by Kaia Knight
After class, she quickly stood up, putting space between Cristiano and herself. As she rose towards the aisle, he put a hand on her shoulder, holding her in place. “Some guys from the soccer team invited me to a burger place across campus. Want to brave American food with me?” His white smile flashed in stark contrast to his deep, russet skin.
A smile tugged at Kailani’s lips. “Hey, I am American.”
Cristiano’s gaze traced down her body, unabashed. “No, you’re of the ocean. Like me.”
A blush crept into her cheeks as she struggled to keep her voice light. “Hey, eyes up here, pal. Glad to know my roommate is a mermaid.” If he’s going to stare at me, he could at least be subtle about it. She stalked to the front of the classroom.
At her approach, the stern woman with pinched lips looked up at her. “Yes? May I help you Miss…”
“Kailani. I go by Kai.”
Her professor sniffed in response, as if finding her name ridiculous.
“I just wanted to apologize for being late today. I’m looking forward to your class.” If I stall long enough, maybe Cristiano will leave without me. She continued. “I’ve actually taken this class at a different university in my freshman year, but the credit somehow didn’t transfer over. I’m looking forward to it being easier the second time around.”
Her attempt at joking fell flat in the taut silence of the room. Disapproval etched even deeper lines on the woman’s face.
“So, you hope to coast through? Looking for an easy A, is that right? Students in my class work hard to earn their grades.”
“Oh! No, not at all, I just meant…uh...”
Cristiano slid into the conversation, flashing the professor a winning smile. “She was merely offering to help other students, like myself, who are new to the subject. We noticed you don’t have a teaching assistant, and I’m sure it is a lot of work to manage a low-level class with so many students.”
Her eyes appraised him, warming significantly. “Yes. It is quite a burden. Thank you for the offer, I will consider it.” Though her reply was meant for Kailani, she kept her eyes fixed on Cristiano. Turning, she began sorting through her briefcase, a clear dismissal for them both.
“Come on, Kai, we’d best go get started on our assignments.” He towed her out by her elbow, her mouth still opening and closing in shock.
As they burst from the hall into the sunshine of the quad, they looked at each other and began to laugh.
“Okay, I have to give you that one. You saved me big time.” Kailani punched his arm.
Cristiano rolled his eyes, looking back at the building. “She had it out for you.”
Kailani began to laugh harder. “I thought she was going to kick me out and have her way with you.”
Cristiano mimed a retching action and they laughed again.
Suddenly, a figure stepped into their path. “Kai?”
She halted in her tracks and was looking up into the deep blue eyes that had begun to frequent her daydreams. Gabriel was no longer wearing the coaching polo and his hair was wet. His eyes slowly dropped down to where Cristiano’s arm was linked with hers.
Kailani hurriedly slid her arm from his, standing up straighter. “Hey, what’s up, Coach? Were you just swimming?”
His eyes narrowed, and his hand instinctively ran through his damp hair. “Sort of. More scuba classes.” His eyes flicked between Cristiano and Kailani. “See you at practice, Kailani. Stay sharp.” With that, he strode away.
“He seems to enjoy sticking his head in your business,” Cristiano grumbled.
Kailani shrugged, lost in thought. “He’s my coach. To him, my health is his business.” Turning and looking over her shoulder, she watched him walk away. But I can’t help but hope that it means something more.
Chapter 14
Gabriel
Gabriel woke to the crunch of his teeth grating against one another, biting back a scream as he fought free of his twisted blankets. The air was heavy on his chest and the sheets were damp. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to shake away his last dream. But the image was waiting there, burned into his memory.
A hand, white with the cold, unforgiving pallor of the ocean, fading into the depths below. No matter how hard he kicked, it was always beyond his grasp.
He sat up, shivering. He glanced at the bedside clock, its red digits taunting him as they blinked. He frowned, digging under the pillow for his phone to check the time. Three in the morning. Great. It’s going to be a long day. Stripping his sweat-drenched sheets from his bed, he dragged them into the hall and shoved them in the washing machine, muttering to himself as he punched buttons with unnecessary force. He headed towards the bathroom to cleanse himself of his nightmare, but a blue, flickering light down the hall drew his attention. Lightly padding towards the main room, he peered around the corner where the television illuminated the living room in its hazy, fluctuating hues.
