The Edge of You

by Theresa Dalayne

  Maya pressed her back against the chair and nodded. “All right. But if you disappoint, you’ll owe me another tour.”

  He gave her a wink. “Deal.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Jake

  Jake shut off the engine at the entrance of Abercrombie Park. “Here we are.”

  “What is this place?” Maya turned in her seat, admiring the mature spruce and pine trees reaching toward the clear blue sky. Mountains towered on one side of them, the ocean on the other.

  “This is my favorite place to come when I want to spend time outside, but don’t feel like driving up to Bells Flats.”

  “Where’s that?”

  “That is close to where your dad works.” He gestured with a nod. “Come on. I’ll show you around.” He stepped out of the car, waiting for her to follow him out.

  She turned in a slow circle, taking in the scenery. “Wow. This place is like a postcard. It’s a park?”

  “A state historical park.” He walked around the car and waited for her at the top of the mossy steps, leading down to a spit of land separating the ocean and a lake. “This way. But be careful—”

  He expected her to tiptoe over the dirt and sticks, but she blew past him, half-skipping down the path. She paused and glanced over her shoulder, tossing her hair to the side. “Well? Are you coming?” She blinked, showing glimpses of metallic blue eye shadow that matched the highlights in her hair.

  He ran his hand along his jawline. Damn she was beautiful. “Right behind you.” He followed her down the long path of steps, watching her ponytail bob up and down, dark brown strands brushing over her shoulders.

  Maya veered off the path to the edge of a small drop-off and rested her hand over the bark of a tree, staring out at the water. “Is that the ocean? It’s so calm.”

  “No. That’s Lake Abercrombie. The ocean is over there.” He pointed to the far left.

  She whimpered. “I wish it was warm enough to go swimming. The water looks amazing.”

  “What do you mean? This time of year the lake is warm enough to swim.”

  Maya turned, her eyes lit up with excitement. “Seriously?” Her shoulders slouched forward. “God, I miss California. My best friend and I basically lived at the beach.”

  Jake walked toward her, stepping over the spongy ground covered with layers of pine needles and moss. “Beaches are nice, but they don’t give you this.” He gestured to the view of endless forest in a hundred shades of green, blue skies, and the sun so bright and clean, he could practically smell it.

  “Yeah,” Maya said softly. “You have a point.”

  “My ex-girlfriend hated coming here. She would always complain about being outside—hated camping, too many bugs, too cold. Hated the smell of smoke when we made a fire.”

  “She sounds like a real downer.” Maya snorted. When she looked at him, her smile vanished. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  Jake shrugged. “No, you’re right.” He kicked at the ground, pushing the toe of his Converse sneaker into the earth. “Not to mention she slept with every guy on the college basketball team while we were dating.”

  Maya crinkled her nose. “Ew.” She examined him with those smoky eyes. “Well, I wouldn’t stress about it if I were you. She’s missing out.” Maya turned to where the car was parked, twirling a strand of blue hair around her finger. “I wonder...”

  “What?”

  “How many people come here?”

  He shrugged. “Usually just tourists who want to check out the old war bunkers, and people come at night sometimes.”

  Maya smiled. “Awesome.” She stripped off her shirt and unbuttoned her pants. “I’m going swimming. Are you coming?”

  He stepped back, not sure where he should look. “Uh...”

  She threw her jeans, hitting him in the chest. He fumbled with them, and looked up to see her in a bra and some lacy underwear that hugged the smooth curves of her hips. Heat flooded him, and he gripped her jeans tighter. A freckle set on the left side of her chest, drawing his eyes down her cleavage and over the rest of her curves. His throat closed a little as his gaze was drawn to the small shimmering cherries dotted over her panties.

  God help him.

  “Are you serious?” He said, scaling her body again. He hadn’t been with anyone since last summer, and everything in him ached to solve that.

  She squared her stance and rested her hand on her hip. “Don’t tell me you’re embarrassed? Most of my bathing suits have less to them than this.”

  Jake tried not to imagine what that would look like. He noticed her shirt draped over a low branch of a tree beside her and threw her jeans on top of it.

  She tiptoed to the water and dipped her toe in. “Holy shit. It’s warm!”

  “Yeah.” He watched her body move with each step. “This time of year the sun is out for so long, the lake gets like bathwater.”

  “I never would have thought.” The water rippled as she inched in, pausing when it wavered around her thighs. “You have to come in with me. Please?”

  He was completely convinced the new girl was crazy—in all the best ways.

  She glided her fingers through the water. “You’re seriously going to make me swim alone?”

  He grinned at her pouting lip, then glanced back up the path. Shaking his head, he unzipped his hoodie and tossed it over a branch. “I can’t believe you’re making me do this.”

  “I’m not making you do anything. Stop being such a baby.” She bit her bottom lip when he stripped off his shirt, then his jeans, down to his boxers. He ran his fingers through his hair, observing her wade in the lake with the sun beating on her shoulders and her lean, almost naked body casting a shadow over the rippling water.

  It was the first time he had been this relaxed in weeks, and he was going to take full advantage of the moment. He walked into the water, watching as she lifted her face to the sun. “This is so beautiful.” With a deep breath, her chest rose and fell with a silent exhale, as the warm light poured over her features.

