Restless Storm

by Jamie Summer

  I studied Maddy’s face. Her expression seemed relaxed, most of the tension she carried the night before no longer visible. It surprised me, considering she spent the day sorting through the stuff she wanted to take back to the mainland with her. I would’ve expected her to be on edge, tense, but there was none of that.

  Maybe she’s already mentally resigned herself to the fact she is done and will leave in a few hours. Maybe she’s happy because her ordeal on the island will be over soon.

  It was possible. The thought irked me more than I cared to admit. While I was glad the sadness had left her eyes, I didn’t want her to view this island as something that only brought her pain and destruction. I wanted her to remember all the good things it had to offer.

  But I couldn’t be that person for her. Not yet. I couldn’t make her remember the beauty of this place.

  She wouldn’t let me.

  And that was the hardest pill to swallow.

  Chapter Eleven

  Maddy

  The bar was crowded, as usual, yet when I entered, I instantly felt his gaze on me. I had prepared myself for it. Earl’s was the only place on this island where people met in the evening, so it wasn’t hard to guess it was also where I would find him.

  On our way here, we had seen Bridget, who stopped for a few minutes to chat. We had never been close, but I knew her from school. Grace and Anna talked to her while I stood idly by.

  Until they started discussing her leaving.

  “You’re leaving?” Anna asked, surprise in her voice. Her eyes darted to me, but when she saw me looking, she flicked them back to Bridget. I had the feeling I’d missed something.

  “Yeah. My mom is old. She needs more care than I can give her. I signed her up for one of those assisted living facilities and they have a free bed available soon. Depending on what happens with the storm, it may take us longer to get there, but I want her to use this opportunity. She won’t leave the island before the storm hits because she says she wants this last piece of the island with her, but I was able to convince her that afterward, we would leave.”

  Grace and Anna exchanged a glance, then turned to Bridget with a smile.

  “I’m glad you finally convinced her. I know how hard you worked on even getting her out of the house for the storm,” Grace commented.

  Bridget nodded, laughing. “She’s a stubborn woman, that one.” Then she turned serious again. “Plus, there’s nothing holding me to this island anymore.”

  “Nothing?” Anna asked, her voice sounding higher than normal. Something was going on. Unease grew within me as I tried to keep my thoughts from running wild. They ranged from Bridget having something to do with my dad’s death to something I didn’t know about her mom. The possibilities were endless.

  “No. I settled all my affairs here amicably and am able to leave the island at our earliest convenience.” There was a hint of sadness in her eyes as she spoke, but I figured she was merely sad about having to leave the island behind.

  “Okay. Well, I’m glad to hear that.” Grace turned toward the door to Earl’s. “We’d better get going. Have a great evening, Bridget, and give your mom my best,” she added, then walked over to the bar entrance. Anna said goodbye to Bridget. I had no idea what to do, so I said goodbye, too. Bridget studied me for a second longer than comfortable.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked, confusion rippling my bones. Bridget didn’t say anything. She merely continued to stare at me for a few moments.

  “Yes, sorry. I’m very sorry.” And with that, she turned and left.

  “Maddy?” Anna’s voice came from right next to me, bringing me to the present. “Are you okay?” she asked. I nodded.

  “I was thinking about Bridget. I mean, you guys were acting weird. Is there something you’re not telling me?” I wanted to know. Anna looked shocked for a second, then hid it almost as soon as it showed up.

  “Nothing. I’m sorry if it was weird for you. It’s hard to remember you haven’t been here the past two years. It feels as if you never left.” She gave me a soft smile, then reached out and hugged me. “Now, let’s sit down, shall we?” She walked over to the table Earl had indicated.

  I started to follow, but the hairs on my neck stood up, keeping me in place for a second longer. Not in fear, but anticipation.

  “Two beers, please,” someone ordered behind me.

  I turned and ran into a tall, dark-haired guy at the bar, who reached out to steady me. I had seen him before.

  He smiled. “You’re Maddy, right?” I nodded, unable to recall where I knew him from. “I’m Scott. I work with Jake.”

  The café… He was with Jake at lunch today.

  “Right. Hi. Nice to meet you,” I replied.

  We didn’t say anything else. I had no idea why he had introduced himself in the first place. Did he want something? Did he merely want to be nice? His behavior confused me, just like the encounter with Bridget had earlier.

  “Anyway, it was nice to meet you. I merely wanted to say hi. I didn’t really have a clever plan, so I’m sure I look like a stalker now. I assure you, I’m nothing like a stalker,” he said, making me laugh.

  I caught sight of Jake watching our interaction from the other side of the room, the look in his eyes a mix of curious and murderous.

  “Is he looking?”

  I frowned. “Huh?”

  “Jake… Is he looking?” he explained, and I nodded. “Good. I’d hoped he would.”

  I arched a brow, unable to read him. “What is going on?”

  “Nothing.” With a shrug and a nod, he left me at the bar.

  When Anna called to me from our table, I stalked over, my drink spilling on the wooden floor with the force of my steps.

  “I’m gonna ask again… Is everything okay?” she asked.

  I looked at her and shrugged. I had no idea. My mind was blank.

