25. Have You Ever Felt Like You’ve Just Peaked?
HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE YOU’VE JUST PEAKED?
WILL
Despite my best efforts, my attention keeps wandering towards the beautiful redhead building an epic sandcastle with Lucy and Brandie.
Taylor has been trying to draw me into a conversation for the past few minutes, but I’m too distracted, and she eventually sighs, turning to Morgan instead.
I catch Chris watching me, and I avert my gaze from Annie. The last thing I feel like is copping a lecture from him about keeping away from her.
“I’m gonna head into town and grab some stuff for lunch. Does anyone need anything?” I ask, getting to my feet.
Jake looks over from where he’s helping Ashton, Seth and the twins dig a long trench from the sandcastle to the shoreline.
“Want some company?” he asks, and I shrug.
“Sure, if you feel like it.” I turn to Morgan. “Can I leave Alfie with you?”
Morgan nods while Jake gets to his feet and brushes the sand off himself.
“You okay with Ashton for a minute while I send Bri down?” he asks Seth, who nods from where he’s kneeling on the opposite side of the trench.
After giving Alfie a head scratch and telling him to stay, Jake and I head back to camp, where I deposit my surfboard next to my swag. Wrapping a towel around my waist, I strip off my wetsuit and pull on a pair of boardies and a hoodie while he goes to get Bri.
I nod towards Aiden as he sets about unpacking their car, before spotting Tara with Kylie and Bri as they walk back from the amenities block. Jake jogs over to Bri and waves towards the beach. She nods and heads down to watch their son while the other two women walk back with Jake.
“Hey stranger,” I say, giving Tara a hug once she’s standing in front of me.
“Hey,” she replies, stepping back after a moment to peer up at my face.
The guilty expression makes me pause. “You okay?”
“Yeah… Was waiting for you to give me a hard time about keeping Lis’ return a secret.” She looks at Kylie, and it’s obvious that my sister has already had some things to say on the subject when she tsks. But for once, she seems to be keeping her opinion to herself on the matter.
“It’s okay. I know you were just doing as Annie asked. I’m sorry you got stuck in the middle again.”
She shakes her head. “Oh, I’m not in the middle. I’m Switzerland. I’ve said my piece to her about everything, as well as telling this one to leave me out of it.” She jabs her thumb towards Kylie, who rolls her eyes.
“Hey, I’ve been on my best behaviour since we got here, I’ll have you know.”
“She has been, I can attest to that.” I smile as Kylie gives Tara a ‘see!’ look.
“Right, shall we head into town?” Jake asks, and I nod.
We wave goodbye to the girls and climb into my ute. I stifle a sigh, relieved to put some distance between myself and the two women making my life feel very complicated right now.
“How’s work?” I ask him while he fiddles with the sound on my car stereo system.
“Fine. Busy, but I guess you’re the same, too?” Jake took over his father’s electrician business out in Stanthorpe several years ago, and it’s grown into a rather large enterprise under his attention.
I nod. “Yeah, I was actually lucky to be able to get these few days off.”
“Yeah, it’s been a bit rough like that for me, too. I’m just glad it’s not summer.”
We fall into a relaxed silence while I navigate the winding road back into town. After a moment, though, I flick my gaze towards him.
“Have you ever felt like you’ve just peaked? Career-wise, I mean.”
He shifts in his seat to face me a little more. “In what way?”
I shrug. “I’ve just been trying to work out what more I can do. The business is doing well, way better than I thought it would be at this stage, and the guys practically run things without me half the time. I’ve just been feeling a little lost, I guess.”
He nods, although his expression tells me he doesn’t really understand. His life is pretty busy and I’m sure he appreciates when everything at work is going smoothly. While I’m missing the feeling of being challenged.
“Have you thought about adding consulting work, maybe? You could study engineering and expand the business that way?”
“That’s not a bad idea.” I consider his suggestion with interest.
I know he’d looked into it for himself a few years ago, but then Ashton came along and he realised he just didn’t have the time to dedicate to study while they were starting a family. But it could be worth exploring for myself.
We chat about it a bit over the rest of the grocery run, and when we return to camp, it’s time for lunch .
As I’m helping get the food ready, I notice that Annie seems to have disappeared. I look further down the beach to see her sitting in a patch of shade, her notebook propped on her knee as she madly scribbles away.
Putting together two plates of food, I whistle for Alfie and head her way, but pause when Taylor comes to my side.
“Do you think we could have that talk now? I feel like you’ve been avoiding me.” I look down at the plates in my hand, before my eyes return to Annie. Taylor follows my gaze, and her expression hardens. “Of course,” she mutters under her breath.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
Alfie has grown bored and trots off towards where Annie is sitting, and Taylor watches him go. She’d never particularly warmed to having a dog around, and I’m sure it pisses her off to see him be so friendly with Annie.
