Chapter Sixteen
The cabin feels different as evening settles over the research station, quieter somehow, with the kind of peaceful exhaustion that comes after a day spent discovering new worlds.
Maya sits cross-legged on her narrow bunk, brushing sand out of her hair, while Sophie examines her disposable camera like it might reveal its secrets if she stares hard enough.
“I still can’t believe we swam through an actual kelp forest,” Jessica says, pulling a clean tank top over her head. “Like, that was a real ecosystem we were inside of.”
“I know, right? It felt like being in a nature documentary, except we were the ones swimming around instead of watching from our couches.” Maya holds up her swimsuit. “Anyone want to go for an evening swim? I’m too wired to sleep yet.”
The idea sounds perfect. My body is tired from the day’s diving, but my mind is still buzzing with images of rays gliding through filtered sunlight and schools of fish moving like living silver. A gentle evening swim might be exactly what I need to process everything we’ve experienced.
“Count me in,” I say, digging through my duffel bag for my swimsuit. “The water looks so calm from our window.”
Within minutes, we’re changed and heading down the wooden walkway toward the beach, flip-flops slapping against our feet and towels draped over our shoulders.
The evening air carries the scent of sage and salt water, cooler now that the sun has begun its descent toward the horizon.
Other students had apparently had the same idea we did, clusters of classmates are scattered along the sandy beach, some wading in the gentle waves, others sitting on towels and talking in the golden hour light.
That’s when I spot Derek.
He’s sitting alone on a towel positioned in that perfect zone, close enough to the water to hear the waves, far enough back that the gentle swells won’t reach him.
His knees are drawn up, arms wrapped around them, and he’s staring out at the horizon with the kind of contemplative expression that makes me want to know what he’s thinking.
“I’m going to catch up with you guys later,” I say, already starting to veer in Derek’s direction.
“Uh-huh,” Maya says with a knowing smile. “Take your time. We’ll be fine without our fourth wheel.”
“I’m not a fourth wheel!”
“You’re totally a fourth wheel. The cutest fourth wheel, but still.”
I stick my tongue out at her, but I’m already walking away. There’s something about seeing him alone like this that makes me want to be beside him, sharing whatever peaceful moment he’s having with the ocean.
“Mind if I join you?” I ask, settling onto the towel beside him.
“I was hoping you would,” he says, his arm automatically coming around my shoulders as I lean into his side. “How are you feeling after today? That was pretty incredible.”
“Still processing, I think. It’s hard to put into words.” I rest my head against his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of his sunscreen mixed with salt air. “What about you?”
“Like I understand why people become marine biologists. There’s something addictive about discovering things you never knew existed.”
The sun hangs low on the horizon now, painting the water gold and orange in a way that would look fake in a photograph but seems perfectly natural in person.
Derek turns to face me, his hand finding my cheek. “You know what else was addictive about today?”
“What?”
“Getting to experience it all with you.”
Before I can respond, he’s kissing me. I melt into him, my hands finding the back of his neck, still damp from our earlier adventures.
This feels different from our quick kisses under the bleachers at school, less hurried, more intentional, like we have all the time in the world to just be here with each other.
When we break apart, I stay close, our foreheads almost touching.
“I keep thinking about Jeremy,” I admit, the words slipping out before I can stop them. “It’s been over a week since I sent that email asking for medical information. No response. And Emma hasn’t messaged me since our video chat plans.”
His thumb traces along my jawline. “Maybe he’s been busy. Or maybe he’s nervous about reaching out after all this time.”
“Or maybe he just doesn’t want anything to do with me. Maybe Emma realized that having a long-lost half sister is more complicated than she thought.”
“Don’t,” Derek says gently but firmly. “Don’t go down that rabbit hole. You don’t know what’s happening on their end, so don’t assume it’s something you did wrong.”
I want to argue, to voice all the insecurities that have been building since Emma’s silence began, but Derek’s steady gaze stops me. He’s right. I’m creating problems that might not even exist, borrowing trouble from an uncertain future instead of focusing on the very real present.
“You’re right,” I say, forcing myself to let go of the anxiety that’s been sitting in my chest like a weight. “I’m probably overthinking everything.”
