14
Rihaan
THE NEXT TWO WEEKS passed by in a blur.
Between my mind still bouncing around the roller coaster my father had set in motion and the strange chaos of working with Maeve, I’d felt like I was moving through everything on autopilot.
The late-February evening sun settled softly over New Brighton Beach, casting a warm amber glow across the water as the cool coastal breeze rolled in from the sea.
Instead of going home this week to celebrate Raina’s birthday, we’d changed our plans to arrive early at the first stop in our tour.
While it wasn’t unusual, with most of the team flying directly to Christchurch—in the hopes to adjust to the time zones—and only a handful of staff had gone back, and even then, it had been a strange, numbing experience.
I’d spent most of the week inside the rental Raina had booked, curtains drawn more often than not, moving between my bed and the sofa with the occasional detour to the kitchen.
If I wasn’t playing video games, I was sleeping.
If I wasn’t sleeping, I was doom scrolling through my phone, trying—and failing—to distract myself as a new pile of articles and panels discussed the test. Not just the tour itself, but my test.
So lost in the array of opinions, I hadn't even had the energy to go out for my usual runs.
And, today, my sister had finally decided she’d had enough of my sulking.
Apparently, putting on a good show for her birthday was more important than whatever miserable little cave I’d created for myself, because she’d quite literally dragged me out of the house.
I hadn’t argued much.
I didn’t have the energy for that either.
Now, I lay back on the picnic blanket, the sound of the waves rolling steadily against the shore blending with the distant chatter of the others.
Lifting myself onto my elbows, I searched the stretch of beach for my sister and Oliver, only stopping once I spotted them at the shore.
They stood deep in the shallows, Oliver’s arms wrapped around her, his chin settled on her head.
They looked peaceful.
A part of me was tempted to leave them be and walk back to our rental, but I had a feeling that a part of their peace had something to do with me agreeing to come outside and breathe some fresh air instead of spending another evening staring at a screen in the dark.
I settled back onto the blanket and adjusted my sunglasses as I decided taking a nap.
It’d be a win for both of us.
My eyes drifted shut.
The breeze cooled my skin, the sun warmed my face, and for the first time all week, I felt my body beginning to loosen.
Maybe I could sleep for twenty minutes.
Maybe thirty.
I was halfway there when cold water hit my face.
I jerked upright.
“What the hell?” My sister stood over me, grinning, a handful of seawater dripping from her fingers.
“You're supposed to be guarding our stuff.” Removing my glasses, I wiped my face with both hands.
“From who?”I pointed vaguely towards the beach. “The nice lady sitting waaay over there, or the guy who hasn’t stopped building his giant sandcastle since we arrived almost an hour ago?”
She glanced behind her.
The woman in question was sitting several feet away, peacefully reading a book and making absolutely no attempt to come within ten feet of our belongings, while the guy beside her had built what looked like his own sand reenactment of two castles at war.
My sister shrugged.
“Someone could’ve sneaked in and taken our stuff.”
I stared at her.
“What stuff? All we’ve got here is some snacks, your mediocre brownies, and phones.”
She kicked my side then. “It’s my birthday. You have to be nice.”
“I was nice to you last year.”
“Oh really? When you started a water fight with ice cold water? Or when you farted in my face before I started a forty five minute long meeting?”
“No,” I started. “When I helped Oliver sneak in your presents, and helped him through you a surprise party. After which I had to sit for three hours as we watched some mindless documentaries.”
Oliver rolled his eyes as he dropped next to me.
“Coming from the person who watches Horror movies as comfort movies,” He started dryly. “I think we take your opinions with low regard.”
“Point is, I was nice.”
Raina sighed, taking her own place between Oliver’s legs. “No, the point is: you’d make a lousy security guard.”
Sliding my glasses back on, I rested my head back onto my crossed arms. “I’ll take that out of the running then.”
Two pointed gazes snapped in my direction. “What does that mean?”
I shrugged, not exactly in the mood to talk about it.
A second later, my sister reached over, her nails grazing my skin as she took my sunglasses off. “Hey!”
“Seriously,” Oliver spoke first. “What does that mean?”
“Yeah. Are you joking, or having a crisis?” Raina spoke before he could finish properly. “With how you’ve been this week, I seriously can’t tell.”
“What if I said it was a mix of the two?” I replied, stretching out my hand for my glasses. “Give them back.”
“What if I throw them in the ocean?” Raina narrowed her eyes. “Will you give a straight answer then?”
