Find Me (Immersed Book 1)

by Francesca Riley

  Ethan stopped next to her. “I’m out of shape!” he puffed, his perfect sun-bronzed physique giving the total lie to the statement. Skye couldn’t summon the energy for an eye roll.

  “Come join us?” he invited. “We could use the help. Kind of outnumbered here.” As he spoke he lobbed the other ball lightly to her, but it was so unexpected, the ball glanced off her head instead. She laughed at Ethan’s horror-struck expression.

  “Ow – Skye – I’m so sorry!” He darted past her to retrieve it. “I didn’t mean to do that. Guess I was distracted to aim so bad,” he added. She didn’t miss the implication. “You’re okay? No bruises?” He stooped a little to peer into her face and she shook her head, feeling her face heat. Smiling, he held the ball out to her. “Free hit? Promise I won’t duck.”

  Skye smiled, and put her hands on the ball, pushing it back towards him. “Thanks, but I’m good. Even this close I’d miss. Couldn’t stand the humiliation, you know?”

  “Yeah, I know,” he laughed. “All good. Maybe later?”

  “Sure,” Skye said, although she wasn’t exactly sure what she was agreeing to. She picked up her shoulder bag and looked around for Morgan. There was still no sign of her.

  “You are staying, aren’t you?

  “Actually, I’m kind of done,” she said shortly.

  “Already?” Surprising her, he dropped the ball at his feet and sat down. He nodded to the sand beside him. “It’s way too early to bail. C’mon, give the night a chance.”

  She hesitated, then dropped her bag and sat down again. “Well, I guess I can give it five more minutes,” she drawled to make it sound like a chore. She regretted her choice immediately as Amber appeared, Jasmine in tow, both dripping from their swim and looking like they’d stepped out of a swimsuit calendar shoot. The waves emptied as others straggled out to rest and warm up.

  “Ethan, I thought you were coming back in,” Amber complained as she looked around for her towel, shivering a little. Ethan tossed a towel to her. “Maybe later,” he smiled, a repeat of his suggestion to her, Skye noted.

  Mollified, Amber made a show of drying herself off, enjoying the full attention Ethan gave the performance, and followed it with an equally drawn out show of settling herself on the sand. Jasmine copied her and Skye found herself back at square one: her, Ethan, Amber and Jasmine. She discretely slipped her sandals on and reached for her bag.

  Ethan must have been watching for an escape attempt. “You don’t seriously think you can leave before Morgan shows?” He looked around. “Where is she anyway? It’s kind of her farewell party too.”

  “Farewell?”

  “In a way. She’s leaving school without graduating. And she’s pretty much losing summer. I know what those café hours are like.”

  Skye felt as if she needed to defend her. “Morgan’s a force of nature. She knows what she wants, and that’s what she goes for.”

  “And what about you, Skye?” Ethan’s tone dropped to a more serious cadence. His shoulder brushed hers as he leaned in, studying her face. “Would you go after what you wanted, come hell or high water?”

  Skye looked at him, surprised, then away to the shifting deep blue of the late afternoon sea. “Maybe...” she answered, her voice low, her eyes searching the waves rolling in. Then she went still. Had she just seen…?

  Her insides contracted. It looked as if a head ducked below the waves. Or was there more than one? Leaning forward, she followed a dark ripple in the foam-laced space between waves. It was impossible to tell without going closer, and she didn’t want to draw attention.

  She forced herself to lean back. Amber and Jasmine played Ethan something on a phone. He watched the small screen for a while, his head close to Amber’s. Skye could practically feel the delight radiating off her. But the mood became icy seconds later when he took the phone and replayed the clip for Skye.

  She politely feigned interest until she recognised the event. It was the day of Morgan’s ‘intervention’, and her own public flip-out right here. The day she’d seen those weird swimmers fail to help the drowning girl. She could point them out, ask who they were.

  She scrutinised the miniature game playing out on the screen, following the panning screen shot she recalled Jasmine filming. Then more ball game, and a quick blur as the phone flashed around to catch the trajectory of the flying ball. Her heart began to patter. They weren’t there.

  “Could you play that back?” she asked Ethan.