“It’s one of your less charming qualities,” He says with a teasing smile. “Right up there with your tendency to steal my french fries.”
“Hey, you offer them! That’s different from stealing.”
“I offer you one. You eat half the container.”
“Details.”
“Important details.”
I kiss him again, partly to shut him up and partly because I can’t resist. Being with him has this way of pulling me into the moment, making everything else fade into background noise.
“Speaking of details,” I say when we separate, “have you submitted any college applications yet?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve started a few, but nothing’s been sent. I’m thinking about taking a gap year anyway, maybe working for a while to figure out what I actually want to study.”
“Really? What would you do during a gap year?”
“I don’t know yet. Maybe work at the marina, save some money, travel a little if I can afford it. Give myself time to figure out what I’m passionate about besides soccer and making out with my girlfriend under bleachers.”
“Those are important passions.”
“Very important. Speaking of which, we have that game coming up in two weeks. You ready to get destroyed by the superior goalkeeper skills?”
I laugh, pulling back to look at him in mock indignation. “Destroyed? I’m going to score so many goals on you that you’ll need therapy.”
“Big talk from someone who missed three shots in practice last week.”
“That was because I was distracted by family drama. Now that I’ve found my zen in the kelp forest, I’m unstoppable.”
“We’ll see about that. Though I have to admit, the thought of you trying to get past my defense is pretty hot.”
“Just wait until you see my corner kicks. Pure poetry in motion.”
“I’ll be sure to appreciate the poetry right before I catch the ball.”
“Such confidence. I love that about you.” I trace my finger along his collarbone, enjoying the way his breath catches slightly. “Among other things.”
“What other things?”
“The way you make everything feel lighter. The way you actually listen when I talk instead of just waiting for your turn to speak. The way you kiss me like you mean it.”
“I do mean it,” he says. “More than I probably should after only a few weeks of officially dating.”
“How much more?”
“Enough that I think about you when you’re not around. Enough that sharing today with you made it about ten times better than it would have been on my own.”
“Derek…”
“I know it’s probably too soon to say stuff like that. I just wanted you to know.”
“It’s not too soon,” I say, surprising myself with how certain I sound. “I think about you too. More than I expected to.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Like when I’m doing homework and something reminds me of a joke you made. Or when I’m lying in bed at night and I can still feel where you touched my hand or kissed my forehead. Or today, when I kept looking for you underwater to share every cool thing I saw.”
Derek’s smile could power the entire research station. “We’re pretty good at this, aren’t we?”
“At what?”
“Being together. It feels easy.”
“It does feel easy.” I stand and reach for his hand. “Want to walk down to the water? Away from all the other students?”
“Definitely.”
We walk hand in hand along the shoreline, our feet sinking slightly into the wet sand with each step. The sun hangs lower now, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink that would look overdone in a painting but seem perfectly natural reflected in the calm ocean surface.
Other students fade into the distance behind us as we find a more secluded stretch of beach. The waves here are gentle, barely waves at all, more like the ocean breathing, drawing water up the sand and releasing it in a steady, soothing rhythm.
“This is perfect,” I say, stopping where the water just touches our toes.
“It really is.” Derek turns to face me, his hands settling on my waist. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For making today incredible. For being here. For being you.”
Instead of answering with words, I step closer and kiss him, my arms wrapping around his neck as his circle my waist. We wade deeper into the water, still kissing, until we’re knee-deep in the gentle swells.
The water is surprisingly warm, heated by the day’s sunshine, and the sensation of floating slightly with each wave while wrapped in his arms feels like something from a dream.
When we finally break apart, the sun has nearly disappeared into the horizon, leaving us bathed in the soft light of early evening. Stars are appearing in the darkening sky, and the lights from the research station building create a warm glow behind us.
“I don’t want this trip to end,” I say, though I know it has to.
“It doesn’t have to end. I mean, the trip ends, but this doesn’t.” He gestures between us. “We go back to school, back to real life, but we take this with us.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. What we have isn’t going anywhere just because we leave this island.”
“We should probably head back,” Derek says reluctantly. “Before they send out a search party.”
“Probably.”