under his eyes, and looked almost… well, normal.
“Madain math!”
“What?”
His smile got broader. “I said, ‘Good morning. That was in Gaelic.”
“Oh… Good morning to you, too.”
As soon as I sat beside him, I felt like the air got a little clearer, the sky a bit bluer. He made everything seem so intense.
“Tell me, how does a regular Scot like you come to have a fancy car like this?”
“What do you mean, a regular Scot? You don’t even know me.”
“True, but I intend to change that today. So then… tell me… are you by any chance a billionaire?”
“My family’s been in the wool business for hundreds of years. But don’t be so nosy. And anyway, one doesn’t ask someone about his income. Isn’t that also considered rude in America?”
“Well, at least I didn’t ask for your bank balance,” I said. “It doesn’t matter to me anyway.” His income was totally beside the point.
I looked out the window at the countryside passing by—a pleasant smear of green and sheep and hills.
“Where are we going?”
“So impatient! You’ll have to wait and see.” Payton grinned.
I leaned back and relaxed. As we drove along the road toward the Western Isles, winding through the Highlands, we started to catch glimpses of the spectacular coastline.
My guilty conscience about lying to Alison was beginning to fade. Still, I was surprised by my own boldness. Skipping the two-day excursion meant I would be spending the night with Payton—one way or another—or that I’d have to pay for somewhere to stay on my own. Either way, Alison wouldn’t start missing me for more than twenty-four hours. It was the first time in my life I’d done something so crazy. I knew Kim would freak out when I told her.
I glanced over at my handsome driver. He looked really hot. His hair was tousled from the air blowing through the cracked-open window. Black sunglasses covered his eyes—and those circles. Maybe he was out late partying, I thought.
When he noticed me staring, he smiled and turned on the radio. “Get the Party Started” by Pink was on, one of my favorites, so I turned it up and laughed. Oh yeah, I said to myself. The party was starting.
Payton raised his eyebrows. “You’re in a good mood.”
“Well, yeah. Aren’t you?”
“Yes, but I’m not exactly the get-the-party-started kind of personality. Though, I must admit, my mood has improved since you’ve been sitting next to me.”
We smiled at each other.
We made one more twisty turn, and suddenly, we had left the hills behind us. To the left was the crystal clear Loch Duich. And right in the middle of the lake, to my great surprise, was a castle, accessible only by a footbridge.
“Right, then. Here we are.” Payton pulled into a parking spot and got out. “Do you know where we are?”
I shook my head and shut the door behind me. “No, but it’s amazing!”
“You’ve never seen the film Highlander then?”
“No, when it comes to eighties movies, I’m more of an Indiana Jones fan.”
“Well, anyway, this is the famous Eilean Donan Castle. And some of the movie Highlander was filmed here.”
I stood still and looked around. The scenery was so pretty, it was overpowering. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful setting for a castle.
“Come on, let’s go in,” I said, pulling my smartphone out of my bag and getting the camera ready. I had to document this day for posterity, for sure. Payton paid the entrance fee, waving off my offer to pay my own way.
“Listen, I have more or less abducted you. Nobody knows where you are, and therefore, you are helplessly bound to my will. I think you should just obey me.”
“Obey you? You’re crazy! But all right, I’ll pay for our food then.”
I reached for his arm to lead him toward the entrance, but he immediately moved away. Man, I thought, for a cool guy, he was awfully stiff. Every time I touched him, whether coincidentally or on purpose, he pulled back.
Grumpily, I went on ahead. “Are you coming?”
My good mood—and ego—had been given a huge blow. But in just a few minutes, I wasn’t mad anymore. The castle was fantastic. The grounds were much smaller than around the ruins near Loch Ness, but inside this castle, the rooms were partially furnished. I tried to imagine what life must have been like back then. If I’d had Payton by my side, I fantasized, I would have been well protected.
“How old are you?” I suddenly asked him.
He took a long time to answer.
“Nineteen. May I also ask questions of you, or am I the only one to be interrogated?”
“That, in itself, is already a question.”
He arched an eyebrow.
“All right, I have an idea,” I told him. “Today you answer all of my questions, and then I’ll answer three of your questions.” I gave him my best smile and batted my eyelashes.
“Three doesn’t seem very many,” Payton said. “But I will agree under one condition. I will try to answer all of your questions, but your three answers must be the absolute truth.”
I was silent for a moment, wondering why he would think I wouldn’t tell him the truth in the first place. It didn’t matter, though. I didn’t have any secrets to keep.
“Deal!” I stuck out my hand to him. And after a brief hesitation, he shook it.
I leapt at my opportunity, peppering him with questions for nearly a half hour. As promised, he answered them all. I heard about his brothers Sean and Blair. I learned that his childhood dog was a giant wolfhound named Lou. I found out that he loved the beach at night.
“Same here,” I told him. “I live at a place called Silver Lake. There’s nothing more beautiful than a summer night by the water!”
