Chapter 43 Jake
We spend the morning in the water, passing Jade around and showing her everything we can find.
From fish to the reef, shells, starfish, and even a few stray goats up in the rocks.
She eats it up, and each of us is constantly on the lookout for things to show her, loving the way her face lights up.
Eventually, Zander has the captain lower a small boat with our lunch basket into the water, and Kratos helps him swim it to the rock face.
They pull themselves out and slip on slides in place of their flippers before calling for us to follow.
Thankfully, we’re all pretty fit. The climb up is a bit hard, mostly because we’re sopping wet, but as I walk behind Jade, I can’t find it in me to complain. She could probably walk off the ledge right now, and I would gladly follow her off without even realizing it.
God, that ass.
Once we reach the top, the rocks are mostly flat, and Zander’s already laying out a blanket from the basket.
Damn, he really went all out. I wasn’t sure about this at first, but now I couldn’t be happier that we let him talk us into this. Jade hasn’t stopped smiling since we took the plunge into the water earlier, and with the way she’s looking around right now, I don’t think she will anytime soon either.
“It’s beautiful, Zan!” she praises, throwing her arms wide and her head back, spinning in a circle as the sun beats down on her.
It’s the freest I’ve ever seen her, and while I love it, it also makes my heart squeeze, knowing this is temporary.
Tomorrow, when we wake up, she’ll be back to worrying.
She deserves a life of happiness, to be carefree and light all the time, but none of us will really have that until we handle Ivan.
Looking around, I feel like I can see the guys’ minds spinning, thinking the same thing as me.
Whatever it takes, this is the life we want to give Jade every day.
Jade drops onto the blanket just as Zander finishes pulling out containers of food… like a lot of containers.
“Damn, Zan, are you trying to feed an army?” Rick asks, noticing the same thing I did.
“I couldn’t decide. Everything sounded good, so I just asked for a little of everything,” he says with a shrug, and yeah, that sounds about right. Zander loves food, like all the food. He’s the least picky eater I’ve ever met and can put away more food than most people twice his size.
I can’t argue with him, though, as we all begin opening the containers and I see the food inside.
It looks delicious. He seems to have gone for authentic Italian, which is exciting.
Not only because I love Italian food, but because I’m pretty sure most of this will be new to Jade.
She’s been trying things the last few days here, but even with a decent appetite, she’s still got a lot of things she’s missed out on.
We eat way more than I thought possible, but even still, there’s a bit left over as we sit and chill. Jade still picks at a cannoli and the caprese skewers she seems to love, unable to stop eating them even though she’s said she’s full at least a dozen times already.
“Didn’t you say you saw a spot that would be good for jumping earlier?” Zander asks Spencer after we pack everything up, and that seems to give them all a second wind. They’re up and ready to go in less than a minute, but Jade doesn’t move, and I can’t find it in myself either.
If she wants to sit and enjoy the sun, I’m down. Jumping off a cliff into rock-infested water isn’t my idea of a good time.
“You coming, Sweetness?” Trent stops to ask when he realizes she’s still not moving, and the others stop as well.
“No. I don’t really want to jump into the water just yet. The boat was enough for me. Besides, I ate so much, I’d probably just sink to the bottom,” she tells him before dramatically falling back and patting her stomach, making us all laugh.
Jade spends far too much time in the gym for her to ever worry about how much she eats.
Hell, she could probably eat double what she does now and be fine, but it’s still more than she could eat a few months ago.
Growing up with just enough food to keep you going isn’t something your body gets over in one night, but every day she gets healthier.
“You gonna stay with her, Jake?” Rick asks, turning to me a second later, and I nod.
“Alright, well, call if you need us. The ledge is just down there a bit, so we’ll hear you,” Kratos says, nodding to his left, but Jade doesn’t even open her eyes to see.
Giving him a thumbs-up and blowing a kiss in their general direction.
They shake their heads and continue down the cliffside.
Their voices grow progressively quieter the farther they go, until only the sound of the water on the rocks below can be heard.
It’s oddly calming for something that can be so destructive. Jade stays sprawled out on her back, eyes closed and so still that I’m not even sure she’s awake. I don’t call out to her; instead, I lean against a rock and just enjoy this time with her.
