Into the Blue

by Robin Huber

  She spins around and cries, “Kellan?”

  “Makayla.” I’m twenty feet away from her...ten feet...five...two... When I reach her, I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. “What the hell are you doing out here?”

  “I thought you were...” She blinks up at me through the rain, piercing my heart with the look in her eyes. “You were gone. You didn’t come back. You were...I thought you were...”

  “No.” I hold her face in my hands and shake my head. “No.” I pull her mouth to mine, tasting the salt on her soft lips, desperate for the relief they bring me. “I told you I’d come back.”

  “I was so scared. You can’t leave me again. Don’t ever leave me again,” she cries, and I hold her against my chest.

  “I won’t leave you again,” I promise, knowing that I can’t leave her again. “I love you, Makayla,” I say, needing her to hear it. Needing to say it. “I love you.”

  She holds onto me as the waves roll past us. “I love you too.”

  I press my lips to her salty hair and it starts to rain harder. “We have to go.”

  She takes my hand and grabs my arm for balance. She looks thin, like she hasn’t been eating.

  “You okay?”

  “Just dizzy.”

  I reach down and lift her out of the water. She’s weak and the current is strong. She looks up at me as I carry her out of the ocean and she shouts over the rain, “Are Callie and Derek okay?”

  “Yes. They’re here.”

  “Callie and Derek are here?” she asks, shocked.

  “Yes. Things have gotten complicated.”

  Chapter 16

  Makayla

  The sky is almost dark now and rain is coming down in thick sheets. The wind is whipping the Jeep all over the place. Kellan jerks the wheel and I grab his arm as the tires spin in the mud.

  “Hold on!” He slams on the brakes and my head smacks the dashboard.

  I feel dizzy.

  “Makayla,” he says, touching my head. He repeats my name, but his voice is fading. Makayla... Makay...

  “Makayla!” Kellan is holding my face and shouting my name.

  My eyes flutter open. “What happened?” I ask groggily.

  “A tree fell. I missed it, but you hit your head. You were gone there for a couple seconds.” His eyes search mine, scanning me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay.”

  “Are you sure? You might have a concussion. Dr. H should look at you when we get back.”

  “Concussion. A clinical syndrome characterized by immediate and transient alteration in brain function, resulting from force or trauma.” I smile softly, ignoring the aching spot on my forehead. “I think I’m fine.”

  “I see that Mia’s lessons have been paying off.” He rubs the spot gently. “I’ll drive slower.”

  He carefully navigates the muddy road until we pull up in front of the house. It’s dark, but the lights are on inside, shining around the edges of the boarded up windows. Hopefully the generator stays on this time. We get out and run from the Jeep, and I slip on the muddy gravel.

  Kellan catches my elbow. “You okay?”

  “I’m okay,” I shout over the roaring wind and stinging rain. He holds my hand as we race up the front steps. When he opens the door, the wind slams it against the wall. I shoot past him into the house and he pushes it closed behind us.

  “Oh my God!” Mia yells, running toward us. She throws her arms around my neck. “Where the hell were you?”

  I shake my head. “I, um–”

  She doesn’t wait for my answer. “Makayla Evans, you scared the shit out of me!”

  “I know, I’m sorry,” I say, hugging her. “I didn’t mean to make you worry. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “No, you weren’t,” she scolds.

  “That really was pretty stupid, Kay.”

  “Callie!” I shriek, when I see her over Mia’s shoulder. I release Mia and run to Callie, nearly knocking her over.

  She hugs me tightly and cries, “Hi, sweetie.” When she lets go of me a few seconds later we’re both wiping tears from our eyes.

  “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I’ve missed you too.”

  She looks as beautiful as ever, even without the meticulous makeup she normally wears. Her short, silky black hair is tucked behind her ears and she looks casual, wearing a gauzy blue blouse and white linen shorts.

  “You look so good, Cal.”

  She drops her eyes over me. “S-So do you,” she says unconvincingly. “But you look thin.”

  I crease my eyebrows and nod. “I wasn’t feeling well the last few days.” My eyes dart to Kellan momentarily.