  “Sorry Skye,” Amber leaned forward, “I don’t think you’re in it. Jaz only filmed the water.”

  Skye ignored the dig as Ethan tapped the screen and handed her the phone. She stared at the tiny moving images. In the shot of the ball game, bobbing just in and out of the top of the screen was the drowning girl, arms flailing and sinking. Alone. The weird, watchful group weren’t there.

  Had Jasmine been right? They were a hallucination? An image of the blond boy in the group, water dripping from his curls came into her mind. He’d seemed to look directly at her. She could recall him clearly. Not out in the waves, but close to her, as if they’d stood face to face. The beating in her chest intensified, and nausea stirred faintly through her.

  She passed the phone back to Ethan, hoping he didn’t notice her hand trembling, and became aware of Amber and Jasmine whispering together. Amber stood and drew a sarong about her, knotting it at her waist. “Skye, do you want to walk to the rocks with me?” she asked. “Jasmine’s got a sore foot, and I really want to check out the rock pools before it gets dark.”

  Skye was surprised, but after a moment’s hesitation, agreed, and stood, brushing off her dress.

  “Sore foot?” Ethan asked Jasmine.

  “Ouch, yes. I think it’s a splinter or something. It really stings...”

  They left Ethan inspecting Jasmine’s foot, an exaggerated wince of pain on her face.

  A short time later, clambering over the rock ledge Skye pondered Ethan’s question about going after what she wanted. What had he meant? She couldn’t figure him out. Flirting was like breathing to him, but was there anything behind it? He seemed to be with Amber, but the way he looked at Skye sometimes, she had to wonder.

  She crouched to peer into a large rock pool, and Amber did the same. As if having read her passing thoughts, Amber spoke. “So…bit weird that Morgan organises this with Ethan then doesn’t even show, don’t you think?”

  Skye looked at her blankly. “Last minute emergency. She’ll be here.”

  “Oh, is that it?” Amber said. “’Cos it just made me think. It’s kind of like she set you up to be here alone. Well, not alone. With Ethan. Almost like a date, but less obvious than that, right?” She stood and moved around the rock pool, staring into the water as if fascinated by it.

  Skye frowned. Would Morgan really do that to her?

  “Skye, do you like Ethan? I mean – are you interested in him?”

  Skye stood up and stared at Amber who looked mean, embarrassed, and defensive all at once. She nearly laughed. Were they eleven years old? “Why are you asking me this?” she said. “Aren’t you together?”

  “Of course.” Amber looked uncomfortable. “Well, not officially.” She ‘tsk’d’ in exasperation. “We aren’t like, ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’,” she made exaggerated quote marks with her fingers, “but we practically are. We’re as good as.”

  “Then why does what I may or may not feel matter?” Skye said.

  “Well,” Amber hedged, “It’s just...you’re you.” At Skye’s blank expression, Amber cast her eyes skywards in frustration. “You’re all, like – rescue me, I’m a helpless waif, I have this dark mysterious past, and I’m so gorgeous.”

  It was so ludicrous Skye did laugh. “Are you joking?”

  Red patches had appeared on Amber’s cheeks. “Ethan’s a total sucker for helpless. He doesn’t even like Jasmine and he can’t do enough for her right now just thinking she’s got a splinter. And with you all tragic and ethereal, it’s just so unfair. You�
�re totally manipulating him into thinking he likes you.”

  Skye froze. “I have no control over stuff that’s happened to me. I didn’t lose my mother as some sort of dating ploy, and I would never use it, especially not to play anyone. And I’m not helpless or anything else you said. If I’m such a threat, maybe you need to get a clue – maybe ‘he’s just not that into you’.”

  They glared at each other. After a moment Amber deflated. “Whatever,” she sneered.

  “Exactly. Whatever,” Skye replied coldly. Amber turned away with a flounce and clambered back to the main beach. Skye leaned against the rocks at the foot of the bush clad hill. She was furious. How had she fallen for the tiniest flicker of friendliness she thought she’d seen in Amber’s offer? Idiot!

