by CoraLee June
“No. But I’m sure she’s fine. You know her and Chase get out of everything. She probably got a slap on the wrist and is sleeping off all the alcohol in her system.”
“Fine. Just please be careful. No parties for a while, okay?” He wouldn’t have to tell me twice. I had no desire to go to another party for a while. I wasn’t even sure I could look Chase in the eye after what I did last night. My cheeks flushed at the memory of watching Celeste go down on him. I’d be avoiding him until the rest of forever.
“Okay,” I replied. I pulled out my phone to see if Violet had texted me yet, but I had gotten nothing. No tags on Instagram. No snaps of her with the caption of #Ijustwokeuplikethis. Usually, Violet was blowing up my phone with selfies and memes. She was probably still sleeping, like I told my dad. I shot her a quick Morning, sunshine text that I knew she would see when she woke up, and put my phone back in my pocket. She never replied to my text last night.
Dad pulled at his collar and coughed. “Good. Your mother is working an extra shift at the hospital tonight. I spent all night sorting through gear, and I figured we could test some of it out. You game?”
Mom was a nurse at the only hospital on the island. She worked a lot of hours, especially when the surf shop wasn’t doing well—which was most of the time here lately. A bigger surf shop moved in two blocks from us, and most of the tourists had started going there. Dad and I were working on upping our marketing game. “Yeah. I’d love to,” I replied.
“I’ll meet you at the shop. Have a good day,” Dad replied before slipping away.
The surf shop was on the smaller side. The outside was painted a yellow that used to be bright but was now faded by the sun. Years ago, we commissioned a local artist to paint a mural of the ocean on the side where we rented out surfboards. There were waves with perfect peaks and happy dolphins jumping into the sunset. The inside was cozy with soft blue walls. Along with surfboards, we sold wax, bathing suits and touristy souvenirs. It smelled like Mr. Zogs pineapple wax and sunblock but felt like home.
I absolutely loved it here. At a young age, Dad included me on the business side of things. He taught me about inventory, helped me research the best gear. He let me make flyers and even design the logo. I practically knew everyone on the island, thanks to our little slice of heaven. When I wasn’t in the ocean, at school, or with Violet, I was here.
I was about two hours into my shift, taking inventory and dying of boredom. Nobody really came into the shop this early in the morning. Most avid surfers were already on the water at sunrise and moseyed here for the late afternoon. Tourists trickled in sporadically, but since it was Saturday morning, most of them were sleeping off hangovers from the night before. I was a little surprised when I heard the bells on the door chime, signaling that someone had come into the shop. I looked up from the pile of little sea turtle keychains I was counting to see Chase standing by the door. He was looking around the shop, and when his eyes met mine, I could feel myself blush. Images of last night flooded my vision. There went my plans to avoid him.
“Have you seen Violet?” he asked, skipping any pleasantries. “She’s supposed to be working now, right?”
“I haven’t seen her,” I replied. “I told her last night that I would cover her shift this morning.” I could see the concern in his eyes.
“So she’s not here? Have you talked to her? Do you know where she is?” he fired at me rapidly. Chase had black circles under his eyes, like he didn’t sleep at all last night. I watched him fidget.
“No, she’s not here, and I haven’t talked to her since last night. What’s going on? I thought she was with you.”
“Can you just check your phone again?” Chase asked while running a hand through his light brown hair.
Chase and Violet had that weird twin juju. They could always tell when the other was hurt, sad or sick, so seeing him worried freaked me out. One time, when we were kids, Violet got this weird urge to ride her bike by the pier. Sure enough, Chase had crashed his bike and broken his leg. I never doubted their connection after that.
I immediately opened my phone to see if I had any calls or texts from Violet, but there was nothing. There weren’t any updates on social media from her either. It wasn’t like Vi to go off the grid. She was the type that shared every meal on Instagram and thought you were mad at her if over three hours had gone by without a text.
“Nothing,” I murmured. “Do you think something happened?”