  “Well, you’re tan as hell,” she says, holding her arm up to mine. I hadn’t really noticed before now, but her skin pales next to mine.

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Hey, I feel like chopped liver over here,” Derek says, stepping toward us.

  “Derek!” I wrap my arms around him and hug him tightly.

  He lifts me off the ground a little and then releases me. “You have no idea how happy we are to see you.”

  “Same goes for you, but what are you doing here?” My eyes dart between him and Callie, and settle on Kellan.

  “We had a run-in with Marc,” Kellan answers.

  “You what?” Anxiety courses through me.

  “We took Derek to his office to get the evidence he’s collected on Marc–”

  “You were at Syntec?”

  “And Marc showed up,” he continues, ignoring my interruption. “He spotted us with Derek and became suspicious. He made a subtle threat.”

  “It was more of a warning,” Derek says. “But when he aimed it at Callie, I knew I couldn’t take any chances. We had to get out of the city. This seemed like the safest place for us right now. Little did I know there’d be a hurricane.”

  “In case you’ve forgotten,” Adam scolds me from across the room, but my thoughts scatter when I see him standing behind Mia, holding her shoulders—I can only concentrate on the way that he’s touching her, which seems overly friendly. “You shouldn’t have taken off without telling me,” he says, giving me a knowing look.

  “I know. I’m sorry.” I look at Kellan and explain, “It wasn’t Adam’s fault. I didn’t tell him I was leaving.”

  “I know.”

  I see Jason leaning against the counter in the kitchen. His dejected eyes meet mine and no one has to tell me what’s going on with Mia and Adam. “Glad you made it back in one piece, Makayla. It was pretty stupid to take off like that.”

  “So I’ve been told.” I dog-ear this development for later and redirect my attention to Kellan. “Does Marc have any idea we’re here?”

  “No.” Kellan reaches for my hand and holds it in his. “No one knows any of us are here. For now, it’s the safest place for everyone.”

  “Well, we can’t stay here forever.” Even if I wish that we could.

  “No”—Derek shakes his head—“we can’t. The team is scheduled to go home in a few days. But that should give me enough time to get everything in order so we can return safely. We’ll leave together then.”

  My heart dives into my stomach at the ambiguous thought. I lower my head, but Kellan catches my chin. “Everything’s going to be okay. Don’t worry.”

  I nod, praying he’s right, and shift in my salty clothes. They’re stiff from the ocean and rub against me uncomfortably.

  “Why don’t you go get a shower?” Mia says. “I’m going to warm up Antonella’s tamales and rice and beans.” She looks at Callie and Derek and explains, “Antonella is the best cook in the village. She always makes extra for us.”

  I look up at Kellan and say quietly, “A shower sounds good.” He takes my hand again and I’m reminded that I haven’t actually told Callie about him, though I’m pretty sure she’s figured it out by now. “Callie, this is–”

  “Kellan.” She raises her eyebrows and smiles. “We’ve met. We’ve sort of spen
t the last couple of days together.” She winks and I see a hint of amusement on Kellan’s face.

  “Right.”

  The wind picks up outside and whistles around the house.

  “We should hurry,” Kellan says to me.

  I glance up at him and nod, but I’m not ready to leave Callie. We have so much to talk about.

  “Go,” she says, “I’ll still be here when you get out. We have plenty of time to catch up.”

  I hug her again. “Okay. I’m so glad you’re here. Safe.”

  “Me too.”

  Kellan closes my bedroom door behind us and I turn on the shower. I glance up at my reflection in the mirror and I’m horrified by what I see. My hair is a tangled mess, frizzy and dry with salt, my skin looks sallow, and there are circles under my eyes.

  “I’m sorry the last few days were so hard,” Kellan says, stepping behind me and rubbing my arms. “They were hard for me too.”

  I turn away from the mirror, shrug out of my stiff clothes, and step under the cool water, which sends goosebumps across my skin. I close my eyes as it runs down my body and washes the salt off my face. Kellan steps in and wraps his arms around me, warming me with his body. Once we’ve both acclimated to the cool temperature of the water, he grabs the shampoo and rubs some into my hair. I close my eyes and my shoulders slump as he massages my scalp and washes the salt from it. He follows with conditioner.

