by R. Linda
I ran upstairs and grabbed my bag, throwing a few books in it, and quickly fixed my hair in the mirror. I don’t bother to change my shirt because…well, Nate liked it, and I liked that Nate liked it.
Brody was waiting patiently when I got back downstairs. “Ready?”
“Sure.”
We drove in silence to the university campus in the next town—it was practically a city compared to Blackhill. Brody gripped the steering wheel tightly. He fiddled with the radio stations, sighed, and rubbed a hand over his tired face. He was on edge.
“What’s wrong, Brody?”
“How did you know?”
“I know you, remember.” Nate already filled me in on what happened yesterday, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. Because I wasn’t prepared to answer the questions he’d no doubt have.
“Just wondering whether I am actually cut out for this job or not.”
“What do you mean?” I knew the job was hard, but the reality was in this industry, people were going to die, and you had to be okay with that.
“There was a fire. A whole family perished, Har, except for one girl Nate and I found. It was horrible.”
“I’m sorry, Brody.” I reached over and rested my hand on his arm. A small comfort, but it was better than nothing.
He grabbed it with his own and squeezed my fingers. I wanted to pull my hand away. It felt weird. Our hands didn’t fit well together, not like mine and Nate’s. There was no spark, no tingle, no stutter in my chest, and that was the biggest sign of all. Brody and I were nothing more than friends.
“How’s the girl?”
“Audrey? She’s critical, but she should be okay.”
“Audrey?”
“That’s her name. I can’t stop thinking about the poor girl. She lost her entire family in the blink of an eye, and she’s fighting for her life. Just wish there was something I could do.” Brody pulled into the parking lot.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something. You’re kind, Brody, a good person. Even a visit would do you both good. You did save her life, and I’m sure she’d like to meet you.”
“I doubt that. I saved her, but not her family. She has nothing now.”
“Sure, she’ll be upset, heartbroken, and devastated, but I’m sure she’d like to meet the men who rescued her. I know I would. She wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you and Nate.”
“Maybe you’re right.” He tapped the steering wheel once and climbed out of the car. “Where’s the best place for coffee here?”
I glanced around, taking in my surroundings, and tried to think of the best place to grab a hot beverage. Truth was, the campus cafés were severely lacking. Most coffee tasted like dirty water.
My gaze landed on a head of crazy, curly, blonde hair. Kenzie. But she wasn’t alone. I couldn’t see well from where I was standing, but I could tell she was worked up. She was waving her hands, and her voice, unintelligible but loud, carried on the breeze. Her left foot tapped the ground as she craned her neck and looked over her shoulder, moving just enough to give me the perfect view of who she was talking to.
“Shit.”
“What?” Brody asked, but I ignored him and rushed over to Kenzie.
“Kenz.” I reached her and placed my hand on her back.
“Just go, Chace. I already told you no.”
“You can’t stop me. He’s my son. I have a right to see him.”
“You have shit. You lost that right when you ordered me to abort my child. What kind of person does that?”
“I was fifteen, dammit. A kid.”
“So was I,” Kenzie growled and took a step forward, but Brody appeared out of nowhere and pulled her back.
“My parents were furious. Threatened to cut me off. What did you expect?” He ran his hands through his hair. He had a plaster over his nose, and his eyes were still black with bruises.
“Yeah, great. Sure, that’ll be a huge comfort to Cole when he cries to me at night wanting to know why his daddy doesn’t want him.”
“But I do. Why won’t you let me see him?”
“Because I don’t trust you. You’ll be the best thing in his life for three months, until something more interesting catches your attention, and you disappear without a word. It would break his fragile little heart, and I’m not willing to risk that.” She took a deep breath, still held back by Brody’s hand on her arm. “I know you, Chace. You only do things if it’s good for you. And having a child is not good for you. Your life becomes about them. Having a child means everything you do, you do for your child. They always come first, not as an afterthought. And to you, Cole is nothing more than an afterthought. A way to piss off the parents. A way to pass the time. But to me, Cole is my entire life. I live for him, and I’m not letting you fuck with that.”
Chace stood there, stunned, at a loss for words for a moment before setting his gaze on Brody. “And who’s this? Some dude you’ve got pretending to be the kid’s father?” he scoffed.
I winced and waited.
“The kid’s name is Cole. And you wonder why I won’t let you near him. You’re petty and jealous and can’t even say his name.”
“Let’s go,” Brody suggested quietly.
“Kenzie, we’re not done here.”
“Yeah, we are,” she said. “Back off.”
Kenzie nodded to Brody and turned away from Chace. We walked together, ignoring Chace’s calls to come back, toward our first class with Kenzie muttering to herself the whole way. He was really screwing with her head. “How did he know I was here?”
“I don’t know.” I had to admit, it was weird that he knew what uni she attended and where she would be. Had he been waiting for her long? Or did he know her entire schedule?
“Is he stalking me or something?”
“I wouldn’t put it past him.”
“Want to see if I can find out?” Brody offered. Damn, I forgot he was still there, but at least this saved me from sitting through an awkward coffee with him.
“How?”
