by E. S. Carter
Directly to the left is a long, covered, glass and metal bar, filled to the brim with every kind of liquor imaginable and to the right is an impressive black marble stage and DJ booth, again shaded from the sun by a stunning, white canopy.
I walk to the edge of the glass balcony, looking out at the expanse of deep blue sea before me and I am immediately hit with the memory of eyes the same colour.
Stop it Emma! I mentally chastised myself. Why can’t you just enjoy what is in front of you without panicking about the mind fuck in your head?
The breeze is gloriously warm and just strong enough to whip up my long hair, flicking loose strands into my face. I gaze out over the ocean, watching small boats float calmly on the peaceful seas and I know in my heart I have done the right thing coming here.
I feel a presence to my right and flick my hair back to see who’s standing next to me.
Liam splutters, dodging wayward strands of my hair.
‘Bloody hell Jules, that hair should come with a hazard warning attached, you nearly whipped my eye out!’
I giggle at my newest friend, who is now pressing his palm into his left eye, while slowly shaking his head at me.
‘Sorry Liam, that’ll teach you for sneaking up on a girl, you are lucky it was my hair and not my fist, it’s an instinctual reaction to hit first ask questions later.’
I reach up and take his hand away from his eye and notice the tears slowly streaming out of it.
‘Shit sorry, I got you good didn’t I?’ I gently wipe the tears away from his cheek, moving his face slightly to check for marks.
‘Stop fussing Jules, I’m big enough and ugly enough to take you going all Willow Smith on me. But because you’ve caused damage, you can shout me drinks later. Oh and I’m crashing on your sofa OK.’ He smiles down at me knowing that it isn’t a question, more of a statement before scooping me up over his shoulder and running with me kicking and screaming, back to the other guys who are sitting just outside the front doors of Aurora.
‘Liam put me bloody down you twat!’ I’m smacking his back with one hand, while trying to keep the hem of my sundress below my arse with the other.
He knows exactly what he’s doing though and bends forward to place me gently back on my feet.
‘It’s OK Jules, there are no ponies on display today.’ He then winks at everyone sat around the table.
I ball my hand into a fist and punch him in the arm with all my might, feeling my cheeks burn crimson.
‘Ouch, keep that up and I might bruise.’ Liam dodges my next punch before pulling me into his lap.
‘Easy Tiger, we have company and I don’t want it to look like I’m getting beat up by a girl.’ He stands up still holding me and deposits me in a chair.
‘Find another sofa to sleep on.’ I huff finally getting the chance to look at everyone else.
Liv is stifling her giggles, Nate looks completely amused and that’s when I notice someone else sitting with us. He looks vaguely familiar but I can’t place him.
‘Hi Emma.’ The new guy gives me a bashful look, raising his bottle up to his lips to take a swig.
The table seems to have gone quiet, I look over at Liv confused before Liam starts speaking.
‘So you guys know each other?’ He nods his head towards the new guy.
Again I’m met with silence. Should I admit I do not know him, am I supposed to know him?
Liv clears her throat forcing me to bring my eyes back across the table to meet her gaze.
‘I need to use the little girls room, Emma?’ I nod and stand from the table.
‘Give us ten minutes Nate and I’ll be back for you to talk me through what you want me to do. I can’t wait to see my office.’ I look over towards the new guy and figure I should add something to be polite ‘It was nice meeting you…’ he smiles slightly shyly at me again before speaking.
‘H, ummmm I mean Harry, I’m Harry or you can call me H, everyone else does.’
He seems so nervous and I do not know why.
‘OK it was nice meeting you H, I’ll see you again.’
I look down at Liam and shrug my shoulders at the obvious look of bewilderment on his face, then follow a nervy looking Liv to the restrooms.
‘Am I missing something?’ I ask as soon as we walk into the ladies. Liv walks straight into a stall and closes the door mumbling something from inside.
‘Sorry Liv what was that?’ I use the time to check over my appearance in the huge floor to ceiling mirrors. Even the restrooms here are sensational. Nate has gone all out to make this place the best on the island.
I hear the toilet flush and Liv walks up behind me, catching my gaze in the mirror.
‘H was one of the guys from the . . . from the night everything happened at Acquiesce.’ She lowers her eyes and shuffles slightly on her feet, finding a loose thread on the edge of her fabric belt.
I’m shell shocked for a second before it hits me all at once.
‘Fuck! Did he….. did he see me…. You know after …?’ I can feel my voice getting quieter with each word spoken. Hold it together Emma, this is history, just hold it together.
‘God NO!’ Liv’s voice rises in panic. ‘No-one saw your body that night, you were covered up by the time we saw you being put in the ambulance. Jake made sure no one got to see you that way, he used his and H’s jackets to cover you. He even went all ballistic on the paramedics when they tried to remove them to check on you. Trust me Emma, H did not see ANYTHING.’
She steps forward, placing a hand on my shoulder, her eyes thick with unshed tears, worry etched on her face.
‘But Jake saw me didn’t he?’ I raise my hand to touch hers on my shoulder and our eyes meet again in the mirror.
