Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Jade
I eat breakfast the next morning while sitting on the veranda gazing at the surf, a plate of pastries and sliced fruit next to me, hot coffee in a mug.
It still hurts that I can’t get out there into those pristine uncrowded waves, but I’m getting used to it.
Sort of. My leg feels better, the wound starting to itch. Hopefully it’s healing quickly.
I’m heading in to see the doctor for a check-up today, and have fingers crossed he gives me the all-clear. Usually the ocean is where I go when I need to think, and right now there’s a hell of a lot on my mind. But being near it will have to do, I guess.
I stare out at the rolling waves and try to sort everything out in my mind.
Zach, first of all. I finally plucked up the courage to read the latest batch of messages he sent me.
I sat there in the near-dark last night, alone in my big bed, the breeze catching the mosquito netting so it billowed around me like a cloud.
It was utterly romantic, not really the place to read break-up texts.
Because we are well and truly done, now.
I’ll always love you, too. I fucking love you now. And you’ve broken me, Jade. I can’t believe this is it. We’ve split up before, but we always find our way back to each other.
I’d thought for a while before replying.
Not this time. I’m sorry, Zach.
It felt awful to be that harsh with him.
Will you at least tell me where you are?
What, so you can come here and try to talk me out of it?
Try and fuck you out of it. I miss your ass, Jade.
He just couldn’t resist. Zach was always gonna be Zach. I rolled my eyes.
Are you telling me you don’t have someone in your bed right now? Please don’t send me another photo if you do, by the way
None of them hold a candle to you
Sweet, I guess. But too little, too late. As well as confirmation that I broke up with him just over a week ago and he’s already been with multiple people. Meanwhile all I’ve had is a kiss in a cave and I feel bad enough about that, for god’s sake.
Yeah. The kiss. That’s the second big thing in my mind. Even though it was just a few moments – a few delicious, horny moments – it’s taking up rather more of my thoughts than I’d like. Especially as it doesn’t seem likely to happen again.
We shouldn’t be doing this. That seemed pretty definitive, I guess.
But it doesn’t stop me thinking about the way Axel’s lips felt on mine, or his hard body.
Or imagining what it might be like to have those lips on other parts of me.
I might have thought a little too hard about it last night, ending up tangled in my sheets, panting, my blood roaring like the ocean outside.
I’ve never got myself off based on just a kiss from someone. Until now.
So I need to sort that out, whatever it is.
I take another bite of pastry, sipping my coffee.
It’s more brunch than breakfast – I slept late for what seems the first time in a while, especially considering I didn’t have a drink – and so the sun was pretty high in the sky by the time I opened my eyes.
I glance along the beach past Axel’s house, to where the land begins to rise.
I imagine a glossy hotel there, built in a traditional Indonesian style, an infinity pool overlooking the ocean.
I can see how a developer might think it was a good idea, and in some ways it is.
If it’s done properly, it could enhance the island.
But it’s also a slippery slope. One hotel will lead to more.
More hotels will mean more people and this place becoming crowded, no different from the other holiday islands in the archipelago. The magic would be gone.
And the cave with the sacred spring would be closed off to the very people who have protected it for millennia. Turned into some sort of exclusive spa for tourists. That I can’t allow.
But what am I supposed to do? I earn a lot of money, but I don’t have enough to help Axel.
I know that’s what he wanted, and part of why he showed me the cave.
But I have other responsibilities. Which is why I’m still chasing sponsors, why I know I need to go back to reality sooner rather than later.
As though on cue, my phone vibrates.
Hey, what’s going on? Heard you broke up with Zach and took off. You okay?
Half of my Heart.
I stare at my phone for a moment, tears in my eyes.
Hey. Yeah, it’s true. I’m all right though. Hiding out in Indo. How are things with you? Don’t you have exams coming up?
Yeah. It’s cool. I plan on acing them. I just want to make sure my baby sister is okay.
Baby sister by twelve minutes.
Every second counts. If we were royalty, I’d be the heir
Good thing we’re not then. Buttheads don’t tend to make good kings
Sassy women don’t make good queens.
A pause.
Actually I take that back. You’d be an excellent queen
Glad you recognise my greatness. Did you get the stuff I sent?
Yeah. All good. Paid up until the end of the fall semester.
Three little dots appear.
Love you, you know
I do know. Love you too
Just take care of yourself. And, for what it’s worth, I liked Zach but I also thought he was kind of a dick
Yeah. Me too
And there it is. The reason I don’t have the money to buy the land next door.
I’m paying for my twin brother to attend an Ivy League university; tuition, accommodation, the works, plus a trust fund for later.
He’s all I have in the world. He kept me safe when we were younger, protected me from the world.
Defended me against Mom’s shitty boyfriends, stood up to my bullies in the playground, held me when I cried.
Stayed to take care of Mom when I left home, determined to follow my dream.
He’s been my rock for my entire life. So now I’m taking care of him.
Mom isn’t in either of our lives anymore.
I don’t really know where she is. Last I heard she’d left California and moved north to Washington State, no doubt following some man.
I kept tabs on her for a while, thought about helping her out financially.
Came close to it one time, when she showed up pretending she was sorry for everything that happened.
She soon showed her true colours, threatening to sell childhood photos of me to some magazine.
I’d laughed, and asked her what kind of photos she thought she had, considering she was drunk most of the time.
It was cruel, I know. But she made our lives hell for so long, her drinking and abuse too much to take.
