Chapter 9
Afew days later, I’ve gotten some progress done on the website, but the sweltering heat is begging me to go for a dip.
I head down the rocky path to the beach, my flip-flops slapping against the weathered stones. The wind whips my hair as I emerge from the cliffs to the shoreline. I shrug off my coverup and wade into the foamy surf, gasping as the cold water embraces my legs.
I plunge forward, swimming with sure strokes. The waves buoy me up and send me crashing down, the rhythm of the sea. I surface, blinking salt from my eyes, feeling alive. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of floating.
I want to stay in the water forever, but I suddenly glimpse a silhouette coming my way. Even though he’s still far away, I recognize Logan. He’s marching with a bounce in his step, looking like he’s in a great mood.
My stomach does a flip as I look at him approaching. It’s been a few days since our outing at the restaurant, and I haven’t seen much of him since. I occasionally took breaks and walked around to stretch my legs and potentially run into him, and even went to grab a drink at the lodge a few times, but every time I came back disappointed.
We did text a bit, but he couldn’t skip out early from work. I do still see him every evening at the bench, though. We sort of fell into this ritual without speaking a word about it. Every evening, I make my way to the bench facing the coast, and I’m always the first to arrive. But I never wait too long alone before Logan joins me.
We’ll always chat a bit about how my writing is going, the renovations at the resort, and anything in between. But often, we’ll just drift into silence and listen to the waves crash and roll through the pebbly beach below. And it feels so right.
I did try to ask why I haven’t seen him around this week, but he’s been squirrely about it. He keeps circling back to supply runs for the renovations without going into too much detail, so I don’t push him. But the way he tenses up ever so slightly when I ask gives me the impression that there’s something he’s not telling me.
And that’s his right. It’s not like he owes me anything. I’m already lucky enough that he wants to spend time with me.
Logan is nearly at the waterline when I realize I’ll have to get out of the water in my bathing suit with him here. I’m suddenly self-conscious. With me being so short, the few extra pounds I’ve gathered as I’ve been approaching my thirtieth birthday aren’t so flattering. It’s not such a big deal, and I normally don’t make a fuss about it, but now I’m slightly petrified at the idea of being so exposed in front of Logan.
“Hey,” he calls out. “The water good?”
“Frigid,” I reply, just as a wave pushes me forward a bit.
Dreading the moment I’ll be uncovered, I start to make my way out of the water. To avoid the waves that swell near the shore, I’m at least ten metres away from the edge of the water. It was one thing to get there, but it’s quite another to get back out. The closer I walk to the shore, the bigger the waves are getting.
I spread my arms on both of my sides to balance myself, trying to focus on the way I’m moving my body instead of the fact I’m half-naked in front of Logan. I raise my eyes to see if he’s looking at me.
Big mistake. The distraction takes my focus away from my proprioception and a wave hits me from a weird angle, pushing me straight into the water. I cough and flail my arms in surprise, and before I know it, Logan is knee-deep in the water, holding on to me.
He’s got one hand on the small of my back and the other around my arm. My skin burns where he touches me. “Come on, here we go,” he grunts as he helps me up and out of the water before the next wave has time to get us. Soon we’re both away from the shore and standing on the dry pebbles, but I’m still coughing up seawater.
What a rookie mistake.
“You okay?” I’ve got both hands on my knees as I’m lurching forward, but I raise one hand to give him a thumbs up. Then I finally straighten up and see him looking at me.
His eyes travel from top to bottom, though I can see he’s trying to do so in a subtle way. But it’s not subtle at all. He stops for half a second on my middle, where my high-waisted bottom leaves a small strip of skin uncovered. I feel my face flush and immediately turn to pick up the towel I left on a nearby boulder.
His mouth is open in a soft O, and he finally blinks and looks away. I swallow the lump in my throat as I wrap myself in my towel to hide what shocked him so much.
Ugh. I hate when my anxieties get confirmed.
His footsteps against the pebbles ring out behind me. He’s getting closer. “You sure you’re good? Looks like you swallowed the whole ocean. And you look cold.”
