Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Nate
I spend the week trying my hardest—I swear I try.
I smile constantly, so much so that my cheeks start to hurt a bit and they’re at a risk of getting tan lines.
We go to a different beach every day, and even go out on a boat to see all of Port Phillip on Wednesday.
I engage.
I drink with the guys when we go out, and I laugh with them whenever they say something insane—which is often.
I try harder than I’ve ever tried before to be in the moment, to enjoy the last leg of this trip before we go back home and I lose them to their nine-to-five jobs.
On Thursday we go to Torquay Beach and get an instructor to teach us how to surf.
We’ve all surfed before, at different times, on different trips with our families, and Tony has a yearly trip to Hawaii with his cousins, so he’s the best of us. But Kit decided it would be the best and safest option if we got an instructor.
An instructor named Axel who looks very interested in me.
I pay attention to his words—I might be an idiot most of the time, but I don’t want to fucking drown—and try to ignore the uncomfortable niggle at the back of my neck whenever he stares at me.
This is... new.
And it tells me more than even my constant thoughts of Ru that I might be in deep shit.
Axel is objectively perfect.
Every muscle defined, and a golden tan so flawless I’m sure he was born with it. His wavy blond hair is a bit long, and would normally have me revved up for some hard fucking but...
No.
I don’t want him, and I don’t miss the confused frowns on my friends’ faces throughout the on-land lesson while I try to pretend I’m not being unapologetically hit on.
I act like it’s not happening, and force the guys to focus on surfing to the best of my abilities.
Kit is the first to fall from his board—when he’s supposed to be paddling—and his sputters and scared expression when he surfaces are enough to disperse the confusion, and to bring forth the fun we’re supposed to be having.
It is fun.
Even when I’m the one who falls splat in the water, so hard I fear I might have broken my nose in the process, I can’t help laughing with them.
Axel can’t keep a straight face either, and I guess he gets with the program because his flirting stops.
I breathe easier then, and even find myself smirking when he moves on quickly to Kit, who’s adorably clueless about it until Tony tells him while we’re in the water and a good few feet away from them.
Then my friend is all in, and spends the rest of the day flirting his little heart out with the Australian hunk.
Even though we’re clearly not going to be surfing regularly any time soon since we live in New York, Axel’s offer to show us how to take care of the boards after the three-hour lesson is done is met with a bit too much enthusiasm from Kit. We all agree too, so he can get laid.
We’re good friends like that.
While we hear all about the wax, salt water, and everything else, I let myself relax for the first time. None of them are focused on me. Tony’s concentrated frown tells me he’s listening to every word intently, while Kit is staring dreamily at Axel, and Seth...
There’s a sudden ringing coming from the lump of clothes right next to him on the sand, and he looks as confused as I feel.
That’s his mother’s ringtone.
We all have special ringtones for our parents—because they dictate every fucking thing about our lives, though I’m the only one who seems to resent it so much—but Mrs. Wall hasn’t called Seth at all while we’ve been here as far as I know.
He wipes his hands on his discarded shirt, and answers the call as he gets up on his feet and walks away without disturbing any of the other men.
I watch him while I keep wiping down my board, honestly worried.
Seth’s Mom isn’t one to call over any little thing, and if my math is correct, the time of day isn’t too normal either, I don’t think.
The idea that Seth might get called back home and our trip will end prematurely has my heart seizing and stopping for two beats.
I don’t want to lose this time with them, with him.
He’s the person I trust the most in the world.
He understands me better than anyone, even my sister. Even my mother for fuck’s sake. And after this week, I’m not going to see him every day anymore. This is my last shot at having my best friends the way I’ve had them since I’ve known them.
If our time gets cut short, I’m going to throw the biggest tantrum ever.
But then I see Seth smile and nod, and he says a few more quick things with that smile still on his face.
He wouldn’t be smiling like that if he’d just been told he has to go back home, would he?
No.
I know he was looking forward to this trip as much as I was. I know?—
“Hey guys,” he calls out as he jogs back over, and interrupts Axel mid-sentence.
I don’t know what he was just telling Kit, but from his frown you’d think he was explaining how he was planning on sucking his dick later.
He’ll get over it .
I need to hear this, it’s more pressing.
“What’s up?” I ask, trying to mask my anxiety.
“Mom just called,” he says, looking at Tony. Then he turns to me... still smiling. “She told me Chase is here and they were talking. So long story short, we’ve got a yacht party to go to tomorrow.”
I tilt my head, beyond interested in this.
Chase is known for his parties. One on a yacht wouldn’t disappoint, I bet.
He’s a long-time friend of Mrs. Wall, and of my father as well, but I rarely see him since he lives somewhere in Europe... London, I think?
Regardless, it’s been a long time.
Last time I saw him was eight years ago, I think, and I got into a lot of trouble since I drank my weight in whiskey with Seth right next to me.
Our parents were not amused, but Chase was.
So I like him.
“That’s great.”
“Yeah,” Kit agrees and turns quickly back to Axel. “So, you were telling me where we should go tonight?”
I tune out again. Our master planner will surely get everything he wants from our instructor since they both look beyond eager, so there’s no need to worry about it.
Especially when I see them exchange numbers once we’ve stored the boards where Axel tells us and are all dressed and ready to cross the boardwalk to where our driver is waiting for us.
“See you tonight,” Kit says in his adorably eager way as he starts crossing the street.
Thankfully, Tony takes a good hold of his arm and makes sure he’s not run over by a driver minding their own business.
And once we’re in the van, it’s game on.
“ Oh Axel .” I start off the teasing. “ What should we do tonight ?”
Kit goes instantly red all over, and Tony and Seth back me up straight away.
This is more like it.
* * *
Hours later, we’re in that very club.
Kit’s practically giving Axel a lap dance while Tony’s down by the main bar, entertaining a group of five girlfriends who are all laughing at his antics and look happy enough.
Seth’s living his best life too, dancing sandwiched between a woman and a man. I savor every second as well as every sip of my beer.
After the scare this afternoon when I was struck by the thought that it would all be taken away from me before I’m ready, I’m determined to stop thinking about Ru more than ever.
What happened, happened.
I had two amazing nights with him, but so what?
What does it matter if I’ve never felt more comfortable or comforted by someone’s presence—by a stranger’s presence?
What does it matter that he made me laugh while we were fucking and while we weren’t?
The peace he made me feel just by being near is surely something I can find with someone else, right?
With someone who I have a shot at seeing again.
All I need to focus on right now is my friends.
They come over right then—almost as if they choreographed it—and join me at our table with their conquests.
They introduce everyone to the newcomers and we keep the party going.
I smile while beating myself up over how much time I wasted these past few days, hoping and wishing I could see Ru just one more time...
“What?” I mutter as a man in a suit grabs my attention. He’s walking determinedly toward the VIP section, and when the lights flicker on his face I actually fucking gasp.
Fuck, this isn’t good.
This is a disaster.
This is...
The worst way ever to find out I have magical powers and might’ve actually teleported Ru to Melbourne.