  “Scott’s a nice guy. I’ve tried to talk Anna into getting serious more than once, but so far, they are both playing hard to get.”

  “Mom!” Anna exclaimed, red coloring her cheeks. “Shut up, will you?”

  Grace gave her an innocent smile, clearly having no intention of doing that. “You should’ve seen the looks they gave each other when they met for the first time. Awestruck doesn’t even begin to cover it. And when they—”

  “Mom, shush it. Seriously. I’m sure Maddy doesn’t need to hear it. At all. Am I clear?”

  I smirked at Anna’s outrage and turned to Grace. “Actually, I would love nothing more than to hear all about what I’ve missed when it comes to Anna’s love life. Seems there is definitely something I did miss.” I shot an accusatory glance at my friend, who looked down at the table.

  “I knew you had other things to deal with, so my senseless crush on a man way out of my league didn’t seem like a necessary topic of conversation,” she explained.

  I touched her arm. “It’s okay. I didn’t mean anything by it. But I would love to hear about it. I missed two years of your life. Two years I can never get back. While I’ll be leaving again, I would love to stay in touch this time. That is, if you want to.”

  Anna nodded, smiling. “I’d love that.”

  “Good. Now, tell me all about Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome,” I demanded.

  “Why should she tell you all about Jake?” Grace teased, and Anna clasped her hands over her mother’s mouth. I tried to keep the smile on my face, but the mere mention of him made his picture appear in my head. The steel blue of his eyes, his dark hair, which was long enough for me to run my hands through, yet not long enough to touch his shoulders, the—

  No.

  “Mom, do you not have a filter at all today?” Anna’s outrage at her mom’s behavior only grew.

  Grace waved her hand. “When have I ever needed one? Tell me that’s not an accurate description of both men. Maybe it’s why they’re friends.”

  “You think they are so shallow to choose each other because of their looks? We’re talking about men here, not te
enage girls,” Anna threw in, making Grace laugh.

  “True enough. However, both men you two are pining for fit the description perfectly. If you ask me, they are both mighty fine looking.”

  “We’re not asking you.” Anna turned to me. “If you want to go somewhere else without my mom, I’d be perfectly okay with that.”

  While the idea was tempting, I didn’t want to leave. I was actually enjoying this conversation, despite the topic.

  “You know what? No. I want to stay here. Plus, your mom is right. Both Scott and Jake are tall, dark, and possibly even handsome. However, it has different outcomes for you and me. While Scott will most likely follow you anywhere you ask him to, Jake will never leave this island for me. I can’t risk giving my heart to someone who will put living here before me. I did it once and it broke me. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Or however the saying goes.” I was surprised by how my voice was void of any emotion, as if I had finally managed to push Jake back into the dark corner of my mind. Far away from anywhere he could do damage.

  Anna and Grace both studied me, mouths open.

  “What?”

  “Are you sure you’re okay? Not in denial?” Anna wanted to know, confusion marring her face.

  Possibly, but I didn’t want to think about it anymore. I wanted to focus on the positive, on the things I could remember fondly.

  “Tell me about that guy you’re in love with,” I said to Anna, hoping she would go with it instead of commenting further on my small monologue.

  She looked at me for a few moments, then shrugged. “Okay, fine.”

  I listened as she told me about the past few months of her love life. Anna carefully laid it all out, and while I tried to keep all the information together, it was hard with all the things that had happened since Scott appeared on the island.

  While Anna talked, I couldn’t help but feel Jake’s gaze on me. When I glanced behind me, I didn’t see him, so I probably imagined it. Five minutes later, it happened again. It was frustrating, especially since I didn’t want to be looking for him. Yet the pull was there. It was like an invisible cord tugging us together and I couldn’t stop it.

  This was messed up. I needed to leave this place behind. I needed to focus on the facts. I lost my dad to the ocean. I wouldn’t fall in love with someone who loved the ocean and the danger it brought more than me.

  “Maddy, I have the feeling you’re not listening anymore,” Anna commented after a while. I met her gaze, knowing I fully deserved the accusatory look she gave me.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, guilt washing over me.

  “No need to apologize. I have no issue with your thoughts wandering whenever Jake is near, but I want you to admit it. I want you to admit you’re still in love with him. Seeing you in denial isn’t working. You feel it as well as I do. You may have your reservations when it comes to being with him, and that’s okay. But don’t pretend you aren’t just as much in love with him now as you were when you left two years ago.”

  Nobody at our table talked. Even Grace seemed awestruck at the reverence with which Anna brought her words down.

  “Fine. Keep on denying it all you want. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Anna grabbed her beer and wandered off to where Scott and Jake sat. Scott’s face beamed the moment he saw her, and I felt a stab of jealousy in my heart at the sight of the two of them.

  “She’s right, you know.” I looked at Grace. “You know I love you, Maddy, which is exactly why I want you to think long and hard on this. When you go home, try to figure out what you want out of life. Whether it’s this existence you built within the last two years or the one you’ve had on this island for the past twenty-four, you need to find what makes you happy. And I’m not talking about the kind of happy where you get up in the morning and feel okay going to work. Or the kind of happy that makes you feel good about meeting people after work, but never really excited for it.