  “Rinse,” he says, turning me around. He tilts my head back under the water and gently runs his fingers through my hair until all the conditioner is gone.

  I wring the water from my hair and reach for the soap, but Kellan takes it from me and rubs it between his hands. He washes my face, gently scrubbing my cheeks and nose with his fingertips. “Close your eyes.” He leans me back under the water again and rinses the soap from my face. He stands behind me and rubs the soap across my shoulders, washing down my back and up my arms. He reaches around me and washes my stomach and breasts, massaging them gently, and I lean back against his warm chest, closing my eyes at the feeling of his hands slipping over my wet skin.

  He turns me around so that I’m facing him and rubs his soapy hands over my bottom, giving it a soft squeeze. Then he moves to my front and gently washes between my legs. I glance up at him and my heart aches at the sight of his familiar blue eyes gazing down at me.

  I missed those eyes.

  I take the soap from him and rub it across the plains of his broad chest and over his round shoulders, up his neck to his face. I gently scrub his scruffy cheeks and run my fingers down his sculpted nose and over his etched lips. “Rinse,” I say softly. I reach around him to wash his back and my breasts rub gently against his chest as I massage his thick muscles with lather. I slide my hands up and down his arms, tracing my fingers over his scar. Then I lower them to his stomach and his muscles ripple under my soapy fingers. I reach behind him again, letting my hands slide down the curve of his back, and I feel something between us, pressing against me. I take him in my soapy hands and he makes a familiar groan that sends a rush of fiery heat across my cool skin.

  He crushes his mouth to mine and kisses me desperately, like it’s the last time he’s ever going to kiss me, and I grip his back, pressing my fingers into his wet skin, desperate for him too. He picks me up and presses my back to the wet tiles, exhaling a warm breath against my lips as he pushes into me without warning. I cry out quietly as he fills me and wrap my legs around him tightly. “Te amo,” he whispers in my ear. He lifts his head and looks into my eyes. “I love you.” He begins to rock in and out of me slowly, turquoise reflecting green, and my heart beats for him, forever branded with his name.

  “Te amo,” I whisper against his lips, repeating the beautiful words.

  He groans softly and presses his cheek to mine. “Contigo. Only with you. From now on.”

  “Contigo,” I repeat. I’m his now, wholly and completely.

  He curves his long fingers behind my neck and kisses me slowly, caressing my tongue with his, and I’m only vaguely aware that the storm is pressing on outside, hammering rain and wind against the boarded windows of our little house. I loosen my legs around him, letting him hold me against the shower wall with his hips, claiming me to the slow rhythm of his kisses. I savor the taste of him and the feeling of him moving inside me, soothing me, satisfying me, and pushing me to the brink of oblivion. Flames burn across my skin, searing up my thighs to one concentrated place that aches and rejoices at once.

  “Ahh,” I cry, tightening around him and he moves faster, pushing deeper, relieving the ache that’s almost unbearable now. And all my thoughts, all my worry, every care in the world narrows down to a single moment that envelops me and blinds me with pleasure as I mutter soundless words against his ear. He groans and thrusts into me hard, pressing me to the wall with his flexing body, shattering me further as he shudders and pulses inside me.

  * * *

  Kellan hands me a towel and I dry off, and comb through my silky hair. It feels good to get rid of the tangles that were matted into it before. He gets dressed and sits on the bed, and scans my naked body while I rub on some lotion. “You need to eat, baby. You’ve lost weight.”

  I know that I have. My hips are sticking out a little and my stomach looks slightly concave, probably because it’s empty. My heart, however, is swollen up to the size of a balloon. “You just called me baby,” I say, pressing my lips together over a small smile.

  He reaches for my hand and pulls me over to him. “I did. Because that’s what you are to me... Precious.” He puts his hands on my hips and presses his mouth to my scar.

