by Sieni A. M.
He glared down at her. “Let’s go. Now. I’m taking you home.”
Argh! Why did he have to be so over-protective? She wanted to curse this big brother act of his.
She glanced over at Chase who was eying Manu. She noticed him looking at his chest. Was he deciphering his aura? He cleared his throat and spoke without looking at her. “Dessert can wait, Alana. Go ahead with Manu.”
She gaped at him. Was he serious? She didn’t want to go, and she made it perfectly clear through her own aura that she was annoyed. Chase flicked his gaze and measured her in silence. She caught a glint in his eyes but couldn’t interpret it. Blowing out air through her nose, she scraped the chair along the floor and stood at the same time Chase did. Touched by his gesture, she gave him a small smile.
“Thanks for dinner,” she said.
Chase grinned in return. “I’ll see you soon,” he said in a way that made her believe they would pick up where they left off. Alana smiled at him again.
She led the way towards the exit and located Manu’s truck in the parking lot. Alana strode to it and waited for him to unlock the doors. Climbing in, she kept quiet while he revved the engine and drove onto the main road. She looked out the window as she spoke.
“You didn’t have to do that. Chase would have taken me home just fine.”
“We don’t know who this guy is, Lana, and you were having dinner...alone.”
She angled her body so she could see his profile. “He’s harmless, Manu. He’s Kane’s friend for crying out loud. We weren’t doing anything illegal; we were just eating.” Alana noticed a muscle twitch in his jaw and his knuckles gripped tightly on the steering wheel. “I am not a child, and you need to cool it with the big brother act,” she added.
Manu shook his head. “I’m not your brother, Alana. I’ve never sought to fill that role.”
“Then stop acting like one!” she shot back. “I get enough of the over-protectiveness and bossiness from David and Malia. I don’t need it from you too.” She sighed heavily. “I just wish everyone could just calm down and let me live. I’m a responsible person, and I can make smart decisions on my own. A dinner with a friend should not be something to get all worked up about.”
“I’m only looking out for you, Lana,” he said with irritation. “I don’t know anything about this person besides the fact that he’s filthy rich, and it made me upset seeing you with him. What if he tried something? We wouldn’t know where you were if you got hurt.”
Alana closed and opened her eyes in exasperation. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting a little? Nothing would have happened to me. He behaved like a perfect gentleman tonight. Besides, I trust him.”
That last admission came as a surprise to her and she paused. She realized she did trust him. With all of his mystery and intrigue and abilities, she had come to believe in him.
“I don’t like it,” Manu mumbled under his breath.
“What don’t you like?” she asked.
“You and him; I don’t like it.”
Alana smiled on an exhale of breath. “Manu, Chase is a friend and is a big part of this wedding. I can’t avoid him.”
Reaching her home, Alana got out of the truck.
“Thanks for the lift,” she said before shutting the door. “Do you want to come in and hang out? Sounds like everyone’s here.” She could hear chatter and laughter resonating from the house.
“Nah, that’s alright. Had a long shift.”
“I’ll see you later then.”
She started to walk towards the house when Manu called out to her. “Hey, Lana?”
Turning to face him, she raised her eyebrows in question. “Yes?”
He pinned her with a look that bordered on contemplative and uncertainty while she waited patiently for him to speak. Shaking his head he finally said, “Never mind. I’ll see you at the wedding.”
Alana stepped into her house and avoided everyone, high tailing it down the hallway to the bathroom. She was about to take off her dress when the door swung open and Reena strode in, shutting it firmly behind her.
Alana swiveled to face her. “Do you mind? I’m about to take a shower.”
“Don’t try to escape. I want details and don’t you dare think about leaving any out.” Reena smiled mischievously, crossing her arms over her ample chest. Alana noted her brows were plucked to the point that she needed a pencil to draw in the rest of them. Her hair was perfectly arranged in a high bun and she smelled of strong store-bought spray.
Alana raised her eyebrows and responded dryly. “Well, let’s see. After you abandoned us at the pools, we went to dinner. Then Manu conveniently showed up and brought me home.”
Her cousin eyed her suspiciously. “So you and Chase didn’t…”
Alana frowned before her eyes widened. “What? No! Why would you think that?”
Reena rolled her eyes. “When a man leads a woman into the bushes—”
Alana’s cheeks reddened and she raised her hand to stop her. “It wasn’t like that. I’m not going to… I don’t intend to…” she stammered before she took a deep breath. “I’m not planning to do what you think we did. I’ve just met the guy for heaven’s sake. I’m not…like that.”
Reena’s lips curled. “Like what? You’re not a dead log. You do have a pulse, a heart, blood pumping through your veins, don’t you? Because that man is seriously hot!”
Alana shifted on her feet and eyed her younger cousin. Her mind hovered to the years prior to her father’s death and the few boys she was interested in. There had been a time in her first year of university that she had been curious, but she changed her mind after a cousin got pregnant while attending university in Brisbane and was consequently sent home, her scholarship stripped away. It had scared the crap out of Alana. Standing in front of Reena now, she came to a decision then and there.