  “I’m talking about the kind of happy that makes you wanna jump up in the morning to run toward all the people you love. The kind of happy where you turn over in bed, coming face to face with the only person in your life who has ever truly made you content. That is the place you want to be. You need to figure out which place gives you exactly that.”

  I stared at Grace, letting her words replay in my mind while I watched her get up and join some friends at a nearby table.

  It seemed so easy when she put it like that.

  I needed to find my happy. My true happy.

  God, if only it weren’t the one thing I was most afraid of finding.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jake

  I had no idea what prompted Anna to come over, but I knew Scott wouldn’t complain. They had gone on a couple dates, but it hadn’t amounted to anything serious so far. I knew he wanted it to be, though.

  “I’m gonna head out,” I told them. As expected, they barely took notice. They were so caught up in each other, I was pretty sure the bar could be on fire and they would be oblivious to it.

  I paid my tab at the bar, waved to Earl, and walked outside. The fresh ocean breeze greeted me, so I decided to take a walk along the small stretch of beach before returning home.

  Darkness had settled on the horizon, the soft moonlight, along with a few streetlights, the only illumination. I made my way through the center of town and down to the beach area. It wasn’t big, but it stretched about halfway around the island, stopping at the harbor and its few ships anchored there.

  Hardly anyone was out, despite the fact it was just past eight p.m. On a normal night, there would be people everywhere, but with the storm looming, I wasn’t surprised to see so few of them. Most were either already in their homes, at Earl’s or had ventured into the shelter.

  The wind tickled my nose and I pulled my jacket a little tighter. The temperature had dipped below what was usual this time of year, but I knew it would rise again once the storm came. I tried not to let it deter me, ignoring the sting of cold seeping into my bones.

  The ocean was quiet when I got there. Not a single wave on the horizon. I knew it was merely the calm before the storm. I found my usual spot on a small collection of rocks, trying to ignore the ache in my stomach at the thought of the times Maddy and I used to spend here. We were here almost daily.

  Until her dad died.

  I sighed, sitting down on the biggest rock. It was far from comfortable, but I had gotten used to the harshness of nature. It didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was the peace and quiet I always found at this place. There was something about the way the waves crashed against the shore, the sound of the seagulls in the distance.

  Even now, without the waves, the ocean was a sight to behold. Calm and deadly, stormy and restless. I had an ambivalent relationship with the expansive body of water. Part of me was fascinated by all the wonders it held, but the other was terrified. It was a dark abyss you couldn’t control. If you ventured down there, there was no telling what you would find.

  And I didn't like that. I only ever wandered out as far as I could still see the bottom, and going out on a boat was perfectly fine, too. But swimming in the middle of the ocean? Nope. Not for me.

  Maddy had been different. She’d been careless, reckless when it came to her adventures in the ocean. She’d jump off the small cliffs around Crystal Cove and go out with her dad, only to go into the water wherever she pleased. The only time I managed to outdo her was when I jumped off the cliffs in the darkness and she chickened out.

  I felt the smile form on my lips at the memories and reveled in them for a little while. It was too tempting to pass up.

  The sirens in the distance made me perk up. It had been a while since I heard them, but they weren’t uncommon. There may not be many people here, but accidents still happened. We didn’t have a hospital, but Clark, our local doctor, and his wife took care of the urgent cases in their small clinic until the helicopter arrived to take the victims to the mainland.

&
nbsp; The sound grew quieter, signaling whatever had happened was on the other side of the island. I was tempted to check, my instinct to jump up hard to ignore. I was about to leave when I heard footsteps behind me.

  “I never understood how you found these rocks comfortable. I mean, what happened to sitting on the beach?” Scott sounded annoyed, but there was a hint of amusement in it, too. He never liked this place, which was why I was surprised he stood behind me.

  “No one forced you to come.”

  “Nope, sure didn’t, but because you want to be alone doesn’t mean I need to let you be.”

  I laughed. “Well, to be honest, you seemed rather busy, so I figured I should leave and let you get it on.”

  Scott eyed the various rocks with obvious doubt, apparently finally deciding on one he deemed worthy. He sat, blowing out a breath.

  “I was, thank you very much. But I couldn’t let you mope out here by yourself. Anna and I will have many more hours together, and she understood my need to check on you. I was a little worried you’d jump off the cliffs.”

  I glanced at him sideways, my brows arched.

  “Okay, maybe that’s a tad dramatic. Honestly, I don’t even know why you’re moping in the first place. You should be happy.”

  “Because my girlfriend dumped me?” I asked, disbelief coloring my voice.

  He sighed. “Yes, but we both know it was more a formality. We’ve had this conversation more than once within the past two days, Jake. You didn’t love her, she didn’t love you. It was about time someone put an end to the misery.”

  “We weren’t miserable.”

  “No, but you also weren’t happy. At least not the way you both deserve to be.”

  I nodded. He was right.

  My gaze fixed on the dark ocean before me, and I let Scott’s words replay in my mind.

  He shook his head. “Look, I don’t want to talk about this with you anymore because I feel it’s all we ever do. Guys don’t talk about shit like this.”