“I don’t know. Maybe? Probably not. It wouldn’t be the first time she slept off a hangover or disappeared for a couple of days. She usually at least texts me, though. I tried calling Kai, but he didn’t answer. She could be with him, but I just have a weird feeling. Usually she checks in,” Chase answered.
“You didn’t see her last night? After the party got shut down?” I asked.
Chase anxiously pinched the skin at his throat before tossing me a tight smile. “Celeste and I disappeared for a bit.”
“Ah,” I replied. I didn’t need any further details.
“I was hoping she’d be here, but I should have known better. I think sometimes she enjoys telling people she has a job more than she likes actually working.”
I laughed. “Amen to that. But she does bring in the surfers,” I teased. “She has quite the fan club here.”
Chase smirked. “I doubt they come just for her, Breezy Baby.” I blushed, then changed the subject.
“You’re right,” I said with a smile. “My dad is a legend around here. They come for him too.” Chase shook his head with a casual roll of his eyes, and I continued. “She’s probably with Kai. You know how those two are. He took me home last night. Maybe he went back for her? They were arguing at the party and probably wanted to make up properly.”
Chase cringed. “TMI, Breezy. Fucking Kai. I’m convinced she’s dating him to piss me off. Yeah. You’re probably right. I’m just worried. Last I saw her, she said she would check on you. How’d you get out, anyway?”
“I was about to go through the woods by your house to avoid the main road. Ran into Kai, and he offered me a ride.”
“Fuck,” Chase grumbled. “I’m glad you’re okay. I’m sorry you had to go with that asshole. I would have driven you if I wasn’t breaking up that fight. Fucking football players. These parties are getting way out of hand. Last night was insane.” Chase challenged me with his stare, as if prompting me to comment on just how insane things had gotten.
“Look,” I said before gulping in air. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about things, but the awkwardness between us wouldn’t go away until I did. “About last night.”
Chase broke out into a sly grin. “What about it?”
I didn’t want to go into detail about what I’d seen, but I felt I at least owed him an apology. “I’m sorry. I was just…”
“Curious?” he offered. “Curiosity isn’t a bad thing, Breeze.” He leaned over the countertop, his face just inches from mine. I bashfully tucked some hair behind my ear and gnawed on my lip.
“It was…”
“Hot?” he answered for me. “You can say it. Did you enjoy watching us? Did you like how I fucked her mouth?”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. I wasn’t expecting his filthy mouth to say that. Now was not the time for that. “It was inappropriate of me. I’m sorry,” I replied, ruining the mood. Chase let out a slow exhale, staring at me with his playful eyes for a moment longer before pulling away.
“No worries, Breezy Baby. I’m happy to give you a show any time.” I averted my eyes and fought a blush. “I’m going to go back to our house and see if she showed up,” Chase added with a grumble. “If you hear from Violet, please let me know? I’m sure you’re right, but I’m still worried. She’s probably just fucking with me since I brought Celeste last night. It was my birthday, too, ya know?”
“Let me know if you find her,” I replied.
Chase left me alone to worry about Violet. Even though I was trying to convince him she was fine, I was really trying t
o convince myself. I didn’t believe my own lame words as they were coming out of my mouth. Violet always called or texted me at night. Especially after a big party that got shut down by the cops. She would have been dying to tell me what happened.
I scrolled back through all the social media channels that Violet was most active on, trying to pinpoint the last time she posted anything. It looked like she posted a selfie on Instagram during the fight that broke out. Her face, perfectly framed by lustrous curls, was the primary focus of the picture, but in the background, it was easy to see the chaos. It impressed me that she stopped to take a selfie, which was actually fifteen selfies trying to get the Insta worthy shot, and then uploaded it while everything was complete pandemonium behind her. Her eye makeup was still smeared, but she smoothed it for the shot. Her eyes were playful and endearing.
I tried calling Violet, but it went straight to voicemail. She probably didn’t charge it. That girl lived on seven percent battery life.