Suddenly, I felt very homesick. I’d been away from home for almost two weeks. I missed my parents and my friends—especially Kim. Was she still seeing Justin? I wondered. I decided I’d definitely call her in a day or two.
Payton lifted my chin with a fingertip.
“Are you OK? You look so sad.” His voice was soft and concerned.
“I’m fine. It’s just… I’ve never been so far away from home before.”
“I could help cure your homesickness. There are plenty of beautiful beaches here, and I could take you to one later.”
“That would be great. As long as I’m back in Aviemore by tomorrow night.”
For a long time Payton didn’t say a word, he just looked deep into my eyes. I started to get nervous. Did I say something wrong, I wondered. Did he want to get rid of me sooner?
He sighed, then laughed and said, “I really haven’t the foggiest how I am to survive, but it’s worth a try.”
I was confused. Did he think I was dangerous? I chalked it up to another language difference. Even though we were both supposedly speaking English, he often said things that didn’t make any sense to me.
“You can take me to a motel or something later on. We don’t have to spend the whole time together,” I said, trying to apologize.
“No, it’s fine.” He looked down at me. “I just hadn’t realized that you were intending to spend the night with me.”
My cheeks turned scarlet.
“Oh, that’s not what I meant!” I sputtered, and Payton started laughing. When he laughed, he looked so different. The serious, closed-off face disappeared, and instead I caught a glimpse of a funny, sweet side. My heart started to beat faster.
I wondered, was I falling in love?
Still embarrassed, I mumbled, “Well, then, are we going to the beach now or not?”
Payton nodded but made no sign of leaving. “Now answer one of my questions.”
I’d wanted the carefree moment to last a little longer, but the seriousness of his tone made me listen up.
“Go for it. What do you want to know?”
“Why are you here? Why are you in Scotland, and why are you here with me?”
“First off, that was actually three questions, but I don’t want to be nitpicky about it. Second, you’re wasting one of your questions. I already told you I’m here on a student exchange.”
“But why here? Why are you with me?”
He gave me a piercing look, but I had no idea what he was getting at.
“Well…” I wasn’t sure how to answer. “You’re nice and definitely not as boring as the tour group. You’ve shown me some beautiful views and given me history lessons… I like your company.” It crossed my mind that maybe he thought I was just there in search of a summer fling. “Spending the night together wasn’t meant like… uh…”
I didn’t know how to go on. I wasn’t about to tell him that I’d never even been kissed. Fortunately, Payton seemed to have gotten the answer he’d been looking for.
“I just wanted to know if there was another reason for you to come to Scotland. Friends, or family, for example. I knew we wouldn’t… you know… spend the night together.”
He said it so calmly that his words pained me.
I guess I wasn’t his type, since he obviously had no intention of making any moves on me. Although I had only just that moment made sure he knew nothing serious was going to happen between us, I still somehow hoped he might try.
“No, I don’t know anyone in Scotland. Or Great Britain, France, Spain…”
I couldn’t understand why he’d had to go and spoil the atmosphere with such a stupid question.
“Let’s go,” I said.
The white beach of Mallaig was breathtaking. Cobalt water lapped in small waves on the fine sand, washing away our footprints as we went. We had already walked quite a way along the coast when Payton pulled a picnic blanket out of his backpack and spread it out behind a dune. We had already eaten dinner, but it was a nice place to rest. Payton lay down on his back, tucked his arms behind his head, and closed his eyes.
How could he be so relaxed while my heart was constantly tapping at top speed? Trying to appear as collected as he was, I lay down next to him. Seagulls circled the water, calling out in their shrill voices. I closed my eyes, too. My skin tingled. I hoped with all my might that he would take my hand… Then I quickly opened my eyes again.
“Payton, seriously. Where are we going to sleep tonight? Can’t I stay at your place?”
At first I thought he had fallen asleep because it took him such a long time to answer.
“No, that is not a good idea.” He sat up and drew a pattern in the sand with a stick. “I was thinking we could stay here.” He doodled some circles, waves, zigzags, and flowers. He seemed immersed in his sand creations—or maybe he was just pretending.
“Sleep here? On the beach?”
“If you want. We could make a fire, and I have some drinks in the car. And blankets.”
I’d been thinking I’d sleep on a bed, or at least a couch. Then again, the idea of sleeping on the beach was extremely romantic. Well, I figured, I’d lost my good sense, and now I was losing my heart to this inscrutable Scot, so I might as well go for it. As least when I got back to Delaware, I’d have a fantastic memory.
“OK.” I made a split-second decision. “That sounds good.” I gave him my most beautiful smile. “But if we’re going to be here for a while, then I’m going for a swim.”
Now, I thought, let’s just see if there really was nothing about me that would appeal to this nineteen-year-old boy. I whipped off my jeans and pulled my shirt over my head. In just my bra and underwear, I ran into the ice-cold water.
Before I could think about it, I dove right in, swimming and swimming until I felt numb.
Payton sat on the beach and watched me.