I don’t turn to face him yet. Instead, I look out towards the ocean and take a deep breath. “I’m good. But, yeah, it’s gonna take me a while to warm up, even with the sun being so strong.”
I can move past this. I can ignore it. It’s not like he’d be the first to not like what he sees. Jasper would consistently point out I was gaining weight and that I should be more careful.
So I plaster a smile on my face and turn to face Logan. “So yeah, I’m gonna go change.”
He looks embarrassed, like he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. So he crosses them in front of him, right below his hips. “Great, okay. And …”
I don’t speak, giving him time to continue.
“I know you’ve probably had enough water drama for one day. But something came up and I thought you’d be interested?”
“What’s up?”
He perks up. “The Zodiac place five minutes from the resort had a group cancellation. The owner, Yasser, always calls me when that happens in case people from the resort want a last-minute bargain ride.”
I smile, liking the sound of that.
“So I thought we could take it for ourselves,” he continues. “Hopefully riding around the water inspires something for your contract thing.”
I want to say yes right away, but one doubt crawls in to stop me. “For ourselves? You know how to ride this thing?”
His eyebrows shoot up as if he’s offended I’ve doubted his abilities. He puffs up his chest. “Of course. I’ve done it a few times when Yasser let me. It’s pretty simple.”
I cross my arms, careful not to disturb the towel. “Hmm. It does sound tempting.” And that much was true. In fact, nothing sounded better than going out in the open waters for a little adventure. I’ve missed being on a boat.
Hey, maybe we’ll even see a whale. If that doesn’t give me some inspiration to inject some life into this website copy, I don’t know what will.
But at the same time, I don’t know if I feel like spending time alone with Logan right this second. I’m still feeling slightly hurt from the look he gave me. But it doesn’t seem like he noticed, and really, it’s not a big deal. Didn’t I say I just wanted to be friends?
“It sounds tempting because it’s pretty awesome,” he continues, raising his eyebrows even more. “So come on, what do you say?”
Whatever. I need to get over it. “Yes, let’s do it.”
* * *
After I get changed into some activity-appropriate clothing—some shorts and a tank top that dry quickly—I meet Logan at the lobby, where he’s putting something in the trunk of his car. He stands back up and motions for me to get in the passenger seat.
“What do you have there?” I ask him as I point to the trunk.
“Just a few snacks in case we get hungry.”
“Oh, now you’re speaking my language.”
Before I know it, we’re on our way and already there. I think Logan exaggerated when he said this place was five minutes away. He probably meant five minutes on foot, because we’ve barely been on the road thirty seconds when he turns into the parking lot of a small, old-looking building. Beyond the building, I can see the docks lined with boats of all sorts: sailboats, fishing boats, and yes, a few Zodiacs, of course.
Excitement bubbles in my chest. Even though I’ve been to the ocean a few times, I’ve never actually been on the ocean. The closest I ever got was when Jasper and I took a vacation to Costa Rica and I begged him for us to go on the catamaran excursion, but it never happened. He’d preferred the four-wheeler excursion instead, and for some reason, he ended up winning the argument.
But this isn’t the time to think about Jasper. I nearly jump out of the passenger seat of Logan’s car and start sprinting towards the docks. “So which one is ours?” I yell out without even turning to look back at him.
“Wait up!” he yells back. “We need to sign some paperwork with Yasser first.”
I turn back around to follow him inside the small building, where we sign our waivers. Logan assures me this is for legal reasons and that there’s no actual danger.
Behind the counter stands a jolly-looking man with salt and pepper hair and a wrinkled face creased with laugh lines. He has a tidy mustache and warm, twinkling eyes. I assume this is Yasser. He pipes up to add:
“I’ve been running this business for thirty years, and we’ve only ever had two incidents!”
Instead of making me feel at ease, his comment adds a twinge of uncertainty to the whole thing. I hadn’t really been feeling nervous before he’d said anything, but now …
I turn to Logan and cross my arms. “So you’re sure you know how to operate this thing properly?”