  “Exactly what I was just thinking.”

  Maya softly blinked opened her eyes, lips curving into a smile. “Meet you on the other side.” She dove under the water, vanishing below the reflective surface.

  He searched for her, amused at first. But when she didn’t come up for air after a few seconds, a sense of urgency pushed him further into the lake. “Maya?” There were roots and old stumps on the bottom that she could get caught on. “Maya!” He charged further into the water until it was too deep to touch the bottom. Panic set in, and he glanced at his clothes with his cell phone in the pocket of his jeans.

  “Are you coming?” Maya shouted.

  Jake turned and spotted her almost twenty yards out. He swam toward her, pushing away the raw anxiety still clawing at his chest. When he reached her, he gently wrapped his hand around her arm and pulled her toward him. “You have to be careful around here. Don’t go diving under like that, okay? You scared the shit out of me.”

  “Why? Are there giant Alaskan lake sharks or something?”

  “Shut up,” he chuckled.

  The warmth of her fingers coiled around his wrist spread up his arm. “But seriously. There are lots of roots on the bottom. One guy got his ankle caught on one a few years ago and almost drowned.”

  His phone rang, sending an electric sound echoing through the air before it finally stopped.

  “I seriously can’t believe the water is this warm,” Maya said. He turned his attention back to her, her hair slicked back and water dripping down her curves. She leaned back and floated with her arms outstretched, staring up at the sky. Maya inhaled, her eyes closed and a peaceful smile on her face. “It’s been forever since I had any fun.”

  He paddled closer to her. “Well, swimming wasn’t in my tour plans, but I’m glad you’re having a nice time.”

  “Yeah, this is great. Being bored stresses me out. I’m so used to staying busy.” The water washed over her body, making her
skin glisten under the sun, her hands making figure eights through the water.

  There was something about this girl that was different. But if he didn’t want to complicate his life even further, he’d have to play it safe and not hang out with her often. He promised to show her around and he did. End of arrangement.

  The electric ring of his cell phone tore through the silence. He pivoted in the water, toward their clothes. It was the second time it rang in the last few minutes. “I think have to get that.”

  Maya righted herself. “You can’t let it ring?”

  “It could be my mom.” He was on constant phone duty in case she needed anything or if there was news from the doctors. Last he heard she had a CT scan scheduled for tomorrow.

  Maya followed him to the shore, where he climbed onto the land, shivering under the coastal breeze with dirt and pine needles stuck to his wet feet. He slipped on his shirt and groped in the pocket of his pants for his phone, then pulled it out to see two missed calls. “It was a private number.” He gripped his phone tighter and turned toward Maya. “I’m sorry. I thought it could be important.”

  She stepped out of the water and bundled her clothes in her arms. “It’s no problem,” she said, slipping on her shirt and jeans as fast as she could, her teeth chattering. “Could have been—”

  His phone rang again, and Jake flipped it open. “Hello?”

  “Is this Jake Coleman?”

  “Yeah. Who’s this?” He grabbed his pants and grimaced as he slipped them over his wet boxers. Awesome.

  “This is Dr. Banin from the Tacoma General Hospital. You were on your mother’s paperwork as an emergency contact.”

  Jake froze and pressed his phone harder to his ear. “What happened? Is she okay?”

  “She was found by a neighbor on the floor of her home after what we believe was a seizure. We still aren’t sure what caused it, but she doesn’t have any memory of what happened.”

  Jake shoved his feet in his shoes. “So she’s awake?”

  “Yes, but she’s very tired and on bed rest. We understand you don’t live in the area?”

  Jake clenched his jaw. “No, I don’t.”

  “Don’t worry. She’s in good hands here. We will allow her to call you once she’s better. Until then, just hang in there. Looks like everything’s going to be okay.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Maya

  Maya pulled up to her house, the headlights of her dad’s SUV guiding her up the driveway. She parked and turned off the engine, then stepped outside to the cool air, sending a shiver up her arms.

  She couldn’t wait to change out of her damp clothes; her underwear was still soaked when she got dressed. But first, a shower to wash the smell of lake water out of her hair.

  Once she was in her house, Maya walked up to her room and kicked off her shoes, smiling as she replayed the day’s events in her mind. It felt good to get out of the house and do something fun. Hopefully Jake’s mom was okay. He seemed so panicked, then angry on their drive back to his apartment. Being trapped on the island because of work while his mom was sick had to be worse than she could imagine.

  But she knew what it was like to be helpless.

  The time she and her parents spent in the waiting room of the hospital after Gracie’s accident was the longest hour of her life. The only sounds were the ticking clock and the prayers her mother murmured while rocking back and forth in her chair. She could still smell the pungent, metallic scent of iodine when the surgeon walked into the room. He shifted in the doorway. When her mother jumped to her feet, all the doctor could do was shake his head. Her mother sobbed and crumbled to her knees. Maya hunched over the trashcan and was sick. Her father punched the doctor square in the jaw.

  Luckily the surgeon was understanding, and chose not to press charges. It could have ruined her dad’s military career.

