Chapter 12
TWELVE
Sam stood rooted to the spot with four pairs of eyes staring at him like the exhibits they spent their mornings cleaning out at the aquarium.
His mind a total blank. Thankfully, Wolfgang’s mum sprang from the chair and embraced him in a death hold.
Sam stared over her shoulder at Wolfgang who had the decency to be hanging his head.
Just as Sam thought oxygen might be a distant memory, she withdrew and he gulped the air down.
“You saved my boy’s life,” she said, planning a kiss on his cheek. “I will never be able to thank you enough. When I heard what had happened, we got the first flight here.”
Wolfgang’s father came over and gave Sam a manly handshake complete with shoulder clap. “Thank you.”
Claudia returned to her post on the bed. Once again clutching Wolfgang’s hand and beaming up at Sam.
He needed to get out of there. His survival instincts were finally kicking in.
“I…I got some bits for you,” he said directly to Wolfgang. “I’ll leave them here.”
His plonked the bag onto the bedside cabinet.
“Oh Sam,” Claudia exclaimed. “You are too kind. Wolfgang. Isn’t he kind?”
Sam didn’t take his eyes off Wolfgang, who muttered something. Sam’s body was rigid with anger at the mere sound of Wolfgang’s voice. He would not lose it in front of these worried people.
The person in his sights remained the lying snake lying in the bed they’d made their own world for the last few hours. He prayed Wolfgang could feel the rage boiling. It would be waiting for him. The first chance he got.
Wolfgang’s mother rifled through the bag. She pulled out the bottle of wine.
“Now I don’t think this is a good idea,” she said. “I know what you boys are like.” She handed it to Sam. “I think you deserve this.”
To Sam’s horror she then held up the condoms and lube he’d bought when he’d been under the impression they would be up all night.
Wolfgang’s eyes flickered.
Worried I’ll let the cat out of the bag, Wolfie?
Sam snatched them out of her hand. “I’m so sorry. Those are mine. You…uh…you can keep everything else.”
With a reason to escape, Sam backed away to the door. The blood rushing in his ears deafened him and he needed the solace of his room. Immediately. “I’ll leave you to it,” he stammered. “I should be studying.”
With one final glare for Wolfgang, Sam forced a happy face on. “I take it you won’t be coming to work tomorrow. I’ll tell them you’re…otherwise engaged.”
He stormed out of that room, across the hallway and into his own. Adrenalin coursed through his body as he flung himself onto the bed.
Fiancée?
Of course they hadn’t had a conversation about the future and Wolfgang owed him nothing. Sam would’ve expected the simple matter of a future wife to have come up by now.
He sprang up and paced the room. His rage needed an out.
The notion of Wolfgang across the way being tended to by a doting family when he’d been fucking Sam in that very bed made him feel physically sick. With a shaking hand, he opened the bottle of wine and took a healthy slug.
I need to get some air.
Grabbing his wallet, he let the door slam behind him as he stormed down the stairs.
Let him hear it. Let him know.
Bar Bruno was his destination. Not in the mood for fancy cocktails, he ordered a beer with a sambuca chaser. The barman studied him, amused.
Sam conceded that four o’clock in the afternoon might be considered early for such an order. But the barman hadn’t had the day Sam’d had.
After three rounds, the world became slightly fuzzy. He would have gone for a fourth. However the locals were watching him with such fascination he decided the bottle of wine at home was a better option.
He was starving too. So once again he got some bits on the way home. This time it was chocolate heavy. Now he needed comfort over celebration.
Everything was quiet on the third floor. Then Sam stopped dead in his tracks. A note had been stuck to his door. He ripped it down and stormed into his room.
Wolfgang’s handwriting said To Sam on it. Who else would it be for? With trembling hands, he sat down on the bed and opened it.
Sam, my parents have rented an apartment by the beach. I’m going to stay with them there for a while. Could you let Ruben know I will be in when I am better?
W.
The clinical way he’d simply communicated his plans made Sam’s heart ache.
He scrunched the note up and threw it in the bin.
How did I let my stupid head run away like that?
Being on the back of the boat without Wolfgang was bleak. They’d put a new motor on. Sam couldn’t take his eyes from where Wolfgang had fallen.
Wonder who cleaned the blood from the deck.
“Are you okay?” Ruben asked.
He’d offered to stand in for Wolfgang as he recuperated. He sat next to Sam and handed him a bottle of water.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sam replied, snapping the bottle open. “It’s been a rough few days.”
Ruben stared out to the sea he’d dedicated his life to. Beautiful sunshine dappled on the waves as they bounced through them. Sam easily understood how Ruben had been entranced.
“You didn’t need to come in today,” Ruben said. “Shock is a terrible thing.”
“Don’t worry about me. Tough as old boots really.”
Ruben frowned. “You don’t fool me.”
They sat in silence as the boat sped toward the day’s target. It didn’t take long before Miguel cut the engines.
Ruben stood.
“You can show me how tough you are now,” he said with a wink. “Let’s find these bloody squid.”
His attempt at an English accent made Sam chuckle.
It was petty but a large part of him wanted to find the squid today. That would show that lying snake.
They put their tanks on before diving into the water and down into the depths. It took Sam a second to get his bearings. He saw Ruben pointing to an outcrop. The seabed lay quite a way below them. The rocks reached up. Inviting investigation.
Maybe the sea gods are giving us a sign.
They set off together. The water was crystal clear and everywhere teamed with life.
A large conger eel wriggled its way through a clump of weed.
Upon approaching, both divers instinctively slowed down.
They carefully worked their way around. All the while searching in every crevice. Nothing of interest appeared.
Ruben set off to another one. Just as Sam went to follow him, something caught his eye. A deep ravine cut through the formation. Sam shone his torch into it. There, at the bottom, a sole squid bumbled along.
He swam closer. The spots looked like the ones they’d been studying.
His heart pounding, he tried to get Ruben’s attention. He was examining the next crop over. Sam gingerly reached in and lifted the squid, who didn’t seem all that bothered.
Nestling the squid in the crook of his arm, he had a closer inspection.
Yes! It’s our squid.
Ruben must have seen him fiddling with something and swam over. He stared hard at Sam’s new friend and stuck his thumb up.
They’d done it. They’d found one.
Imagine if we find a whole family of these blighters.
Sam’s immediate reaction was to swim deeper. But Ruben pointed to the surface. Pushing his excitement down, Sam nodded.
They swam in tandem. Sam careful not to disturb his charge too much.
Once safely on the boat, Miguel and Ruben pored over the squid who had settled quite nicely in the sample bucket. Sam sank down on the bench.
The initial glee at finally finding one had given way to guilt. Finding it without Wolfgang felt like a hollow victory. No matter what had passed between them.