Sunny

Chapter 4

Eli's gaze had fallen to her chest as it rose and fell rapidly. "You're breathing so I'm guessing it's neither. I was wondering when you were going to come out of hiding." He stood up suddenly, and Rhea made a little choking noise before she darted down the hallway and out of sight, retreating to her comfort zone, the kitchen. She stood still clutching the counter, knowing she should move and disappear altogether.

How had he known that she was there? Had Phoebe told him, had he known the entire time? Had he known before he had come?

At that last ridiculous thought, she pushed away from the counter. She had to get it together, she would venture into the real world and away from her little paradise, the real world had a way of helping her keep her head on straight, just as it had six years earlier. There was no way he had known where she was before he had come, he wasn't that interested. If he was, he would have followed her into the kitchen and not let her runaway like he had the last time they had been together.

She picked up her bag and swung it over her shoulder, walking to the door on shaky legs. Phoebe and Aion would return with her, and they would help her keep Eli at a distance. She walked briskly down to the dock, noting that she had timed it perfect. Otto had already helped his passengers off and was waving to her. Rhea waved back as she noted the couple that was walking up the dirt road towards her. She wanted to groan as she watched a huge grin cover Mason Stevens's face.

Rhea did her best to make her own smile as natural as possible.

"Sunny!" he greeted, as he enveloped her in a big hug. "You look..." he held her away from him frowning, "tired."

"Mason!" The beautiful redhead standing next to him admonished.

"Sunny is an old friend Cassie, I can be honest with her. Is Eli keeping you up at night?" He wiggled his eyebrows, and Rhea didn't know if she should laugh or cry as a blush stole up her cheeks.

At least now she didn't have to worry about Mason letting the cat out of the bag about her presence.

Rhea held out her hand to Cassandra Stevens. "I'm Rhea Harris."

"Cassandra Stevens, call me Cassie, do I call you Sunny?"

"No!" Mason insisted. "Just a slip of the tongue."

Rhea shook her head at his constant weirdness. "Rhea is fine."

Otto let out a piercing whistle.

"I'm sorry, I have to go, it was nice to meet you Cassie." Before either one of them had a chance to say anything else she made a break for it, hurrying towards the ferry and Otto's waiting helping hand.

*******

"Was that The Sunny?" Cassie asked softly as she watched the young girls retreating form.

"Yep, and this trip just got very interesting," Mason said, grabbing Cassie's hand and pulling her up the dirt path. "Who knows, you might actually get to see a happy Eli for a change."

"I've seen Eli happy!" Cassie insisted.

"Nope, you've seen Eli pretending to be happy."

They charged up the steps of the beautiful plantation house and Cassie's head swiveled as she tried to take in the grandeur of the old house with its massive porches and columns.

"Let's stay here instead of in town," Cassie insisted.

"Sure, Eli already suggested as much." Mason was pulling his beautiful wife towards the sound of the piano notes that floated towards them. "Uh-oh, Vivaldi is never a good thing."

"It's not?"

"Nope."

"It sounds beautiful."

Mason led the way into a large room that had a massive fireplace. There were bookshelves and deep plush couches and chairs scattered around the room atop beautiful rich colored rugs. In one corner there was baby grand and at it sat Elias Emory, head bent as he leaned into the piano, playing with a passion Cassie had never heard before.

They waited until he finished and looked up at them, blinking as if he was coming out of another world.

"Hey guys!" He greeted with a smile that looked genuine to Cassie. He hugged them both then fell into one of the couches as Cassie sat next to him, watching him with a worried frown

Mason assessed him, not saying a word, until, eventually, Eli couldn't take the silence anymore and he broke it. "What's on your mind Mason?"

"Sunny, I saw her as we arrived."

Eli nodded, not giving anything away to his friend.

"As far as I know, no one knows she's Sunny and I'd like to keep it that way." He added, answering one of Mason's questions. There had not been a happy reunion between the two lovers.

"I figured as much, although I greeted her as Sunny so Cassie knows." He looked at Cassie as if she had forced the truth out of him.

"Don't look at me like that Mason Stevens, it was your big mouth opening before you thought about it that let truth slip, but don't worry; I know how to keep a secret."

Mason snorted his disbelief and Cassie's eyes narrowed.

Eli threw his arm over Cassie's shoulders. "I'm glad you two are here, how long can you stay?"

"We have two weeks until we start filming. Then we'll have to move back to the house in town." Mason plopped down on the other side of his wife with a long-suffering sigh. "You're not going to talk about it, are you?"

"No, I'm not, so let it go, please."

"Fine." Mason sounded like a churlish child.

"So how are the amenities here?" Mason asked looking around. "I'm impressed so far."

Eli got a devilish smile on his face. "Weeeelllll, there is no television, no internet, no cell service, and everyone has to share a bathroom."

"Son-of-a-"

"But! There is a private beach too far away for even the longest camera lens to reach, wild horses, long meandering walking trails, and Rhea's cooking."

Mason didn't miss the fact that he had called Sunny, Rhea. "All you had to say was Rhea's cooking, I'd suffer though just about anything for that." Mason rubbed his stomach at the thought. "Another bonus is we'll be out of reach of the family for two whole weeks."

"Until they send out a search party," Cassie agreed as she stood. "If I'm officially on vacation I want a nap, where is our room?"

"Pick any one you want, no one else is staying here, they couldn't be bothered once they heard about the lack of internet. I have the one that is in the attic."

"Sounds dreary and cold," Mason said as he stood.

"It's the only one with a private bathroom."

Mason shot Eli a look and mumbled something under his breath about 'friends like you' before he escorted Cassie from the room.

"Dinner is at seven!" Eli called over his shoulder as he closed his eyes, leaving Mason and Cassie no closer to knowing what the current status quo was between him and Rhea.

"All is not good," Mason said frowning, deep in thought.

"No, but it will work itself out, we did."

"Yes, we did." Mason looked at her with a smile. "Let's go discuss how well it did work out."