My gaze hardened. “Only if you’re willing to dive back for them. They were expensive, and one of a kind.”
“Didn’t a sponsor gift them to you?”
No. “Yeah, but that’s not the point.”
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, lifting my glasses as though to inspect them. Before she could find out the truth, I moved quickly and grabbed them back. “And you wonder why I’m thinking of switching careers.”
“Well, it can’t be because of me—considering how butt hurt you were about me picking a career in Formula One over Cricket.”
“Changed my mind.” She huffed then, dropping further until she was leaning completely against Oliver, who placed a silent kiss on her shoulder and met my eyes.
He raised a brow silently, making me sigh. Dragging myself up, I leaned against my palms and shifted my gaze towards the ocean. “After the conversation with Dad…I’ve just been thinking.”
“About?” Raina’s voice was softer. More patience in it than I’ve ever had with her.
“If this is really worth it, I guess?” I started.
“I don’t know. With his words ringing in my head, and the press still so focused on Maeve’s paper…
I’m just starting to wonder why I even did it.
Dad still thinks my career is some great handout he’d given me, and maybe, I just don’t want him to have any hold over me. ”
Oliver spoke then. “Are you thinking about retiring? Now?”
I nodded, meeting his eyes then. “I’ve been giving it some more thought recently.”
“You don’t want to go out like this—not when you’re at your peak, and while someone’s opinion is clouding your achievements.” He said, a frown settling on his own brows. “I know you’ve managed to call a temporary truce with Maeve, but did she ever tell you why she wrote that paper?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t really bothered to ask her, to be very honest. The truce is there to make sure we stay professional, but I’ve been avoiding her mostly. I’m not sure I even want to hear her explanations, considering she thinks that she’s done nothing wrong.”
“Has she said that?” Raina asked softly. “Maybe she’ll surprise you if you give her a chance.”
Oliver nodded in agreement. “I think so too.”
I pressed my lips, positive in my own regard that they were wrong. I still hadn’t told them the truth. How I’d known Maeve before. Briefly, but intimately.
We may have not spent a night together, but I was someone who believed that kissing was one of the most intimate things you could with a person.
And if my new memory lane was anything to go by, the kiss we shared was the kind of kiss that changed lives.
Only, in my case, it took things downhill.
As they usually did.
Raina’s phone buzzed then, and I was almost thankful for it. It saved me from having to explain why I didn’t agree with them.
Turning my gaze back to the ocean, I tried to find something that would help distract me from the pathway my thoughts were heading to.
All hopes came to a halt when a familiar figure came into view, making her way down the beach with her shoes in one hand. Maeve walked along the edge of the water, her hair loosely pinned back with a bow as the breeze swept stray strands away from her face, a calm look on her face.
“Speak of the devil.”
Oliver and Raina’s head whipped in the direction, making me press my lips together, realising I’d spoken the words out loud.
As though hearing them too, Maeve’s head turned in our direction, her expressions going through the motions.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Raina lift her hand and wave her over.
My gaze turned sharp as I met my sister’s curious eyes. “What do you think you’re doing?”
My sister glanced at me. “Being polite?”
“Why? It’s not like you know her.”
Raina rolled her eyes. “Except that I do. I did a media profile on her, remember?”
I blinked.
Right.
Still, I spoke before she could close the gap. “Does that constitute for you inviting her here?”
“I thought you guys had a truce?” She muttered, a flicker of annoyance flashing in her expression.
“Yeah,” I replied. “But that truce starts and ends at the stadium. Just because I agreed to work with her, doesn’t means I’m a fan of her.”
She sighed, pushing to sit up properly. “I don’t care. I want to talk to her.”
Before I could respond, Maeve was close enough for my sister to call out again. “Come join us!”
Maeve hesitated for a moment, her expressions flickering between me and my sister. Raina’s warm expression must’ve been enough for her to ignore my hardened ones as she made her way over.
“Hi,” Maeve said softly, giving my sister and Oliver a small smile.
“Hey!” Raina’s extra cheerful voice was enough to raise my guard, making me narrow my eyes. “Have a seat.”
Oliver’s pointed gaze met mine, a silent Behave written plainly in his eyes. Only when I sighed and shifted over, making space for Maeve, did the sternness leave his expression.
Maeve lowered herself onto the blanket, leaving enough space between us that I noticed it anyway.
“When did you arrive?” Raina asked.