I got Jasper out as soon as I could – yeah, Mom named us both after rocks – and set him up instead.
I need to figure out another way to help Axel.
Maybe we could do some sort of fundraising or something.
With my social media reach I can probably raise whatever money he needs to save the land.
But there are issues associated with that, and I need to tread carefully, especially as time is limited.
Maybe the island council will vote against the offer anyway, but the way Axel looked so worried makes me think otherwise.
I can understand it, too. Whoever owns the land will want the money, and there will be businesses on the island that would benefit from more people coming here.
I can see why the collective might think it’s the right thing to do, especially if the cave shrine isn’t really in use anymore.
It’s a lot to think about. I stare at the ocean, hoping the rolling waves might help me untangle it all.
Axel
I smooth the edges of Jade’s board, admiring the fluid lines. The new fibreglass tip and repairs needed time to set, which is why I took a couple of days off to take her around the island. A lie I keep telling myself.
Fuck. I cannot stop thinking about that kiss.
How her tits felt, pressed against my chest. The warmth of her, the softness, the way she smelled like flowers.
And the way her lips felt on mine. Like they belonged there.
Like there was nowhere else they should be.
I’m getting hard again just at the thought of it. Which is crazy. It was just a kiss.
Yet it also felt like a promise, like the beginning of something more.
And my whole being shies away from that.
Well, it’s supposed to. That’s one of the barriers I set up, when I stepped away from the world.
Yet when I’m with her, I get the feeling of an approaching storm, the way lightning seems to crackle between us.
Jade is a force of nature, and I don’t think I can withstand her. I need to try, though.
I also wonder whether or not she’ll be able to help.
She’s one of the highest-paid surfers in the world.
The land for sale isn’t hugely expensive, considering what it is.
A few hundred thousand dollars. Yet what it holds is priceless.
I know she felt it, saw the awe in her wide eyes.
And sorrow, when I’d told her what was going on.
I hope I’ve done enough. I feel like shit, though, like I took her there on false pretences.
But the truth is, I wanted her to see the cave, even if she doesn’t end up buying the land. I wanted to share it with her. I won’t pressure her. Still, guilt nibbles at me as I work on her board, giving it a final polish. The day is almost over, and I want to see her again.
I’ve missed her.
Christ. I close up the shop, Jade’s board, wrapped in bubble wrap, under my arm. I carry it back to the compound, wondering if I should just leave it outside her cabin with a note.
Feels like a chickenshit move.
Still, my throat is tight as I walk up the three steps to her door. I set the board down, leaning it carefully against the veranda railing, and knock. Maybe she’s not here. Maybe she went for a walk to watch the sunset.
Yeah, sure she did. I can hear movement inside the cabin, the soft pad of feet. The door opens, and she’s there.
Holy shit.
She’s wearing loose sweatpants, gathered at the ankles, sitting low on her hips. Her tank top is tight, the same turquoise blue as her sweatpants, and she’s not wearing a bra. Her long blonde hair is loose around her tanned shoulders, her face clean of make-up. My groin stiffens.
“Uh, I brought you this.” I clear my throat. I know I’m on a tropical island but I’m sweating more than usual. “Your board.”
Jade squeals, throwing her arms around me.
“Thank you so much!” She releases me just as suddenly, going over to her board and crouching down, sliding the bubble wrap from it carefully.
“Holy shit.” She runs her hand along the gleaming side of it, glancing up at me, her eyes wide.
“I don’t think it’s ever looked this good. ”
“It’s a beautiful board. Even with how old it is.” I’m not lying. When I was repairing it, I found the faint signature of a legendary California shaper from the seventies on the underside of the board.
“It’s my favourite.” I swear she has tears in her eyes. “It was a gift. From someone.”
My stomach tightens. I’m still hoping it wasn’t a gift from her boyfriend.
I might have done a bit of googling late last night when the Wi-Fi was working.
Saw quite a few posts indicating they’ve broken up, but it’s none of my business, plus, half of what’s on the internet is bullshit anyway.
She is here alone, though. But all I say is, “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” She jumps up, her hands to her mouth. “I’m so rude! You’ve done all this work, let me get you a drink or something.”
“It’s fine,” I start to say, but she’s disappeared into the cabin. I hear her rummaging around, the clink of glasses, the buzz of the blender. She emerges a few moments later with two large glasses filled with a frosty red drink, a strawberry popped on the rim of each one.
“Daiquiri?” She quirks her eyebrow at me. “You know how much I enjoy them.” She grins, holding out a glass.
I laugh, because she’s mad in the best possible way, and take the glass. “Cheers.” I clink my drink with hers.
“Cheers,” she says. “And thank you. For everything. For the board, for rescuing me the other night, for taking me around the island, for letting me stay here. I owe you, Axel Black.”
The sunset sky reflects in her jade green eyes. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I want to tell her she doesn’t owe me a thing, but that if she wanted to give me anything, I would like very much if she’d let me slide a hand inside that tank top she’s wearing, and maybe kiss her a bit.
Instead I take a sip of my drink. “Shit.”
“Too strong?” She sits down on the step, patting the timber next to her.
“No. Yes. Maybe.”
“Sorry.” She giggles. “I’ve never been good at measuring. I can make coffee if you prefer.”
“This is fine.” I sit down next to her and take another mouthful, trying not to look at her tits.
Yes. It’s fine. Everything is fine.