  “Kellan, it took me years to get over losing my parents. I can’t go through something like that again. Not with you. Not after everything that’s happened. I know logically I shouldn’t depend on anyone so much, but it’s fundamental at this point. I won’t survive without you. The fear of what happened, what could still happen, is too big. It will destroy me if I have to face it alone...without you.”

  He shakes his head. “You won’t have to. I won’t leave you,” he says resolutely, but it doesn’t entirely soothe my troubled mind. He looks up at me and his cheeks flush with emotion. “I want you, Makayla. All of you. Forever. And whatever that means for our future. Together.” He swallows hard and says, “Maybe that’s a family one day. I don’t know. But I know I want you.”

  I nod softly over the tears that fill my eyes and shove my hands into his damp hair. “Good. Because I kind of like you.”

  He smiles softly. “I kind of like you too.” He drags his lips across my stomach and softly bites my side, making me jump. “So ticklish.” He laughs.

  “Yes, I am. And I’ve been known to throw wild punches at my attackers.”

  The corner of his mouth twitches and he lets go of me. He stands up and pushes my hair off my neck, and slowly presses his lips to the skin below my ear. He massages the spot with his tongue and whispers, “I won’t tickle you anymore. Now get dressed.”

  I huff a quiet breath and proceed to gather my clothes.

  “So, am I crazy or is there something going on between Mia and Adam?” I ask, pulling on my shirt.

  He looks over at me from his sprawled-out position on the bed. He looks exhausted. He shakes his head and confirms, “You’re not crazy.”

  I lie down next to him and say with some concern, “She’s with Jason. Or at least, I thought she was.”

  He drops his head to the side and looks at me. “She wasn’t with him when she got with Adam.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Adam would never do that. I know he jokes around, but he has honor.”

  I nod, feeling conflicted. “Poor Jason. I wonder what happened? Mia didn’t tell me anything.”

  “Jason’s young. Mia won’t be the last woman in his life. There’ll be plenty more.”

  “Like you’ve had?”

  He pulls his eyebrows together and asks, “You think I’ve been with a lot of women?”

  I shrug. “Yes
.”

  “Why?”

  “Kellan, you’re beautiful. I have no doubt girls have been fawning over you your entire life.” There’s a jealous edge to my voice.

  “Well, I hate to disappoint you, but I spent the majority of my twenties in an Afghani desert. With mostly men.”

  I smirk. “True.”

  “And I’ve never been with anyone who meant something to me. Not like you.”

  I smile up at him and agree, “Me neither.”

  When we walk into the kitchen, Mia looks up at us and says, “Dinner is almost ready.”

  “It smells great.” I’m starving...for the first time in days.

  Derek and Dr. H are sitting at the kitchen table across from Adam, engaged in a very serious discussion. Kellan sits down and joins them.

  “Where’s Callie?” I ask Derek.

  “Unpacking. She might not reappear until tomorrow.”

  I laugh. “Which room?”

  “Grant’s old room,” Kellan answers without looking up.

  Old room? “He didn’t come back?” I ask, sounding a little too cheerful. I didn’t see him earlier, but then, I rarely did, even when he was here.

  “No,” Kellan says, glancing up at me now. “He felt it was time to move on.”.

  “Oh. Well, I’m sure it’s for the best,” I say, hoping to sound impartial.

  I hurry down the hall and knock on Grant’s door, which feels odd. “Callie?”

  “Come in,” she calls from the other side.

  I walk in and smile when I see her sitting on the bed, sorting through the clothes in her suitcases. “Geez, Cal, think you brought enough?”

  I’ve only had a couple of pairs of shorts and a handful of tops to last me all this time. Looks like Callie brought half her wardrobe.

  Who am I kidding? It’s not even close to half.

  “I brought some of your stuff too.”

  “You did?”

  She eyes what I’m wearing. “Looks like you could use it.”

  I shrug. “I’ve kind of gotten used to the basics.”

  “Here.” She hands me a stack of my clothes.

  I thumb through some of my shorts and tops, but pause when I see my mom’s old Queen T-shirt that I like to sleep in.