Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Maxinne
The kayak rocks gently beneath me as I follow the others across the creek. Sunlight flickers through the canopy of trees overhead, scattering ribbons of gold across the water. The only sounds are the steady dip of paddles and birds calling from deep in the woods.
“You okay back there, Maxinne?” Luke shouts from over his shoulder, his voice carrying easily across the water.
Even though this is my first time kayaking, I don’t feel like I’m struggling to keep up. My paddle moves with a steady rhythm, the motion becoming familiar in my hands. I lift my chin and nod, a grin pulling at my lips.
“Keeping up just fine, thank you,” I call back.
A flash of humor crosses his expression before he returns to his paddling. Olivia, who’s drifting off to my right, flashes me a thumbs up. She’s been my unofficial cheerleader this entire kayaking trip. Her bright, sunshine-y energy is impossible not to absorb, and I’ve felt lighter because of it.
“You’re a natural,” she sing-songs, her freckled face brightening.
“We’re almost to the end,” Zane announces from the front of our pack, twisting in his seat enough for his eyes to find mine, and he gives me a grin that sends my pulse racing.
We haven’t talked much since we pushed off from the bank, but somehow, we haven’t needed to. Every glance we share feels intentional, and yet, more questions seem to find their way into my thoughts.
What do those looks mean? Am I imagining the weight behind them because I’m reading into things? Is Zane feeling this too? We’re stuck in this space between what’s been said and what hasn’t.
I ponder these recurring questions as the kayak glides forward with little effort, the current doing most of the work.
The water beneath me is clear enough that I can see smooth stones and strands of moss drifting lazily below the surface.
Every dip of my paddle sends small ripples outward across the water, each one easing something tight inside my chest.
Zane floats a few feet ahead of me, his kayak angled toward the bank, and he laughs at something Luke says.
The sound of it bounces over the water. Olivia has fallen back now, her paddle resting across her lap as she trails her fingers through the creek, creating lazy spirals that fade almost as quickly as they form.
I like that none of us are in a hurry to end our time together.
I hadn’t realized how much I needed a day like today. Zane came knocking on my door this morning, and I expected to see his niece standing with him, but instead, he asked if I wanted to join him and a few friends for kayaking, seeing how I’d mentioned wanting to try it a couple weeks ago.
Of course I said yes. Kayaking has been tucked away on my mental bucket list since I arrived in Covewood. This is something I never would have considered in the city, but after having a taste of it, I already want to plan our next adventure.
Eventually, the creek widens, and Zane lifts up a hand to wave at us, signaling the end of our route. I steer toward the bank, my feet slipping into the cool water as I climb out and haul my kayak onto shore.
The sun is warm against my shoulders, and I tip my head back, close my eyes, and inhale a deep breath. When I open my eyes, Zane is beside me, lifting his kayak and nudging it into place with his foot.
“You did it.”
“I did.” I nod, pushing damp hair back from my face as a smile spreads across my lips. My arms feel pleasantly heavy from the effort, my heart humming with leftover adrenaline. “And I loved it.”
He bumps his shoulder into mine, the warmth from his sun-kissed skin sending a zip of awareness through me. “I knew you would.”
“Thanks for inviting me.”
“Of course.” He tips his head toward our parked vehicles, where Luke and Olivia are standing in a tight embrace, oblivious to the rest of the world. “If you hadn’t come, I would’ve been stuck third-wheeling it with those two lovesick puppies.”
He winces for effect, and I chuckle.
“That would’ve been tragic,” I say solemnly.
“But really,” he adds, turning back to me, his voice dropping enough to seem more private. “We wanted you to come. Luke and Olivia like having you around.”
“Just Luke and Olivia?” I ask, lifting a brow.
He shrugs, the corner of his mouth curving up. “No. Not just them.”
His expression softens, the edges of his usual teasing easing into something that’s meant only for me.
“I, uh—” Zane starts to say when Luke cuts our conversation short.
“Do y’all wanna grab some lunch?”
Zane looks away first, but not before his fingers brush against mine as he reaches for his towel. “Of course.”
While the two of them discuss our next plans, I reach into the small waterproof bag clipped inside my kayak and pull my phone free right as it begins to vibrate. I see my mom’s name light up on my phone’s screen.
“I’ll be right back,” I excuse myself before taking a few steps away toward the trees.