  Maya pushed her shoes aside with her foot, thudding against something under her bed. She crouched and reached into the dark space, searching until her fingers skimmed along a small box. When she pulled it out, her heart warmed and ached at the same time.

  Ginger crawled out from under Maya’s bed. Her tail straight in the air, the golden cat stretched with her claws extended in a lazy, unconcerned yawn.

  “Hey, girl. What are you doing under there?”

  Maya sat on the plush, taupe carpet and crossed her legs, lifting the old shoebox into her lap. She forgot she had stored it under her bed while unpacking.

  The box was something that started as a place to store old birthday cards and photos. But once Gracie drew pictures on the dented walls, it earned a special place in Maya’s heart.

  She gently pulled off the lid. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she reminisced over a check for one million dollars that her dad had given her on her thirteenth birthday. He was so happy, watching her slide the gag-gift out of the now faded Hello Kitty envelope. His eyes still had light behind them back then.

  She pushed the check aside and dragged her fingers along the white and pink seashell bracelet Beth gave her in eighth grade. There was a photo of Ginger as a kitten. A feather Maya picked up off the sand the night she and her mother strolled the beach for hours, talking and laughing about everything and nothing. It was one of the few times she felt really connected to her mom. And one of the last.

  Buried at the bottom of the box was a folded piece of lined paper. She pinched the corner between her fingers and slid it out, caressing the crisp folds, unable to ignore the void in her chest that grew larger each morning she woke up without Gracie’s high-pitched laughter echoing through the house.

  She unfolded the crinkled page to reveal a crayon drawing of two stick figures, their spaghetti fingers interlocked, wearing triangle dresses that reached down to oval-shaped shoes. A three-legged cat beside them had a long, curly tail and a Cheshire smile.

  The people in the drawing looked so happy. Their smiles were larger than their faces, hair swooped out in brown, scribbled flips, eyes like giant blue saucers.

  Along the top was written: To Maya, from Gracie. I love you.

  The emptiness clawing at her suddenly consumed her. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, stinging reminders of the little sister she’d never get back.

  With a quiet sob, Maya cradled the paper against her chest and spread her fingers over the waxy lines, nearly forgetting to breathe from how badly it hurt to remember.

  ***

  The next morning Maya knocked on her mom’s bedroom door before she left for school. When there was no response, she knocked again. “Mom?” There was a moan from inside. Maya turned the handle and gently cracked open the door.

  The first thing she noticed was the wine bottle on her mother’s bedside table. She stepped inside to find her still in bed, buried under the covers.

  Anger burned in Maya’s chest. She snatched the bottle off the table and glared at the lump of jumbled blankets. “Mom, wake up.” Her tone was demanding, though her mother didn’t seem to even notice she was in the room. “You need to wake up.” She rounded to the other side of the bed and pulled open the blinds, filling the room with bright morning light.

  Her mother moaned and swatted at the beams of sunlight pouring over her. “Maya?” She blinked and squinted at her, mascara streaked under her eyes. “What the hell are you doing?” Her voice was scratchy and raw.

  “That’s exactly what I was going to ask you.” She held up the bottle.

  Her mother pushed away locks of tousled hair. “You shouldn’t be in my room.”

  “What do you expect when it’s,” Maya checked her watch, “almost nine o’clock, and you were supposed to be at work a half hour ago.”

  Her mother’s eyes widened. “Work!” She crawled out of bed and stood, then pressed her hand to her forehead, swaying side to side. “Oh God.”

  Maya slammed the bottle on the nightstand beside her, making her mother wince. So many emotions swirled inside her as she watched her mother swallow, and finally met her gaze.
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  “I’m just...” She visibly ignored the presence of the wine bottle. “I just got a little carried away last night.”

  “Mom.” She reel back the resentment in her tone. “You shouldn’t be drinking at all.”

  “Okay, thank you, Maya.” Her mother extended her hand as if trying to block out her words.

  “Mom, you can’t keep doing this.” She pivoted as her mother walked past her. “Don’t you remember what it was like before? Do you really want to go back to that?”

  Her mom froze, her back turned and her fists balled at her sides. “I can’t talk about this right now,” she said in a placid tone. “I have to get ready for work.”

  Maya nodded, then paced toward the entrance, both of them silent. Maybe there was nothing to say. Not before. Not now. Not ever.

  Maya shifted her weight, the cloud of grief from the night before not quite worn off. Gracie had known a mother who was so much different, and Maya was thankful for that. But she still clung to the possibility that person would come back. “I’m trying, Mom. This isn’t easy for any of us.” She bit her lip, the ache in her stomach spreading to her ribs. Maya flinched when the bathroom slammed door shut, leaving her to stand alone in her parents’ room.

  Maya rested her hand on her chest. It was stupid to think her mom would listen. Stupid to think she would be there for her. Stupid to think she had anyone to turn to when her heart was breaking, and the pillars of strength that were holding her together had already begun to crumble.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jake

  Jake hung up his cell phone, annoyed that nobody had answered his calls at the nurse’s station for almost four hours. Damn doctors didn’t give a shit he’d been worried out of his mind, wondering if his mom had made any improvement.