“I know a few guys on the force. Could get them to check him out.”
“You would do that?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you.” Kenzie leaped forward and hugged Brody. “Should I come with you?”
“If you want to.” He smiled.
“Now?” Kenzie pressed. “I don’t want to stay here knowing he could still be waiting after class.”
“Uh…” Brody looked at me for an answer, so I shrugged. It made no difference to me if they left now. I could lend Kenzie my class notes later to catch up. “Sure.”
“Oh, crap. Harper. How will you get home?” Kenzie turned to me as if suddenly remembering I was there.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll get a ride with a friend.”
“A friend?” She raised her eyebrow at me and pursed her lips. “You don’t have friends.”
“I do so.” I folded my arms and frowned. “I have a new one.”
“Oh, really?” Her eyes twinkled as she realised I was referring to Nate. “A new bestie, huh?”
“If you’re not careful, then yep. I’ll replace you. Go. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay. Thanks, Harper.” She hugged me briefly and stepped back.
“Raincheck on the coffee?” Brody asked. I groaned inwardly. I had already heard that today.
“Sure.”
“See ya.”
I waved and watched them walk away together. Kenzie turned around, continuing to walk backwards. “Make sure you and your friend are safe. Use protection and all that.”
I ground my teeth and glared at her, but she just winked and continued. “Seatbelts, Harper. I don’t know how good a driver this friend of yours is. Are they good? Know what they’re doing?”
I thought about my response for a minute before deciding and calling out, “The best.” I winked. Her mouth dropped open and her steps faltered before she gave me a thumbs up and turned around again. She was going to ask a thousand questions later, and I’d have to
come clean.
Chapter Nine
Nate
I slammed my fist into the steering wheel when I pulled into the driveway of The Love Shack to see if Linc wanted to go for a surf. I needed to clear my head and calm down.
Therapy sessions.
What a load of bullshit. I didn’t need therapy sessions, but Cap said it was mandatory for all of us after that disastrous fire. I argued with him until I was blue in the face, but ultimately, he won because it was either complete the sessions or he’d suspend me indefinitely.
Walking in the back door, I called out to see if anyone was around. Indie’s voice travelled through the cottage from her studio. “In here.”
I found her sitting in a white wicker chair, a sketch pad and charcoal beside her and her phone pressed to her ear. She smiled when I walked in and held up her finger to tell me she’d only be a minute.
“I miss you too.”
I had no clue who she was talking to. Linc, maybe? Because he was nowhere around, but telling him she missed him was a bit much since they lived together.
“When are you getting here?”
I wandered around the studio, looking through all her art supplies and some of the paintings and drawings she’d already done. They were all of the beach and Linc. Of course.
“You’ve got a break for the next couple of months until the semester starts again. Stay for the summer. It’ll be fun.”
Paint drops already decorated the whitewashed floorboards. She’d well and truly settled in. Give it a few months, and I was sure the entire room would be coloured like a rainbow.
“Yes! Of course.” Indie bounced in her chair, a wide smile on her face.
I took a seat in the chair beside her and reached for her sketch pad. She slapped my hand away and narrowed her eyes, not wanting me to see what she was working on. I grabbed it anyway and flicked it open to the piece she was in the middle of before talking to whoever was on the phone. The beach, waves, and what looked like the beginning of a person out in the water. Looking out the large window at the ocean, I spotted Linc in the distance paddling back out over the break. She was sketching him while he surfed.
How romantic?
I gagged, and Indie slapped me.
“You can stay here or with Ryder and Bailey. There’s plenty of options.” She paused while the other person said something. “Really?” Her face lit up as she squealed with excitement. “Okay, I can’t wait. See you then.” She dropped her phone onto the table beside her and snatched the sketch pad from my hands.
“Don’t touch.”
“You’re drawing Linc?”
“He’s my muse.” She shrugged.
“Who was on the phone?”
“Jack!”
“He’s coming here?” I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees.
“Yeah. He’s bored and lonely. And he doesn’t go back to school for a month or two, so I figured why not invite him for the summer. He was coming for the engagement party anyway.”
“Fair enough.” I stared out the window and watched Linc surf.
Indie was quiet.
“What’s up?” she asked after a while.
“Nothing.”
“You look exhausted.”
“Didn’t sleep well, and work’s just…busting my balls. They want me to go to therapy after yesterday.”
“Yeah. Sorry. I heard about that. So, go.”
I took a deep breath. It wasn’t that simple. I didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to talk about my feelings. I just wanted to forget it happened and move on. Why couldn’t people leave well enough alone? I was fine. “I don’t need to.”
“Why didn’t you sleep well?”
“I kept hearing the screams and seeing the girl curled in a ball on the floor waiting to die.”
“Uh-huh.” Indie had her arms crossed and her head tilted to the side and worry in her eyes.
“What?”
“You need therapy.”
“I don’t. I’m fine.” I ground my teeth.
“You’re not. If you were fine, you would have slept last night.”
“Whatever. Cap says I have to go or I’m suspended.”
“So, what’s the problem? You don’t have a choice. Go, get it over with.”
