“Mills, it’s not happening,” he insists, turning his argument from me to her.
We both ignore him.
“First one is tomorrow, and the rest are scattered during the break, so you’ll have to stay here for the entire duration of the shoot.”
“Millie,” Zeke barks.
I turn to him, beyond frustrated. I don’t particularly want to stay here and work for the next two weeks – especially not with Jake – but I’m damn well going to do it, if for no other reason than to prove to Zeke that it’s my decision, not his.
“Look and listen,” I snap, clicking my fingers at him. “You might have been running my life for a long time now, and I’m grateful that you’ve always had my back, but this isn’t your call. This is my career, Zeke, and I’m a grown-ass woman. I’m going to stay here and I’m going to work with him, because it’s my job.”
He sits up a little straighter as though he’s shocked that I’ve finally put him in his place.
“But you’ll miss the trip.”
Zeke, Millie and a bunch of their friends, including Alexi and River, are all heading to a private island off the coast for the next two weeks. I was meant to be going with them, but that’s not going to be happening now, and as much as I want to go, I could use a break from the constant feeling of being watched and controlled.
All the camera crews, fans and crowds will disappear, and this little surf town will go back to its usual charming self. Staying here alone for two weeks won’t be much of a strain.
“Well, that’s just the way it goes.” I shrug.
“But it’s your birthday,” he replies quietly, and it threatens to crack my resolve.
“It’s just a birthday, Zeke, I get one every year. I’ll be fine. You can make it up to me next year.”
He looks at me with pain in his eyes.
“I’m doing this, and nothing you say will change my mind. I don’t need you to agree to anything anymore. I’m an adult, so unless you’re going to force me against my will, I’m staying.”
He nods his head in resignation. “Fine,” he mutters as he gets to his feet. “But if that bastard so much as lays a finger on you, I’ll kill him.”
“Noted,” I breathe as he stalks out the door, even though I’m already one hundred percent certain this photo shoot is going to involve me touching the enemy.
I consider going after my brother but decide against it. He’ll get over it, it’ll do him good to let go some of his control over me.
“I’ll talk to him,” Millie promises me. “He’ll calm down.”
“Thanks,” I mutter.
“I think this will be good for you. You never get a break from him.” She juts her chin in the direction of the door he just exited.
She’s not wrong, but I can’t deny the guilt I feel for hurting him. It’s just been me and him against the world for so long, and it feels like everything is changing.
“Why all of a sudden do they want me and Jake working together now?” I ask, trying to direct my thoughts into a different direction.
Millie’s eyes sparkle. “He requested you specifically. The label has been on his back for ages about getting a few pictures other than the usual action shots, and he’s finally given them the go ahead – on the condition that you were in them too.”
Well fuck.
I don’t know what to say that.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jake
“Jake, Eden, you two know each other, right?” Amber, the photographer asks the both of us.
Eden greeted me this morning with narrowed eyes and a scowl, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.
There’s something about her hating me that makes me want to get even closer.
“We’ve met,” Eden answers her sweetly.
“Yeah… we’re old friends,” I elaborate with a chuckle.
Amber glances between the two of us, sensing the obvious tension. “Well, alright then…”
She’s probably trying to figure out why the hell I specifically asked for Eden, when she obviously dislikes me.
“Jake, if you want to go and get into a pair of board shorts, Eden you can get your bikini on, and we’ll get started. Maya will help you guys out.”
I glance down; I’m already wearing a pair of boardies. Not the right pair apparently. This is why I hate this dress-up shit.
I nod at her and head off in the direction she’s pointed out.
By the time I get back out, Eden is already dressed and ready to go.
She arrived this morning with her makeup already done, it’s minimal and natural – no point in covering up perfection. She looks fucking incredible. Her blonde hair is falling in loose waves over her shoulders, and I have the greatest urge to run my fingers through it.
She’s just so fucking tempting.
Her blue eyes are glowing as she watches me walk towards her.
“Alright, let’s get the two of you lying together on the beach mat like you’re just relaxing at the beach for the afternoon.”
We oblige as the camera shutter clicks over and over again.
“Alright, now let’s do a few couple shots, if you just get right in close with your faces only a few inches apart.”
I can tell by the tense set of Eden’s shoulders that she’s hating having to do this, but credit where credit’s due, she’s a total pro and moves in closer to me without questioning Amber.
My hand finds her bare hip without conscious thought and I pull her in flush against my body.
This is exactly how I’ve wanted her for months now, maybe not right here in front of a camera, but hell, I’ll take what I can get at this point.
At least she can’t run from me today.
She’s so close, I can’t focus on anything much but her mouth-watering scent and the warmth of her golden skin.
Thank god Zeke and his little goon gang took off first thing this morning. There’s no way he’d be standing by watching this go on if he were here. The dude’s probably burst a blood vessel just thinking about it.
“Hey,” I whisper as I look into her eyes.