“Of course. Come on.” Now it’s his turn to cross his arms. “Besides, it’s really not that complicated. Any idiot can drive that thing.”
“Not any idiot,” Yasser interrupts. “Remember Ollie?”
“Oh, right.”
I frown. “Who’s Ollie? What happened to Ollie?” My breath starts to speed up. “Are you trying to make me nervous on purpose or what?”
Logan chuckles and places a hand on my shoulder. The sensation immediately soothes me. I’m tempted to move in closer and lean my head against his chest, but I hold back. “You don’t have to worry about it. Really, it’s fine. We’re gonna have fun.” He drops his hand away and turns to face Yasser. “So we’re good to go?”
“Yup!” Yasser hands a pair of keys to Logan. “She’s all yours.”
I’m no longer as giddy as I was before now that these two men have seeded some doubt about the safety of the whole thing. Still, I follow Logan outside and towards the docks. I stare out toward the sea. Beyond the wavy shore, the waters seem relatively calm. There’s a flock of seagulls circling nearby, filling the air with their cries. It’s a beautiful, sunny day. A perfect day for such an outing, actually.
This will be fun. Yup.
“Which one’s ours?” I ask Logan as we make our way on the shaky docks.
“This one right here.” He stops right in front of a large yellow Zodiac big enough for … I don’t know, fifteen, twenty people?
My eyes go wide. “Are we going to be heavy enough to hold this thing down? It’s huge!”
Logan laughs and hops on board to deposit the lunchbox of snacks he brought along. “It looks light because of the inflatable sides, but you don’t have to worry. This thing’s not going anywhere. Unless we get a tornado or a hurricane or something … which rarely happens.” He steps back out and extends a hand. “You can go in first, and I’ll untie it.”
I take his hand, and a spark runs through me. I go still. “You good?” he asks, his brows furrowed.
“Yup, yup,” I reply as I nod, maybe a little too enthusiastically. I step over the side of the Zodiac, which is quite a feat for my short legs. Good thing Logan is holding my hand to give me a boost, otherwise, I would have probably fallen right into the water.
“You can get settled anywhere,” Logan tells me as he starts to work on the knots. I look around the Zodiac—although it’s roomy, there’s not much seating space. I assume people would typically stand during most of the trip. But one large seat extends at the back, and two seats are next to the captain’s spot. I make my way to one of those two seats, although the one in the back looks more comfortable.
Why?I ponder the question as I sit. Did I sit here to be closer to Logan? Obviously, and that’s not good news. If I’m already too obsessed to sit far away from him, I don’t have a chance. So I get back up and make my way to the seat in the back instead. I glance back at Logan. Luckily, he hasn’t witnessed any of my awkward back and forth. He’s still busy focusing on the knots.
It only takes him a few minutes to finish up and hop on the Zodiac. He’s not that tall, but in comparison to me, his entry looks easy. Then I remember he has done this several times before.
Logan opens a metal chest near the side of the boat and brings out two lifejackets. He throws one my way. “Bundle up.” We both put on our lifejackets, and Logan takes the captain’s seat.
He shoots me a glance and a smile. “You ready?”
I nod, trying not to smile too hard. The previous anxiety I had about his skills is completely gone. Evaporated. The way he confidently smiles at me, the way his hazel eyes warmly twinkle in my direction, the way he looks like he was born to be here …
I want to melt.
Focus, Avery.
Logan starts up the motor, which starts rumbling below my seat. The vibration is soothing, almost meditative. And before I know it, we’re driving away from the docks, speeding toward the blue waters of the North Atlantic.
The wind starts to pick up, and I notice my hair flying all over the place. I laugh and try to tame it with my hands, but it’s useless. I give up and let it whip against my face. Logan glances back at me and grins, his focus returning to the waters ahead.
The scenery is breathtaking, with the sun shining down on us and the waves crashing against the side of the Zodiac. It feels like we are in our own little world, away from whatever is bothering me.
We’re going faster now, speeding along with the wind in our faces. Logan looks over at me, a gleam in his eyes. “Hold on tight,” he yells out.
