The Beach House Rachel Hanna Novels & Stories

She was dressed in clothes so colorful they almost hurt my eyes after the drabness of pack life and the somber tones of Austin’s mansion. “Hi!” she chirped, her voice as bright as her outfit. “You must be Selena! I’m Rachel Moreau, but everyone calls me Rach. Mr Thorne hired me to, like, totally get you up to speed on stuff!” She bounced on the balls of her feet, radiating an energy that felt completely out of place in this cold, quiet house. I just stared at her. This bubbly creature was going to teach me how to be...what? Less like a wild animal dragged from a river?

The employees were working in harmonized disarray, throwing baskets, coolers, beach towels, toys and even what appeared to be portable grills into the rear of two black SUVs. Chrysander was in the very middle of it all, the sort of conductor of an orchestra, his own twins, bouncing in his arms, and Athena easily radiant by his side. One of the maids said something and she laughed and then turned to me. "You will love the beach house, Juliet. It is by the shore, it is secluded and serene. Chrys refers to it as his escape, but we all know he still does half his business over there." Her voice was teasing, yet Chrys smiled, and made the sunglasses fit. That is no crime to appreciate the view in

“Not the drink. Why are we here?” “Oh. Well, heard Linda was taking the ladies to the beach for a ladies get-together so I thought we could do something manly.” My jaw tenses up. “Wait…repeat what you just said.” “I thought we could do something manly—” “Not that, the other part…get-together whatever…at where?” “Beach?” “Shị́t.” I shoot up and dash out. Hannah has water trauma. She can't be near water or she will fall into a panic attack. How can this ị́dị́ot not know a thing about his wife? Damnit.

Her eyes darted from my crotch to my face, and her face suddenly turned sour. **** The beach house was massive with marble floors, the scent of money clinging to everything. It was a 2-bedroom apartment with a massive hall, a movie room, a modern-day kitchen, a balcony, and a glass pool in the backyard. Anthony had already shared the rooms accordingly. Beatrice, him, Cindy, and me in one room, and the rest in the other room. We’d just arrived, and everyone was still busy dumping bags and talking over each other about God knows what, but me? I had more urgent issues. My bladder was ready to burst.

For the first time in a while, I was actually looking forward to something. The beach house was exactly what I needed. Rosa picked me up the next morning with her usual energy, blasting music the entire drive. The moment we pulled up to the small coastal rental, the salty sea air hit me like a hug. The house was perched right on the dunes, with wide windows overlooking the ocean and a wooden deck perfect for lazy afternoons. I dropped my bag in the living room and stepped outside, letting the wind tug at my hair. For the first time in days, my chest felt lighter.

"After you, my queen." She slid out of her seat and patted his cheek. "As it should be, my dear." He shook his head, shut her door, and then offered his arm out for her, escorting her inside the hotel. The Beachside Palms was nestled close to the Atlantic shore, a ten-story building with balconies overlooking the ocean. Tourists were treated to a beautiful sunrise every morning if they were sober enough to wake up to witness it. The Sandy Shore was the restaurant inside of the hotel, a luxurious dining room with bright red cloth napkins and shining silverware. On the wooden deck outside, overlooking the dunes, the hotel bar, Beachcombers, served drinks to visiting patrons and locals alike. O

She locked the cabin door one last time and slowly drove out the driveway onto the main road leaving town. Rachel was too emotionally drained to risk the two hour drive back to Manhattan. She needed a place where she could relax and not have to think about the past few hours. A place with room service. Twenty minutes later, she turned off Exit 122 and pulled into a brand new Holiday Inn, complete with an indoor pool, a hot tub, a bar, cable televison and one very large, very empty king-size bed.