She’s so close to me that I could lean in and kiss her if I wanted to, but I won’t – I don’t particularly feel like getting slapped just now.
“Hey,” she whispers back.
We don’t say another word as we move through the motions, doing whatever Amber asks us to.
I hold her like she’s my girlfriend, and she looks up at me with big, wide, passionate blue eyes.
We play the roles a little too well, even though the tension is still thick between us.
“Get a room!” I hear a voice call.
I breathe out a sigh. “Shit.” There goes the peace and quiet.
I glance up at my brother. “Little busy here, bud.”
“I can see.” He sniggers before making kissy noises.
“Zayne, cut it. I’m working,” I warn him.
I hear Eden giggle from next to me as he turns, wraps his arms around his back and pretends he’s making out with someone.
“Sorry. That’s my brother,” I mutter under my breath as I stride towards him.
He takes off down the beach.
“Asshole,” I hiss under my breath.
I don’t know where the fuck Brad is, he’s meant to be watching the little shit for me so I can do this shoot uninterrupted.
I run my hand through my hair in frustration.
“We can take a break if you want,” Eden offers from behind me, her tone amused.
“Actually, I need to get a few of Jake alone with the new boards, if you want to take a break, Eden?” Amber suggests.
I feel Eden approaching me from behind. “I can keep him busy if you want?”
I turn to face her, and it’s the first time I’ve seen her smile genuinely all day.
“Ah… I mean that would be great, but you don’t have to.”
“I don’t mind, honestly.” She smiles as she shoos me off in the direction of the photographer an
d lighting team.
“Good luck,” I call after her. “He’s kind of a handful.”
She turns so she’s walking backwards, facing me. “I’m yet to find a male I can’t keep under control.” She smirks, before turning around and strolling down the beach in the direction of my little brother.
“Lucky bastard,” I grumble.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Eden
“So why won’t you talk to my brother?” Zayne asks me.
My eyes snap from the water, to his face. “What? What do you mean?”
We’ve been talking for a while now while Jake gets photo after photo taken further down the beach.
“He told me you won’t talk to him. He said it’s because he’s always beating your brother, but I think he was lying.”
I hold back a giggle. “What were you talking about me for anyway?”
“He was staring at you.” He makes a fake gagging motion. “I think he likes you.” He exaggerates the word ‘likes’ as though it’s the grossest thing he’s ever heard.
I can’t stop myself from laughing at that. He’s obviously still at the age where girls have cooties. He’s also delusional if he thinks his brother is interested in anything other than driving me mad.
Clearly the school yard mentality of annoying the girl you like is still alive and well wherever it is Zayne gets his education.
“How old are you anyway?”
“Nearly nine,” he announces proudly.
“Wow, that’s pretty old.”
“Not as old as Jake.”
“Not quite.” I glance up the beach at Jake as he paddles in the water with the board they’ve given him to use as the photographer snaps away with the huge camera.
“You like coming out to watch him surf?” I ask.
He practically beams back at me. “Yip. I get to go back to school and tell all my friends that my brother is the best surfer in the world. I’m gonna be the best one day too – Jake says it’s in my DNA.”
Zayne idolises his big brother; that much is obvious. He’s a sweet kid, his smart mouth aside, and I bet he brags about Jake’s achievements all the time.
“Do you surf?” he asks me.
“I used to.”
“Why don’t you do it anymore?”
I swallow deeply. The kid’s not afraid to ask the hard questions, even though they’re simple ones really.
“I don’t really like the water these days.”
“Why not?” He’s writing his name over and over again in the sand with a stick he found.
“Um, I guess I’m just a little afraid of the ocean.”
He glances up at me. “You’re too scared to go in the water?”
“Yeah.” I nod.
“I get scared in the dark sometimes.”
I breathe a sigh of relief that he doesn’t seem to want more information.
“I think we’re all a little afraid of something.”
He shakes his head. “Not Jake. He’s not scared of anything.”
My eyes search the waves for him and find him whipping the board up the face of the wave before dropping down into the white water.
Zayne might be right.
He certainly looks fearless to me.
***
Jake shakes out his hair as he gets closer to us.
“Jaaaake!” Zayne cries, covering his face with his hands. “You’re like a dog.”
Jake chuckles and ruffles his brother’s dry hair.
Zayne shoves him off.
It’s really sweet, seeing the way his face has lit up with Zayne around.
“I hope you haven’t been giving Eden any trouble?”
He’s asking the question to his brother, but he’s looking at me, searching my eyes with an intensity that makes me want to shudder.
“He’s been no trouble at all.”
He huffs out a laugh. “I find that hard to believe.”
“I’ve been an angel, haven’t I, Eden?” Zayne smiles sweetly at me, like butter wouldn’t melt. That kid is going to be a heart breaker when he grows up – just like I imagine his brother is.
“Hasn’t put a foot wrong,” I tell Jake.
“See?” He looks up at Jake with an ‘I told you so’ expression. “Can I go swim now?”