I don’t even realize my eyes have fallen closed until I feel something brush against my leg.
I almost jump out of my skin, thinking of all the things it could be out here, but when my eyes fly open, I find Jade’s head in my lap.
She’s facing out toward the water, so I can’t see her face, but that’s good because that means she can’t see mine either, and no way I’d be able to wipe the dopey-ass grin off my face right now even if I wanted to.
Not when she decided to come over here and cuddle up with me on her own.
I run my fingers through her hair and down her back, playing with the green strands, in wonder at what my life has become in such a short time.
Jade changed everything. She changed me, and for the first time in my life, I don’t hate the person I see in the mirror. With a content little sigh, she nuzzles into my lap when my hand goes still, and I snort a laugh before continuing.
Spoiled brat.
But I love it, love her.
I don’t know when it happened; I can’t pinpoint when it shifted, but it did. I haven’t told her yet, but I will, eventually. For now, this is perfect.
“Holy shit!” Jade whips her head up so fast I narrowly avoid a broken nose before she’s on her feet, pulling me up with her. Someone her size shouldn’t be able to do that so easily.
“Look!”
Her excited cry has me following her finger as she points to a rock about ten feet away. On top of it is a… lizard? Or at least I think it is, but I don’t get a good look before it’s scurrying away.
“Hey, no. I want to see you,” Jade calls after it as it will listen, and I can’t help but laugh, until she dashes off after it.
Fuck.
The little lizard is quick as it scales down the rock side opposite the one we climbed up, but Jade is somehow managing to keep pace, just a few steps behind it even with its head start.
Her feet are sure, and her balance is like something out of a movie.
I’d love nothing more than to stand and watch as she jumps from rock to rock with ease, but I’m already falling behind, and unlike her, I need a lot more focus as I make my way behind her and the damn reptile.
“Jade, slow down,” I call as she reaches the bottom far before I do and starts across the beach.
Stupid ass lizard.
How does it survive out here if it can’t even escape a girl?
By the time I reach the beach, Jade’s out of sight, having disappeared behind another cluster of rocks a few moments earlier, and I take off after her, panting and gasping.
No sooner do I round the rocks than I come face to face with Jade.
I slump forward, bracing my hands on my knees while my chest heaves.
I’d like to think I’m in pretty good shape, but that climb down was no joke, yet somehow Jade seems completely unaffected.
She doesn’t even look slightly winded as she smiles at me before hurrying back toward me with the fucking lizard in her hands.
I’ll be damned. She got it.
“Look, Jake!” she exclaims, jumping up and down with excitement, and I take a step back as she holds it right up to my face.
“That’s awesome, Jade,” I tell her, watching her little reptile friend. I’m not a fan, but I also don’t want to rain on her parade. Are lizards around here dangerous? Fuck, where’s Rick or Spencer when you need them? They would probably know.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, picking up on the shift in my mood the way only she seems to be able to.
“I’m not sure it’s safe to just grab wildlife. We don’t know anything about that lizard species, Jade. It could be dangerous,” I tell her, conveniently leaving out my dislike for reptiles. She doesn’t need to know that part.
Her eyes light up in understanding, and she quickly sets the lizard back down on the beach, where it scurries away the second it’s free. I grab her hands, flipping them this way and that, checking for any signs of a bite or scratch, and let out a breath of relief when I find nothing.
“Sorry,” she whispers, looking down at her feet, and I want to kick myself for reacting the way I did, for taking something she was so excited about and making it, this.
“No, it’s fine. You were excited, I just…”
I can swallow my pride for her.
“I’m not a fan of reptiles, that's all,” I explain, hoping she’ll understand why I reacted like that. “Not to mention, the way you flew down those rocks almost gave me a heart attack.” I tease, and she chuckles before peering up at me through her lashes.
“Aw, big bad Jake doesn’t like the little lizard?” She coos before pulling her hands from mine and starting down the beach the way the lizard took off. “Come back, Mr. Lizard. Jake wants a kiss,” she calls out with a laugh, and absolutely not.
This time, I don’t let her get far. Running up behind her, I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her back to me, stopping her from hunting something else down. Knowing my luck, she’ll end up with a damn snake or something.
Gross.