“I just don’t get why she’s here. You’re all acting like it’s perfectly normal that someone who straight up abandoned everyone seven years ago just showed back up. And no one is calling her out on it.” She refuses to meet my gaze as she crosses her arms over her chest and looks at the ground.
I sigh. “Taylor, I’m sorry that things with us didn’t work out. But it’s nothing to do with Annie. Morgan wanted you both here, so maybe take it up with her?”
She finally looks up at me, and I feel like shit when I see the tears forming in her eyes. “So it really was just Morgan who wanted me to come? It wasn’t you?”
I have no idea how to respond to that without hurting her further, but she seems to take my hesitation as answer enough, raising her chin while she studies my face.
She hastily wipes away the tear that had started to track down her cheek, setting her jaw as she glares at me. “You know she’s just going to end up hurting you again, right? She’s clearly got issues.”
I let out a long breath. “Look, we’re not together anymore, and I’m sorry if I’ve given you the impression that there was a possibility of things starting up again. But what happened with Annie is between her and I. I’d prefer it if you just stayed out of it, please?”
“You broke up with me because of her, didn’t you?” She accuses, and I shake my head.
“No. Annie wasn’t back when we broke up.”
“She didn’t need to be back. You’re so fucked up because of her you can’t find happiness with anyone else and are going to wind up going back to her the second she gives you the time of day.”
“Look, Taylor,” I snap, my patience finally coming to an end.
“I get that you’re pissed, but I can’t give you what you want, and you need to accept that it’s over.
As for Annie…” I sigh, shaking my head. “I honestly don’t know if there is a future for Annie and me.
But we have a lot of history, and I can’t just walk away from that. ”
She lets out a small, bitter sounding laugh. “Well, she clearly didn’t have the same problem seven years ago.”
I close my eyes for a moment, trying to keep my frustration from making me say something I’ll regret.
Maybe I should just become a monk. Surely that would be less stressful.
I jerk my head in Annie’s direction, where she’s scratching Alfie behind the ears, her eyes narrowed as she looks our way. “And yet, here she is now.”
“But why, Will? That’s what I don’t get.
Why’d she come back? After having no contact with any of you, suddenly she’s just back?
There has to be more to it. And you’re deluding yourself if you think there isn’t.
” With those ominous sounding words, she turns on her heel and stomps back in the direction of camp.
I let her go, not sure what more I could possibly say at this point to make her feel better. Continuing on my initial mission, I arrive at Annie’s side and hand her the plate of food.
She looks up at me, her eyebrows raised slightly. “What’s this for?”
I shrug. “Figured you’d probably be hungry. ”
She gives me a small smile. “Thank you,” she says in a low voice.
“No big deal,” I say, taking a seat beside her on the sand.
“I’m sorry that my being here is making things difficult for you,” she continues, looking over towards where I’m assuming Taylor has gone.
“It’s fine. If anyone should be apologising, it should be Morgan. She was the one who invited Taylor along and gave her the wrong impression.”
After a brief moment, she cocks her head to the side. “So you’re only mad at Morgan for inviting Taylor? Not me?”
I shake my head. “This is your family, too. You have just as much right to be here as I do.” I take a bite of my sandwich while she continues to look at me.
“You’re one of the good ones, Will Anderson,” she says finally.
We finish our food in silence, and once we’re done, I leave her to get back to her writing and head back to camp with emotions I’m not ready to face swirling in my chest.
When I get back, I see Taylor getting in her car with her bag. She gives me a curt nod before peeling out, and I turn to look at Morgan as she stands beside the tent they’d brought along for Taylor to use.
“She’s leaving?” I ask.
She sighs. “Yeah. I’m sorry Will. I never should have invited her along. She was pretty hurt and it’s all my fault.”
I move to her side and give her a side hug. “I know you meant well, but yeah, maybe no more group events for Taylor.”
She rests her temple against my shoulder. “You are possibly the most chill guy I know. And that’s saying something, because sometimes I think it is legitimately impossible to upset Jake.”
I laugh. “Um, I think you’re forgetting what happened when you guys found out he and Bri were sleeping together and he roasted your ass for interfering.”
“I have no memory of this. You must be imagining things. I never interfere.” I can hear the teasing in her tone, and just shake my head.
“It’s good you’re so self-aware.”
She laughs. “Yep, it’s one of my many stellar qualities.”
I squeeze her again. “You have many stellar qualities, Morgan… But let’s maybe work on the interfering.”
She nods. “I’m working on it. Like right now, I’m itching to ask you what’s happening with you and Lis. But I’m being a good girl and not saying a word.” She turns to grin up at me.
I shake my head. “You are impossible, you know that?”
“Yes, yes I do.”