“You know what? I think I want to wait for the right person and the right moment.” Like after she committed herself emotionally to him—whoever he was—for life, she decided.
Reena took a step back and her eyes flashed with understanding. “You mean you’re still a—”
“Yes,” Alana responded coolly. Her pride swelled as the admission felt empowering.
Reena’s mouth popped open. “What the hell did you do in Fiji then? You were gone from this island for years, away from this family. Hello, freedom! The chance to go crazy? To experiment? Fool around?” she hissed and almost yelled at the same time.
“Shhh, keep your voice down,” Alana said.
“Seriously?” Reena responded incredulously.
“Yes, Reena. Why is that so hard to believe?” And then her voice softened. “I had other things on my mind anyway.” Like the overwhelming grief she felt after her father’s death.
Her cousin’s expression smoothed. “I see. Well, I think my admiration for Chase just went up ten points. Good luck to him,” she added sarcastically. She furrowed her brows. “So what did you do for two hours then?”
Alana shrugged. “We just talked.”
“You just talked?” Reena imitated flatly.
“Yes—”
The door flung open and Malia stepped in.
“What took you so long?” she asked Alana.
Kane came and stood behind her sister. Alana caught his gaze and something secret passed between them. Yes. I know about Chase and what he can do.
He cleared his throat. “Lia, it’s alright. Your sister’s home now.”
“I called your phone a hundred times!” she exclaimed.
My phone! Alana realized she left it together with her bag in Chase’s car.
Malia placed her hands on her hips and in that small act demanded an answer. Alana sighed.
“Chase and I just got a bite to eat after Papaseea, that’s all. Manu came by and brought me home.” She cringed on the inside for having to explain herself. And in front of Kane too. How embarrassing. “Besides, you’re the ones that took off without us. Now can you all step out so I can
get cleaned up?”
“I didn’t know you would take hours to get home,” her sister pointed out.
“Come on.” Kane took Malia’s hand and tugged her out. Reena smirked before she followed them out.
“Believe me when I say Chase can be trusted. He’s a good guy.”
Alana heard him as they walked away. So her sister didn’t know about Chase and his abilities. She admitted she was glad about that.
Chapter 17
Alana strolled out of the breezeway and made her way across the hospital car park. She had requested to come into work during the day so she could spend the evening preparing for the wedding. Already exhausted, she anticipated it would be a long night of floral arrangements and dodging probing questions from her cousins ahead of her. Before crossing the road to catch the bus home, she spotted the black Land Rover in the lot. Chase was leaning up against the hood, his arms crossed over his chest and looking in her direction. Alana glanced around before she walked over to him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked on approach, smoothing down the skirt of her nurse’s uniform.
“I’m holding you to your word that you’d buy dessert,” he answered with a grin. “You also left this behind.” He raised her bag.
Alana drew closer and took it from him. “Thanks.” She glanced down at her watch. “I don’t have much time. I promised I’d be home to help prepare for tomorrow.”
“Then we won’t be long,” he said opening the passenger door. “I’ll drive you home myself this time,” he said with a sly grin. Alana shook her head before giving him a small smile and climbing in.
“Where to?” he asked when he was behind the wheel.
“To the marina again,” Alana instructed.
Chase shifted gears and drove onto the main road. Fidgeting in her seat, she felt she needed to offer an explanation for Manu’s behavior the day before. She didn’t want Chase to think she was controlled and couldn’t make her own decisions.
“I’m sorry about yesterday at the restaurant…with Manu,” she said sheepishly. “He’s always looked out for me.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he said, giving her a lopsided grin. “I get it. If I know something about Samoan men, it’s that they’re protective of the women they care about.”
Alana snorted. “Yes, well. It’s more like over-protective.” She sighed. “My family is no exception. I don’t want to complain—”
“Complain away,” he interrupted. “I’m all ears.”
Alana smiled. “Okay. Just don’t judge me. Because I’m not that person. I’m not someone that complains about nonsense. I love my family, and despite the dramas that come with it, I have a great one. I do what I can to help them, but I just want a little independence, a little control. I’m twenty one years old and they treat me like a child sometimes. I don’t ask for much, just that they see me as someone more. Someone who is capable and can make decisions, even if it means making a mistake along the way. But God forbid if I do! I’m not saying that I’m going to go streaking along Beach Road or dye my hair orange, but I just want them to take a step back and let me live a little. I…need it.”
Chase glanced sideways at her. “Can you blame them for how they feel though? Look what happened to you in the aftermath of that party. You completely withdrew yourself.”
She pursed her lips and looked out the window. That was something different, she thought. That was about her father and failing to get revenge.
“I’m not saying you’re a weak person, Alana, because you’re not. You’re walking this fine line between dutiful daughter and sister and trying to assert yourself in the process without being disobedient or disrespectful. I admire that you’re being gracious about it.” He grinned and added, “Even with your Samoan pride.”
Alana turned and smiled at him. “It’s one of my many flaws,” she boasted sarcastically.
“I wouldn’t say many,” he uttered under his breath.
She pretended she hadn’t heard him and rifled through her bag to get her phone out. Her hand stilled when she noticed her muddy clothes from the day before were clean and folded neatly inside. She snapped her head to him. “You had my clothes washed?” she asked shocked.