“Couldn’t sleep?” Eli drawled from the far corner of the couch, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.
“Nope.” He shivered, the sheen of sweat still visible on his skin.
“At least you didn’t yell this time. Usually I have to turn up the volume when you’re thrashing around.” His voice was teasing, but his eyes searched Gabriel’s with concern. When did my little brother end up taking care of me?
Gabriel rolled his eyes and threw himself into the couch with a sigh. “You should be thanking me for distracting you from late-night television. It’s all garbage.”
“Gotta stay up somehow, otherwise it throws my schedule off when I’m back at work.” Eli yawned and stretched. “The power went off for about an hour, I was sweating balls in here.”
That’s why the clock was flashing. “Yeah, I was pretty hot. Maybe that’s what triggered it.”
Eli eyed his brother cautiously. “How’s the rescue course going? Is it making it better or worse?”
Gabriel took a deep, shaky breath. He knew Eli was referring to the nightmares. “Better, actually. I think I’ve missed having something to work towards. I’ve been in the water for hours every day, and it’s all coming back pretty quickly. I’m just nervous for this weekend…it’ll be the first time I’ve been in the ocean since— ”
“Since then.”
Gabriel nodded.
“Want me to come?”
“No, I should be okay.”
“I guess what I should have said was, I’m coming along.” Eli grinned. “I need a break anyways. I haven’t taken a day off in ages. Where are you headed?”
“Devil’s Punchbowl.”
“Uh, dude, I don’t know if that’s the best starting place for you.”
Gabriel shrugged. “We’ve been practicing submerged rescues in the diving well on campus, but they want us to work in a more realistic environment, to run the rescue simulation in rough conditions. So they’ve been monitoring the weather for a decent storm—looks like we’ll have some pretty big swells this weekend.”
“Sounds like they’re trying to kill you. The Devil’s Punchbowl—how much clearer could the name be? We’ve seen that place during a storm.”
Gabriel nodded, his thoughts pulled towards that dark, tempestuous day, when the water churned in the collapsed sea caves of the Devil’s Punchbowl. Their dad’s voice echoed in Gabriel’s mind, ‘It will eat you whole and spit out your bones’.
Eli continued, “I was so young, the only thing I really remember is Nathaniel getting swept away. Dad was too busy lecturing you that he didn’t notice until you took off swimming to save him.”
Gabriel shrugged, a sense of unease itching at him.
“After you saved him, you were his hero. He followed you around like a puppy, signed up for the same sports, had the same friend group…”
“I don’t want to talk about this, Eli.”
Eli gave him a melancholy smile. “I guess, if the Punchbowl couldn’t handle you at eight-years old, it’ll have nothing on you now.” He punched Gabriel’s shoulder affectionately. “
What I’m trying to say is that this is what you were meant to do. Helping people comes to you like breathing. So don’t worry about this test, okay? If anyone can do it, it’s you.”
Gabriel nodded, looking down at his sweating palms. This conversation was pulling him to dark places he did not want to revisit. Standing with a grimace and walking stiffly towards the kitchen, he carried two bowls and the milk, a cereal box tucked under his arm over to the couch.
They poured cereal into the bowls and mindlessly watched the cartoon on the screen before them, and Gabriel felt the comfort of familiarity wrapping around him.
A door creaking down the hall made Gabriel jump, sloshing milk onto his lap as he quickly turned around. A redheaded woman clutching a sheet around her shoulders tiptoed to the bathroom, flicking the switch as she slipped inside. The angle of light across the floor narrowed, disappearing into a sliver as she pulled the door shut behind her.
Gabriel shifted and glared at his brother, dabbing at his soaked shorts. He whispered harshly, “Really, Eli? That’s not the same girl as last night.”
Eli shrugged, his face turning stony, and turned back to the screen.
“Does it really not bother you?”