I triple checked my texts and phone log to make sure I didn’t miss something. I didn’t, but I was willing a missed call to magically appear on the screen. The bells on the door chimed again, breaking me out of the spell of searching for any trace of Violet.
“Hi, peanut,” my dad greeted me cheerfully as he strolled in.
“Hey, Dad. Have you heard from Violet?”
“No. You were the one to tell me she wasn’t coming in today, remember?” he joked with a light chuckle.
“I’m getting worried. Chase came in looking for Violet, and I haven’t heard from her since the party. It’s just not like her.”
My dad’s smile faded, the concern on his face visible. “Are you sure she’s not just sleeping it off? From the way you described it, it sounded like last night was a doozy.”
Leave it to my dad to say the word doozy.
“Yeah,” I said, lacking any enthusiasm. “I’m sure you’re right. Chase went to look for her.”
“Well, then let’s try not to worry about it too much until you hear from Chase? How does catching a quick wave sound to distract you until he calls?”
I stared longingly at my board. “I’d love to, Dad, but I would feel better knowing where Violet is. Would you mind taking over at the shop so I can go look for her? I bet she’s passed out at Kai’s, but I want to make sure.”
Dad frowned. “I don’t like you spending time with Kai, Breeze. He’s trouble.” I rolled my eyes. My father has had an issue with Kai ever since Violet invited him to a cookout. I couldn’t blame him. Kai had danger practically seeping from his pores.
“I’m not going to spend time with him, I’m just going to look for Violet. Please?”
“Fine,” Dad grumbled before pressing his lips into a fine line and crossing his arms over his chest.
“Thank you! Can I take the Jeep?” Kai lived a few miles outside of the main city, and I didn’t want to ride my bike on the winding uphill road.
“Sure. Bring it back in an hour, though.”
I circled the counter and kissed my dad on the cheek with a grin. He fished the keys out of his pocket and handed them to me. “Thanks, Dad. Be right back.” I then jogged out the door and slid into the front seat of the car, hoping Violet was just up to her usual antics and cashing in on some waves and orgasms.
Kai lived in a converted school bus on the beach. He bought it after graduation last year and refurbished it into a tiny house he could park wherever he wanted. I remember Violet going on and on about how good he was with his hands, winking while discussing the flooring she helped him pick out or the leather couch they found at a thrift store that fit just right. Kai parked wherever the surf was and drove his truck to his job as a cook at one of the local tourist trap restaurants. He lived a simple life. I think it was why Violet loved him so much. She came from dinner parties and designer clothes. Her parents permanently moved to the island because every day was paradise when you didn’t have to work.
As I drove up to where I knew he was parked, I looked around for Violet’s Mercedes and frowned when I didn’t see it. Kai’s bus was painted a teal blue and almost blended into the crystal clear water. He parked it on an elevated piece of grass overlooking the horizon. I hopped out of the Jeep and strolled over to the door, knocking. I tapped my foot while waiting for an answer, then frowned when no one did.
I peered into the windows, looking for any signs that Kai and Violet were inside. There were no lights or sounds coming from the bus. I turned to face the ocean and scanned the beach. That’s when I saw Kai riding a perfect wave. I checked the time on my phone; it would cut it close, but I could make it.
I stripped off my T-shirt and shorts, thankful that I always wore my bikini under my clothes when I worked. I grabbed the shortboard I kept stashed in the Jeep and jogged out to the shore. I tried waving to get Kai’s attention but wasn’t surprised when he didn’t notice me. I couldn’t even blame him. It was a perfect day for surfing. The sun was blazing over us, and the water seemed to have a mind of its own, gracing surfers with waves to drool over. I could have lost myself in a day of riding the barrel waves, but I was still worried about Violet, plus I needed to get back to the shop. So instead, I ran into the water and paddled out into the ocean. I absolutely loved the feeling of being on my board like this, my arms working to move me through the water, and the sound of waves breaking all around me.