Jake’s eyes scan the water, probably looking for rips.
“Just right out here in front.” He points out in front of us. “No deeper than your waist.”
Zayne has whipped off his t-shirt and is running for the water before Jake has even finished speaking.
I laugh as he bounds into the water.
“He’s a really good kid.”
He nods in agreement. “Amber said to tell you we’re finished up for the day.”
“Okay,” I say as he takes a seat next to me, his eyes trained on Zayne as he splashes around in the water.
“Why did you do this?” I find the courage to ask him.
“Do what?”
“Request me for this shoot.”
He glances at me before going back to his watch of Zayne.
“You’ve been avoiding me. I figured I had to give something a shot.”
It makes no sense to me. I don’t understand why he cares whether or not I’m speaking to him.
“Well, I’m here now, what do you want?”
“I want you to talk to me.”
My stomach is a bundle of nerves. I already know what he’s asking. He wants to know about the water.
“Talk to you about what?”
“That’s far enough, bud,” he calls out to Zayne suddenly, and I think that’s what convinces me to start talking without any further prying on his behalf.
It’s the love and care in his voice. He’d do anything for that boy. I can see that. It reminds me of the way Zeke is with me.
“I’m afraid of the ocean. Honestly, it terrifies me.”
“Why?”
It was such a long time ago, but it still gives me shivers to think about it.
“My mother died in a surfing accident. I was ten years old. Everyone always used to say that she was part mermaid – like she was born from the sea or something... I guess one day the sea decided to take her back.”
I hear his sharp intake of breath. I almost laugh bitterly – that’s not even the half of it.
“I was right there, surfing with her. We all were. Me, Zeke and my dad. Her leg rope got caught on the reef and she didn’t come up. By the time Dad found her, she was unconscious.”
“Jesus, Eden.”
I can’t look at him. I’ve trained my gaze on Zayne now too. Focusing on him and not the man next to me gives me the courage to keep talking.
“The ambulance came, and they worked on her all the way to the hospital. She was pronounced dead on arrival. She drowned.”
“I’m really, really sorry, I can’t even imagine.”
I wish I couldn’t imagine. I really do.
I could stop here. I could finish my story now, and it would explain my fear of the ocean without anything further, but it’s as though the flood gate has been opened now, and I can’t stop.
“We scattered her ashes out at sea. I went in the boat – I’ll do that when I absolutely have to, but I’ve never gone back into the sea… well, not willingly anyway.” I laugh humourlessly.
“That’s why you panicked. You looked so scared. I knew there was more to it.”
There certainly was.
“Those fucking assholes,” he growls, and the hatred in his voice surprises me. “They could have killed you.”
“So anyway… then it was just me, Zeke and my dad. Dad didn’t deal well without Mum. Sometimes he hit the bottle pretty hard, other times he went on surfing trips for weeks at a time, never telling us where he was going, or when he’d be back. Zeke’s pretty much raised me since I was ten.”
“That explains why he treats you like a kid.”
“I guess so. He’s been my protector a long time now. He used to put me on the handle bars of his bike
and ride me to school.” I smile fondly at the memory. “He’s a really great big brother.”
“I’ve gotta say, I’ve got a new-found respect for him after hearing that.”
I’m about to call out to Zayne and tell him he’s out too far, but Jake beats me to it.
“Zayne, if I see you out that deep again, you’re out of there,” he warns him. “Don’t think I’m not watching.”
“Sorry.” He smiles at me. “Carry on.”
“So, we pretty much carried on like that for a few years, and then one day, Zeke showed up at school in the middle of the day in the old beat-up car of Dad’s that only worked half the time… and I just knew something was wrong. He was white as a ghost.”
I risk a glance at Jake then, and I find his eyes on me, his expression grim.
“It was my dad. He’d gone out for a surf – his board was found floating out back. He’d taken off his leg rope and we never saw him again. In the end we assumed he was dead – held a service and everything. Some people think he got attacked by a shark, others reckon it was a ploy and he just wanted to disappear and start fresh, but I know the truth.”
“What’s the truth, Eden?” he whispers, as though he’s scared to hear the answer.
“He couldn’t live without her, so he went to join her.”
“You think he did it on purpose?”
I can hear it in his tone that the idea of doing something like that – leaving your two children is inconceivable to him, and I’m glad he feels that way, because I do too – I’m not angry at dad – he did what he felt he had to do, but I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive him either, for choosing to leave us when he was all we had.
I nod my head, tears pooling in my eyes. “That’s why the water scares me so much. Because I’m worried if I go in there, the two of them will pull me under too.”
“Holy shit, Eden,” he says, and without another word he wraps his arm around me and tugs me against his firm body.
He just holds me there until I stop shaking and my tears run dry.
I’ve never broken down in front of someone other than Zeke and River before, and even then, it hasn’t been for years.
Mr. May: A Forbidden Love Romance (Calendar Boys Book 5) Page 6