“I hate talking about that. Feelings and stuff.”
“It’s better than bottling it up.”
“Whatever. I’m going for a surf.” I stood and walked out of the room, leaving Indie there in silence.
I grabbed one of Linc’s boards from beside the back door and jogged down to the beach where I dumped my clothes, only keeping my shorts on, and paddled out to where Linc was sitting on his board, waiting. The water was freezing. It wasn’t near hot enough to be out in the water, but it was peaceful, and that was what I needed.
“Hey, man,” he greeted, narrowing his eyes at the hard expression on my face. “Ready?” was all he asked. He knew me well enough not to demand answers or tell me what to do. He’d surf with me until I calmed down.
I didn’t know how long we surfed, but I was still on edge. I was still thinking about the girl in hospital fighting for her life. I could still hear the screams of the family crashing over me with the waves.
My thoughts drifted to Harper. Sitting under that tree with her last night, having dinner, it was good. After telling her about the incident, I barely gave it a second thought. She made it easy to forget.
I needed Harper.
And that was only going to end in trouble.
But I didn’t care. I needed to see her. Talk to her. If only to silence the screams in my head.
I told Linc I was done and paddled back to shore, ignoring his calling me back. I grabbed my clothes off the sand and returned Linc’s surfboard as quietly as possible so Indie didn’t hear me and want to talk.
I didn’t bother getting dressed. I was still dripping wet, and there was nothing worse than wearing dry clothes when you were wet. Once in the car, I pulled out my phone to call Harper, only to notice three messages from her.
The first one was sent two hours ago.
Harper: Hi, friend. I have a favour to ask…
I smiled at her calling me “friend” and read the next one, sent only minutes after the first.
Harper: Any chance you could pick me up after class? Long story, but Kenzie left with Brody, and she’s my ride.
Dammit. What time did she finish class? And why the hell were Kenzie and Brody leaving together?
Harper: Okay, never mind. I guess you’re busy. I’ll just walk.
That one was sent fifteen minutes ago. She couldn’t walk. It was a thirty-minute drive, at least. It’d take all night to walk. I started the car and pulled out of the driveway while fumbling with my phone.
“Hello?” she answered after a few rings.
“Where are you?”
“Nate?”
“No. It’s Santa Claus.”
“Very funny.”
“Where are you?”
“Waiting for the only cab in three towns to pick me up.” She sighed. That was the thing about small towns—transport options were limited.
“Where?”
“By the pier. I walked that far and gave up.”
“Wait for me. I’ll be there in fifteen.”
“Fifteen? Where are you?”
“Just left Linc and Indie’s.”
“I’m sure the cab will be here in a minute. It’s fine. Don’t worry. You’re at least half an hour away. I’ll just catch you later.”
She didn’t get it. I needed to see her.
“I’ll be there in fifteen,” I growled.
“Nate, don’t do anything stupid, okay? Relax, slow down. I’ll wait. But I want you here in one piece.”
“See you soon, friend.” I hung up and put my foot down a little harder.
True to my word, I pulled my car into a parking spot by the pier fifteen minutes later.
Harper was sitting on a bench facing the water when I appr
oached and sat next to her.
“Hi,” I said.
She turned away from me, leaving me to stare at the small red poppy tattoo on the back of her neck.
“I don’t get a response?” I wondered what I had done wrong. I drove all the way out there to pick her up so she wouldn’t have to rely on a cab which would have cost a fortune, and she wasn’t talking to me all of a sudden. What could have changed in fifteen minutes?
“No,” she said, her voice cracking.
“Harper?” I touched her shoulder, but she shook me off. “What’s wrong?”
She sniffed and brought her hand up to wipe her…nose, face, eyes? I couldn’t tell because she wouldn’t look at me. I stood, walked around, and crouched in front of her. She lowered her head.
“Talk to me, please?”
“You’re an idiot. A complete fool.” Her voice was hard as she pushed me away with such force that I fell backwards, catching myself with my hands and sending shooting pain through my wrists from the impact.
“What did I do?” I rose to my feet and dusted off my hands. Why was she so angry at me? A cab pulled up at the side of the road.
“Fifteen minutes, Nate!” She jumped off the bench and shoved me again. “Do you know how stupid that was? How irresponsible? Huh? Did you think about the consequences?” She grabbed her bag from the ground and stormed off toward the waiting cab.
I chased after her and pulled her away from the door she’d just opened. Leaning in, I told the driver to leave.
“Whatever, man.” The guy behind the wheel shrugged and drove off as I slammed the door shut.
“I can’t believe you,” she shouted. “Just go. I’ll find another way home.”
“No.” I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me. “Not until you tell me what I did.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” she cried and beat her fists against my chest.
Dammit.
I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed my hand up and down her back. She struggled against me, wriggling in my arms, attempting to free herself from my hold, but I wasn’t letting go.
“Not if you don’t tell me.”
I got here in the time I told her I would. It was a little faster than it should have been, but I only did that because I had to see her, needed to see her, and I didn’t want her waiting around by herself or getting into the car with someone she didn’t know. And then it hit me. She told me to take my time, and I didn’t.