“Hey man, I’m just having fun. I’m sure you could use a little of that too. You haven’t gone on a date in almost a year. No wonder you’re so tightly wound.”
“So, you think an endless stream of one-night-stands is the key to ‘having fun’?”
“Nope. I think your plan of isolation and self-inflicted punishment has been working just great.”
Gabriel stood up. “I’m doing the best I can. Okay?”
Eli rolled his eyes. “Hey, I know that. Sit back down. Stop being so damn touchy. So, you haven’t gotten any action?”
“Dude!”
Eli snickered. “That’s a hard no, then. Though I’m sure you’ve been doing a little bit of this.” He made a rude gesture with his hand. “Is that why you’ve been taking such long showers? So funny how they randomly coincide with you getting home from practice, or right after we saw Kai at the ranch the other day.” He ducked, avoiding the pillow that Gabriel chucked at his head.
Eli laughed, clutching his stomach. “Ha! Your neck is turning red. You totally have.”
Grumbling, Gabriel stood up once more and strode into his bedroom, pulling the door shut behind him to drown out the trailing end of Eli’s laughter. Quickly gathering his gear and shrugging on his coaching uniform, he headed towards the bathroom. A light still shone out of the bottom of the door. Not like I need to brush my teeth or anything. Desperate to get out of the house, he grabbed an apple for the road and rushed towards the door.
“Say hello to Kailani for me,” Eli cooed, making smooching noises as Gabriel fumbled to find his car keys.
Gabriel started his truck with a rumble, stifling a series of yawns. Even driving slowly through the sleepy town, he arrived almost forty-five minutes early as he stepped into the deserted natatorium. Walking into the thick, heavy quiet of the pool deck, he hummed softly to break the silence. His keys jingled noisily as he worked the office door open, a wave of cool, dry air hitting him as he stepped inside. He settled into the chair, laying his head on the wooden desk. Maybe I can get a few minutes of sleep.
“Morning, kiddo!” Steve flicked on the office lights as he dropped his clipboard on the desk with a loud clatter.
“Ugh, Dad. It’s too early.” Gabriel mumbled and he sat up, rubbing his hands down his face. How long was I out?
Steve’s eyes narrowed. “Still not sleeping well?”
Gabriel shrugged, still shaking off his nap.
“It’s because of that diving stuff. I don’t know why you’re doing it, anyways.”
Here we go again. Clenching his jaw, Gabriel fought to keep his voice light. “Hey, Dad? Could we not go there right now? I’m tired and honestly not in the mood.”
Steve raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, but his words were anything but. “I don’t know why you’re pouring your money and time into these certifications when you could just join the Navy and do them for free, like I did.” He whistled as he hung his coat and keys on the wall.
“We’ve been through this. You know why I don’t want to join. That’s not my dream.”
“I just don’t see why you won’t at least consider it. You would have a stable income, benefits, and of course there is the honor and integrity—”
“Integrity?”
Steve continued, “Yes, and of course the fulfillment of being part of something greater than yourself.”
Gabriel scoffed, his patience wearing quickly. “Well, maybe I want to start a family someday. I want to be around for my kids.”
Steve crossed his arms, looking squarely at him. “That’s what the call of duty is, making sacrifices for a noble cause. I always did everything for the good of our family.”
Gabe barked a hollow laugh. “Noble? Sacrifices? Do you hear yourself?” His voice grew dangerously low as he took a step closer. “I know what you did, Dad. Eli has no idea, but I do. And you know what? I was going to let it be your secret. But don’t pretend you did it for our good.”
Steve stilled. His voice was eerily calm. “I think it would be best if you took the morning off, Gabriel. Go get some sleep. We’ll see you at this evening’s practice once you’ve cleared your head.”
Gabriel stood, his fists clenched. The room began to dim as his anger mounted, tunneling in on the two of them. He wanted to roar, knocking over all the trophies in the room. Instead, he stormed out of the office, throwing both natatorium doors open as he left the sting of chlorine behind.