‘Yes Em, Jake saw but…… he saved you Em, he was so fucking amazing that night.’
I nod once and wipe away the tear that has fallen from my eye.
‘I can deal with that’ I swallow deeply, ‘H is here and he knows me, knows what happened that night but then so does Nate and Liam. It’s no big deal, it’s all over, besides it’s not like Jake is here.’
Liv’s face falls and she wraps her arm around the front of my waist.
‘He is here Em, he rushed out to take a call when you were looking over the balcony with Liam.’
Her words spin through my brain, I struggle to make sense of what she’s just said and then it hits me.
‘Fuck, I’m so fucking fucked! Help me Liv, I don’t think I can do this.’
My best friend wraps both arms around me and squeezes tight, never lowering her gaze from mine in the mirror.
‘Yes you can Emma, I’m here for you, plus you’ve got through so much already, this is nothing. I’m in awe of you Emma Campbell, ever since we were little girls I’ve seen your strength. Watched you fight battles that someone so young should never have to fight. Seen you pull your way out of the darkness and shine brighter than anyone I’ve ever known. You are so beautiful, in so many ways and you don’t even know it. I love you Em.’
I fold my arms over hers, take a deep breath and let go of every worry I have.
I am blessed to have so many good friends, blessed to have this amazing girl walk beside me, never leaving me each time the going has got tough. I do not have the words to thank her for what our friendship means so my reply is simple.
‘I love you Liv.’
The silence carries for a few seconds before we both breathe deeply at the same time and exhale on a small laugh.
‘Right, now what I really want to know’ she says a little louder while wiping her eyes, ‘is what is going on between you and Liam? That boy is seriously C-U-T-E.’ she gives me an exaggerated wink before fussing with her hair.
I take another deep breath and laugh ‘Like I told you yesterday when you hounded me about him, WE ARE JUST FRIENDS!’ my hands are now on my hips trying for a serious stance and failing miserably.
‘Friends schmends, I’ve seen how he looks at you Em, there is a whole lot more
than friends going on in his eyes.’ She reapplies her lip gloss before pouffing up her hair one last time.
‘I like him a lot OK but not in that way AT ALL and he feels exactly the same way. We’ve just connected I guess. I like spending time with him, it’s easy.’ I shrug and look back at my reflection in the mirror.
She stares at me, not buying my words for a second judging by the doubtful look on her face.
‘Yeah, Whatever! Let me just say this, he’s going to be snapped up soon no doubt about it and then where will your friendly arse be? Lonely! Don’t piss about Em, if you like him, you like him. Don’t let the last few months put you off starting something with him if it’s what you want.’
I pull my fingers through my hair, trying to untangle some of the knots, thinking over what Liv has just said.
Oh God I hope he doesn’t look at me the way she thinks, that would just complicate things and I like, no I love what we have. She is wrong, she has to be. Liam and I share something special but only in a friendship capacity. Yes we feel like soul mates but not lovers and I cannot see that ever changing, for me at least.
We head back out to the guys and now I know why H feels so awkward around me, it makes me want to find some way to tell him it’s OK, so he can relax.
I think Nate might have beaten me to it though as there are grins all round when we get back to the table.
‘C’mon my little protégé, let me take you to your new domain and tell you what your taskmaster boss requires from you.’ Nate stands up, kisses Liv on the lips before sweeping his hands out in front of him, in an ‘after you’ motion.
I wave a goodbye to everyone and Nate tells them to head back to their rooms at their own pace, he’s going to text them the details of tonight’s arrangements.
‘C’mon young grasshopper, all play and no work does not make my club a success!’
I follow him willingly, I’m going to enjoy working for Nate and vow to give my new role 110%, I really do not want to let him down. Plus being here feels like I’m with family and I’ve not felt that for so long, I am not going to do anything to jeopardise it.
Accede; to agree to or consent.
Well Nate has outdone himself again; this place rocks.
He arrived at our hotel in his new Mercedes convertible, something he explained he needed to buy, seeing as he was going to be spending so much time on the island.
Yeah right, he needed to buy the flashiest car he could get his hands on, more like Nate likes his expensive toys and this is a good enough reason to buy yet another for his collection.
On the journey to Accede he talked non-stop about the plans for the opening tonight, how smoothly everything is coming together and how he hopes we will be blown away with Aurora, the day section of the club.
After showing us around every last detail of the main club, he left H and I in his office when he received a call from Liv to say that she had arrived.
‘Sorry guys, my lady is here, I’ll be back in 5, feel free to help yourselves to anything from the bar over there and check out the camera system I’ve installed, every single inch of the club can be monitored from right here in this office. Cool hey?’ and with that he is gone.
I know exactly why Nate’s security systems are top notch, he feels the need to carry some of the blame for what happened to Emma that night.
‘Bottle?’ H is already up and rummaging through Nate’s private bar, holding up a cold beer for my approval.
‘Well it would be rude not to seeing as he just offered.’ I take the bottle from H and walk over to the fancy camera section that covers an entire wall.
Flicking on the multiple touch screens I can see Nate and Liv at the entrance to the club. Anyone would swear he hasn’t seen her in days the way he is eating her face. Hah! Young love!