  The prospect of what could only be a disastrous evening was dismal. Morgan might be a no-show, and if this was a taste of things to come she could do without it. She gazed out at the Bay. A fleeting movement that didn’t seem anything to do with waves caught her eye about twenty feet off shore. She stared, but saw only lace-scribed foam sliding off the curve of low waves, and beyond, deep blue picked out in occasional whitecaps. But her thoughts hummed along a well-worn path that led to storm-grey eyes.

  Keep away.

  Ciarlan Cove was her old stomping ground, and her mum’s. Who did he think he was, with his bossiness and damned ambiguities? She could get some space from this train wreck party there. If he happened to see her, well, she had every right to be there, or any place at all for that matter. And if she did see him she’d tell him so. She tried to ignore the flare of happiness she felt at the idea of seeing him, even if just to scold him.

  16. A Leap

  To Skye’s annoyance, the ball game had spread to this end of the beach, and she stepped off the ledge into a crowd. She threaded her way through them towards the saddle.

  “Ooh, are you going for a walk?” a girl called. Turning, Skye recognised a few of Morgan’s friends.

  “Uh – I was just going to...”

  “Cool, we’ll come too.” the girl pulled her friend along behind her towards Skye, “I’m dying to check out Ocean Beach.”

  “Me too. Has anyone got a surfboard?” her friend called as she was towed along.

  Feeling awkward, Skye led the way into the saddle. Glancing around, she saw that a large contingent of the ball game had joined them. She had to admit, the older guys brought a lot of laughter to the group. The mood of the walking party was elated. But a party wasn’t what she had in mind.

  Skye felt desperation growing. She couldn’t bear to lead this crowd to Ciarlan Cove. But neither could she stand to go with them to Ocean Beach. They’d nearly reached the path to Ciarlan Cove: it was now or never. Casually, she crouched as if to check her sandal, letting the group overtake her. They rounded the next bend, and she was alone.

  Swiftly she took the faint path towards the hillside. The still air was scented with honeyed scrub. Bird song and cicadas’ chirping sounded muted. The hilltops above her caught the late sun. The long dry grass, pale as old bone, slapped against her legs, seed-heads catching in her borrowed dress.

  Faint shrieks from the walking party followed her. A fierce desire to be free of the tortuous afternoon gripped her. She didn’t even want to hear it. She picked up her pace.

  Soon her footsteps clattered echoingly through the stone archway, and she stepped down onto the empty sands of Ciarlan Cove, cool with pale shadow. The sea was louder here, the crash and hiss of the waves thrown back by the encircling walls. She paused and gazed at the craggy rock face broken by the odd determined tree, each streaked below with cormorant droppings. The towering hillside seemed brooding, watchful. Skye turned away, dismissing a stir of unease.

  Kicking off her sandals, she walked to the far side of the beach and began climbing out on the higher rocky outcrop there. A shock of spray doused her feet and legs, spattering the bottom of her dress. Was this smart? But the tide was still on its way out. She had hours before it would turn.

  Hearing an echo of stone on rock, Skye glanced back. Two figures had emerged from the distant arch. She frowned; she didn’t want anyone else around right now. But there was nothing much for anyone here. She didn’t see fishing rods on them. It was unlikely they would stay long. And she couldn’t leave without looking for...well, she just couldn’t leave yet.

  Continuing along the outcrop, after a minute she glanced back and felt a stab of alarm. Closer now, the two looked like Ethan’s older friends from the beach party. They didn’t seem to be looking in her direction. Maybe they didn’t even know she was here? But even if it was them, it was a free country. She’d wanted the Cove to herself, but two extras were better than a whole crowd.

  But as she continued, her sense of unease grew. She looked back once more. The outcrop and beach were empty, just the waves, and gulls hovering and wheeling. Relieved, she guessed they’d left, maybe gone on to Ocean Beach.

  Soon she reached the end of the outcrop. Drawing in deep breaths, she noticed the cooler air. The low sun had dipped behind a cloudbank above the horizon, the sea a patchwork of navy and purple. The pull of the water was strong as she gazed at the shifting surface. But so was the fear of it that snatched her breath.

  She felt stupid. Why had she thought coming back to Bannimor, to this beach was a good idea? It was like playing with a razorblade. Time for a bus trip home, whatever she left behind.