As he strode across the parking lot, he saw her. Kailani approached him, slowing her jog as she began to smile. Her grin quickly faded as he drew nearer to her. “Coach, where are you—?”
He nodded towards her, not trusting himself to speak, and climbed back in his truck. Slamming the door, he peeled out of the lot. Always running away. He pulled over a few minutes later, leaning forward on the steering wheel and steadied his breathing. He was shaking, playing over the last few minutes in his head. I should not have said that. His father’s eyes seemed cold and calculating, but there was something there he could not initially place, an expression that looked familiar.
That’s what I see when I look in the mirror. That was the face of a man who just discovered the worst in himself.
As his breathing slowed, his conversation with Eli earlier came back to him. ‘After you saved him, you were his hero.’
But I couldn’t save you twice.
Chapter 15
Kailani
She ripped a page out of her notebook, crumbling it and tossing it over her shoulder to join the growing pile on the living room floor. Kailani waited for the satisfying crunch as it joined the rest of the heap, but her anticipation was met by silence. She twisted around and jumped from the couch with a yelp, sending her pen clattering to the floor. Cristiano stood just behind her, grinning lazily with his hand outstretched, holding the paper delicately between two fingers.
“God, Cristiano!” she gasped. “Way to sneak up on me. What, did you crawl in through your bedroom window? I didn’t even hear the door open.”
“Sorry, minha gatinha,” he purred, his eyes dropping down her body. She crossed her arms over her thin tank top where his gaze lingered.
Kailani furrowed her brows as she tugged a blanket from the couch, pulling it over her shoulders and drawing it tight around her. “What did you just call me? I know ‘gato’ is Spanish for cat, so…?”
He just winked and began to unfold the paper in his hand. “What’s this? Buried in homework?”
“Not quite.” She blushed, glancing at the textbooks and folders that were haphazardly strewn across the couch. In truth, she had completed her schoolwork over an hour ago.
He scanned her scribblings with only cursory interest. “What is this, ‘Fall Festival Plan’?”
“It’s that business plan for Lilac Ranch that
I told you about the other day at lunch, remember?” Judging by his silence, he apparently hadn’t been listening. She let a small sigh escape her as she eased back into the couch, crossing her legs.
Cristiano smiled broadly and walked around the couch to sit beside her, his shoulder brushing against hers. She stiffened. Leaning fractionally away, she watched his fingers trace through her budget lists and profit goals. His finger landed where she had scrawled ‘soccer team’ with a few question marks after it.
He laughed. “Oh no, what are we in for?”
“Right, I was going to talk to you about that. Would you be willing to ask the soccer team if they’d want to run one of the vendor booths for the Fall Festival? I’m trying to pull from as many volunteer sources as possible to keep costs down.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Sure, I can ask the guys.” His finger continued to trail down the page, and he glanced at the pile of papers behind the couch. “You seem to really care about this project.”
She looked down, picking at the fraying ends of the blanket, trying to sound nonchalant. “Well, yeah, this project will be my entire grade for the semester. I need to do well on it.” She sighed. “But beyond that, I love living here and can’t bear to see the Flockharts lose their life’s work. They deserve their happily ever after.”
He was so close to her that she felt his shrug, and the sharp, sweet scent of alcohol curled towards her. Clearly he doesn’t agree. She frowned as a flare of irritation surged through her. “What about you? Do you care about any of this?” She swept her hand around her. “You spend most of your school nights partying, so I take it you’re just here to take it easy?” She winced as the words fell out of her mouth, sharper than she had intended.
Cristiano turned his dark, sensual eyes towards her, slowly leaning in. The sharp, woody scent of his cologne stirred the air. “I care. And things have never been easy.” His gaze turned towards the window and his voice grew taut. “The day we met, I told you I came here so I could one day take over my family restaurant. I’ve worked there since I was a kid. While my friends would be at the beach, I’d be scrubbing grease and washing dishes. And I watched my parents work themselves to the bone every day.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “This is my only chance to be free. To have fun. Then it’s a lifetime in the shack. But hopefully if I have a degree, I can manage the restaurant rather than cook and clean.”