I never thought I’d see the day Nate settled for just one woman.
Just as Nate is putting Liv down after their heavy make out session, Liam walks through the doors and appears on the screen before me, shaking Nate’s hand and motioning behind him.
My attention is drawn away from the screen by H when he calls out ‘Awesome, he has bar snacks!’
‘Fucking hell H, don’t get too easily pleased, if I thought a few peanuts got you going that much, I would have bought you a bag full earlier.’
H snorts before downing a handful of nuts and walking towards the office door.
‘C’mon J I want to see the rest of this place, let’s catch up with everyone.’
Flicking the camera system off, I follow H out of Nate’s office and close the security door behind me.
We enter the club from a concealed doorway that hides all the behind the scenes areas from prying eyes.
‘Fucking hell, I didn’t see that earlier!’ H is standing there stunned, looking towards a massive opening that was definitely not there when we had the grand tour earlier.
Above the opening is an intricately crafted, bronze sun with the word Aurora carved through it.
I notice the impressive entrance to the terrace has actually been created by the clever use of some colossal, glass folding doors. Whoever designed this place with Nate really did a phenomenal job, the inside of the club screams luxury and judging by what I can see of the outside space, the same is true of that area too.
I have to give it to Nate, he has really outdone himself this time. No wonder he couldn’t wait to reveal this place to us. Even I can see this is something spectacular.
H bounds towards the terrace, amped up like a child that has consumed too many e-numbers. I have to laugh at him, sometimes I wish I had half the enthusiasm and uninhibited glee that H has for life, it’s contagious and I feel like a kid again whenever we are together.
Things are so easy around H, no drama, no stress. How we have stayed friends for so many years, I do not know but I guess we balance each other out.
I may not be a man of many friends but I do not need quantity when H is my quality. I would never tell him that though, plus he can be an annoying little shit. I am grateful for him in my life and that is never going to change.
By the time I get outside H is already sitting with Liv and Nate on the nearest table to the doors.
This space is downright extraordinary, from the floor, to the furnishings and the impressive glass edged balcony that allows an uninterrupted sea view.
I’m just about to congratulate Nate when my eyes land on two figures looking out over the ocean.
I take a few steps closer and can tell the male figure is Liam and he is standing next to a girl with long, wavy, caramel coloured hair that just falls above her lower back, she is wearing a simple white sundress and the breeze is flicking her hair around in a gentle caress.
Liam moves closer to her at the exact same time the breeze picks up and whips a large amount of those beautiful coloured tresses, into his face.
I want to laugh at the little squirt’s not so smooth moves, especially when said tresses have obviously caught him in the eye.
She realises he’s there and turns to look at him with a huge smile on her face.
My inner laughter halts abruptly to be replaced by shock and even a little fear.
Fuck! It’s her. What the fuck is Emma doing here with Liam?
How the hell didn’t I realise who she is as soon as I saw her hair being carried by the breeze? This girl has consumed my dreams for fucking months!
I’m standing there staring, completely immobile and totally fucking astounded when she reaches up and gently removes the hand he’s been using to cover his eye. My stomach lurches and I can feel my whole body go ridged as she runs her fingers across his cheek, staring lovingly at his face.
I have to physically restrain myself from going over there and ripping my baby brother limb from fucking limb. What the hell is going on here?
A hand on my shoulder makes me flinch and my reflexes cause me to spin around aggressively.
‘Don’t start anything bro.’ Nate looks straight in my eyes, concern writ
ten plain as day across his face.
‘Fuck you Nate!’ I push his hand from my shoulder and storm from the terrace but not before my last glance shows Liam, with Emma thrown over his shoulder, a manic smile spread across his face as he runs towards us.
Fuck this shit, I cannot fucking breathe.
Without saying goodbye or even acknowledging those at the table, I storm from the terrace, far away from my family and friends, far away from my baby brother who I haven’t seen in over a year and far away from the girl who has plagued my dreams.
Each step I take away from that terrace gets harder, each step I take away from her has my fists clenching tighter. If I do not get away from them soon I could do my little brother some serious harm.
How fucked up is that! And for what? Some girl I do not even know, some girl I haven’t even fucked!
All I do know is that my chest hurts like hell, my hands are starting to ache and my head is starting to spin.
I need to be as far away from this club as possible and fast.
Bursting through Accede’s front doors and out into the hot afternoon sun, I spin around on my heels and punch the first thing I see.
Fuck that hurts! My victim is the solid metal door of the club. Fuck!
I shake out my injured hand and look down at my bloodied knuckles.
Shit, I’m guessing at least one is broken, the pain in my hand is unreal, shooting all the way up my arm to my neck and into my head but my rage still isn’t quenched.
My phone begins to buzz in my pocket. Pulling it out roughly with my good hand I can see Nate’s name light up the screen. I reject the call and ram the phone back in my pocket before jumping into the nearest taxi.
‘Ushuaia por favor’ I growl out at the driver.
‘Si senor’ he flicks his eyes at me in the rear view mirror and has the sense to say nothing else.
I bet the fury I feel is burned all over my face.