Chapter 10 #2
“Don’t know. Probably was carried up here or something.”
Jake covered his mouth with a hand to hide the smile at her growled response.
“Who put it here? This was Thao’s favorite spot.”
“I know.” Jake nodded toward the edge of the cliff where they used to jump over the edge. They had all been young and stupid. Except what used to be an open area was now blocked off by a wall of blooming flowers.
Gia stared, mouth agape, at the wildflower bushes blocking off the cliff’s edge.
“But…”
He knew what she was thinking. It had been their favorite pastime when they were younger, but it seemed nature had other plans.
“Gia, sit. Please.” Jake slid over and made room for her on the bench.
She must have been in shock because she complied without a fight.
She sat with a plop in the spot he’d made available for her, still warm from his body heat.
In contrast, the coolness of his new position felt nice against his heated skin.
“I know it’s a lot to take in. Take your time.” Jake kept his voice soft as if he was talking to a wounded animal. A part of him was worried she’d run away from him. Besides, this was the perfect opportunity to catch her alone. Living in a small town made being alone impossible.
With her gaze focused in front of her, Jake covertly looked her over.
She had her dark hair pulled up in a ponytail.
The humidity had caused waves to curl her otherwise straight hair.
Dark strands escaped and framed her heart-shaped face.
The image of the bruises seemed to have burned into his memory, even though they’d faded.
Fists clenched in his lap, Jake resisted the urge to act on his impulse to question her.
Earning her trust was his top priority, and he didn’t need to act like a raging alpha-hole and scare her off. Or worse, force her to mount her walls back up.
Belatedly, he wished Marley had reviewed the stages of cat socialization with him again.
What’s the chart she keeps mentioning?
He’d have to study it closely so he’d know exactly what he needed to do.
Gia’s cheeks were still flushed. From anger or exertion from her hike, he wasn’t sure.
It was likely both, but the color looked good on her.
Much better than the pale and haunted look from their first meeting.
It reminded him of how she’d looked beneath him once upon a time.
A memory he’d kept protected in his mind’s eye.
One he rarely took out of its coveted corner unless he was caught unaware.
Until recently, thoughts of Gia had plagued him with deep sorrow and regret. It made being around her family difficult, knowing how he’d played a part in sending her running from town. The Liens had been through so much already, and he owed them his life and loyalty.
Sitting back against the bench, he rested one arm on the armrest and the other across the back. His fingers were merely centimeters from touching her. Wrapping his hand around the cool metal, it bit into his palm as he fought the urge to curl his fingers through her dark strands.
“They started growing up from the cliffside some time after Thao… died.” He cleared his throat from the emotion clogging it at the mention of his best friend and Gia’s twin brother.
“I didn’t come here for a while after the accident, but when I came back, the flowers had already taken over the path. ”
The dense bushes with their indigo flowers blocked off the edge, making it completely inaccessible to anyone daring to leap over its edge.
It seemed claiming Thao’s life had sparked an overgrowth—or perhaps it was because the people of Willowbrook were forbidden to jump off the cliffs following his death, which had allowed the flowers to grow in their natural habitat without being trampled by eager teenagers.
Just as well. The bushes probably helped to prevent any unnecessary accidents.
The sound of Gia sniffling was loud in his ears despite the wind. He clamped down on the bench to stop himself from yanking her into his arms and demanding she tell him what was wrong. Here, it was clear what was upsetting her.
She had finally been brave enough to see her brother, but all traces of him were gone.
Well, not all.
Gia hadn’t noticed the plaque his arm inadvertently covered.
“I miss him so much.” Her whispered voice wobbled with unshed tears. Involuntarily, his fingers wrapped themselves in the long strands of her soft hair, offering her a small bit of comfort as she processed her emotions. No doubt she had expected to peer over the edge.
No good could come from her imagining Thao’s suffering. She did not need to be reminded of the jagged rocks protruding from the mountainside, or the bed of rocks blanketing the bottom of the cliff before disappearing into the dark waters.
“I know. I miss him, too.” It was hardly any consolation. Despite how close he had been to Thao, he couldn’t even fathom what Gia had felt when her twin and other half had been ripped away from her in this lifetime so abruptly.
The last time he’d seen Thao, he had a wide grin on his face as he walked backward toward the edge.
Jake had watched Thao do this a dozen times before.
Hell, he’d been foolish enough to go after him, too.
Something was different this time. Thao misjudged his steps, and instead of leaping over the edge, he lost his footing and fell backward.
Jake and Gia tried to warn him, but it had been too late.
His hand had been millimeters from Thao’s reaching fingertips.
By the time Jake peered over the edge, Thao had disappeared.
With Gia’s screams in his ears, he’d leaped over the edge and dove into the dark water.
He’d lost sight of Thao as he free-fell in the air.
The cool wind rushed past him as he took one big breath before plunging into the lake.
The shock of the cold water against his skin had stolen the breath right out of him.
He swam in circles looking for Thao beneath the depths.
When he came up for air, he’d screamed for Thao while frantically searching for his face, but the only sounds he heard were his desperate echoes and the rushing water.
It had felt as if he’d been in the water for minutes, but it had been much longer. By the time search and rescue came, they had to pull him out of the water kicking and screaming. Gia had rushed down the trail and called for help, and had been screaming his name until her voice was hoarse.
The search and rescue team looked for days but could never recover Thao’s body. His family had to bury an empty casket.
After the funeral, he headed back to his empty house instead of going back with the Liens.
His parents had been out of town, so he had the house all to himself.
For the first time in his life, he was thankful to be alone in the house.
He’d been sitting in his bedroom in the dark when he heard tapping on his window.
Jake hoped it was Thao, coming back from the depths with a story of his adventure, but it had been his twin.
While his heart still skipped a beat at the sight of Gia’s beautiful face, it also filled him with sorrow and regret.
Will she ever forgive me for not being able to find Thao?
It had taken him more effort than necessary to get up and open the window. His muscles were still sore from his failed attempt at finding Thao. Once the window opened, Gia climbed in. Her lithe frame moved gracefully as she placed her feet gently inside his bedroom.
As he held her sobbing body in his arms, Jake wished he could take her pain away. Anything to soothe the heartbroken woman in his arms.
When her crying subsided, the silence stretched between them, creating a distance he had been desperate to close.
Gia made the first move, but he hadn’t stopped her as she planted a desperate kiss on his lips.
A kiss he’d never forget for as long as he lived, despite the circumstances.
He’d been hesitant at first, but her frantic hands on his body wiped away all sane thought.
One frenzied kiss led to another, until it was too late to stop.
Not for the first time, Jake wished he hadn’t slept with Gia after Thao’s funeral. The fabric of his reality had unraveled, and he’d been so desperate to keep his world from falling apart.
While he did not regret that his first time was with Gia, he never should have pushed her away when she needed him the most.