  But as she began to turn away, out of the corner of her eye she saw shadows move through the transparent arc of a wave backlit by an escaped ray of sunlight. She craned forward on tiptoes, heart racing. Then a sudden prickling on the back of her neck sent a spike of warning through her. She whipped around.

  “Hey, baby...”

  She couldn’t prevent the yelp of alarm that belted out. The two older guys from the beach party smiled down at her. They looked harmless enough. One dark, one fair, both cute, tanned. The usual beach types, smiling easily.

  “You left the party pretty quick. Not feeling like company?” He sounded ordinary.

  Skye shook her head. She swallowed, trying to ignore the sense of dread seeping into her. They were okay, she told herself. They were Ethan’s friends. Practically hers.

  “It’s all right. We just want to talk.”

  Why did he say that? Her heart began to thud. Why hadn’t she just waited for Morgan?

  Before she could form any sort of reply, she heard the most incredibly welcome sound. Across the beach a trickle of people made their way out of the archway, pausing before jumping onto the sand. The walking party had found its way to Ciarlan Cove.

  Skye felt rubbery with relief. The two guys glanced at each other and turned away. She began to climb after them, intent on re-joining the group. Maybe Morgan was among them? Skye would stick to her like glue until they got back to the apartment.

  “Watch out!” one of the guys, glancing back, called as her foot slipped on the rock. She managed to keep her balance, and flashed a glance of gratitude towards him. A good guy, of course he was. Her paranoia was laughable.

  He hadn’t moved any further, watching her speculatively, and his answering smile made her skin crawl. Then to her utter dismay, she realised that Ciarlan Cove was emptying.

  She felt a cry, a ‘don’t leave me here’ bursting its way out of her chest, but all that came out was a squeak of air, more like a sigh than anything. The furthest of the two guys came loping back over the short distance he’d covered, nudged the one watching her and jerked his head towards the distant archway where the last of the party goers disappeared. Both guys turned to her.

  A chill that had nothing to do with the fading sunlight bit deeper than her skin, and she clenched hands that trembled at her sides into fists, almost unconsciously preparing to defend herself. Why hadn’t she pushed past them and run while the others were there instead of trying to think positive? Why had she set off alone at all? Stupid, stupid.

  “That’s better. We’re not much for crowds either. Why don’
t you come back to the sand? We can talk better there.” They both looked wired, edgy.

  Part of her wanted desperately to believe the words. Please let them be good guys hummed like a buzzing fly through a brain that had otherwise slowed to a crawl. But her stomach squirmed with warning, and another part of her mind raced on a loop, showing her no way past them, no escape behind her, and hissing the need for both. Her heart pounded.

  “We heard about you back there. Can’t swim?” He looked at the water beyond her, then back to her. His mate laughed softly. “So why not just relax – and let’s all have ourselves a time. You can start by losing the dress. This is the beach...”

  This could not be happening! Her insides churned, but anger flared. What the hell gave them the right to act like this?

  “Come on baby, let’s do this.” Strange how much more chilling such an ugly look was on a handsome face.

  She turned desperately to face the sea as the sun broke through the cloudbank, and searched the waves for some miracle like Hunter, or a boat of surf rescue guys coming to save the day. But there were only scattered rocks, jutting from the water like blackened teeth barred in a foamy grin.

  Skye looked towards the guys as they stepped closer. Her mind became intently focused. She’d done self-defence at school. If her back was to a wall, no escape, she would fight with everything she had.

  But she had a path of escape they wouldn’t expect, and the crashing of the waves spoke it to her clearly. She’d saved Emma. She would save herself. Without hesitation she turned to the open arms of the sea and leapt.

  She soared through golden light then plummeted. Catching the crest of a wave she hit the surface and sank like a stone.

  As cold water closed over her head, it was like entering two worlds at once. Somewhere in her mind dark roaring breakers tried to enfold her in the promise of icy death, while she blinked up through gold-lit bubbles streaming to the luminous surface. Swirling water pulled at her dress, tangling it round her legs, while its bitter taste reminded her of exactly where she was and why.