Placing the phone against my ear, I answer, “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, honey.”
Her voice sounds normal as we fall into easy conversation.
I fill her in on the day, ask her about work, and let the familiar rhythm of it carry the discussion.
Then something changes in her tone. There’s a slight pause before she answers.
The way her words come out a little too quickly, like she’s trying to keep up with her breath.
“Are you feeling okay?” I ask finally.
She pauses for a moment.
“I’m fine,” she finally says after a loud exhale. “I’ve just been tired. I probably pushed myself too hard this week at work.”
The words feel as if they land physically on top of my shoulders, and guilt squeezes against my throat.
I’ve spent this summer trying to mend one broken relationship with my parent, never realizing the other one was quietly fraying at the edges.
Mom and I haven’t stopped communicating, but I hadn’t noticed I created some space between us, until now.
“You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?” I press, wondering if this is partly my fault.
“Of course,” she says, softer now. “I’ll be okay. I just really miss you.”
“I miss you too, Mom.”
“How is Ashton doing?”
I shrug, even though she can’t see me. “He’s busy with work, but he’s doing good. I know it’s been a big help for him to have me here. I’m glad I came.”
There’s another pause before she clears her throat. “I’ll, um… I’ll keep counting down the days until you’re home again. Listen, I’m going to try to rest and see if that helps me feel better.”
“Call me later, okay?”
“Okay, I will. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
We hang up, but the unease lingers, settling into my bones like a chill.
I stare down at my phone, replaying every word of our conversation.
Mom hadn’t once tried to convince me to come home.
She hadn’t reminded me that summer would be over before I knew it or asked about my plans after college started.
She’d only told me she missed me and was counting down the days until she could see me again.
It should’ve felt like progress, but instead, it leaves a knot in my stomach. I think about her not feeling well, working too hard, and sitting alone in that house. I’ve always been there for her. How can I find a way to be there for her now while I’m three hours away?
The question presses in on my chest as I turn to make my way back toward the group.
I barely take two steps before I realize I’m not alone.
I turn and am startled to see Zane standing right behind me.
I clutch a hand to my chest, and he gives me a quick, apologetic grin.
It fades almost immediately as he looks at me, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me.
“Sorry, I was coming to check on you. Is everything okay?” he asks quietly, concern etched across his face.
I nod, even though I’m not entirely sure it’s true. “Yeah. I think so.”
He nods and gestures over his shoulder, toward where Olivia and Luke are laughing near the kayaks.
“Are you ready for lunch?”
The offer feels like a lifeline. I take a steadying breath, pushing the spiral of thoughts aside for now, and reach for his hand. His fingers close around mine easily, anchoring me like he always seems to do.
“Yeah, I am.”
I pause before we take a step, as something flutters at the edge of my vision.
Zane stops and looks around until we both spot a cluster of butterflies near the water’s edge.
Their wings catch the sunlight in flashes of gold and soft white.
They hover low, drifting in lazy, weightless patterns before rising and flying toward our face.
A giggle slips out of me as one brushes past my arm, another circling near my shoulder before lifting higher. They move as if they’re part of the air itself.
“Zane…” I whisper, not taking my eyes off them.
But when I glance over, he’s not watching the butterflies. He’s watching me, his expression soft, almost in awe.
“Of course,” he says with a smirk. “It figures they’d find you.”
My lips curve as another butterfly drifts by us before disappearing into the trees.
Zane gives my hand a gentle tug. “C’mon, Butterfly.”
“And then, Zane”—Ashton pauses for dramatic effect, leaning back in the booth with a grin—“decided he was going to save us all from a rogue raccoon.”
My brows lift. “A raccoon?”
Zane groans beside me, already shaking his head. “Can we not tell this story?”
“Oh, we absolutely are,” Wren says, popping her last fry into her mouth. “This is one of my favorites.”
Zane invited Ashton and Wren to join us for lunch, a decision I’m sure he’s regretting right about now.
Olivia laughs. “Edna came over in a full panic, saying that there was something in her attic scratching around. She was convinced that whatever it was, was going to fall through the ceiling. Zane and Ashton were over at my house, so naturally Zane went over to help her out.”
“Let me just say that I didn’t stay back because I was scared. I was being smart,” Ashton adds, as if that’s going to convince us he wasn’t being a scaredy cat.