Chase shrugged and answered without taking his eyes off the road. “I had them added to the laundry pile at the hotel. No big deal.”
Alana didn’t know what to feel first. Embarrassment that he went through her clothes? Her delicates? Or gratefulness that he had been so thoughtful?
“I didn’t touch them, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he added, turning his head to her. “I know that’s taboo here.”
Alana tried to restrain her smile and nodded. Incredibly thoughtful. “Thank you.”
Chase pulled up near the marina and parked in the same spot as the day before. They stepped onto the walkway and strolled along the boardwalk. They didn’t have to walk far, the ice cream parlor only a few doors away. Its neon sign with Hibiscus Ice scrawled boldly in the front flashed pink and green to attract customers. Some tourists in surf attire mingled at the entrance, their accents hinting to Alana that they came from Australia. They entered and were instantly blasted with the shop’s cool air conditioning. Tropical fruit flavors in a rainbow of colors greeted them from behind the glass freezer, a staff member behind at the counter with an ice cream scoop at the ready.
“Every flavor in this place is home made from tropical fruits—papaya, coconut, pineapple, banana, guava,” Alana informed Chase. “Nothing is imported. The owners are friends of my parents, and they wanted to start a business that uses local produce as a healthy alternative to the imported stuff.” She paused and pointed to one. “My favorite is the mango and passion fruit combo.”
“That sounds good. I’ll have the same,” he responded.
A friendly, booming voice came from behind them. “Alana! Long time no see! How are you?”
Alana smiled wide and turned around to face a fit and trim man well into his sixties. Dressed in a loud elei print shirt, he walked over to them.
“It’s good to see you too, Uncle Toa,” she said.
After she introduced him to Chase, Toa turned to the staff member behind the counter. “Whatever these two want, it’s on the house,” he ordered before turning to Alana and waving his finger. “No arguments.”
Alana opened her mouth to protest but he gave her a look that shut it right up again. “Thanks, Uncle.” She smiled coyly.
“You know what that means, right?” Chase asked as they strolled along the seawall, cones in hand.
“What?”
He grinned. “You still owe me dessert.”
They stopped and sat facing the harbor, water lapping on the black rocks below them, the lights from the town starting to shimmer in the bay. The ice cream melted fast in the heat, and they sat in silence trying to keep the drips to a minimum. The peaceful calm that settled between them was comfortable, and Alana realized she enjoyed it. She savored his company and didn’t want their time together to come to an end.
“Remember yesterday at the waterfall when you asked me what I want to achieve?” she asked tentatively. Chase nodded, looking pensively out at the bay. “I wasn’t being entirely honest with you…well, what I mean is I didn’t tell you my top personal goal. It was hard for me to open up because it’s a little embarrassing to talk about myself like that. I guess I also didn’t trust you before.”
“And you trust me now?” he asked, turning his head so he was facing her.
“Yes. I do.” The honest admittance slipped easily from her mouth.
She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she started. “For the longest time, I’ve wanted to become the kind of person that will leave an imprint in someone’s life.” She bit her lip and rushed on. “I know that probably sounds so self-righteous or egotistical—” She stopped short when he gave her a look that told her to stop berating herself. Giving him a small smile, she continued. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t want
to be the type of person that hurts another, consciously or unconsciously. But it’s hard. Really hard. I know I’ve hurt others through my pain, but I don’t want to be that person.”
She paused when she thought about her brother and the hurtful things she said to him at the police station. “I want to strive to be someone that can make a difference in someone’s life. It’s the reason why I went into nursing. It’s all part of a plan that I want to execute but fear I won’t be able to achieve. But I don’t want to just say the words; I want to act on them too. It’s not enough for me to just simply have that diploma in my hands. I want to live it, breath it. But since my father’s death, I’ve been scared that I’ve lost that feeling—the reason why I wanted to become a nurse in the first place. When I see what we’re capable of doing, of hurting, killing, backstabbing, abusing—it’s all just a monumental disappointment to me, and I can’t help but get hurt and upset by it all. I don’t like being so angry, and I know that no one is perfect, that no one has the perfect life and that everyone has a sob story. Heck, I know I’m not perfect. God knows I have my faults, my flaws.”
She swallowed and looked down at her hands which were knotting her skirt. “I just keep asking myself, what is the point of this life otherwise? We were put on this planet with other people. What’s the point of it all if not to help one another out? We go our whole lives wishing for something we can’t have, for things that are out of our reach…but this, this is within our reach. It's a choice, one that can easily be made.”
She stopped and looked out at the lapping water. “I choose this. This life. This purpose. But I’m also scared that what gets thrown my way will only dishearten me. I’m trying so hard to be strong for my family, but after everything we've been put through with my father’s death, it’s so hard. Sometimes I don’t know how to go about it. I’ve craved for some kind of control of my own but that control got out of hand, and it’s just hurt me and the people around me.”
When she looked at him, Chase was watching her. He seemed to measure her in silence, and the silence made her uncomfortable. Anxious nervousness invaded her stomach and she laughed a little to ease it.