I paddled hard, yelling his name as I went. Soon enough, I was almost right on top of him, but Kai still didn’t see me until he had to swerve to avoid a collision with my board.
“What the fuck!” he exclaimed. “Breeze? What the hell are you doing?” He was obviously confused. We took a second to get to an area of flat water, our boards bobbing in rhythm with the ocean.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you. I wanted to see if Violet was with you?”
Kai gestured to the ocean and sarcastically asked, “Do you see her here?”
He ran his fingers through his wet hair, pushing it back from his face. He looked like a god with the sun glittering off the water droplets on his tan skin. I refused to find Kai attractive. As my best friend’s boyfriend, he was strictly off-limits. My mind just didn’t go there out of respect for Violet. But out here, there was no denying the power in his presence. He had hard muscles carved to perfection, a result of a lifetime of working out and riding waves.
“I don’t have time for your attitude. Nobody has seen or heard from Violet since the party. I’m really worried. Do you know where she is or not?” I demanded an answer from him while trying to choke back the panic at the realization that Violet was not here.
“I haven’t seen her since last night. After I dropped you off, I went straight home. We were fighting at the party, remember?” I remembered them arguing about her drinking, but it wasn’t anything new. If anything, Violet would have been eager to come back here and make up.
My heart practically climbed up my throat. “What?” I choked out.
“Fuck,” Kai grunted before paddling toward the beach. I chased after him, pumping my arms quickly while trying to think of where she could be. “She wasn’t arrested, was she?” Kai asked the moment we were standing on the sand.
“No. Chase would have known,” I replied while wringing out my hair and racing over to my pile of clothes. I felt Kai’s cynical eyes on my back as I bent over to pull out my phone from the front pocket of my shorts. No notifications. No nothing.
I quickly dialed Chase. He answered on the first ring. “Did you find her?” he rushed out.
“No. I’m at Kai’s, and she’s not here. Chase, I think we need to go to the police.” I spun around to look at Kai, who was standing a foot away with both hands propped on his hips.
“Fuck. My parents are in LA right now. They’re going to kill me.” I seethed at his words. I didn’t give a fuck about him getting in trouble, my best friend was missing.
“I don’t care where your parents are. You need to call the police. It’s been almost twelve hours.”
�
��Yeah, yeah. Okay. I’ll call,” Chase replied before screaming, “Fuck!” I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at Kai, who had already pulled on a shirt and was stomping over to his truck.
“I’m going to drive around downtown. Maybe she went shopping,” Kai yelled. “Call me if you hear anything.”
I nodded and went back to my dad’s Jeep. There was no way I was going back to work. I dialed Dad, but it went to voicemail. I left a message. It was better to ask forgiveness than permission.
“Dad,” I began while starting the car, “Violet wasn’t with Kai. Chase is going to call the cops. I-I don’t know where she is. I’ll call you when I know more, but right now I need to look for her.”
After hanging up, I peeled away. I needed to go back to Violet’s house. Back to where it all started.
I pulled into Violet’s driveway, my breath catching when I saw her red Mercedes parked in its usual spot. A little sliver of hope shone through, and while I wanted so badly to believe she was upstairs sleeping off an interminable night, I had to remind myself that just because her car was here, it didn’t mean that she was.
After putting the Jeep in park, I hopped out and practically flew to the front door. I knew Chase wasn’t home, but I’ve had a key to their house ever since we were little. My parents worked a lot getting the surf shop going, and Vi’s were always gone, so I guess they figured we were safer unsupervised together than alone.
I was so focused on finding Violet that I almost didn’t notice the empty black BMW in the driveway. I wondered briefly if Chase had called the police, but they didn’t drive beamers. Besides, it really wasn’t that strange for there to be hungover kids and their cars leftover from the night before, sobering up.
As I ran up the steps to the Joneses’ wraparound deck, movement caught my eye. There was someone with long bleached blond hair peering into the windows.
“Celeste?” I asked. She must not have heard me coming, because she jumped like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