I grip onto the side of the Zodiac, feeling the rush of adrenaline course through me. The water splashes up onto me. I feel utterly alive.
Logan expertly maneuvers the Zodiac, making sharp turns and sudden stops that send us flying. I scream with delight, feeling exhilarated by the sudden rush of speed and freedom. The wind whips my hair back in a frenzy, and I feel wild and reckless, like anything is possible.
We race along the coastline, weaving in and out of the rocky cliffs that jut out from the water like jagged teeth. As we get further out to sea, the waves grow larger, and the Zodiac begins to buck wildly in the choppy waters.
“This is awesome!” I yell to Logan, not even sure he’ll be able to hear me through the wind.
But he does hear me. He turns back and gives me a toothy smile and a thumbs up.
I can’t resist anymore. I want to be close to him. I want to tell him how exhilarating this is—how much this is what I needed. So I stand and make my way to the seat next to him, feeling the waves rocking beneath my feet.
As I sit down next to him, I can feel the electricity between us. Logan turns to look at me, and the intensity in his eyes makes my heart skip a beat.
He reaches out and gently tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers grazing my skin. I shiver at his touch.
“Are you having fun?” he asks, his voice barely audible over the sound of the wind and waves.
I nod, unable to find my voice. The rush of adrenaline coursing through me leaves me breathless and speechless.
Logan leans in closer to me, his lips almost brushing against my ear. “We can make it even more fun,” he murmurs, his hand sliding down my arm and intertwining our fingers together.
Before I can respond, he expertly maneuvers the Zodiac, and we shoot off towards the horizon again. The waves crash violently against the side of the boat, drenching us with salty water. But I don’t care. I’m too caught up in the feeling of his hand in mine, the rush of the wind on my skin, and the sound of his laughter as we fly across the waves.
As I catch my breath, I glance over at Logan. He looks over at me with a grin, and I feel myself flush under his gaze.
That’s when I notice how the waves have grown even larger, crashing against the Zodiac with a force that sends us flying. But Logan expertly navigates us through the stormy waters, his eyes never leaving the horizon. I can feel his strength and confidence radiating from him, and it’s comforting to know that he’s in control.
Only a few seconds later, I detect a shift in Logan’s mood. His grip on my hand tightens, and he stares out at the water with a furrowed brow. Then he lets go of my hand, suddenly fully focused on steering this thing.
Seeing him not so sure of himself, I’m suddenly terrified. When did the sky get so dark?
The clouds overhead had been gathering for a while, but I hadn’t paid much attention to them, too caught up in the rush of the waves and Logan’s touch. Now, though, I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. The storm is coming, and we’re out here in the middle of it.
I try to suppress the fear that’s rising inside me, but it’s no use. These waves are growing larger by the minute, and the wind is picking up speed. The Zodiac is starting to rock violently, and I can feel the panic rising inside me.
Logan’s face is set in a grim expression, his jaw tight as he tries to navigate us through the storm. Suddenly, a huge wave looms up in front of us, and I can feel my heart stop in my chest. We’re going to capsize. This is it.
But just as quickly as the wave appears, Logan expertly steers the Zodiac towards it, riding the crest of the wave like a pro. I scream with both fear and exhilaration as we soar over the top of the wave, the wind and rain whipping against my face.
When I look up, I see Logan frantically trying to regain control of the Zodiac. Although his eyes show terror, he remains composed and collected. I don’t know if he’s doing it for my sake, or for his own, or if that’s just how he is. Then he must see the look of terror on my face because he screams at me:
“You okay?”
“I’m fine!” I scream back. “Just focus on getting us back to shore!”
“On it!”
The next few minutes feel like hours as Logan navigates us through the storm, and the rain pours on us like the apocalypse is coming and there’s no tomorrow. Unable to stop myself, I burrow myself into Logan’s side and I hug his middle as tightly as I can. I have no idea how long I keep on holding him like this, but I pull away when I finally hear him curse loudly.
I look up at the same place he’s looking, and I freeze as I see the huge wave coming our way.